All information is taken from the wiki/Hunter's Encyclopedia and altered/manipulated by me.

With that said, those who read my original story will probably recognize the four hunters later described in the story. As I have mentioned previously, they and the rest of the characters will receive major changes to better suit this story.

That being said, enjoy…

Chapter 7

Siegfried absentmindedly swirled his mug around, staring idly at the pale-colored liquid inside. He brought the mug to lips and quickly chugged down the entire thing in a single stroke. Next to him, a huntress shook her head in disgust.

"I struggle to comprehend why you people like alcohol so much."

Siegfried frowned at her comment. "It soothes the soul. Makes you forget about the bad times, similar to how smoking a pipe or cigarette works."

"I never smoke, nor do ever intend to," Eris answered, crossing her arms. "I, on the other hand, do not see any incentive to drink alcohol as a hunter."

"Oh? And what makes you think that?"

She raised her finger. "Strictly speaking, it negatively affects your motor system. Even with our enhanced alcohol tolerance, it won't shave off the fact that it can and will interfere with hunts."

"Sounds like you have the first-hand experience with this sort of thing…Do you?" Siegfried imagined a drunk Eris, the thought of which amused him to no end.

Eris blushed. "Don't change the subject!" She pinched the bridge of her nose in exasperation. "God, you're insufferable…"

Siegfried laughed, amused that the Ice Queen would react that way. To his credit and displeasure, a painful stomp to his foot, followed by a freezing glare was enough to shut him up for good.

"By the way, what are we going to do about…that thing."

Siegfried opened his mouth briefly before immediately closing it again, unable to think of an answer. "I…am working on it."

Thanks to Siegfried, the two of them were now, to most of the people, a couple heading to Bherna to participate in the festival. Despite it not being remotely true, it was too late to change the minds of more than a dozen people, crew members included. Neither one could accept this.

"Well, you better hurry it up. This entire thing is your fault, to begin with after all. The sooner we solve this, the sooner I can be freed of this burden."

Hey, who are you calling a burden? "…Sure. Anything you want my lady…" He muttered sarcastically, sincerely hoping she hadn't heard that last part. Unfortunately for him, he severely underestimated Eris's hearing capabilities.

"My Lady huh?" She grinned devilishly. "I like that. From now on, you are to address me like that. I expect you don't disappoint me any more than you already have capeesh?"

I've been relegated from buffoon to servant?! "Never," Siegfried replied with a scowl.

Eris snickered, satisfied that she got him back for her earlier loss. Just as Siegfried was about to make a snarky retort, the deafening sound of the bell interrupted them. The door then opened with a bang as a man dressed in a sailor's outfit rushed in.

"All hunters! We need you all on deck at once!"

"What for?" asked another hunter who wore what looked like Mizutsune armor.

He pointed at the window. "Look!"

When the hunters turned towards the glass windows, all they saw was a storm.

"What the heck! Why did the weather suddenly change?!"

"It was sunny just minutes ago!"

"Could it be a monster?"

The sailor slammed his fist against the wall. "That's exactly why we need hunters. Let's go!"

Siegfried sighed and wore his helmet. "Let's just get this over with…"

…

Three words. "What the fuck."

Nobody could blame Siegfried for his crude words, for they were in the same state of shock. Even Eris herself was speechless as they stepped out of the cabin and into the middle of a massive rainstorm.

"This isn't natural…" she commented under her breath. She and the rest of the hunters were immediately drenched under the cold and harsh rain.

"Ah, hunters!" The Felyne captain ran towards them, huffing and out of breath. His fur was completely soaked as he let out a loud but admittedly adorable sneeze.

"What's the situation?" asked a huntress in Glavenus armor.

"We've successfully moved all civilians into the ship's cabins. But the storm- "The Felyne captain frantically waved his arms. "I think it's a meownster! There's no way a storm could happen this randomly!"

"It has to be an Elder Dragon," said the Glavenus huntress. "And I have a gut feeling on what it is."

"What is it?" Rowan asked.

"Amatsumagatsuchi," answered a hunter in Astalos gear.

The hunters blinked twice. "…A what now?"

The Astalos hunter sighed. "Sorry, it's what the people in my town call it. Out here it's simply referred to as Amatsu."

"Otherwise known as the Storm God," said the Mizutsune armored hunter. "A powerful Elder Dragon who controls the storm. My team and I encountered one once and we barely made it out of there alive."

Romero shook his head. "That doesn't sound very reassuring…"

"It's not meant to be," said the Glavenus huntress. She then stood up and readied her hammer. "Anyway, we have to prepare ourselves. An Amatsu flying far away from its territory isn't normal and I reckon that something may have driven it off its mountain home." The huntress turned towards the Felyne Captain. "Captain, does this ship have any weapons?"

"We do, but I'm not so sure-"

"Whatever you have, it will do."

"Alright. We have several ballistae and over there by the end of the ship is a Gong."

"Excellent. Hunters, let's move!"

Who does she think she is giving us orders like that… Siegfried buried these thoughts in the back of his mind and reluctantly followed the rest of the hunters. The Glavenus huntress then ordered each hunter to situate themselves by the weapons, in case the Amatsu moves a little too close for comfort.

Siegfried positioned himself behind one of the ballistae. To his chagrin, Eris and Rowan had situated themselves near the Gong, which happened to be behind his chosen ballistae.

"Great, I'm going to have to get this properly cleaned…" Eris muttered, lifting up her coat.

Siegfried groaned in discomfort. Easy for you to say! The water is seeping through the cracks in my armor and through my chainmail!

Suddenly, a Palico wearing Gammoth armor pointed at the distance. "There! I think I see it!"

In response, the hunters readied their weapons. In the distance, hidden behind the clouds, was a leviathan shaped beast. It soon vanished into the dark clouds, as a flash of lightning revealed its dark silhouette from behind the clouds. Then it vanished once more.

"Where is it?!"

The hunters frantically turned their heads, eyeing the clouds for any signs of the monster. Siegfried tightened his grip on the handle of the ballistae, shivering from both the cold and anxiety. Behind him, Eris and Rowan fidgeted in their spots, tightening their grips on the gong sticks and biting their lips to keep themselves from succumbing to panic. The seconds passed continuously, with the deafening noise of the storm being the only thing the hunters could hear. And then they heard it. The haunting roar of the Elder Dragon of the Storm, a sure sign that the monster was nearby.

"Hunters, ready the weapons!"

Suddenly, a massive gust of wind strikes the ship, causing the vessel to rock violently and temporarily obscuring vision. But to their astonishment, the rain suddenly ceased. But in its place…was the Amatsu itself in all its majestic glory, hovering just meters away from the boat.

The Glavenus huntress swallowed her saliva and pointed at the dragon, albeit hesitantly. "F-F-Fire!"

However, none of the hunters moved for they were simply too mesmerized by the beast's mere presence, freezing them in place. Even the Glavenus armored huntress stood still in her place, eyes glued onto the monster as if it were an exquisite statue. Bewitched by its presence, the hunters failed to notice the beast rearing its head back in preparation for its devastating water beam that could easily level a building, let alone a puny hunter.

"What are you doing hunters?!" exclaimed a sailor who went up to check on the situation. Peeking through the door leading down to the cabin, he stared in disbelief and horror at the statue-like figures of the hunters but was too frightened to come out to help. However, just when all hope seems lost, the unbelievable happened. Somehow snapping out of his trance, Rowan picked up the gong stick from the floor and struck it with all his might against the massive gong. Stunned by the deafening and thunderous sound of the gong, the monster roars out in agony, interrupting its attack. At the same time, the hunters snapped out of their trance as if the 'spell' had been broken.

"What the hell?" Siegfried asked groggily, holding onto the ship's railings for support.

"FIRE NOW!" Rowan yelled out. "Do it while it's still stunned!"

The Glavenus huntress smacked her forehead and pointed her finger at the beast. "F-Fire!"

The Amatsu was promptly barraged by a sudden and painful onslaught of metallic bolts, causing it to roar out in agony once more. The bolts pierced the entirety of its body including its wings, chest, neck, and stomach, splattering blood everywhere. By the time the hunters ran out of bolts, the beast was still alive but had dozens of holes on its body. It hovered motionless as its own blood drizzled from its body down below like rain.

"Did we…win?" Romero asked apprehensively, his fingers tightly gripping the handle of the ballistae.

Suddenly, the monster jerked its body violently as another powerful gust of wind strikes the ship. The beast lives. Its eyes turned red, its chest began to glow an eerie yellow, crackling with energy. To the hunter's horror, the sky began to turn red as a powerful wind barrier enveloped the Elder Dragon. Heavily wounded and pushed to the edge, the Elder Dragon opened its maw and unleashed a frighteningly haunting roar.

Now the real battle had begun.

Frightened by this new form, the Glavenus huntress gritted her teeth. "Load the ballistae now! Ready the gong!"

Suddenly out of the corner of her eye, the Glavenus huntress spotted something in the far distance to the right of the ship. "Hmm? What in the gods is that- No…"

It was a red spot…and she recognized that ever-enlarging red spot anywhere.

"EVERYONE! BRACE YOURSELVES!" she shouted, alarming everyone on the ship. Not knowing exactly why they had to brace but following her orders nonetheless, the hunters held on tightly against the nearest object. The Glavenus huntress then turned her attention back to the red spot, which was now rapidly approaching them at unimaginable speeds like a comet. It had also doubled in size and was now-

"Shit- "

She managed to splutter out one word before suddenly, yet another gust of wind struck them, more powerful than any other and nearly causing the ship to tip over. This one, however, was not the Amatsu's doing, for it wasn't a blast of wind from the Elder Dragon but rather the wind caused by an object zooming through the air at Mach speed. The Amatsu never knew what would happen until said object crashed into it at full force like a missile. The Glavenus huntress knew exactly what hit the Elder Dragon.

"A Valstrax…"

She watched as the Valstrax brought the unwilling Amatsu away as they rapidly disappeared into the distance, struggling against each other mid-flight with the Amatsu's cries being the last thing she ever hears of the Elder Dragon of the Storm. She and the rest of the hunters breathed a sigh of relief. The danger had passed and the Amatu's absence caused the storm to dissipate, bathing them in the clear blue sky once more. She then jumped down onto the deck and furiously banged against the door of the cabin.

"The coast is clear Captain! Get us out of here now!"

The Felyne Captain meekly peeked his head out of the doorway along with the rest of the crew members. "Are you sure it's safe?"

"Yes."

"Ah, thank god."

And with that, they resumed their voyage towards Bherna.

The Glavenus armored huntress smiled. "You saved us. I cannot thank you enough for this hunter." She outstretched her hand; which Rowan gladly took as she acknowledged his feat.

Siegfried lightly jabbed Rowan on the arm. "Thanks for that. Never thought I'd say this but you're not a bad man Rowan. Not bad at all."
Rowan rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "Aw shucks…"

Even Eris couldn't help but acknowledge him. "That was admittedly… rather impressive. Well done."

Romero laughed, watching his normally calm and composed brother get reduced to a flustered mess from all the compliments he received from everyone. He admitted that he was jealous of the attention but was happy nonetheless for his brother.

"What is your name hunter?" asked the Glavenus armored huntress.

"Rowan. And you?"

The huntress briefly raised an eyebrow and smiled. "You may address me as Hilda. It is a pleasure to meet you."

"Pleasure's all mine. Also- "He moved closer and whispered, "I couldn't help but notice that you're a hammer user like me. I was thinking, perhaps the two of us could bash some skulls together? You know, give em the ol' one-two? After all, us hammer users have to stick together right?"

Hilda faintly blushed and playfully jabbed his shoulder. "No."

"Haha sorry about that. Perhaps…next time?"

The huntress turned to an even deeper shade of red and walked away from him in order to calm her beating heart. Calm down, heart…You cannot make hasty judgments yet. He's definitely sweet and charming (and he's a hammer user as well!) but you must not forget what happened last time when-

"Hilda, you okay?"

The familiar voice snaps her out of her thoughts. She turned to find the Astalos armored hunter standing there alongside the Mizutsune hunter and the Gammoth armor Palico.

"Oh, hey there Hanzo."

"Aren't you forgetting something?" the Mizutsune hunter asked, crossing his arms.

"Me too!" said the Palico.

Hilda sighed. "Of course, I wouldn't forget. Luca and Pip."

The Palico meowed in delight. "Yay."

Together, the four of them formed the Fated Four, one of the most famous hunter groups out there. Consisting of their leader and Hammer user Hilda, their muscle and Great Sword user Hanzo, strategist and gunner Luca and their loveable and clumsy but always invaluable Palico Pip, they are considered to be some of the best hunters out on the frontier. But their greatest feat was the fact that they were the first group of hunters to discover and successfully drive off a Valstrax, the Sky Comet Dragon. It is thanks to their near-perfect teamwork that the four of them are hailed as some of the greatest hunters of this generation, outclassed only by select individuals, namely the Ace Hunters and the legendary 'Hero Hunters' of each region. Though they strived to reach their levels of skill, for now, they were satisfied with what they had. Impeccable teamwork built upon the foundations of strong camaraderie between the four friends.

"So, Hilda, I've noticed you and that hunter getting very friendly," Hanzo said, smirking under his helmet. He was the quiet one in the group, talking only when needed but has a humorous side as well. He is also the oldest individual in the group, having known Hilda since she was just a teen and as a result, he is very protective of her. His most defining feature is that he never takes off his helmet in front of anyone, not even to his own comrades. He brushed this off by saying that his face is horribly deformed from an accident. His teammates don't believe him, though they refrained from pushing for the truth anymore.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Hilda replied, hiding the red tinge on her cheeks.

Luca laughed. "Sure, you do. And best of all? The three of us approve of him!" Being the most strategic of the four, Luca was the textbook definition of a nerd. He happened to fall in the latter definition of the word pertaining to the fact that he was very knowledgeable on many things, hunter related. He wasn't as physically strong as his comrades, but he made up for it with his quick thinking and near-perfect focus, which suited his role as the gunner of the group. He and Hilda often argued, mostly due to their opposing ideas and strategies but nonetheless, they remain very close friends.

"Stop it guys! Please!" Hilda exclaimed, clenching her fists in embarrassment. She turned towards their only non-human member of the team. "Pip, tell them to stop!"

Pip gave her a confused look. "Tell them to stop what meowster Hilda?" The aforementioned woman glared at the Palico, frustrated at his obvious act of feigning ignorance. Pip simply cackled. He is Hilda's personal Palico, having been accompanying her since the first time she became a hunter 7 years ago. He was a weak and rather cowardly Palico at that time, useful only as a support for the team. But after a certain encounter with a certain fiery tailed Brute Wyvern, the Palico forced himself to change and as a result, became an indispensable asset to the team. Specializing in powerful buffs and rapid flurry of attacks, Pip's contributions to the hunt are paramount and he is often congratulated and awarded for his efforts by hunters and other Palicoes alike. Unfortunately, this made him incredibly narcissistic, a far cry to his previous demeanor. To the displeasure of many, he hides this by putting on a façade of a cheerful and clumsy Palico, only showing his true self during hunts with others. In a sense, he had become the epitome of generally every G-rank hunter out there – ego centrical, narcissistic, prideful and selfish.

"Whatever. It's not like I'll meet him anyway after all this is done. We are going our separate ways after all."
Luca gave her a skeptical look. "…Hilda, aren't you forgetting something?"

"Forget what?"

Hanzo sighed. "He's talking about the Bherna Fire Festival. It is, after all, the reason why we boarded this ship."

"The Bherna Fire Festival? Is it the one where- "Her face turned an inexplicable shade of red? "The festival in which we d-d-dance?!" Hilda stuttered uncharacteristically like a young teen. Despite her cool and respectable demeanor, she was quite naïve and immature when it came to matters dealing with love.

Hanzo nodded. "Yes indeed."

Hilda could only smack her own forehead. "…You have got to be kidding me."

…

"What are you doing here?"

Siegfried glanced to his right, and there she was. He frowned. "I could say the same to you miss Havencroft."

Eris glared at him. "First off how in the hell do you know my last name and second of all, I don't ever remember giving you permission to use it?"

He smirked. "I have my sources." I have to thank Carla for that…

She leaned against the nearby ship mast, crossing her arms. "As usual, you're insufferable as always." I'll find whoever dared disclose information about me to this idiot and make sure they pay!

"Whatever you say…And what are you doing here exactly? I mean, with all the hate we have for each other, I'd expected you to not even bother talking to a 'cretin' like me. Your words, not mine."

"You are mistaken. I came here simply because I wanted to enjoy the view, though I didn't expect to see you here as well." She gave him a look of disgust. "You should go, please. Your mere presence is infuriating as it already is."

Siegfried however, simply chuckled having sensed no malice in her words and resumed to staring off at the distance. "Yeah, good luck with that."

Eris huffed in reply and closed her eyes, feeling the wind against her face and hair. In truth, she had no idea what drew her out here, other than the prospect of peace and quiet from the rowdy and loud hunters inside the cabin. Finding him out here was pure coincidence. Or so she claimed it to be.

"Eris. Do you know of the term, 'Sapphire Star'?" Siegfried asked her after about a few minutes of comfortable silence.

"No, I have not. Why ask?"

Siegfried shrugged. "Eh, nothing much. Just curious is all." He thought about it for a moment. "On second thought, never mind. It's not surprising, considering it's you I'm asking."

Eris scowled. "What does that have to do with me?"
"Knowing you, the Ice Queen, you probably won't bother with something as inconsequential as that."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Siegfried sighed. "You ask too much questions woman."

"Hey, you're the one who asked!"

"Well excuse me for trying to make some small talk!"

They glared fiercely at each other, butting their foreheads together in a show of hostility. After a few seconds, they backed away from each other and resumed their original positions.

She held her forehead. "You are impossible... It is thanks to idiots like you that G-rank hunters are disliked by the general populace."

"Oh, that's rich coming from you. What do you care about what the public thinks of you?"

"I do if the public happens to be where I spend most of my bloody life! Have you seen how much they charge hunters like me for simple ingredients? 1000 zenny! For a damn piece of lettuce!"

Siegfried broke into laughter. "Pfft! Seriously? 1000 zenny for a piece of lettuce? Surely you jest?"

"It's true! I overheard the clerk talking to other customers who were commoners and – for the love of Alatreon – the man said it was 50 zenny a piece!"

Siegfried pinched the bridge of his nose. "Greedy bastards. Shouldn't they be grateful that we hunters risk our lives almost every day helping them just so we could earn some coin?"

"The nerve of them!" Eris exclaimed, flipping her hair back.

"Well, well, well if it ain't our resident lovebirds," came a voice from behind them. With a cheeky smug grin plastered onto his face, Romero came into view. Trailing behind him was his twin brother, who had a hand on his face in exasperation. "Perhaps I wasn't wrong to assume you two are lovers. I mean, judging by how close the two of you are to each other." And when Romero meant close, he meant in a literal sense. It took the two hunters a few seconds to realize that they had subconsciously moved and positioned themselves next to each other as they talked. They immediately jerked away, huffing and with a slight red blush on their cheeks.

Eris stomped her foot. "P-Preposterous!"

Romero looked at them with a blank expression. "But aren't you two lovers? I mean, you told us yourselves that you're going to Bherna Fire Festival, right?" He then gave them a skeptical look. "Or, am I to assume something else is happening here?"

Before Eris could reply, suddenly an arm wrapped itself around her back and tightly gripped her slim waist, pulling her towards the owner of said arm. Siegfried had used his right arm to pull her towards him. W-W-What?! H-He- Her face flushed in a mixture of shock, anger, and embarrassment. T-This man dares to touch me, let alone hold me?! She was about to elbow him on the stomach when she saw the corner of his mouth move.

"Act natural," Siegfried whispered, clenching his other fist. He stifled the urge to jump off the ship. He gave her a glance that practically screamed out 'I hate this as much as you do but for fuck sake please go along with it! I'm already contemplating suicide just from holding you like this!'

Realizing his intentions, Eris relented, sighing and taking a deep breath. Begrudgingly and tentatively, she placed a hand on his chest and the other around his back. This is more embarrassing than failing a hunt! Kill me now please!

"N-No, you're absolutely right! We are lovers, right?" Siegfried stuttered, sweating glancing at Eris.

Eris forced a smile. "Y-Yes, we are! I mean, we're obviously embracing, which is a clear sign that we are indeed in a relationship."

Romero squinted at them, holding his chin. Siegfried gulped, unknowingly tightening his grip around Eris's waist, eliciting a faint yelp from the huntress. To their surprise, he let out a hearty laugh.

"Hahahaha! I thought as much. For a second, I thought you two were stowaways or something. Apologies."

Rowan, meanwhile, kept quiet the entire time. He knew his twin brother would act this way. After all, the man, though unsuccessful in his own love life is remarkably keen on things related to love. I don't know if that's supposed to be a redeeming factor or not but what the hell right?

Siegfried chuckled half-heartedly. "Haha yeah…"

"Anyway, when can I expect marriage?"

Rowan slapped his forehead. Oh brother…

The question completely floored the two hunters, who simply stared at them blankly, a half-smile on their lips. They were silent, unable to formulate a reply and standing still like statues. Romero waved his in front of their faces.

"Hello?"

No response.

Rowan sighed. "Congratulations. You broke them."

It was dark when the ship arrived safely at its destination of the quaint town of Bherna. It is here that the famous Wycademy is situated, where scholars and researchers of all ages and races come to fulfill their dreams. Hunters are also here too, assigned by the Guild to protect these researchers out on the field.

Built a few decades ago, the Guild made the choice of establishing their own research commission here, now formally known as the Wycademy. It was here that long ago that a team of researchers led by a hunter named John Arthur stumbled upon this new region of Minegarde when their airship ran out of fuel. Ecstatic about their new discovery, the team quickly relayed this information back to the Hunter's Guild. The current ruler of that time, His Majesty King Royce ordered the study and research of this newly discovered section of Minegarde untouched by man. For the next few years, John Arthur and the Royal Paleontology Scriveners conducted extensive research of the place. They relayed information about the flora, fauna and practically everything there is to know about it to the Elder Dragon Observation team, where subsequently the information is archived and then published in a series of encyclopedias. During this time, King Royce also ordered the construction of research base and town, which would come to be known as Bherna once it is finished. When John Arthur mysteriously vanished, it was his second in command Gustave Ron that took over the leadership of the team. John Arthur's disappearance prompted the Guild to build a hunter's hub in Bherna, where they are assigned to protect these researchers from the dangerous beasts that roam the new region. And now, many years later, Bherna has become a bustling town full of life and one of the most popular places to spend your vacation at due to its cultural festivals, fluffy Moofa and delicious fondue-based cuisine.

…

"Have a wonderful night!" called out the Felyne Captain as he waved goodbye to the hunters.

Luca snickered. "Oooh, the festival is about to start. So…good luck Hilda!"

The huntress flushed beet red. "What is that supposed to mean?! Guys?!" Her team only laughed at her even more as they headed towards the nearest lodging to prepare for the festival. Hilda yelped rather cutely when she saw Hanzo give a thumbs-up to Rowan, who awkwardly replied with the same gesture.

Suddenly, Romero grabbed his brother by the shoulders and shook him furiously. "Brother, how could you?!"

"W-What?"

"How could you do this to me?!"

"Do what?"

Romero pointed at Hilda and her team. "That! How did you get a partner way before I did?! C'mon!"

Oh, he's jealous. Classic. "Hey, it's not my problem that women tend to avoid you," Rowan said with a shrug.

"But we're twins! We practically look the same! Every time a girl says she's interested in me; she mistakes you for me in the end! And then, when I try to win them back, they reject me!"

Rowan sniggered. "Maybe I'm more handsome than you are?"

Romero punched his brother's arm. "Not cool!"

As the brothers continued to argue whilst heading towards the nearest lodgings as well, they didn't notice the hostile tension in the air emitted by two hunters nearby.

Eris glared coldly at Siegfried. "I hate you."

The hunter responded with an equally contentious glare. "I hate you even more."

A few hours ago…

A few minutes after the brothers went back inside the ship, the two hunters snapped out of their frozen state. Upon realizing that they were still embracing, they immediately jerked apart, glaring daggers at each other.

"You…you hugged me! How dare you!" Eris shouted.

Siegfried shouted back. "How dare me?! I was saving our asses thank you very much! You should be grateful!"

"I never gave you permission to touch me, let alone hug me so tightly! Disgusting! All men like you are disgusting!"

"Piss off woman! You're nothing but trouble!"

Eris stomped her foot onto the ground. "Just when I thought to consider you as a decent man, you just had to do ruin it!"

"Decent?! I for one, almost thought of you as an acquaintance! Perhaps even a friend! Guess you proved me wrong!" Siegfried hollered back, slamming his fist against the mast.

"Gog, I hate you!" they yelled out simultaneously.

…

Finally! I'm free! Siegfried thought with a grin.

Now that they had arrived at Bherna, they could finally go their separate ways. The two hunters were ecstatic to finally be relieved of this burden.

"Don't ever show your face to me again," Siegfried said in a threatening tone. "I've had enough of your bullshit."

"I don't ever intend to. In fact, seeing you here right now is enough to make me question the Gods above on why exactly they would create such an inferior specimen like you."

"Goodbye!" they curtly said to each other before stomping off in opposite directions.

…

"Oh hey, loverboy!"

Rowan turned towards the source of the voice. It was Luca, and the rest of the Fated Four, dressed in simple clothing. Hanzo however, looked comically out of place due to his ever-present helmet. He and his brother himself wore nothing but a plain shirt and coat as well as some chainmail underneath for extra protection. The brothers were wary of drunks looking for fights, so they packed some protection just in case. In the meantime, Rowan was currently sitting in the lobby of the inn, patiently waiting for his brother to finish his business in the restroom.

Hilda yelped and covered Luca's mouth. "Shut up please!"

"I see you're going to the festival as well. Splendid. Hilda would be happy." Hanzo said, clasping his hands together. Hilda looked at him, mortified.

"Not you too!"

Hanzo shrugged. "Just stating the facts."

Rowan smiled. "That's nice." His eyes briefly glanced at Hilda, who turned away shyly. "By the way, where's your Palico?"

Hanzo pointed at the door with his thumb. "Oh, Pip? Well, he rushed ahead before us. Typical Pip. I bet he's basking in the praise of everyone thanks to his 'sick' dance moves. Or so he says."

"Oh." Rowan imagined that Palico dancing amidst a crowd, the loud cheers and shouts boosting the Palico's already massive ego. For some reason, it didn't seem farfetched at all. A familiar voice broke him out of his thoughts.

"Brother, I'm- "Romero stopped in his tracks, having finished his business in the restroom. "Ah it's you guys." He waved at them. Romero smirked when he caught Hilda staring at Rowan quietly.

"Good luck with my brother yeah?" he whispered, causing her to stomp on his foot.

"Ow."

"Since we're all here, you want to come with us?" Luca offered. He made sure to give a sneaky wink to Hilda, who frantically shook her head.

Romero wrapped an arm around his brother's shoulder. "Sure, we would love to, right?"

Rowan sighed. "Sure."

Hilda made sure to hide Luca's glasses by the time they got back.

…

By the time they got to the town center, there was a massive crowd of people around the bonfire. All of them seemed preoccupied with whatever was happening in the middle, evident by the loud ooohs and aaahs coming from the crowd.

"Wonder what's happening there."

"Let's check it out."

Just as they moved closer, the crowd let out a loud gasp. The hunters expected it be some kind of flashy fire show, or it could be Pip dancing. But they certainly never expected a body to suddenly land in front of them.

"What the- "

Then they heard it. Loud grunts of pain and the clanking of armor before yet another body was flung towards them, landing on the unconscious person from before. Alarmed, the hunters pushed through the crowd, determined to find out what happened.

Their jaws dropped when they saw two familiar faces.

Rowan brought a hand to his forehead. "Siegfried- "

"- and Eris…" Romero said, completing his brother's words.

In front of them, were the Fire King and Ice Queen as guards attacked them from all angles, all while they held each other and moved as if they were dancing.

"What the hell happened here?"

Yes, I literally just gave names to the four hunters in the MH Generations as well as MHGU's opening cinematics.

Also, as a side note, the Amatsu vs Valstrax encounter was inspired by the 4D Monster Hunter Ride in Universal Studios Japan. It was also included in my original story but the way I handled it there was shit.

Seriously, don't even bother reading that old slogfest. I plan to delete it on a later date.

With that being said, if you enjoyed the chapter do leave a review on your thoughts as well as what I can improve on. Your feedback gives me life, so please if you can, leave a comment. Just again, no toxicity. It's obnoxious.

Thanks for reading guys and I hope to see you in the next chapter.