Monster Hunter Legends
The Tigrex Samurai – Chapter 1
Up in the cold, unforgiving mountains of the Pokke region, lies the powerful temple of the Tigrex Samurai. For hundreds of years it has remained peaceful, training its Samurai from the day they reach thirteen years of age. It is not harsh in their eyes, as the journey to become a Tigrex Samurai is meant to test their strength and endurance. Depending on which outpost you are brought up in, you will fight your first Tigrex in that region. At thirteen, you are given ten quests to improve your hunting skills and weapons, then you must face the Tigrex. Most experienced hunters don't fight their first Tigrex until after many hunts, and the Guild strongly disagree with the Samurai giving children the incredible task.
And that is where Kai's story began. Brought up in the mountains, but had trained in the desert at points, Kai was one of the most adept children in his level of Samurai training. The elders knew it, and so did many of the great Tigrex Samurai who where off aiding the Guild. It was rumoured that he would surpass his father, which many deemed to ridiculous to contemplate. Kai's father, after all, was the Tigrex Warrior. He was the descendant of the first person to learn from the Tigrex and fight like them. But even though Kai was extremely adept at what he did, his father refused to teach him the secret of the Tigrex Warrior, through Kai's many protests.
He was strong for his age, and this gave him a great advantage when sparring with his classmates. His classmates had even drawn up a mock comparison between Kai and the Tigrex. "What…? I don't look anything like a Tigrex!" Kai had said, to the laughter of his friends. His scruffy black hair and the fact that he was human more than separated him from the monster. But he had one similarity, which spooked even him. His green eyes resembled the exact colour of the Tigrex's. "Class! Assemble!" yelled the instructor. The class sat down, their attention focused on the instructor. "As you know," he continued, "many of you have reached your thirteenth birthday. This means that soon, it will be time for you to fight the Tigrex. Once Jun returns from his last practice quest, I will be taking those of you who are not thirteen to the desert for training. While those who are thirteen, the head instructor will take you for your Tigrex quest." The instructor finished, letting the effect of his words sink in. "If you complete the quest, I will not be teaching you any more. So, I only have this to say: those who give in to the power of the Tigrex will never defeat it. Fight it with the same ferocity it will show you, and have no fear."
Kai waited impatiently with his friends that night. They didn't talk much, and Kai suspected everyone was nervous. Then Nami spoke up, "Come on guys, you can't seriously be that nervous!" she joked. Nami had been Kai's friend since he began his training as a Samurai. She had always taken things lightly and with full confidence. "I bet you're just as nervous to!" replied Makoto, another of Kai's old friends.
"I am, but I don't let it get me down. Besides, we'll be teaming up to take the Tigrex down anyway, so I figure, what's to worry?" Nami said.
The talk stopped after that, and nothing happened until someone came around the corner to where they where standing. "Ah. There you are. Come on, Jun returned from his quest and the instructor is waiting for you." The messenger motioned for them to follow him, and they headed towards the armoury.
Over Kai's few years of his Samurai training, he had managed to acquire an armour of reasonable respect. For his ten quests, he had made sure to hunt down enough of the local Blangonga's to forge their armour. Then from the minor monsters he had hunted over time, and some ores he had gathered at the last minute, he had created a katana of considerable strength. While he attached his armour, he watched his friends pick out their weapons and armour. Nami had immediately taken to the Hunting Horn as her favourite hunting weapon, and had used it to hunt down a few Basarios in the nearby swamp. Her armour wasn't complete, unlike Makoto's. He had taken the chance to go hunting in the Kokoto Desert, and acquired a full set of Cephalos armour which impressed even Kai. Makoto was mainly worried because he thought he would be a burden to the team, as he struggled to make successful dodges when he attacked with his Dual Blades. "Well guys, lets go hunt the Tigrex!" The Head Instructor announced once everyone was ready.