Chapter 1
The lush, green environment of the Primal Forest was always a welcome respite to Valentina. It was her favorite place to hunt, gather, or simply relax and take a hike. The sun peeked through the canopy of the thick trees to form dancing spots of light on the ground. The tranquil environment, the peaceful wildlife, it all combined to define what Valentina loved about nature.
Except today.
It wasn't the fact that the animals were annoyingly louder than usual. It wasn't because the air was abnormally humid, marking one of the hottest days of the season. It wasn't even being surrounded by a pack of Genprey constantly taking nips at her armor, trying to find a weak spot, that made Valentina despise being in the forest today. It was because-
"I'm late for my date!" she sobbed as she shot another arrow at a hissing Genprey. "And it's all your fault!" The raptor was knocked back into the air, dead, but two more took its place, hissing and yipping.
It had seemed simple. Go to the Primal Forest, mine up some minerals, and be back in town before nightfall. At least, that's what the post on the Quest Board had told her. But somewhere along the way, the spirits above had decided to pull the most epic prank of the year and set loose a pack of screeching raptors to terrorize Valentina for hours and prevent her from completing her quest on time. The sun was slowly descending closer to the horizon, and Valentina was descending closer to an emotional break.
"How can I miss my first one-year-anniversary?! I'm such a horrible girlfriend!" Valentina wailed as she sank to her knees on the dirt floor. Her secret mission to find a jewelled anniversary gift among the minerals she would have mined had ended in failure. Dropping her bow in despair, she curled into a ball and desperately prayed that the Genprey would finally get bored trying to breach her Rathian-scale armor and find something else to bully.
Sensing an opportunity to attack, the Genprey tightened their circle, drawing nearer to the cowering huntress. She yelped as one of them snapped at her blonde ponytail, unprotected by her helmet. As they prepared to pounce, a sudden resounding noise in the distance made the pack turn their heads in unison, momentarily forgetting their target. Valentina heard it too, and as she focused, the sound came again, this time seeming farther away.
"Was that… a monster roar?" Sitting up, the huntress caught a glimpse of a flock of birds above her head, startled by the sudden roaring, flying in the opposite direction. The surrounding Genprey began to yap to each other, and after a few seconds, started in the direction of the commotion; perhaps there was an easier target to find there. As they dispersed around Valentina, a passing Genprey had the malice to snap at her item pouch, snagging a roll of paper that was peeking out of the top.
"Hey! My map!" She swiped at the raptor, but it danced out of her reach and sprinted away, clutching her means of finding her way back between its jaws. A few moments later, Valentina was alone. The distraction had helped get rid of the pests, but now Valentina was lost deep in the Primal Forest. Stunned, she shakily stood up, wrapping her arms around herself. When had it become so cold? The sky above was a deep shade of violet, signifying the start of the night. The sudden silence around her seemed deafening. If the quest had gone to plan, she would be enjoying herself on her date right now, laughing and having a lovely time.
"No map, no date, and I definitely failed the quest," Valentina mused to herself. "Maybe I should have signed up for that Felyne Insurance." Giggling quietly, she forced a smile onto her face. A positive outlook never hurt anyone.
Bending down to pick up her bow, the huntress began to think of solutions. If she camped out for the night, a rescue would come in the morning. But sleeping was the worst option; there would be nothing standing between the snoozing hunter and a large, angry monster. There wasn't any reasonable direction to start walking in, either. Unless…
That monster wasn't roaring at nothing, thought Valentina. If there was a chance of a fellow hunter doing a night hunt somewhere near her, she would gladly take companionship over being stuck alone in the dark forest. Nodding to herself, Valentina followed in the Genprey's direction, disappearing into the shroud of the night-ridden trees.
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The bright moon shined its light through the thick canopy, casting a soft glow from above. The forest was mostly silent, save for a few insect cries and the sounds of Valentina's footsteps. Her trek had reached an hour in length. Shivering, the huntress kept herself entertained by singing soft tunes to no one in particular.
"In the jungle, the mighty jungle, the Conga sleep tonight…"
It felt as though she had walked ten leagues. Despite her many visits to the Primal Forest, she was in unknown territory.
"A-weema-weh, a-weema-weh, a-weema-weh, a-weema-weh…"
Casting her gaze downward, Valentina was startled to see something other than leaves and sticks. Laying on the dirt ground, reflecting the pale moonlight, was an empty glass phial. Perplexed, she stooped down to pick up the tube. Before a close inspection could be made, however, a burning smell wafted through the air, making Valentina wrinkle her nose.
"What the-" She stopped as she looked up and was stunned by the scene before her.
It was undoubtedly a camp of some kind, but the entire area looked ravaged. The remains of a destroyed circular tent smoldered, casting puffs of dark smoke into the night sky. A wooden table leaned on the ground with one leg intact. There was rubble everywhere: broken tools, shreds of burnt cloth, and shattered glass phials identical to the one in Valentina's hand were spread haphazardly. The air had a tense atmosphere; she surmised that the attack must have happened recently.
"...Hello?" called Valentina hesitantly. She drew her bow and gripped it with a shaky hand. "Anyone need help?" Picking her way through the mess, she looked for any signs of life. "And if you do need help, sorry, because I'm not a medic…"
Reaching an item chest that was nearly torn in half, Valentina picked up a charred book. She opened it and glanced at the text.
"Notes on monsters… Great Jaggi, Bnahabra, Melynx…" Alongside the notes were crudely drawn pictures of their respective monster. Taking a closer look at the cover, Valentina could make out the faded three-tipped symbol of the Wycademy, the Guild's research division. "Someone's out here on a field study?"
A nearby groan made her jump.
"Scoot, that'd better not be you..."
Was someone still here? Valentina whipped her head around, trying to locate the source of the unknown voice.
"If it is, then get over here so I can kick your ass… ugh..."
Spotting a pair of legs protruding from the wrecked tent, she hurried over, ignoring the littered items she was kicking around.
"Hey! Is someone there?" said Valentina frantically, bending over and addressing the mysterious pair of legs.
"...Of course not." The voice was muffled by the layers of tent canvas.
"Hold on! I'm gonna get you out of there!" She began to dig through the wreckage, throwing aside burning chunks of canvas and broken tent wires.
"You're not Scoot, or else you wouldn't bother trying to help me…" The resignated voice sighed. "Just let me die…"
Ripping away the last piece of tent, Valentina stared at who was underneath.
A young man, probably in his twenties, lay spread-eagle on the ground with the smoldering tent surrounding him. His black hair was in disarray around his face, and one side of his glasses was cracked. He definitely couldn't be a hunter because his long white lab coat, however scorched and ripped, bore the unmistakable symbol of the Wycademy.
Valentina stared at the stranger in amazement. Whatever had happened at this camp, it was astounding that he survived. Judging by his attire, he had had barely any means of self defense. After staring back at her for a few seconds, he groaned again and laid his head back on the ground, covering his eyes with an arm.
"...Thanks, I guess. It feels better not being smothered by a burning tarp."
"Wh-wha-what-... are you…? Okay…?" Valentina sputtered, perplexed by his nonchalant attitude.
"Just peachy. Hold on." The man pushed himself off of the ground, and with a final groan of discomfort, stood up, dusted himself off, and adjusted his glasses. "Did you happen to see a hunter anywhere around here?"
"No one but me, I think…" Valentina furrowed her brow in worry. "Can you tell me what happened here? I just found your camp like this."
He gave her a sideways look. "Sorry, but I'm not really sure who you are. Although, I can assume you're a Guild hunter," he said, gesturing to her weapon and armor. She nodded. "Is the name Cierro familiar to you?"
She shook her head. The man squinted at her for a few seconds before sighing in relief. "I can tell you're not lying. Had to make sure you weren't one of the Wycademy goons on the hunt for me." He stepped out of the remains of his tent and surveyed his ravaged camp. "Fuckin' Scoot…"
Valentina blinked, registering what he had just said. "Wait, hold on. The Wycademy is hunting for you? Who are you, exactly?" She stepped in front of him and planted her hands on her hips. Trying to be as intimidating as possible, she proclaimed, "If you're a criminal, or a thug, o-or anything like that, you're in big trouble! I am a Guild hunter, an-and it's my duty to bring justice and peace to the world!" She puffed out her chest to emphasize her authority.
They stared into each other's eyes for a moment. Then the man let out a sigh and put his hands in his pockets in surrender. "Curses, you've caught me," he drawled. "I'm secretly a highly notorious bandit wanted for stealing Wycademy secrets. Now that you know who I am, prepare to die." He assumed a mock fighting stance.
This was lost on Valentina, however. Her eyes opened wide in terror and she began to shake out of fear. "P-please don't hurt me," she whispered. "Tonight was supposed to be my one year anniversary date, and I still want to become a G-rank hunter, an-and I owe a lot of people money, and-" Her clear blue eyes filled up with tears, and she began to sob.
The man was a loss for what to do. "H-hey, I was kidding. I'm not going to hurt you, so... please stop crying." The man lowered his hands and scratched the back of his head. "It was a joke…"
Valentina sniffled and wiped her eyes with her wrists. "Then who are you?" she asked as she regained her composure.
He raised his eyebrows and straightened his lab coat.
"My name is Cierro. I'm an ex-researcher hiding from the Wycademy, wanted for 'unethical treatment of monsters'. Care to explain how you found me here?"
End of Chapter 1