"So, why did you guys come here?", Mia asked.
"To explore and catalogue tho loofe.", Ace answered, stuffing his face with a freshly cooked biscuit.
"But you guys are monster hunters. Wouldn't your guild send some researchers?"
"A hunter and their palico observe the monsters, the researchers come to conclusions based on the hunting team's observations", Dawn said having finished his own meal, "I have been writing down every new discovery we've seen so far."
"That's another thing," She looked to Ace, "I thought your name was Ace Palico."
"It is.", Ace glanced away from her.
"His original name was Faux, but he changed it to his tittle because it didn't sound cool enough.", Dawn added.
"Stop telling them my secrets!", Ace jumped from his seat.
"I don't know, both sound like good names.", Shizuka said still blowing on her own food.
"Okay, so if Ace is the palico and Dawn is the hunter," Mia cupped her chin in confusion, "Then who's the leader? Is it Dawn?"
"The hunter and their palico are partners, they share leadership.", Dawn explained.
"Then who decides what to do?"
"The both of us," Dawn answered, "I don't see what's so confusing."
"How does a team operate without a leader?"
"How about we move on to another topic.", Shizuka pleaded, not wanting to see Mia get even more frustrated.
Mia sighed, "Okay… How do you guys get quests?"
"The quest giver comes up to us, and asks us to take the quest they posted.", Ace answered, having finished his meal as well.
"Do you people have any hierarchy at all!", Mia had yet to touch her food.
"Yeah, we have ranking a system.", Dawn answered, "Low ranked teams can take on low rank quest and so on."
"But who's in charge?", She pleaded for a concrete answer.
"The hunting teams are," Ace said. Though from the look on Mia's face he had to say more, "unless the Guild Staff decide otherwise."
"Finally, PROGRESS!", Mia yelled to the sky, "Who are they?"
"Well, there are Guild Masters and Guild Managers…", Ace continued.
"Who are the guys in charge right!"
"Yes, and they basically, register hunters so that they can hunt legally.", Dawn answered.
"Okay, who's under them?"
"Guild Knights," Ace said, "They hunt down poachers, illegal hunters, and wanted murderers."
"So, is there a Guild Judge or something?", Shizuka asked, thinking of their own legal system.
"No, they just kill them.", Dawn started gathering empty dishes.
"They just kill them?", Mia's voice grew concerned.
"Yes, poaching and operating outside of the Guild is punishable by death.", Dawn explained.
"That seems a little harsh.", Shizuka voiced her own concern.
"Wait!", Mia interjected, "From what I saw last night. You," she pointed to Dawn, "are really strong. How strong can a knight be?"
"They're just as strong, if not, stronger than your everyday hunter.", Dawn started helping Shizuka cut her steak.
"So, these guys can just go out and kill hunters if they're doing something illegal.", Mia's distress becoming more apparent by the minute.
"Anyone can become a hunter, and that includes people who would abuse the power given to them.", Ace said.
"They also act as guild representatives," Dawn added, "and they protect towns from immediate danger."
"Okay, but…"
"How about we talk about something else," Shizuka's claw rested on Mia's shoulder, "Like that monster we dealt with last night."
"That Nerscyllas tasty ain't it." Tatsuo grinned, taking a bite from his own Nerscylla eye-cabob.
Shizuka who had unknowingly had a piece of the Nerscylla's thorax in her mouth sighed, "Yeah… it is."
"We're eating that thing!"
-0-
The human victims had recovered that morning, and gave their thanks to the party and left without issue. The Nerscylla's body laid in organized pieces next to the wagon, a set of hunting knifes soaked in the Nerscylla's coma sac.
"And the Nerscylla eats the Gypceros and puts its skin on like armor?", Mia was still trying to understand what she had seen last night.
"Yes," Ace answered as he removed the knifes from the sac and placed a new set in, "they usually have big poison spikes on their backs but this one didn't have any."
Ace turned to the monster corpse and the emerald scale hide sitting in a folded pile.
"Do you know the mamono those scales could have come from.", Ace started inspecting the corpse for poison sacs.
"They look like they came from a Wurm," Mia frowned thinking of all the victims this monster killed, "and why are you messing with its corpse?"
"Waste not, want not. I'm using the coma sac to make more hunting knifes," he started picking at the corpse's exoskeleton, "Oh, it's still an adolescent. Of course, it doesn't have spikes." He smacked the back of his paw against his head.
"It's a kid?", Mia gawked, "It gets bigger?"
"Yeah, these babies get as big the wagon," he squinted his eyes at the wagon in thought, "maybe bigger."
While Ace was calming the terrified cat-girl down, Dawn and Shizuka were practicing with hunter weapons.
"How could that monster have gotten out here?", Shizuka asked as Dawn took out a Sword and Shield from the wagon's undercarriage.
"I'm guessing it came through a rift nearby.", Dawn replied as he took out a pair of Dual Blades.
The Dual Blades were identical to the Sword, however they also appeared to be thinner from the guard up.
"So, what are these made from?", Shizuka studied the weapon in her claws, and the shield resting on her tail.
"Iron.", Was Dawn's brief answer.
'Please talk to me more,' she had started to worry about Dawn's calm demeanor. He didn't complain or stutter or even blush when they woke up that morning, 'Maybe, he doesn't think of me that way.'
"Alright," he adjusted her grip on the weapon, "Show me what you believe is the correct way to use a Sword and Shield."
Holding the Sword in her right claw, and strapping the Shield to her left arm she felt ready.
"Which arm are you most familiar with?", Dawn circled the bunyip inspecting her form.
'I've never held a sword before,' She looked at the weapon and felt that the grip on the Shield was rather weak, "I'm right-handed."
"Then you'll want to switch hands.", Dawn unstrapped her Shield and took the Sword, and strapped the Shield to her right arm and placed the Sword in her left hand.
"Why am I supposed to hold the Sword in my weaker hand?", She did feel better, but the sensation that she was doing it wrong remained.
"Your Shield is the weapon," He showed her, her arm, "the Sword is your other weapon."
"But aren't I supposed to block with the Shield?"
"You can," he crossed his arms, "but hunters are dual wielding when they hold this weapon type. Blocking is just an added benefit."
"Can you show me?", She asked, a nervous smile on her face.
"Of course.", He said taking the weapon from her.
Strapping the Shield to his right arm and holding the Sword in his left hand, he took a couple of practice swings with the weapon. He swung the Sword in wide arcs meant to capitalize on the Sword's length and striking the air with the Shield in close and powerful swings of his arm.
Every swipe of the Sword was followed by a shield bash. Every strike of the Shield was followed with a swing of the Sword. Watching Dawn's movements Shizuka actually started to believe that the Shield was the main weapon.
"I thought you said it was the hunter's first weapon?", Shizuka paled, 'Am I going to learn all of that?'
"That's true, I said it was considered the hunter's first weapon," His smile could be heard in voice, "but I never said it wasn't effective."
He held the Sword out to her, and she took it, 'I don't have to master the Sword and Shield immediately,' Her gazed returned to the hunter before her. She smiled, 'but if I'm going to get closer to him. I'm going to have to become a hunter myself.'
As Shizuka learned the hunter's weapon, Tatsuo watched on in interest. Picking his teeth with his claw and smoking his newly acquired pipe, he began formulating a plan.
'Shizuka saved me last night.', He turned to Mia who was shaking Ace in fear.
Though a smile had crept across his face when he saw that Ace was doing his best to calm her. He knew it was his fault for endangering them last night. He was going to make it up to them somehow, but he was going to start by helping Shizuka, 'Don't you worry my fluffy-snake friend. You won't be hunting this monster alone.'
-0-
"Alright," Ace started, "repeat everything I told you."
Ace and Mia were in the back of the wagon again. This time around Ace was teaching Mia what it means to be a palico.
"A palico must understand that they are a member of a hunting team.", She began, "Their say is just as important as the hunter's."
"Alright," Ace scratched his chin, "What is the hunter's role?"
"The hunter's role is to manage expenses, and to take lead during hunts."
"Good," she beamed at the praise, "What are First Stingers?"
"They are additional palicos that," Mia hesitated as she tried to remember, "act as the subordinate to the main palico."
"Okay," Ace crossed his arms, "how does the palico learn their role in their hunting team?"
"Ah," Mia didn't remember that, "give me a second. Um, they…"
"They learn their role in the hunting team based on the hunter's shortcomings.", Ace said uncrossing his arms smirking, "Don't worry I didn't tell you that part."
Mia pouted, but the question of the hunter came to mind, "What are Dawn's shortcomings?"
Ace's smirk turned into a grin. Dawn was driving the wagon as usual, so he could clearly hear whatever Ace was about to say. He could see Shizuka's ear flex to listen in as well. Tatsuo watched Mia's palico lessons with amusement from his hammock.
"Dawn is 'really' reckless," Ace started, "I remember this time where I had to wrench him out of a Deviljho's teeth because he wanted to see if you could try to rodeoing the monster from its mouth."
Shizuka was now shaking the hunter, scolding him for his reckless nature.
"So, you keep him alive, while he hunts.", Mia smirked at Shizuka as well.
"Yeah," he took out his healing horn, "I've used this baby to bring Dawn back from the verge of death more times than I can count."
Shizuka had coiled around the hunter forcing him to look at her as she scolded him. Dawn silently took his punishment as Shizuka dramatically shook the hunter back and forth. Tatsuo laughing all the while.
"I may have exaggerated a little bit.", Ace whispered to Mia.
"Keep going.", Mia whispered back.
"Wait," Tatsuo interjected, "I think I can see Castle Reinhold."
As the wagon broke from the tree line, the party got a clear view of the kingdom of Reinhold. The walls, while not as impressive as Dundorma, was a sight to behold for the hunter and felynes. They could see merchant caravans entering and exiting the city walls in the distance, with farmsteads littering the field around the city. A river ran from the forest and through the city, with a rather convenient bridge nearby.
Passing a sign, the hunter took the chance to try reading Common for the first time.
"R, er, i, eh, e, ee, n, nn, h, ha, o, o, l, ll, d, ded", he sounded it out trying to piece it together, "Reinhold."
"Oh, good job.", Shizuka clapped, still coiled around the hunter.
"Could you let me go now?"
"Are you going to be less reckless while hunting now?", Shizuka tightened around his waist.
"No promises."
As the wagon wheeled on to Castle Reinhold the party would be greeted with awestruck farmers. Though not as nosy as the people of Wicker, the farmers had plenty of questions for them.
"So, this aptonoth can go for days without issue and pull carriages twice as long?", A man asked from next to Dawn.
"Yes, they are remarkably strong herbivores.", Dawn answered.
"And they're just beast of burden," Another commented, "You'd think these things would be how your people got around."
The felynes hid in the back of the wagon to avoid drawing a crowd again, but it seemed the aptonoth was doing that on its own.
"Aptonoth this, aptonoth that," Ace was getting annoyed with these people, "we got airships and railways to get us places. Why would we use your everyday herbivore to get around?"
"Ace have you seen any airships or railways here?", Tatsuo reprimanded, "I bet these people haven't even invented the engine yet. How can you expect them to understand air transportation."
Mia who had curled up on Ace's lap was completely lost, 'Airships… Do these people float through the air?'
"So, why'd ya come to Reinhold," another farmer asked, "ya don't look like merchants."
"We're here to…"
Dawn was cut off as a rift opened out into the field to their left. The farmers quieted too, but they did so more in anticipation of what was to come of it.
'So, the rift the Nerscylla came from is here.', Dawn pushed himself out of his seat.
From the rift came a Yian Kut-Ku flailing and fleeing from a hunter in Derring armor, that came out afterwards. What followed was a column of black smoke and red lightning as the rift closed. The dragon energy surged out, roasting the aptonoth alive. It fell dead before everyone.
The Yian Kut-Ku fell injured to the ground as the hunter who had bits of smoke attached to him fell beside it. Neither looked particularly interest in attacking the other, but the Yian Kut-Ku made distance regardless.
Jumping off of the wagon Dawn in a dead sprint went to go check on the hunter. Ace, seeing this, followed as well, with Mia still clinging to him and just as confused. Shizuka stunned, followed after her friends.
"Wait!", Tatsuo yelled out to the palico, "You're revealing us to the people!"
The farmers who were gawking at the sudden chaos, turned to gawk at the other male monster instead.
"…Shit.", Tatsuo sat down in the driver's seat, "Who killed the aptonoth?!", Tatsuo yelled noticing the semi charred corpse of the herbivore.
Dawn came to a halt beside the hunter. Getting on his knees he turned the man over. His armor was burned, but he appeared fine overall.
"Hey," Dawn began lightly slapping the man's, no boy's, face, "stay with me."
"Oh shit.", The hunter's eyes shot open, "What is that thing?" He pointed at Ace coming up next to Dawn.
"A fine meowdy-do to you too, asshole!", Ace came to a stop as well, "Get up you're fine."
Upon seeing Shizuka the hunter recoiled in confused and fear, "What is that?!"
"Calm down," Dawn shook the hunter, "everything will be explained in a second," he turned to the bird wyvern limping to the river, "are you hunting that Yian Kut-Ku?"
"Yeah," he coughed, black smoke coming from his mouth, "but that stupid Deviljho came out of nowhere."
"Okay," he turned to Shizuka and pointed to the wyvern, "Shizuka, please go take care of that monster." He turned to Mia still confused and hanging off of Ace's shoulders, "Mia, go help her."
Shizuka unsheathed her Sword and equipped her Shield. Slithering up to the monster with Mia following after her.
"Ace, go get a null berry this hunter has dragon blight."
"Gotcha."
Shizuka readied herself, 'I'm fighting an injured monster. I can do this.'
"Let's do this Shizuka!", Mia skipped up to her.
"Has Ace… taught you to fight yet?", Shizuka anxiety leaking into her voice.
"Yeah," she raised her claws in a fighting stance, "he taught me a couple of things."
The pink bird wyvern turned from the water to regard them. The Yian Kut-Ku's wings were partially shredded, one of its frills was missing, and its carapace appeared scarred from what looked like large sharp teeth. It weakly snapped its beak at her in a sign of warning.
'Poor thing,' Shizuka prepared herself, 'I suppose… I'll put it out of its misery.'
She struck, pouncing at the monster Shield first. The blow staggered the monster, but it rebounded pecking at her and flapping its wings. Mia circled around and clawed the monster's stomach from beneath.
Hopping back and forth in aggression the Yian Kut-Ku charged Shizuka in a desperate rush. It fell before reaching her, sliding along the grass. Shizuka struck the monster's head with her Shield again, and swiped at the monster's collar with her Sword. The monster weakly laid there, unable to retaliate, as both Shizuka and Mia watched it with pity. Dawn and Ace joined them soon after.
"Is everything going okay?", Ace said coming up to the mamono.
"Yeah," Mia weakly replied, "it didn't really put up a fight."
Dawn kneeled next to the Yian Kut-Ku. It weakly snapped at him, but remained on the ground to weak to get up.
Humming, Dawn took one of the sleep knifes from his belt and slathered the sleeping toxin in the Yian Kut-Ku's mouth. It weakly resisted, but passed out soon after.
"Well, it wasn't much of a hunt for you two, but at least no one got hurt," both of the mamono glared at Ace, "besides the monster."
"What's going to happen to it?", Shizuka asked.
"Once the hunter recovers," Dawn gestured to the hunter lying in the grass, "it'll be brought in as a captured monster, and more than likely released after it recovers."
"What's the unlikely thing to happen?", Mia asked.
"It'll be put down and its parts will be repurposed."
Dawn stood up and made his way over to the hunter. The others following after him, though the mamono stayed back for a second longer.
-0-
"So, I came through a rift, and you're the expedition hunter?", The hunter asked.
"Yes.", Was Dawn's short reply as he dragged the unconscious wyvern over to where the rift originated.
"But the felynes went under a transformation due to the Foreign World's nature?", The hunter asked, scratching the back of his head while looking at Ace and Tatsuo.
"Yep."
"Then, what are they?", The hunter pointed at the mamono.
"They are the monsters of this world."
"Okay," he wiped the sweat from his brow, "where are we?"
"We are outside of the city of Reinhold."
"Your nonchalant way of talking doesn't help, you know," The hunter narrowed his eyes, "What's your name anyway."
"My name is Dawn."
"Dawn?", The hunter's eyes shot wide open, "As in Dawn, 'Breaker of the Wheel', Dawn?"
"Is there another?"
While Dawn tried and failed to calm the rookie hunter. The mamono questioned Ace and Tatsuo.
"So, who is Dawn anyway?", Mia sat beside Ace at the drivers seat of the wagon.
"He's a master hunter of the Hunter's Guild, and he is known as the hunter to have slain the Shagaru Magala.", Tatsuo explained as he cooked.
"Sounds like an interesting monster," Shizuka said, relaxing next to the wagon, "is it important, or is it just a difficult monster to hunt?"
"It's a long story," Ace sighed, "a 'very' long story."
"Dawn is known as the 'Breaker of the Wheel' for defeating the Shagaru Magala," Tatsuo clarified, "he and Ace are one of the highest-ranking hunting teams around. They have received more than a little fame from their lives as monster hunters."
"It's why we got the job to come here.", Ace added.
"I see," Shizuka wasn't satisfied, but she wouldn't force them to tell her more, "are hunters like Dawn treated like heroes where you're from."
"Not many people can become master hunters," Ace leaned back, "your everyday hunter would be lucky to challenge that Nerscylla we fought last night."
"Then, why did you guys become monster hunters?", Mia asked.
"Oh," Ace gave a shameful smile and looked away, "it was for the fame."
Mia and Shizuka gave Ace a scornful glare, one which he would rather not be the subject to.
"I don't know why Dawn became a hunter," Ace sat up. His voice taking on a serious tone, "I just know it was for a personal reason."
"You'll be going to the nearest Hunter's hall to give them this letter understood.", Dawn said to the hunter.
"Aye sir.", The young man saluted.
"I would like you take these materials with you as well," Dawn displayed the Nerscylla parts to the hunter, "They are to be delivered with the letter."
"Aye sir?", The hunter looked over all the things he would have to carry.
"As our guest you'll be allowed to use our only bed," Dawn added, giving the hunter a much needed pick me up, "but you'll be leaving as soon as the rift opens again, tomorrow."
"Aye sir," The hunter stuttered, "I mean thank you sir."
-0-
Dawn rested by himself on a hill near the wagon. He would sleep on the plush grass at the top. The werecats slept peacefully in their hammocks, and the hunter rested in the bed. Shizuka had chosen to accompany him.
"I take it you don't want to sleep in the bed?", Dawn asked. His legs outstretched in front of him.
"I would rather sleep near you.", She came to a stop beside him and lowered herself to his level, with her tail outstretched like him.
"Why is that?", Dawn asked, "Do your instincts make you want to be near me?"
While Dawn still wasn't entirely familiar with mamono or their instincts. Shizuka knew that much, but the question still hurt.
"No, I just want to be with you.", Her tail subconsciously circling them.
"I see.", Dawn watched her tail close around them, in interest.
"Is something wrong?", She asked worried, her tail tensing in her anxiety.
"It's just that you're really," Dawn paused looking for the right word, "affectionate."
"Well…"
"And only towards me.", Dawn added while leaning towards her.
"Is it a problem?", Shizuka was twiddling her thumbs, trying not to make herself look worse.
"Not necessarily," The hunter leaned back, "the attention is nice, but I'm not sure where its coming from."
"Alright!", Shizuka slithered her upper half in front of the hunter, "I want to try something, and see where we go with it."
Dawn stared at her in silence before gesturing for her to proceed.
"Take off-f your-r helmet.", She was blushing.
"Okay.", The hunter took off his helmet and stared at her with curiosity.
She leaned in, the hunter didn't move, but he did quirk his brow. She pressed her lips to his, and closed her eyes. The hunter's eye shot open in surprise, but remained still letting Shizuka do her thing. She leaned back letting the hunter recover from the surprise and opened her golden eyes.
"What do you think?", She asked, her blush clear to see in the moonlight.
"I…", The hunter confused and slightly aroused, "That was a first for me."
"Oh," Shizuka blush deepened. She had expected the hunter to have experience in this field, but instead he was just as lost as she was, "I didn't know."
"No," the hunter raised his arms in defense, "no, I'm just not familiar with this kind of thing. I thought all that affection was from your instincts, I," he put his head in his hand, "it didn't even occur to me."
"Well," Shizuka neared him, "what do you think?"
"I don't know yet.", The hunter leaned back holding his head in his hand.
"Well, uh," She leaned back as well in embarrassment, "we could just forget this ever happened."
"I don't think I can do that.", Dawn said. His heart was racing, he had never experienced this kind of interaction before.
"T-then we can think about it later.", Shizuka gave a strained smile, trying to get the hunter to calm down.
"I guess.", The hunter had laid himself down on the grass staring out into the night sky.
"Goodnight!", The bunyip curled herself up in her tail.
'Well, he didn't hate it', she thought to herself, 'that's good.'
The hunter and bunyip fell asleep beneath the stars, though the tension remained, even in their sleep as the two would turn to and away from each other throughout the night.
AN: I would like to thank Phantom Thief of Hearts for the Nerscylla part at the beginning.
CHAPTER HAS BEEN REVISED