Chapter 5: Heading Out

Later that night, after our bonding, I walked Teia home. We kissed once again and wished each other good night. I was going to see her again tomorrow morning before I depart for Loc Lac. I also realized another thing. I was going to actually be alone for my first time, in a BIG CITY, with big, scary HUNTERS. I'm kidding. I had become one of them. I had managed to put on my Chainmail plate body in order to effectively carry my great sword. It was a little awkward at first, but I managed to make it home without anyone noticing my amateur-ness.

I opened the door to my family's home. I had about an hour before I actually planned on going to bed. I walked into the kitchen and my mother hugged me right away. She didn't notice my armour at first though.

"Must you have that on?" She confronted me with a frown. I laughed lightly then pulled off my armour that held my great sword and placed it on the ground, hugging my mom.

"Sorry," I said, "It's very heavy and stuff. I had to find a way to bring my sword home while carrying everything else."

"Why'd you have it off in the first place?" She confronted me once again. I blushed instantly and looked away. "I-It was very hot in there. We live in the desert, remember?" I laughed nervously and then grabbed my stuff and attempted to run to my room with them. Success? I beg to differ. As I entered the living room, my brother and sister were both sitting down on their favourite sides of the couch. They had stayed up waiting for me to come home. I sat in between them. Kyle turned and looked at me.

"Back so early?" He said, sleepily. I looked at him with confusion on my face. "Mom said we could stay awake until you came home…" I laughed lightly and patted his back. Miranda was already asleep, sitting. I stood up and told Kyle that I was going to be able to say bye tomorrow morning. And thus, I took my armour to my room, closed the door, and slept. Well, I slept only for a small bit. It took forever to fall sleep. Too much anticipation.

The next day, I was woken up early by my father. I immediately jumped up and fell from my bed, landing on my back. The room was all swirly at first and I was oblivious. I didn't know what day I had stumbled upon. My departure.

"Do you have everything?" My dad said, after laughing at me for falling out of my bed. I nodded, still a bit sleepy. I looked at my armour, shining in the thin ray of sunlight through the window of my room. I grinned, nodded my head, rubbed my eyes, and stood up. I stretched, yawning, then jumped into the living room. My sister had awoken only minutes before. She was sitting in the same place she fell asleep, on her side of the couch. I ruffled her hair and bolted for the kitchen. My mother was in there, placing some food into my Blademaster's Pouch. The pouch came with the armour. Asch said that it was his first one, and handed it to me a few years before. I was finally going to make official use of it today! This one was made to store mainly food and first aid. There were many other different pouches, but Asch said I would get those the moment I'm enrolled as Monster Hunter status.

After eating an early breakfast (mainly comprised of bacon and Delex eggs, which are surprisingly good by the way), I packed my backpack with some of my clothing for my new home. I packed some of my most prized possessions. One of them being a Rathalos scale that Asch brought back for me from a hunt in an area known as the Wyverian Volcano. The other was my first whetstone that I had quickly dulled after its first use. That was a couple years ago, when Asch taught me how to sharpen a blade.

While the sun had just risen, my brother and I played some quick one-on-one soccer. I knew I was going to play with him one more time. I taught my siblings how to play myself, when we were all very young. After that, we cooled down. Asch arrived at my home about an hour afterwards.

"Dariue, you got your stuff?" Asch said, with a kind of serious tone. I nodded, pointing to my bag and armour. "We're going to have to dress you into your armour before you leave." I blinked and then realized something.

"I'll be RIGHT back!" I waved quickly then ran away. Asch shook his head with a grin, his arms crossed as always. He looked at my mother and father (I found this out later on.) "Your kid is going to be a fine hunter. You guys should know that." My mother looked a bit concerned.

"I don't want to worry him about my concern," she said, with a shallow, mournful voice almost. "Our previous mayor died from…"

"He won't be facing such a terror soon," Asch exclaimed, "They repelled Jhen Mohran a long while ago. It's been over ten years."

"That's why she's so concerned, Asch," my father said, walking in from behind, "Ten years is a long time. It's not dead. It's still out there."

"But it's most definitely fearful of coming back. Monsters do have brains, you know," Asch explained, "Jhen is a strong elder dragon indeed, but if anything happens, you can know that Dariue will be very far away. It'll be years before he tackles such a thing." However, Asch said that with unmistakable doubt in his voice.

I slid, stopping in front of Teia's house. I went and knocked on the door, waiting for an answer. Her mother arrived at the door seconds later, opening it.

"My, my, Dariue," she said, "Why are you up so early?" I smiled, turning my head to the left slightly to avoid direct eye contact. I never liked giving direct eye contact. Only to Teia.

"I'm leaving soon…" I said, letting my sentence drag out, "I wanted to say bye to Teia one more time." Her mother looked at me with a small bit of worry.

"Well, you're going to have to hurry and find her. She woke up early looking for you. She just left moments ago." My eyes widened slightly. "Gotta go!" I exclaimed, running away almost instantly. "I'll see you in a few months or so! Bye!" I waved, running in the direction of my house. I was panting by the time I reached my house. Asch looked at me, still standing in the same position as I had left him minutes before.

"What's up?"

"Did you see Teia anywhere?"

"Your 'place.'"

"Thanks!" I bolted out of there, right away. I headed in the direction of our hill. I saw a figure up there, knowing it was Teia. I yelled out her name multiple times, and she ran down the hill, jumping at me, causing me to fall. "H-Hey." I said, trying to catch my breath. She laughed.

"Hello." She said, with that usual look of happiness. "You're leaving soon?" I nodded, standing up after a hug.

"Yeah, I am," I gestured that we started walking in the direction of my house. "It's going to be scary…"

"You've always wanted to do this. You shouldn't turn back now," She assured me, poking at my arm. I smiled, "I know. I'll be fine." We reached my home. Asch was now holding my stuff. He was still in his Rathalos+ armour, just letting you know.

"It's time, bud," Asch said, nudging his head in the direction of my house's door. I nodded, kissing Teia as I held her hand. Then, I walked inside with Asch. Asch placed my things on the table beside me.

"Stretch out your arms," He demanded softly. I did, standing in the standard position for suiting. He placed my leggings on as usual and the body armour as well. He handed me my helmet. I looked at him with a bit of concern. "Crossing the threshold," Asch stated, letting go of the helmet into my hands, "you're ready, Dariue. Cheer up, will ya?" I nodded, hesitantly. I put the helmet on, still holding the sides with my hands.

"I don't need to cheer up," I said, with a strange silence looming over us, "I'm a monster hunter and proud of it." I then locked the helmet on, Asch looking at me with approval. We clashed forearms. The standard monster hunter clash. Oh yeah. I walked outside into the sun, my Ludroth Bone Sword on my back, moving with my body as I moved. Some villagers had grouped outside of their homes, seeing me off. Teia held my hand again as we walked toward the open air field. My family was with us. Everyone was with us. I let go of Teia's hand, hugging her, then Asch and I walked towards the ship. I heard cheering starting to emerge from the crowd that surrounded the airfield. Did being a monster hunter really mean this much? Maybe because Asch had an everlasting effect on the village. We were looked up to. I shifted my back so my backpack would be on my back correctly. I walked into the airship. It was like a hot air balloon. Asch walked in as well, as he was heading to Loc Lac. I placed my backpack on the bottom of it. I waved to everyone, especially my family, my girlfriend, and my girlfriend's family.

"I'll be back!" I yelled out loud, "I promise!" Asch waved slightly as well and then sat down. As the airship revved up, it began to fly above the ground. I turned and met the usual flier of the ship. His name was Rehuyar. Rehuyar is a strange name, yes. But the reason why is because he's from a family from the Dragon Tribe. They are the Wyverians. The Wyverians have been around longer than humans, apparently. Humans and Wyverians get along very well and are practically the same. However… Rehuyar has a vertically longer head and pointed ears. That's the only difference between Wyverians and Humans. They also used to be way taller, but that was in the prehistoric times. Rehuyar turned to me, handing me his hand. I shook it.

"Pleasure having you aboard, Sir Dariue," Rehuyar stated, quickly turning back after the handshake and started doing some airship stuff. I didn't remember. I blushed lightly at the fact that someone called me by the name of Sir for the first, real time. I suddenly lost balance as our ship shifted due to wind. I almost fell. Asch laughed as he was sitting down on a seat in the airship. He patted the sitting space beside him, "Sit here, Dariue." I walked slowly, maintaining my balance, and sat down beside him, my great sword leaning against the wooden wall behind me. I turned and looked outwards peering down at what was our village.

It was beautiful. I could see the desert go on forever. The village was almost a mere spec now. I gasped, just now realizing my slight fear of heights. However, I was mesmerized by the sight. Some shallowness filled my gut. I missed everyone already. Homesickness was new to me.

"Strange seeing your home from this high, isn't it?" Asch said to me, sitting beside me. I nodded and took a big sigh of relief. "I've always wanted to come up here."

"It's going to be a long ride," Asch stated, "About a day's flight. Give or take the shift in winds... or encounters." I immediately turned my head to look at him.

"Encounters?" I asked, with some concern in my voice.

"You know that we live within the Great Desert of Loc Lac. We will be flying over what the village calls the Bounds. It's an area filled with wide canyons. Very popular for wyverns." I gulped at the thought, but shook my head to trash it. Asch has gone back and forth many times. Everything will be okay. Besides, Diablos' can't fly.

Diablos' can't fly... right?