The First Rider- 1

Long ago, there was a boy. He lived in a small village close to the mountain whose name is long lost to time. This was before the Guild existed- hunters hunted monsters uncontrollably with little reason. Some legends say the boy, Redan, was half wyverian, in a time when tensions between hunters and wyverians was thick. Others say he was a human, but the legends all agree on one thing- he was an outcast.

Eventually, Redan officially became a hunter. He climbed the ranks with skill, but unlike others he didn't take the same joy others did from his hunts. The boy viewed hunting as necessary, against the terrifying, evil monsters that roamed the lands. For surely, they were no more than beasts that only felt rage.

Then one day, Redan was sent to hunt a Rathalos who had been observed claiming a territory on a great tree. The fight was long and hard, but eventually the hunter won- the King of the Skies falling to the ground, with one last cry. The hunter couldn't help notice the desperation in the monster's cry, but he pushed it away as his imagination. Monsters felt nothing but hate, after all.

A few days later Redan ventured out on his own to the tree the Rathalos had claimed, out on a quest to gather supplies to upgrade his sword. Instead,when he reached the top of the tree he found the remains of a nest. The nest of the Rathalos. All the eggs in the nest had been destroyed or dragged off by scavengers...except for one egg, which had rolled off the nest and ended up half-hidden in a small ditch.

Something called the Redan that day. Instead of smashing the egg in two with his sword or even just walking away, he approached. Barely aware of what he was doing, Redan took off his leather armored glove and placed his bare hand against the egg. The red surface was smooth, warm despite the coolness of the cave. Warmth bloomed inside Redan's chest as he felt emotions that were not his own. Happiness, excitement, love. A small shudder ran through the eggs surface, before with a soft crack the shell broke open. The smoothness of the shell was replaced with the feeling off a wet snout, as the head of a baby Rathalos poked out from the shell.

With a gasp, Redan fell back as the hatchling shook off the rest of the shell before turning his blue colored gaze at the hunter. With a small squeak the small Rathalos launched itself at him- but instead of attempting to tear into Redan's flesh it simply landed in his lap, nuzzling at his face and chirping. In his shock, Redan pushed the small Rathalos off and ran from the cave, sad wailing following him out.

Arriving at the village, Redan told no one about what happened. Something inside him shuddered at the thought of exposing Ratha- wait when had he named the Rathalos Ratha- and what the hunters would do to him. Redan told himself he wouldn't go back as he went to bed that night.

The next morning he went back with a pouch of meat. When he arrived, he couldn't find the Rathalos at first. Sorrow filled him. Why did he feel sorrow for a monster? Then he was tackled from behind, by a Ratha who had doubled in size but was no less excited to see him. While Redan was still on the ground, wind knocked out of him, the young Rathalos scarfed down the meat before placing his mouth right next to Redan's face. Redan expected pain, but instead a smelly tongue swiped him, which was then followed by the weight of a Rathalos collapsing in his lap as he sat up.

Redan reached down, gently petting Ratha. He felt content, in a way he never had before. He didn't know why, but Redan knew this Rathalos wasn't a monster. He had felt his emotions somehow when he touched the egg- even now he was able to feel the slight buzz of happiness from Ratha. Well, there was no way he would abandon the Rathalos now. Reden couldn't help but wonder what he had gotten himself into.

Months passed in secret- Redan vanishing from the village the days he wasn't sent out on a hunt, bringing food and just spending time with Ratha. On the days he was sent out to hunt, he worried constantly about Ratha. Not about him being attacked by a monster as much as he was worried about Ratha being found by a hunter from the village and being attacked. Ratha had grown, over quadrupled in size and was easily tall enough to lick at Redans face now, even when he stretched to his full height. But with his worry, Redan was messing up more and more in hunts, often returning with injuries and a failed hunt. He could tell the other villagers were becoming more and more agitated with him.

Rumors had started drifting through the village of monsters, even more viscous and aggressive than normal. (Part of Redan had to wonder just how aggressive monsters were, now that he knew that they had feelings from his interactions with Ratha). Not many hunters took this too seriously or were even concerned- they drove off monsters all the time! Redan couldn't shake a growing feeling of dread inside of him, however.

Eventually, one of his fears came true. Redan has sneaked out to visit Ratha again, who had proudly shown off his latest hunt- a kelbi- when in the distance he noticed smoke. Fear filled his heart as he hurried to the edge of the tree. The smoke was coming from the direction of the village.

Redan climbed down the tree as fast as possible, feeling helpless. There was no way he could make it to the village in time- the normal time it took to reach the tree where Ratha stayed was about 15 minutes- and that was with him jogging.

Then, Ratha landed beside Redan. Pausing, Redan observed Ratha. The Rathalos was now as tall as he was, and was capable of staring into Redan's eyes as he was doing now. Redan could feel Rathas determination to help, stubbornness in his gaze saying he would not take no for an answer. No words were needed as Ratha turned his back to Redan, spreading his wings and looking back in a clear invitation. Redan jumped forward, landing awkwardly on Rathas back but managing to pull himself into a groove on the back and to wrap his arms around Rathas neck. Scales dug into him uncomfortably, but he had little time to register the pain before Ratha thrust his wings downward in a powerful thrust, taking them off the ground and into the air- and everything paused for Redan.

He felt weightless- the pain faded away, and all he could think about was the sky. Peeking a look over Rathas scales he could see the ground, so far down. They were already rapidly gaining on the village, the smoke becoming more and more clear and the sound of raged roars filling the air.

As Ratha soared closer to the ground, attempting to come in for a landing, Redan caught sight of the monster and inhaled sharply. A Rathian stood in the middle of the village, burning wreckage all around her. But what concerned him the most was the dark tint to her scales, the black mist coming off her, and the pink eyes filled with nothing but rage and deep within, pain. The rumors were true.

The Rathian was in the middle of a battle with a hunter- his armor looked worn, covered in deep claw marks in most places. Other hunters were scattered across the village, most looking down for the count while panicking villagers did their best to run from the destruction.

The hunter fighting the Rathian was knocked hit by a fireball attack- but before the Rathian could finish the job Redan struck, swinging his powerful Greatsword with a roar. The Rathian turned to attack him but was cut off by Ratha. Acting perfectly in sync, the duo took turns swiping and slicing at the Rathian until the tainted queen fell in defeat.

The villagers crept back in shock, fear and amazement in their eyes for what was before them. All the hunters in the village had failed to stop this rampaging monster, yet Redan had with the help of another one. When the scared people asked who and what he was, Redan answered proudly- finally knowing the truth. He was a Rider and this was his Monstie.

Redan went on to teach his village how to bond with and care for monsties- eventually defeating the Black Blight before discovering Kinship Ore and creating the first Kinship stones, spreading the message of riding around the world until there were several Rider Villages. Long after he was gone, people still remembered his name- and even now Rathalos are named Ratha in honor of the first Ratha, defeater of the Black Blight and first ever monstie.

The story has been told and retold so many times it is hard to tell what is true and what is false, but regardless of if this story is the most accurate version one thing stays the same: Every Rider owes everything to Redan and his decision to care for Ratha.

Not honestly the happiest with this one and its weird shifts in POV but they get better