Following the Hunt, Marcus spent some time in the Everwood; away from society and away from the Hunters. He still visited his dad often yes, but at least once a week. He only went into towns to stock up on munitions or, often, get new armors and gear to assist him in his own personal hunts.

And, like with Sabric, he found more juveniles and housed them in the cave system where he used to live when he was marooned and left alone; the safest place to keep them in case something attacked due to their age. He was in over his head, but he needed as much data as he could possibly get to get his documents published by the Wycademy, and to have it become a recognizable study. It'd be a long time before anyone anywhere used the notes in a serious time but…at least he'd get it out there.

That was all that mattered at the end of the day.

The Kecha Wacha hit the ground, panting frantically as it tried to run, to out maneuver its foes. The ape could hear the woops and roars in the distance, and soon, a plume of fire struck its back, eliciting an agonized roar from it before it started to run once more. The beast ran once more, and the rapid footsteps behind it were the key indicator that it was being pursued; Hunted. Humans weren't chasing the Fanged Beast this time, no, but Wyverns. Normally, it'd easily kill off the weaker Jaggi and Velociprey...but this was different.

They were working in closer order...something was their alpha.

Something slammed down in its path, and the Kecha came to a stop; its final sight being the flashy sight of a spiked tail launching itself right for the primate's head.

"And that's a Hunt concluded," Marcus spoke, feeling Varrick land as the Hunter disembarked from the saddle of the Seregios, sliding his Shell Shooter Bowgun into its holster. He had been Hunting a few ways now, and because of that, his armor had changed accordingly. His Kecha Leggings were ruffled as he walked, as the Hunter knelt down to inspect the deceased Beast; his Hermitaur vest painted with vibrant green colors. Unlike most Gunners his left arm was covered by green, chitin armor from a Seltas, and the right arm exposed, with a fingerless glove on it. His helmet was still the Khezu helm; the goggles tinted to allow him sight when he rode on Varrick to hunt. Surrounding the dead foe were his friends; Emerald Tail, Purple Horn, Brown Crest, and even Golden Eye. However, the sharp screech reminded Marcus of his most recent hunting companion; the Hunter giving a low chuckle as he turned to look at the Sub-Adult Yian Garuga known as Nocturne; the Bird Wyvern standing now at towering nine feet in height. He was still far shorter than a typical Garuga yes, but he was getting there. The mere second Marcus acknowledged the bird, it trotted over to him, lowering its head and letting him run his fingers through its mane, chuckling at the chittering noises it made.

"You've grown well bud…I'm proud of that." He did sigh when he heard Varrick warble a bit. "I'm not ignorin' ya; be nice to your brother." He found it a tad adorable Varrick was showing signs of jealousy; some animals didn't like competition for their owner's affection.

It almost made him forget for a second that they all had the ability to end his life a dozen times over if he let them, each in their own gruesome way.

"Everyone, go ahead and dig in." He did have to glance away when the hunting pack went into a feeding frenzy; ripping and tearing pieces off the Kecha Wacha to feed on, while Marcus waited enough time before he took his carving knife out and went to work on gathering enough hide and raw meat to fashion more things from. He did need to use the flexible hide of the Kecha for a few various things anyhow. None the less, Marcus let the pack eat as much as they wanted before he whistled sharply, sending all of them back to the compound with a wave of his hand. As he watched them run, Marcus reached his hand into his shell-esque armor and tugged out his journal; his finger flicking his pen a few times before he began to write once more.

I've been out in the Everwood for around two months now; the shift in temperature tells me that it's Winter now; it's a colder time…which means I'll have to see if I can relocate to somewhere warmer before the climate really falls and the snow begins to pour down; once the snow and ice come we'll be in a serious jam. The Wyverns seem to work together well enough; Preys and even Flying Ones like Varrick and Nocturne. My theory's proving true at the very least; without competition for food, no one's getting greedy and due to their age, they also view me as a parental figure; even the four little ones that are being kept in the recently made hatchery that I added onto the cart. It took a shit ton of Zenny to make that happen, and to make sure the ones helping me didn't ask questions. I'm probably gonna have to call them back out to the Everwood and see if they can help me build a barn so I can store Slagoth or Popos in there; an easy and cheap lie that they'll buy no doubt. Once the four little ones all begin to exhibit some positive signs and some changes, then I'll be able to get the Wycademy on the line and have them send someone out here.

On another note, I'm learning a lot about the Yian Garuga due to my time spent raising Nocturn. Like many Bird Wyverns he's already near adulthood at a very fast speed; the Preys are nearly grown and to Drome status so in a bit they're gonna have to let them go so they can raise their own packs and become fathers. I theorize that the accelerated growth rate was meant because these creatures are fairly low on the food chain ecology wise; the sooner one can reach adulthood, the sooner they get reproduce and make more of their kind; their lifespan remains unknown but I theorize it may be fairly lengthy, with a very short childhood. Compared to things like the Tetsucabra or even a Rathalos they're still fairly weak. Hopefully once Nocturn reaches maturity he'll take the positive lessons I taught him and with that he'll pass it to his next of kin…then a Hunter's gonna end up meeting his son and experiencing the same bond to it that I have with Varrick. There are a lot of things I have yet to learn, but I can get it covered before it comes time to publish my records.

Marcus grinned and put the book away…but not before he heard a bellowing roar. He was running seconds later, his ears picking up the sounds of fighting as he tugged the Shell Shooter from his back and spun the barrel by hand. The Hunter leapt through two trees into a clearing, and he was able to see what the situation was.

A newbie Hunter was fighting something; an Arzuros clearly…and she was losing. The girl was probably fresh into the world of hunting; clad in a set of blue and white Bone Armor. Her tanned skin was stained with sweat from fear and exertion, and her black hair was cut short to properly fit into her helm, a white bandage resting on the bridge of her nose, while her plump lips were puffed out in exertion. She held an early weapon; a Petrified Hammer…that clearly told Marcus she was actually a Bherna Hunter, so she worked for the Wycademy odds are.

…she worked with the Wycademy.

Marcus dropped to a knee and brought the scope of the Shell Shooter up to his eye, lining up the crosshairs with the Arzuros' head. The sooner he put this thing down…the better. She was the golden ticket he needed…all he had to do was protect her, and she could get him that meeting he so desperately craved.

SCHREEEHHH

Marcus' blood thinned when he heard the Seregios' roar. He looked up, just in time to see Varrick soaring right over his head, zygodactyl claws outstretched for the lunging attack. The bear roared, and Varrick crashed into the beast; knocking them both to the ground while the Huntress looked just about ready to faint from fear; one monster turning into six. Marcus didn't have the luxury of a clear shot anymore…especially when he jerked himself around as Emerald Tail, Purple Horn, Brown Crest, and Golden Eye all ran past as well, the four Bird Wyverns beginning to attack and tear into the Arzuros as it attempted to fight them all off, swinging its claws and knocking Golden Crest into a tree. Using the chaos and the distraction, Marcus started to run as fast as he could, grasping the girl's arm and yanking her to her feet; not even giving her time to question what was going on, he just got her the hell out of there. If she started asking questions then she'd start getting confused and worried.

He'd understand; hard to really explain he raises monsters.

Once Marcus got the girl to a suitable distance away, he was able to calm down, taking a seat on a log and observing their environment. They were in a deeper part of the Everwood, with the canopy blocked out much of the sun and giving it a darkened visage; almost as if they were in a haunted part. Still, he glanced to the girl, watching her plop down on the ground, still huffing and panting.

"Th-Thank you," She breathed, voice both melodic, yet at the same time toughened; she clearly had a mean streak in her somewhere. "That damned bear got me while I was out gathering stuff…" Her helm was tugged off and she ruffled out her matted black hair, Marcus able to see sweat was the cause for the disheveled appearance…he'd probably have to get her to town sooner or later.

"No problem; I know how annoying an Arzuros can be if you're unprepared. Slow, but very dangerous for newer Hunters to fight." Marcus leaned back on his makeshift seat, shaking his head. "None the less, do you have a name?"

"Aoi…wait…you're Marcus Finch, right? I heard about you! You went with the team to fight the Glavenus, right?" Marcus internally sighed; well this'd be good. At his nod, the Huntress stood up sharply, brushing herself off rapidly. "It's good to meet you, sir; that Glavenus tried to get me a long time ago so it's good to know someone gave 'im the same treatment, right?" Marcus didn't bother mentioning that the Glavenus fled with his young, not from wounding but, it gave him something to work with; he made sure his firearm was sheathed well enough.

"None the less, you okay?"

"I'm fine, thanks…you live out here?" This was where he had a crossroads; if he told her of his camp and his living in the Everwood, she'd ask to see it, and denying could raise some questions.

"I'm here hunting for some Parashrooms; need a better stunning agent to use for a hunt coming up so I'd rather get it here than haggle some merchants for it back in Val Habar. You were here for the same, I take it?"

"Yeah; replace Parashrooms with Scatterfish though. My friend likes to Sleep Bomb Wyverns he encounters; hit them with a buncha Sleep rounds, lay some bombs out, and lay out a small one to detonate all of 'em. For the smaller ones, it works wonders, but larger ones…"

"Wake up more pissed than they did when they initially slept?" Aoi's nod roused a chuckle from Marcus. "I figured as much. Your friend sounds imaginative but…not very intelligent, I'm afraid."

"You can say that again; anyhow I should get moving; the airship to get me to Bherna returns in a bit so I need to get aboard before it leaves; not keen on hailing them from the trading town since it'd be a day before I got results. Will I see you again, Marcus?"

"I'll be here once more if you need me; I kinda like this place." Rocky, but he covered it to an extent. Aoi was on her feet and walking, and Marcus relaxed once she was out of sight, hearing low growling behind him.

"She's a friend, Varrick." The Seregios walked into view, still steady growling as the beast's maddened glare softened when the man caressed the reptile's neck, underneath the swivel scales. "She's just a younger Huntress who looks up to me…I'm hoping I've not developed some sort of crush, all things considered that'd be dangerous for both of us." Him for discovery, and her for death. Still, he liked Aoi; she had a jovial view on things and always sought to find the positive in everything; even nearly getting mauled by a Fanged Beast. Marcus boarded the Seregios once more and the usual walk back to base camp was cut in half by the quick flight the Seregios, the beast landing and allowing Marcus to disembark, shaking himself off. The camp was as it was; scrappy yes, but it was the home Marcus had loved so much in his time. The young Hunter turned tamer slowly entered his main home, hearing the other beasts slowly converge and do their usual business outside as he moved to his bedroom, seating once again at his desk and writing, keeping a log on the information he uncovered from various Wyverns based around the time spent with his own.

The Ioprey's a specimen that is vastly odd when classed in to the other Bird Wyverns. While they do classify as them yes, they're much more akin to a salamander and are typically not found far from either heated, or watery areas. The Ioprey I have with me is a rarer one as one of his eyes is a sharpened gold tint with black flecks along it, as compared to the dry amber color of the others. A quirk I notice is Iopreys and perhaps the Dromes as well tend to gyrate their diet towards mostly spoiled meats and toxic fungi; no doubt this is to enhance their venom and make it more potent. Golden Eye, as a result, often roots through my garbage for something interesting to eat.

Regarding the topic of the Preys, I'm seeing some various quirks within the others as well; Purple Horn has demonstrated that indeed he has full use of all his fingers, and Brown Crest's diet is of paralytic items as well. These Wyverns naturally acclimate towards eating Parashrooms as well…and…because of this I frequently lose mine.

Marcus set the feathered pen down and yawned; he did need a nap but he resisted the desire. He did need to check on…them, anyhow. So thus, he stood up and worked to gradually leave his camp, delving into the tunnel behind his mobile home with a bucket of sliced and diced raw meat from the unfortunate Kecha Wacha from earlier. The tunnels were still as dark as ever, illuminated only through the same teal-colored mushrooms he had long since gotten used to in his time. As he ventured out into the clearing, Marcus was greeted by a few wooden huts, all constructed by the same person who made his mobile home…it took an insurmountable amount of Zenny to get the guy to build the same insulated homes without any questions despite him asking a grievous amount of them. There were a few huts, and each didn't have a door, but more along the lines of a hatch on the front to be opened, like a pet's cage.

Considering what each contained, that was accurate.

He approached the first hut with the meat, opening the latch and tugging it down to expose a wooden room with hay in it, and the second it was opened something nearly snapped at him, Marcus nearly dropping the raw meat when it happened. The same Glavenus from before was there, staring him down as the small beast stood on its tiny legs, whetstone like maw snapping a few more times as he extended his hand once more, and the Wyvern accepted it with less furor now, even giving content grumbles when he rubbed the side of the beast's head, feeling the searing warmth from the beast. Once the Glavenus was content with its meal, he moved back and ushered the beast back, closing the latch slowly and moving to the next one, opening it and hefting the meat up, holding it out for the next creature he discovered in his time spent roaming, and of course it earned a chuckle from him when a forked tongue darted out a few times, tapping against his gloved hand, as a beaked maw slowly slid from the darkness.

A Najarala Infant stared at him, continuing to smell his arm before slowly opening its maw, digging its sharpened teeth into the meat and dragging it back, wolfing it down slowly as it slithered over to Marcus, beginning to coil around his arm and stare up at him with wide eyes, not unlike a common snake would do when comfortable around an owner, as the beast's emerald and amber colored scales greeted him. Salazar was what he called the Snake Wyvern, and he found the creature when out and about, feeding him primarily on disarmed Feylnes that gradually transitioned into plain raw meat. Cruel, yes, but said cats tried to mug him anyhow so…he didn't feel any remorse. Once he got Salazar off his arm he ushered the beast back and closed the hatch again, though he knew the Najarala disliked that, and he was moving once more, opening the third hatch and peered in, seeing nothing but dense webs about. For this one, he was forced to improvise; drumming his index finger on the web and retracting it in an instant when a spiny leg stabbed down, the beady eyes of a Nerscylla staring at him…or rather, the large beady eyes of a Spiderling.

Unlike the dangerous adults, this one lacked the venomous spikes along its cephalothorax and abdomen; giving it an exposed look, as the spiderling stared right at Marcus, almost expectantly. Different from the others, Marcus had to simply set the meat down in a small bowl, and of course watch the Nerscylla Juvenile dig one of its arms into it and bring it up to its mandibles, clipping pieces off and wolfing them down. The others were more…receptive and approving of being hand fed; Arachne wasn't on their level due to Marcus finding her just yesterday in the Everwood…though he did have some remorse at abducting a Nersyclla hatching; thankfully the parent seemed to have been completely absent.

With his feedings done, the young hunter moved back to the mouth of the cave, though not without wincing when he heard bangs on the first hut, sighing while undid the latches and moving to the side when Sabric leapt right out, landing on small legs and struggling to stand. It was clear he wanted outside time and was determined to get it; Marcus did see it as an idea so, he set the bucket down in the center of the cave and undid the latches on the other things, moving slowly back to the spot where he placed the food and watching the Najarala baby slither out and stand on stubby feet while the Nerscylla Spiderling did the same, though she did shirk away from the others. Like those on the surface, he wanted to encourage them to grow more used to one another in an environment where food wasn't an issue and nor was time; this upbringing would allow them to be more accustomed to having Wyverns of different species around and even being able to create a form of symbiosis that wouldn't directly harm humans.

Unfortunately, when the Nerscylla got defensive Marcus realized it was still far too soon to introduce them to one another; thankfully unlike last time, Arachne didn't hiss at Sabric and provoke him into attempting to strike her. He carefully moved behind the small arachnid and grasped her quickly, hefting her up and back into her cage before she could realize she was being lifted and react with malice. Now, with just Sabric and Salazar, he was able to see that the two beasts did indeed display signs of comfort around one another, even when the Najarala Infant rapidly flicking his tongue out and poking the Glavenus Juvenile with it, getting a feel for his scent and growing to understand his confusing relative. This was what Marcus sought to see; coexistence, over mindless violence. Sure, some Wyverns were meant to fight one another, but even in rare cases, coexistence was a possibility between unlikely sources, such as a Snake Wyvern meant to constrict and crush victims and a Brute Wyvern meant to hack and slice apart those who strayed too far into its territory.

If this happened in the wild without his tutelage, they'd be in a world of trouble.

Marcus was greeted with the sight of the setting sun by the time he vacated the cave, bringing with him the empty and somewhat dented bucket as he rubbed at nicks and scratches along his arms from when Salazar got too comfortable and accidentally nicked him with his claws; he had to consider himself lucky the Snake Wyvern didn't bite him. Like actual snakes, Najarala Infants had no real control of how much venom they injected into people per bite…and as such, a bite from Salazar could leave many of Marcus' key motor functions dead.

He didn't want to think about the likelihood of that happening; he was focused, dedicated, and above all else, he was passionate about the work he did. One day, the world would see the truth, but for now, this was what he had to do; work under the veil of the forest to ensure his secret stayed just that, where it was safe, ultimately.

"Well now, this is a pleasing surprise." The second Marcus heard that voice, a chill went up his spine. The bucket clattered to the ground, and he was glancing about with all the furor he could muster, fists lifted in aimless defense. Soon, she revealed herself, seated atop his very mobile home, as his Wyvern companions all stared her down, snarling and snapping, all on edge. Clearly, they shared their owner's view, regarding the demented vixen to plant herself right in the middle of his basecamp.

"Willow." Her mask was turned to the side, revealing her grinning face, said grin making Marcus deeply wish he would never know just what could make a woman such as her smile in such a way. "The hell are you doing here? How did you find me?"

"You leave a paper trail, my dear boy," She dropped down with a silent thud, brushing herself off as she made sure her dual blades were sheathed. Marcus saw Varrick as the first to tense up, Marcus lifting his hand to the Flying Wyvern with the silent plea for him to remain civil…for just a while longer. "The man who sold you this very home was easily persuaded with some…womanly delights. He told me you bought this thing and from there, it was just a mild chore to figure where you were and tail you."

"You seduced him."

"I prefer to call it…coercing." Her tone dipped for a second, and along with unwanted pleasure, it wrought fury from him. As much as he wanted to sick the beasts on her…he still needed to figure out why she came here, and how she found him in the first place; he knew the builder couldn't be trusted so that nailed down one question…the other was still very much so open and that was what worried him the most.

"Why are you here? The research I'm doing here can't be bothered, considering all the good it can do—"

"And also about the notion it goes against everything you were taught as a Hunter," She cut him off without missing a beat, lifting her hands into a very coy, casual shrug. "The oaths you took when you first took up your blade, to always fell Wyverns, no matter what. Considering how much time and love you put into these beasts, I'm sure you don't plan on offing them any time soon, unless you're even colder than I am." His fist clenched ever so slowly. "No, I'm here because I've been watching you for the past few days…the amount of control you hold over these beasts is mildly impressive, even to how I see things. Because of this, I offer a proposition, though your compliance is entire voluntary."

"…and if it's not?" Marcus knew what game she was playing at; he could also tell Willow saw it as well, as her shell pink lips curled once more into that devious grin.

"Nothing, except for me leaking to the Wycademy that there's a Hunter out in the Everwood with Wyverns, raising and teaching them how to slay humans…how to get past their barriers and how to slay millions." Shock ran through Marcus' mind, as he opened his mouth to speak. "Save your breath; no matter how you look at it there's no physical way you can defend yourself. You tell them the truth, they'll deem you a madman and lock you up after euthanizing all of your precious Wyverns. You don't do anything at all, they'll come out here and arrest you and cull the entire flock before you can even fight with extreme gusto. And if you're opting to just end me now with said beasts, I told the Wycademy I'm out investigating the Everwoods for an extremely dangerous Wyvern…and to send some Hunters to investigate it if I'm not back in a week. It's been six days already Marcus; can you really get your precious critters to safety before airships line the sky searching for me and the dangerous Wyvern that may or may not really be here?"

No matter how he viewed it, she had him right under her thumb and at any given second she could press down and end his life; it burned his pride and his soul to know his overlooked mistakes were the very thing that led a sociopathic monster such as Willow to him. But, she had him right where she wanted; his only option was to play her game, and see if it were possible to fell her at it.

"What do you want with me?"

"Nothing, except some help. There are some Wyverns the Wycademy wants me to kill off and I clearly don't have the time to do so; I have more important things to be doing…and people to be coercing with egos much more inflated than yours I see, so thus, I'm forcing you to handle it. I want them all dead, and while I take credit for it, you keep your little circle here running without me leaking it to the Wycademy."

"…and how do I know you'll keep your word?"

"That's the thing, poor sweet Marcus, you don't. For all you know, I could say I'll stay silent but leak it anyhow just to watch you squirm, or actually keep my end of the bargain. You don't hold any of the marbles here, whereas I do. So, let's be smart here, Marcus, and do what the fuck I say. Since I want this done well, I'll spare you the mock and say that I will indeed keep my end of things and not report you to the Wycademy, nor the Guild, but I want these Wyverns slain, and I want the evidence to prove it here waiting for me; anything unsubstantial will tell me you really don't care about the welfare of your precious little secret." Marcus once again had to silence Varrick a bit; the Seregios' maw twitching told him the creature was inches from lobbing some of his serrated spikes at her.

"Just get me the list and I'll get the shit done, alright?"

"Straight to the point, good," A small black book was tossed down to Marcus, the Hunter catching it without a second thought. "I'm being generous and giving you two weeks to prepare for my Hunts. Once the time's up, you're going on all of them and getting the specific parts I require to prove to me you did it in the first place. So, prepare accordingly…it'd be a shame for you to die out there. Besides, don't look at it like me using you as a mere puppet to accomplish my Hunts…think of it as you getting a proper field test for your little secret here." Her light giggle just further made Marcus growl in annoyance, Willow was back atop his mobile home in a flash and was gone all together moments later, akin to the very Wyvern she modeled herself after. The threat of discovery was gone, yet it didn't sooth Marcus' worries, even as he opened the book to the first page, reading over the name of the Wyvern Willow was supposed to hunt.

Rathian; bring back Rath Marrow.

Next page contained info regarding the Zamtrios and the part to bring from it, and the next even had info regarding the Daimyo Hermitaur. All the beasts she was to be fighting were things Marcus had honestly no experience with...the worst he personally Hunted successfully was a Yian Kut-Ku and even then, that took a lengthy process of trial and error with his chosen weapon. These creatures were far out of his grade of fighting…but he lacked any choice. If he didn't sate the fox Huntress' desires, she'd out him, and his goal would never become a reality, and he'd be deemed a madman. Sighing, Marcus pat the Seregios, and closed the book.

"We're gonna have to get ready, Varrick…the fox wants us to play her game."

Val Habar was ablaze with activity and work, as to be expected with it being early in the morning. Merchants were just now opening up their carts to people and selling off their wares to those quick enough to arrive for what they sought. Marcus walked past many of these stores in deep thought, trying to figure out what to do. Based on what he saw, Willow was forcing him to Hunt seven different beasts and he had only a week to slay all of them; meant one day would be devoted to each Wyvern and beast and that meant he had to prepare accordingly.

He hated deadlines, but he really wasn't in the boat to go against Willow, considering she could expose him at any given time and ruin everything he worked for. But, it was okay. Once he was done, he'd find a means to silence Willow for good…perhaps he'd need to speak with her comrades and see if they'd be willing to give some info on what she did to other Hunters; that'd be well over qualified to have her rank revoked and at the very least get her incarcerated.

One could hope.

Until then, Marcus debated on a means to get the Wyverns and creatures to work better; they were an apex formation yes but there still remained issues, namely on getting them to hit the target desired well enough. During combat, the Preys would attack wherever possible, and Nocturn would just attack whatever part was uncovered; worse yet, Varrick would simply attack whatever part was visible with no form of coordination possible.

If only there was a way to give them a direct target.

"Insect Glaives are sorta bitch easy though."

"Bull; they require a fuck ton of skill. You land that pheromone and your Kinsect always picks the right spot to strike with its lil' adorbs pincers."

…Marcus sometimes hated divine intervention, but in this case, it was perfect. He was gone in a flash, standing before a blacksmith and asking a very precise question that, if anything, seemed pretty cryptic.

"…you wanna see if it's possible…to make an Insect Glaive fire a pheromone that attracts Wyverns?"

"It's weird I know, but I had a theory regarding using pheromones to force Wyverns to fight one another on the field. It'd work amazingly as it'd mean less burdens on me." The smith just sighed a bit, rubbing his face and shaking his head.

"It's not the worst idea no, it's just one that seems, if anything, hard to do. You'd need some sort of attractant; a scent one Wyvern would pick up on to induce the urge to attack the one marked. The only thing I personally know one could use is like…the scent of blood and that'd only work on Tigrexs as that tends to incite them into…well fury." Marcus had to think about that one; what would make a Wyvern attack another…especially regarding a Seregios for example, considering their overall strengths revolved around hunting with eyesight. He needed to think on that one; there had to be a means somewhere.

"Anyhow, I can recommend you this Sturdy Glaive," the Smith hefted up an Insect Glaive, appearing much like the traditional Bone one, but with a crimson tint to it, yet with the same blunt end and sharp end. "It's on the house since the guy who was supposed to buy it didn't show up. So…yeah." Though it was of lesser spirits, Marcus accepted the Glaive and was on his way, though he did deny the Kinsect that was to come with it. As the Hunter left the town, he had an idea come into mind as to how he could craft what was needed.

His mind was already turning.

"Aaaand batch number seven…not sure how it'll do." The sun was long since set in the Everwood, as Marcus sat at a table inside of his mobile home, working fervently to combine various plants and fungi to create the thing needed to mark a spot for the Wyverns to strike. So far, the combinations he used consisted mainly of harsh smelling things such as Parashrooms and even Sleep Herbs; the trick being he needed to make a scent so far out of the ordinary, it'd be easy to condition the Seregios and the others to strike at the desired destination. However, every time he went out to test the substance with proper training methods, the Wyverns either couldn't pick up on the smell, or those who did were too repulsed by it to attempt.

"Fuck! I need something or I'm a fucking dead man!" Marcus's hand swept and dozens of wooden bowls clattered to the floor along with glass bottles, the Hunter resting his head on the table and fuming beyond all reckon, mind desperate to find a solution…to find an idea.

Then, a scent pierced his nose; it wasn't horrid or amazing but it was something he distinguished above the others in his home. Marcus' eyes trailed down to see a crushed Paintberry mixed with some Monster Fluid…the berry's scent amplified. Marcus scooped up the deep crimson mixture and set to work on making more of it, before setting the Glaive down on the workbench, removing the blunt end and pulling out the mechanism for the scent launcher. It took some careful work, but Marcus was able to add the new mixture into it, replacing the pheromone that dictated where Kinsects were to attack. After screwing the weapon back into place, he hefted the Sturdy Glaive up and walked outside, whistling as he did and hearing the thud of Varrick landing nearby him, the Seregios shaking sleep from his form.

"Bud, let's try something."

Mounted on the Flying Wyvern's back, Marcus kept his torso straight and a firm hand on the glaive while Varrick stood firm on the ground. The Hunter had to learn how to remain upright while on the Wyvern; it was the only way to fight whilst mounted on the beast.

"Okay…now go up." Without any real Guidance, Varrick shot straight up without warning, and Marcus fell halfway through, landing on the ground with a thud and grunting in pain, rolling to his side and attempting to slowly right himself, even as the Seregios landed and looked over him, sniffing and licking at his shoulder.

"I'm fine, calm down, Varrick; just some bruises." He stood shakily, and pat the Wyvern's side. "Let's try it one more time, before we turn in for the night…we have about thirteen more days from today to get this down and I don't want to fuck this up…I don't want anything to happen to any of you."

Varrick's claws ripped and tore into the tree bark as the Seregios landed, Marcus huffing and panting as he rested on the creature's bag, having to hold onto the saddle with one arm and the Glaive with the other. So far, he could see there were a few issues; namely, with Varrick's means of rapid flight Marcus had the risk of literally falling out of his seat and to his demise if they did fight something. So, already, he made a note to visit a smith about getting a belt or a cable installed into the saddle that would allow Varrick to retain his complete mobility, and ensure Marcus wouldn't fall during combat.

He also had a few other ideas to think of. A sharp whistle was all that was needed to command the beast to fly back home, the Seregios touching down and letting Marcus disembark, the Hunter resting the Glaive against the side of his home before slowly moving to the door, and of course, he pointed to the cave where the smaller Wyverns were being kept, the silent command for Varrick to go rest. The Seregios thankfully complied, allowing Marcus to slip into his home and, instead of going to his bed, he instead sat at his desk, writing and drawing up plans and ideas…sleep, while needed, was something he could elude for now.

He wondered about the prospect of using that Bowgun while riding atop Varrick, to fight in a wide arc of ways?

The training dummy shook violently when another airblade shard rammed into it, Marcus loading in more Marking Rounds into his Quill Burst Light Bowgun, lowering the rifle-esque weapon and adjusting the twin straps connected to his Hermitaur armor. Varrick snorted, Marcus reaching down to hold up another scrap of Raw Meat for the beast to snap up; a reward for listening. A week had passed, and progress had been made; he had designed the new rounds called Marking Shots for his Bowgun, in design from the new scent launcher he constructed for his Glaive. The gun was leveled with the next dummy, and Marcus pelted it; Varrick, like before, screeched violently and launched a sudden scale at it as well without warning, missing it barely and embedding it instead into the stone wall.

"…we need to work on your aim, friend." He stifled a light chuckle, feeling Varrick warble in annoyance. The Hunter's gaze slowly drifted upwards, and despite the lingering fear that resided he knew what had to be tested next; something that he did dread slightly, all things considered.

"Varrick, up!" The Seregios exploded from the ground, taking to the sky as the belts jingled and tightened, keeping Marcus firmly secured to the saddle without the need of his hands. He did his best to resist the unconscious urge to grab the handles of the saddle even as he felt the winds rush past him, but he resisted; the Hunter keeping a firm grim onto his Bowgun, reloading it slowly as his eyes narrowed underneath his helm. He had to get this right; he had to remain steady and focused even with the immense danger he was in. This was the first time he was testing the belts and their ability to keep him in the saddle properly…and so far, they worked.

They fucking worked.

"Barrel roll!" The air shifted, and the world spun; Marcus resisting the urge to heave as he watched everything spin and spiral out of control, though he kept himself composed and focused in the process. "Dive!" His stomach turned into a knot as he shot downwards, taking aim and open firing at the dummy once more, feeling the Seregios slam down and land on the ground, the Hunter taking a moment to steel himself and…momentarily hold back bile.

"H-Holy-urp-shit…that…that wasn't fun…near the end." To be fair, for the good portion of the test, it all worked, actually perfectly. He could shoot with some limits, yes, but he could still pepper something a fuck ton.

Still, it was baffling to see the progress made in such a short time. Dismounting Varrick all together, Marcus watched the Seregios, as per usual, curl up next to his home and doze off, as the Hunter walked into the mobile home. It was night once more, and it was far too dark to improve more. Even then, overwork would just produce the opposite effect for their training.

His armor was removed and weapons slung on the wall; Marcus was at his desk in moments and like before, he added to his already expansive notes on what he learned about the Seregios and their bond.

Varrick and I possess a bond I didn't think possible; a man and a Wyvern as friends. I've noticed he shows compassion and even worry for me, like a dog would for its master in times of dire need. Comparing this to my theory, it does show the possibly for coexistence and improved Hunting if we can just use the instinct to our benefit; Wyverns develop the seething rage of humans from their parents through conditioning. If we remove that chance, we can make a generation of Wyverns faithful and loyal to mankind to allow us to Hunt the not-so faithful ones in a dynamic way. Unfortunately, the tests for this remain semi-inconclusive; the only successful products of this conditioning and nurturing are Varrick, the Bird Wyverns, and Salazar; the Nerscylla and Glavenus Infants remain somewhat distant, though the former is still hostile whereas the latter doesn't associate as well with other Wyverns, which is natural. The Glavenus is a solitary hunter that doesn't take kindly to strangers, with that genetic learning in mind it's safe to assume Sabric will be less prone to sharing, without a gentle nudge in the right direction.

However, regarding ability in combat, that much is soon to be proven. I'll be handling a series of Hunts for a devious Hunter by the name of Willow in a day or so; once I finish with those I should have more data to record and even perhaps start making more saddles for my flock to use that allow for hands-free control while riding, so the users can use weapons and firearms such as Bowguns or even Bows directly.

Still, there are some kinks to work out, such as weapon type, but I don't think it'll be all that dire.

A yawn left the Hunter, and he set the feathered pen down, rising and making sure to lock the door before going to rest in his bed, some hesitation and worry clinging to him. Willow was not to be trusted at all; she was a literal fox in human flesh. She had him by the balls and she was quick to make sure he knew that…though her arrogance and laze would present the perfect testing opportunity, at the very least, and allow him to work better with Varrick to see how they worked in the field for once.

Hunting a Kecha Wacha was one thing; bringing down a Rathian and many others were something else altogether, that he wasn't even sure he could do.

But he had to try; to create the future of coexistence, he had to show how strong it really was in the present.

To be continued…