Chapter III

Six wagons rolled across the dusty plane, wind kicking up dust as it blew through the grass. A lone tumbleweed rolled alongside the wagons for a while before going on it's merry way, a different mood than one that enveloped each wagon. Each wagon had four to five recruits in the back. Some recruits were relaxed, some were looking excitedly at the scenery around them, trying to anticipate what awaited them and some recruits got more and more nervous the farther away from the city they got. Perlonis sat in a corner of the wagon whispering to himself.

"No no no, this isn't happening. Yeah that's right! It's just a dream, all a bad dream. I'm gonna wake up any minute now and still have a chance to run. Running's good, it keeps you alive." Setsuna glanced at Perlonis.

"Pitiful, such cowards should not be allowed to live." Setsuna growled. The other recruits looked at Setsuna, surprised at the harshness of her words. Though no one spoke up. They either didn't care or were too afraid to speak. Perlonis also chose to be silent, choosing not to humor her. Setsuna didn't like this as she hated to be ignored. She took a step towards Perlonis, but stopped. It wasn't worth the risk of being thrown out of the exam. She returned to the side of the wagon, but not before scoffing him.

Perlonis ignored her gesture, trying to calm himself down from his panic attack. He tried to take deep breaths, but could never catch his breath. He felt his hands sweating and his heart was pounding out of his chest. After a few minutes, and a lot of deep breaths, he finally calmed himself down.

He looked out ahead, an overwhelming sense of dread began seeping into his body. I'm heading to my death. He thought. Maybe I could run back to town? Perlonis pondered on this thought for a second, before shaking his head. Like that would do any good. Morum wouldn't let me live if I returned, if I could even find my way back. Perlonis let out a large sigh as he continued to stare into his corner, lost in his mind, grieving on what is to come.

A couple of wagons back sat Yppah and Rydon. Yppah gazed outwards towards the horizon, feeling a bit anxious about the exam. She wondered where they were taking all the recruits. What could possibly be this far away from the city. Her thoughts are interrupted by one of the other recruits.

"Where the hell are we going?" he asked the driver. The old man leaned back in his seat, turning his head back.

"How about you open your eyes and see for yourself." The young recruit looked around, seeing nothing but the wide open plain. His face red, the agitated recruit glared at the driver. A smirk now adorned the old man's face.

"You going senile old man? There is nothing out there but fucking plains. There's not even a fucking tree!" The old man doesn't answer. This angered the youngster even more. "You hard of hearing too you old geezer!" The old man only responded by closing his eyes and tilting his head back. He then sighed. Looking back, he eyed Yppah who was sitting in the corner. Yppah noticed his gaze, feeling uneasy. She watched as the man motioned with his finger.

"Come up here and take the reins. I want to have a one on one talk with our impatient friend here." Yppah reeled back, surprised and offset by his command.

"But, I never-"

"Don't fret, I'm not asking you to steer, just to hold the reins taut." interrupted the old man. Yppah sat speechless. The driver dropped the reins and climbed into the back. He gave another look at Yppah.

"Hurry and take the reins girl, before they realize they don't have a driver." Yppah felt an unsettling pressure emanating from his words. "Y-yes sir." She stammered, lurching to her feet. The old man chuckled. "No need to be so formal, call me Kic." While she took the driver's seat, Kic approached the recruit.

"And who do you think you are?" The recruit stood up, staring the old man in the face. "I'm Dolen Hedum, son of Decus and Gloria Hedum, the greatest monster traders in all the land." The man answered with a husky laugh.

"There it is." Kic remarked. Dolen's anger subsided for a split second, long enough for a confused look to appear. The look didn't last long, as he returned to his angered state.

"What do you mean by that?" shouted Dolen, his face turning red. Kic chuckled once again.

"Why, the silver spoon. Youngsters like you always have one." The old man's words cut deep, as this only angered Dolen even more.

"You know nothing about me old man, how hard my life has been." The smirk on Kic's face faded, replaced with a menacing grimace. He took a step forward, looming over Dolen.

"You're life hasn't been hard rich boy, it's been normal. Your parents are honorable traders, smarter than your average merchant." Kic paused, reaching into his pocket. A cigar emerged, along with a small match box. "And that's why they cut you off." The old man lit the cigar, puffing out grey clouds. All the while Dolen stood speechless, the anger in his look slowly fading.

"H-how the hell do you know that." Dolen sputtered.

"You think I'm just some wrinkled old man who happened to be hauling your ass? I'm a hunter." Kic paused, taking another puff of his cigar. "Well, I used to be. Retired now, but that doesn't mean I'm hung up just yet. I know the history of every recruit on this wagon, and you have no right in hell to complain about a hard life. So shut up." Dolen stood silent for a moment, unable to find words. His anger quickly returned, as Dolen hated to be talked down upon.

"You're just some old fart, why should I listen to you? You hunted monsters 100 years ago, so what? Look at you now, I could probably break your back if I breathed too hard." Kic frowned, shaking his head.

"You're mistake." Kic snuffed his cigar on the cart railing as he blew out one last smoke cloud. "I tried to be civil. Now I'll have to take care of the trash."

These words infuriated Dolen. The youngster lunged forward, swinging his right hand in a large arch. It was apparent to everyone watching that Dolen was not experienced in fighting. The elderly man grabbed Dolen's arm with one hand while the other grabbed a handful of cigar ash. He then flung the powder into Dolen's eyes while also shoving him against the wall. Dolen yelped slightly, furiously rubbing his eyes. He managed to get the ash out, only to find a boot in his face. The kick propelled Dolen backward, forcing him over the wagon's railing.

Dolen slammed onto the ground, his body limp as he rolled to a stop. He grunted in pain, attempting to lean up. His look turned to shock as he sees the wagon leaving him behind. Dolen called out to Kic, but it fell on deaf ears.

"Think it's time you learned some respect. "Yelled the old man. "We might come back for you after the exam. Be careful not to get eaten before then." Dolen began running toward the wagon, but it was obvious he wasn't catching up. Kic turned away. "Hope the guild masters don't wring my neck out for this." He muttered to himself.

The other recruits stood shocked, looking back at Dolen. Yppah watched as Kic slowly walked to her. "I'll take the reins back. Thanks for the help." Yppah was too shaken to speak. She handed Kic the reins, trying to make a stealthy dash towards the back. Kic noticed though, stopping her with his words. "Why don't you sit up here girl, you seemed uncomfortable in the back." Yppah paused, not sure what to say. Kic's harsh demeanor unsettled her. She briefly wondered what the consequences would be if she refused his offer, then promptly sat down next to Kic.

An awkward silence ensued. After a few moments, Kic decided to break the silence. "I can tell something's on your mind, it's about that kid Dolen isn't it?" Knowing that not answering would be rude, Yppah spoke up.
"That was kind of harsh." Kic paused before answering, only nodding his head slightly.

"It can be seen as that I guess, but one of the first things you learn as a hunter is that this job is not glamorous. Dolen doesn't have what it takes to be a hunter. Hunters fight for the safety of others, while Dolen is too selfish to take such responsibility. People depend on hunters for safety, their lives can depend on it. Now, do you want to put your life into his hands?" Yppah sat silently, not sure whether he was expecting an answer or whether it was rhetorical. Either way, she didn't have an answer. Kic smirked at her lack of response. The two of them sat there for a long time in silence. Kic focused on the road while Yppah focused on not making him mad. She looked back at Rydon for answers, but she only received a small shrug.

"I want you to know, I'm not that bad of a person." Kic said, his gaze off in the distance. "I was only that harsh because I've have dealt with too many of his kind. It never ends well. You have nothing to fear from me." These words seemed sincere, but Yppah wasn't exactly sure, She knew how easy it can be to mask your true thoughts. Nevertheless, she couldn't sit next to Kic the whole ride shaking in fear. Yppah breathed deeply before responding.

"I know. This is all just so new to me. I've lived on a small farm for most of my life. I barely heard of hunters before I headed here."

"Aye, small towns are usually against outside help. Suntai never liked outsiders, prefered to face problems themselves." Yppah's ears perked up.

"H-how do you know about Suntai?"

"Like I said, I know the history of everyone on this wagon, including yours." Yppah cringed a bit, her mind wondering back. An ache filled her heart as she remembered her dad before he left. Kic sensed her pain, placing his hand on her shoulder.

"I'm sorry lass, I didn't mean to open old wounds." Kic looked up at the sky. "We all got that something, that aching pain that never goes away." Kic paused shortly, looking towards the girl out of the corner of his eye. Yppah doesn't respond. She continued to stare outwards towards the horizon. Kic smiled, a look of sympathy "You're not alone anymore." Yppah broke her gaze with the horizon and looked toward Kic. Her look still appeared empty, but a small smirk formed.

"I would like to believe that, and against my better judgment, I will." Kic nodded his head slightly without saying a word. Yppah leaned back and closed her eyes, an anxious feeling returned as she reminded herself of their destination. "So, how much longer until we get there?"

"Not too much longer, maybe an hour? You may want to rest as much as you can, as this won't be easy." Kic said, looking up towards the sun.

"I think I'll do that." Yppah responded. "Any chance you could tell me what we'll be doing?" A silence followed. After a few moments, she figured she wasn't going to get her answer. "Could you at least tell me why this is so secretive?" Another silence followed. Figuring she wouldn't receive an answer, she was pleasantly surprised when Kic cleared his throat.

"Well, I'm not to sure myself to be perfectly honest. My best guess is so that the hunters can't prepare for it specifically. A hunter can't approach every monster in the same way, they must adapt to it. If the recruits knew ahead of time, then they could, study in a sense. They could learn only what they needed to pass the test. Though, as I said, just a guess."

"A pretty damn good guess I think." Yppah didn't see, but a smile grew on Kic's face. "Guess we'll all find out soon enough."

"Aye, soon enough." Kic mumbled.

The carts slowed as the sandy landscape disappeared and transformed into a forest. Each of the recruits perked up to the change in scenery. Even Perlonis, who barely moved throughout the entire journey, looked around the landscape. The overbearing heat of the desert turned into a stout mugginess that made it feel even hotter. Setsuna made her way to the front of the wagon, climbing next to the driver.

"We close?" She asked. The driver didn't say anything, only nodded slightly. "Good, I've been getting cramped in here." The driver gave her a sideward glance, but still said nothing. Setsuna became slightly annoyed, as the driver wouldn't say a word to her. She sighed and climbed back into the main part of the wagon. She eyed Perlonis looking around.

"Well, looky here. You finally came out of your hole." Perlonis didn't look towards her. He knew he could just ignore her entirely, but he figured that he could only ignore a problem so much.

"Yeah, there's actually things to see here, unlike the desert. I've seen enough sand to last two lifetimes." Perlonis looked over, seeing a slightly surprised look on Setsuna's face. It quickly turned into her usual grimace.

"I guess, but it's nothing new." Setsuna leaned on the railing, looking out into the forest. A small kelbi hopped in and out of sight. Her stomach growled, reminder her of how long they have been travelling on the wagons. "What I wouldn't do for some food right now." She muttered to herself. The wagon jostled back and forth as Perlonis jumped out of the wagon. Setsuna looked as Perlonis darted behind some trees. What the fuck? Did he decide to ditch now after all this time? Setsuna's pondering was interrupted by Perlonis's return. He hoisted himself over the railing of the wagon.

"What the fuck was that?" Setsuna spat out. "If you were going to ditch after all this ti-" Perlonis's hand thrust out, cutting Setsuna off holding a large grey berry.

"Go on, take it. You said you were hungry didn't you?" Setsuna, still stunned, took the berry. She now gave the berry a look down, realizing what she was holding.

"Isn't this a bomberry? Are you trying to kill me or something?" Perlonis chucked slightly, which only angered Setsuna more.

"Relax, bomberries are perfectly safe to eat, as long as you eat them raw. Cook them and well, boom." Perlonis took a big bite out of his own berry. Setsuna hesitated, but her stomach growled again, so she took a bite. Her face scrunched slightly, the semisweetness of the berry turned bitter as she bit on one of the seeds. It exploded slightly in her mouth, filling it with what seemed like a fine sand. She spit her bite out and looked angrily towards Perlonis. Perlonis either didn't notice or didn't care, as he had no reaction. She sees Perlonis spit out a seed before taking another bite.

Setsuna rolled her eyes and took another bite, this time careful not to bite down on a seed. After she finished her berry, she peered at Perlonis yet again. "So, why'd you do it?" Perlonis broke his gaze with the trees as he looked at Setsuna, but he didn't answer. Setsuna, slightly annoyed, repeated herself. "Why'd you get me this food. It's not like I've been particularly friendly."

"No, you haven't been. You're a bitch quite frankly, but I guess it's better to have a nasty acquaintance rather than a sworn enemy." Setsuna's anger flared at being called a bitch, but she stopped herself from saying anything. It's not like being called that was anything new anyway.

"Well, don't think I owe you anything." Setsuna spat out angrily, but her rage quickly subsides. Setsuna looked out into the wilderness, muttering something under her breath. "Thanks." Perlonis doesn't say a word, smiling just slightly.

After a while Perlonis frowns at Setsuna and asks "Why do you want to become a Hunter? Nothing awaits on the other side of this test besides death."

"That's something a coward like you would never understand. It's about putting yourself in danger for the people who can't fight back." Perlonis peered at Setsuna, surprised to hear such a selfless answer from someone as cold as her.

"That's why I shouldn't be here. I can't fight, I never learned how. I've been a street rat for my entire life."

"And ain't that just a life worth living." Setsuna paused slightly, just enough for the thought to sink in. "I agree with you on one thing, you shouldn't be here. You'll only hold everyone back. And yet, unless you nut up and shut up, you're going to be ran out of that city." Setsuna paused again, a smile growing on her face. "I can't imagine someone like you surviving all alone out here, though I would pay to see you try." Setsuna chuckled at her own words. Perlonis stayed quiet, pondering the words Setsuna set before him.

Perlonis's thought are cut short as the wagons lurched to a halt. Any recruit unlucky enough to be standing were thrown to the ground, one was even thrown over the side of their wagon. Setsuna wasted no time, hoisting herself over the railing. She stretched in an attempt to uncramp herself. A few wagons back she eyed Yppah and Rydon exiting their wagon. Setsuna contemplated walking towards the two, but decided against it. She was in much too good of a mood to sully it with a squabble.

The recruits began congregating around the clearing, forming small groups within larger ones. A dull roar of chatter filled the air, as people were discussing the whole situation. One of these small groups consisted of Yppah and Rydon, who were both in aw by just how many people were in the clearing.

"I didn't realize this many people were going to take the test. There must over 50 people." Yppah said amazed. Rydon nodded slightly.

"There were only six recruits total in the guild hall. Everyone else must have gotten there the day of." Yppah spots Morum towering over the crowd. He looked like he was conversing with a bunch of well dressed individuals, though she had trouble seeing over the mob of people.

"Attention!" Morum roared. The crowd immediately became silent as Morum's word reverberated throughout the recruits. "After the long trip we are finally here, your testing destination. I'm sure you are all wondering what this test entails." Morum looks around, giving off a small smirk. "Those of you who are acute to monster habits may have already figured it out, but for those who haven't, this forest is very special. For we are all standing in the middle of the event, called the Great Jaggi Munt."