Tenulan's eyes followed the path up the hill that he and Orin were walking along. The simple dirt path bent back and forth as it climbed the hillside before seeming to cut through what looked to be a town. Interestingly though, the town itself remained dark even as the sun sank beneath the horizon, dipping the hill, along with the two applicants, in twilight. Hm. Does that town lack the instant fires that other towns have? Orin noticed this as well. "Huh. The lights up there aren't on."
"Perhaps they must first light fires?"
Orin laughed. "Tenulan, most people don't use fire for lighting nowadays. We've got streetlamps and lightbulbs to do that."
"Ah, is that what the instant fire is called?"
The boy choked back another laugh. "Yeah, we don't call it 'instant fire.' Just 'lights.' Don't you have electricity in your house? From wherever you're from?"
"Electricity?" Tenulan stumbled over the syllables. "No, I have not had that before. What else can this 'electricity' do?"
"Wow. The longer we're together, the more I think you grew up under a rock."
"I did not grow up under a rock," Tenulan interjected. "I grew up in a ger."
"Ger? Hold on, tell me what that is after I tell you what electricity does."
"Very well."
"Electricity is a kind of energy that people use to do pretty much anything. You can use it for lights, or to heat stuff up. Or you can cool down stuff with it. It's gotta be one of the biggest developments of humanity," Orin explained this mysterious force to Tenulan, who nodded along. Fascinating. The world is much different than I had expected. The boy, satisfied with his explanation, nudged Tenulan. "Okay, I told you about electricity. Now, what's a ger?"
"A ger is where I lived in my homeland. It is made to be, ah, how to say it, moveable?"
"Huh?"
"It can be taken apart. In my homeland, we moved across the land. We could take apart our gers and take them with us to put them back together in another place. I see that the buildings in the rest of the world must not be as such. They appear to be stuck in place."
"Yeah, you can't move buildings that easily in the rest of the world." Orin looked up at Tenulan. "You know, you've never told me where you're from."
"Yes, I have not."
A brief moment of silence. "Well, can you tell me?"
Tenulan thought for a moment. My homeland… Ah, it is painful to think of it for too long. "No. I cannot for now. Perhaps another day."
"Oh." Orin was disappointed, but Tenulan couldn't satisfy the boy's curiosity. I am sorry, Orin. I am not ready. Not for telling you, but the other questions that will follow.
The two were silent for the remainder of the trek to the town, which remained dark even as night set in. In the dark, Tenulan and Orin walked through what seemed to be the only road through the town. The buildings stood tall, crowding together along the path. Is this place abandoned? Tenulan tensed, instinctively becoming on guard. He strained his eyes to see the road in front of him and listened hard to his surroundings. He couldn't notice anything out of the ordinary.
"Tenulan, there's people near," Orin said in a low voice.
"Stay close." Tenulan's hands hovered near his thighs, ready to pull knives on any attackers that may lurk in the shadows of the town. He heard the scraping sounds of a door opening to his left. There. He stopped, holding an arm out in front of Orin. More scraping sounds followed, slowly growing louder. Perhaps we should have remained in Dolle Harbor for the night… Finally, Tenulan could make out something in the dark. Two silhouettes were pulling what must have been a long wooden cart. Two more followed behind. Four? This is bad.
Suddenly, lights attached to the edge of the wall of the cart lit up. Kurshat*, there are more? On the cart stood six more people and one older woman, who sat in the center of the cart. The other ten people were clad in white robes and wore white masks with simple circular holes over their eyes and a similarly shaped protrusion over their mouths. Each also had long, thick hair, with a variety of bright colors between them all. The six of these people that stood on the cart appeared to hold musical instruments in their hands, except for the one standing directly behind the woman's left, which held a small black bird on an arm.
"Exciting…" The woman murmured. What is the meaning of this? "Exciting…" the woman repeated herself, a little louder this time. These people do not seem to wish to fight, but…
"It's the exciting two-choice quiz!" The woman suddenly shouted, her eyes opening wide. The others on the cart began to play the instruments in their hands, sounding not unlike a marching band made of children who had picked up random instruments. After they finished playing, the bird cawed. All the while, Tenulan and Orin stood still in shock.
"You two are heading for the pine tree, correct?" The woman asked. Tenulan and Orin nodded. "To get there, you must pass through this town. I'm going to give you a quiz. You will have five seconds to think. If you answer incorrectly, you will be eliminated. That will be the end of your Hunter Exam this year."
"Another test?" Orin mused. "Okay, let's see what kind of question it is, then."
The woman continued. "You can only say one or two. Any other answer you say is considered wrong."
"Very well." Tenulan crossed his arms and nodded. "Is there only one question for the two of us?" I hope that is the case. I have only known Orin for a brief time, and I can tell that he is much better suited to these types of things than I.
"I think that'd be best. If we answered separate questions, and one of us failed, that would mess up our plans," Orin added. Ah, it is good to see that he agrees.
"Yes, the two of you will only answer one question together. Are you ready?"
"Yes," Orin said with a nod. Another masked person appeared with a wooden pedestal and placed it on the ground in front of the applicants. A small button was fixed to the center.
"Listen carefully." The woman prepared herself to ask the question. The person to her right sounded a bike horn in their hands, and the bird cawed. "Your mother and your father have been captured by criminals. However, you can only save one. Choose 'one' to save your mother, choose 'two' to save your father. Who will you save?"
My mother or my father? Tenulan's eyes wandered before landing on one of the robed people. Their red mane of hair stood in stark relief of their white clothes.
The woman counted down the seconds. "Five."
Meanwhile, Orin had shifted into a casual pose.
"Four."
The two applicants stood silently.
"Three."
As the seconds ticked down, Tenulan was swallowed whole by a memory.
/\
Red. The color of the sunset.
Red. The color of Tenulan's clothes.
Red. The color of the floral patterns ringed around his family's ger.
Red. The color of his parents' blood spilling to the floor.
White. The color of pure snow.
White. The color of stars in the night sky.
White. The color of eyes glazed over.
Red. The color of fire.
Red. The color of all he had loved, made into the pyre of grief.
Red. The color of blood dripping on the snow.
Red, in stark relief of white.
Tenulan cried. He screamed. He cursed the spirits until his voice gave out.
Black. The color of the night sky.
Black. The color of his home reduced to ashes.
Black. The color of his hair, chopped and scattered in the wind.
Black. The color his vision became with hints of red.
/\/\/\
"Time's up!" The old woman said with a hint of a smile on her lips. Orin sighed. I've heard this before. It's a trick question. The right answer is no answer, or rather silence. She waited another second before continuing. "You have chosen silence as your answer. Well done." Orin put his hands in his pockets. Not like I'd want to save either of them anyway.
"Yep. There's no 'right' answer between the two options, so that means we had to not say anything."
The woman let out a small laugh. "Very good. You have a sharp mind." Standing from the cart, she walked to the doors that she and the robed people emerged from. Two of them pulled the doors open, scraping across the ground. The other side was completely dark. "This path leads directly to the tree. All you two need to do is walk for two hours to reach the top."
"Is this a shortcut?" Orin asked, trying to make anything out through the doors.
"No. This is the correct path. Had you answered the question incorrectly, you would have continued down the road of this town, which will not lead you to the pine tree you seek."
"I see."
"At the base of that pine tree is a small cabin where a couple lives. They are Navigators. As long as you can pass their test, they will lead you to the exam site."
"Alright! Let's get going, Tenulan," Orin called out to his companion. Let's hurry it up and get to the exam site. Sooner we get there, sooner I can take a nap or something. Orin tried to hold back a yawn. So tired… We should've stayed in Dolle Harbor. Tenulan had remained standing in front of the pedestal in the center of the road, staring straight ahead. Orin stepped back to him. "Tenulan?" He cautiously tapped the other's arm.
Tenulan's eyes snapped to focus. He turned to Orin. "I… am sorry, my mind had wandered. What is it?"
"We passed the quiz," Orin said with a look of concern on his face. The shadows cast by the lights of the cart were deep, putting half of Tenulan's face in darkness. There was darkness as well that Orin could see somewhere in Tenulan's eyes. "But are you okay? Did you hear anything she told us?"
"I…" Tenulan looked around. "I did not. I am sorry."
"No, that's alright. I know what to do," Orin replied, his brow furrowing. What happened, Tenulan? Why won't you tell me? We're supposed to be equals here… "More importantly, what's wrong? I don't think it's normal for someone to zone out that hard."
Tenulan turned away from the boy. "I am alright now. That is what matters. I believe that I am simply tired." He paused, as if he wanted to say more, but couldn't find the words. He didn't find them. "We should rest here."
Orin sighed. You wanna avoid it? Fine. I'll wait. But you will tell me. Eventually. The boy turned to the old woman, who had been watching the exchange. "Excuse me, but could we stay here for the night?"
She waved her hand with a smile. "Be my guest." She approached one of the buildings next to the door to the pine tree. "Stay here and rest. You will need it."
"Thanks." Orin followed the old woman, glancing behind him to make sure Tenulan followed as well. The three entered the building to find what may have once been the living room of a home but had been deserted for quite some time. The furniture had long since been removed, and the wallpaper was peeling. Nonetheless, it had four walls and a roof, which was enough for Orin. He thanked the old woman again as the two applicants gathered what little comfort could be found before laying down.
Before closing the door, the old woman turned back to the two. "If you hear any loud noises, it is probably the exciting two-choice quiz. Do not interfere with any other applicants. When you are ready, we will reopen the path to the pine tree." She closed the door, leaving Orin and Tenulan in the dark, as the boarded-up windows allowed little, if any, light to stream into the room.
Orin lay on his side, looking over to Tenulan a few feet away. He had turned to face the far wall, avoiding eye contact with the boy. You're lucky I'm tired, too. I know you're hiding something from me. I know it's something important. Orin sighed. Just tell me. I think we might have more in common than you think. Orin closed his eyes. Maybe he'll tell me in the morning. Probably not, but maybe.
/\/\/\
Tenulan awoke pushing the smell of smoke from his mind. He sat up, stretching out his back before rubbing his eyes. Thanks in large part to sleeping on the ground with no cushion to speak of, his body was quite stiff. Of course, that was near the back of his mind as he watched the first hints of morning through the gaps between the boards covering the windows. Perhaps that person was right. How can I be strong if sins of the past bring me to my knees?
He shook his head. The past cannot hurt us, and so we are still alive. The past cannot hurt us, and so we are still alive. Tenulan shifted his attention to Orin, who was still asleep a few feet away from him. I am sorry, Orin. The answers you seek are not ones I can give yet. I am not yet ready. Tenulan grabbed his bag and stood, stretching once again. We do not have the time to unearth such things. I hope you can understand me.
"Orin," Tenulan spoke in a hushed tone. When the boy did not wake, he spoke louder. "Orin."
Orin squinted his eyes open before looking up at Tenulan. "Hm? Tenulan?" He groggily pushed himself up to a sitting position.
"It is morning. We should leave this town now."
"Okay," Orin stood, but put his back towards the door to face Tenulan. "Wait. No. Before we go anywhere, are you gonna tell me what really happened last night or not?"
Tenulan closed his eyes with a sigh. Perhaps I should have known you would ask again so soon. If only you could see how it pains me to deny your curiosity. "I… cannot."
Orin huffed and muttered, "Of course." Tenulan waited another second before opening his eyes to see Orin about to open the door. I know that my decision angers you. I know that my decision is selfish. Even so, I know that my decision is necessary. I cannot risk burdening you with the shadows of my memories. Tenulan followed Orin outside. Please, find it within yourself to forgive me.
Nearly half of the road was still covered in the shadows of the buildings towering above in the early morning sunlight, leaving the two applicants in shadow. The doors to their left scraped open, allowing for the old woman from the day before to step out. "You two are awake. Good. Now, go. Become strong Hunters."
"Thanks again for letting us stay," Orin said before tilting his head. "Have any other applicants come through here?"
"Did you not hear them?" The old woman replied with a laugh. "Yes, there were some applicants who reached this point. Of course, none of them passed the test. I am glad that the two of you are taking the Hunter Exam. Meeting interesting people like you two is why I took this job in the first place." She waved her hand, gesturing for the two applicants to pass through the doorway.
Tenulan bowed silently, following Orin into the deep darkness of the true path to the pine tree. His mind kept replaying what the old women had told them. Become strong Hunters. His brow furrowed. Perhaps that is right. I am here not because I am strong, but to become a Hunter. To become strong. The two walked in what seemed to be a dark tunnel, approaching the bright light of day at the other end.
Though the two passed the exciting two-choice quiz, due to Tenulan disassociating and the aftermath of it, they perhaps failed to see the true purpose of the quiz. It was a trick question, but one designed to force applicants to imagine themselves in such cruel situations, in which there are no true "correct" choices. Forcing applicants to reckon with the cruelty of the world was a necessary step to prepare them for whatever trials awaited them in the future, regardless of if they passed the Hunter Exam.
Nonetheless, Tenulan and Orin marched on. As they passed through a forest, Tenulan tried to keep focused on what was in front of him. The test the Navigators have for applicants… It does not matter what it is. I will prove myself worthy. If I cannot, then I have no right to live.
Orin shuddered as they passed a sign along the path. "'Beware of Magical Beasts…' I hope any living in these woods aren't too dangerous…"
"Magical Beast? What about a beast makes it 'magical?' Orin, do you know?"
"Uh, well, I know one when I see one, but how to explain it…" Orin became lost in thought for a few seconds, kicking a small stick along the path. "Well, a Magical Beast is any animal that can talk, I think. It's just a way to sort them differently than just calling them animals."
"Interesting."
Despite the warning offered by the sign, the two hours passed without a hitch. The two applicants could at last see the lone pine tree, and just barely make out the cabin resting at the base of it. The sun, having risen more in that time, basked the area in tranquil light. The entire clearing was almost entirely quiet as the two applicants walked through it. While Orin seemed to be relaxed by this, Tenulan was on edge. The forest had been full of the sound of animals and insects. Now, there is none. This is a bad omen…
The two climbed the steps of the cabin, Orin knocking on one of the doors. When he heard no response, he knocked again. After looking to Tenulan with a shrug, he called out, "Excuse me, is anyone home?" He waited a second. No response again. "We're coming in." He turned a knob, revealing that the doors were unlocked. Slowly, he opened the door.
Inside, the room was in total disarray. The furniture was smashed, and a cabinet along the left wall was threatening to tilt over, being held up only by a splintered piece of wood. Near the center of the carnage was a man lying face down on the floor. He had shoulder-length dark blue hair and what looked to be a light-colored leather vest, with a blue shirt underneath, though a dark red stain marked his side. Blood. Tenulan ran to the man, Orin following close.
"Are you alright?" Tenulan asked as he carefully turned the man over. The response was a groan. Tenulan set his bag down on the floor and rummaged through it. The man, his back set against the wall, put a hand on Tenulan's shoulder.
"Please… save my wife." His voice was shaky, and the look in his red eyes was strained. The man's entire appearance screamed distressed, save for his hair, which would have also been disheveled were it not for the headband holding his hair out of his face. The bloodstains seemed to be from wounds on his left side and shoulder.
Tenulan turned to Orin, his brow furrowed in concern. "Orin, can you bandage this man's wounds?"
"Uh, yeah." The boy crouched down next to Tenulan.
"Good." He pulled out a roll of white bandages. "Use these. Now," he turned back to the man. "What happened to your wife?"
"A Kiriko… attacked us. Gave me these," he gestured weakly to his wounds. "And took my wife. It hasn't been that long. The Kiriko must still be nearby. Please, save her. Save my wife."
"I will. You have my word." Tenulan stood, leaving his bag on the floor. Before walking back to the door, he pulled a knife from a sheathe along his chest and handed it to Orin. "Use this to defend yourself and this man if this 'Kiriko' returns. I will return soon myself." He left without another word, leaving Orin to tend to the man's injuries.
Back in the clearing, Tenulan searched for any sign of disturbance. A Kiriko… I have not heard of such a creature. Perhaps it is one of the so-called Magical Beasts. He found tracks leading to and from the cabin that were not his or Orin's. These footprints were much longer and ended in three evenly spaced toes. His eyes followed the track leaving the cabin until it returned to the tree line. These are large prints. Such a creature would likely be capable of capturing a human. He ran alongside them into the woods.
The late morning sun lit up the area well, but Tenulan was unfamiliar with the terrain, so following the trail left by whatever creature made the tracks was slow at first. After a minute, though, he spotted a large creature through the dense foliage. It was tall and bipedal, with fur somewhere between yellow and light brown in color covering the head, shoulders, and torso, running down to its legs. The arms and legs were covered in a darker shade of brown fur. It heard Tenulan approach, turning to look at him with narrow eyes atop a similarly narrow, fox-like head. Two long and skinny ears, ending in black tips, sprouted from the top of its head. It bared pointed fangs and made a noise that sounded almost like a laugh. Any doubts as to the identity of the creature were doused when Tenulan noticed the woman held in one of its arms, who was struggling against the creature's grip. The woman had dark red hair of a similar length to the man, though the woman also had strange markings covering her cheeks and forehead. This must be the Kiriko.
The Kiriko leapt up into the tree branches, Tenulan doing his best to follow closely along the ground. This is not good. If the Kiriko stays up in the trees, I cannot reach it easily. He kept in close pursuit. Not long after, the tree cover grew shorter as the two entered a younger area of the forest. As the Kiriko continued to swing between branches, some snapped under its weight. Ah, you are too large to remain up there for long.
Tenulan launched himself off a fallen tree. As he flew through the air, he pulled two knives out, brandishing them. The Kiriko turned to look, its eyes widening upon seeing the applicant so close. It suddenly dropped down, and Tenulan swung through the air. Tenulan landed soon after, facing the Kiriko. "You just won't give up, will you?" It asked.
It was Tenulan's turn to be surprised. Collecting himself, he said, "Ah, so it is true. You are capable of speaking this language." He widened his stance. "So you must be able to understand it as well, then. Release the woman."
"You'll have to take her from me," the Kiriko replied with a sneer, readying itself to jump back to the canopy. Before it could, though, Tenulan sprinted to reach the Magical Beast. Seeing the applicant ready to swing a knife, the Kiriko was forced to duck under the swing. I cannot let it return to the branches. He swung again with his other arm, just missing his target. Tenulan swung again. And again. Each time, the Kiriko backpedaled and ducked out of the way.
Until suddenly, it couldn't. Tenulan had backed his foe into a tree. He thrusted a blade forward, aiming for the beast's heart. It dodged to the side, but not before Tenulan's knife finally found its mark, cutting into the Kiriko's right shoulder. It hissed, dropping the woman to hold the cut with its newly freed hand. "You'll pay for that." It swung an arm, tipped with three claws sharpened like knives of its own, at Tenulan, who easily sidestepped the attack. The Kiriko then jumped into the trees.
Tenulan raised an eyebrow before checking on the woman. She had lost consciousness but had no obvious injuries. Good. I shall now return you to your husband. Tenulan carefully picked up the woman and retraced his steps as quickly as he could to return to the cabin.
/\/\/\
Orin's breath was fast as he helped the man remove his vest and shirt to properly dress his wounds. I hope Tenulan is okay. Kiriko… Orin thought hard as he wrapped the bandages around the man's shoulder and chest. Where have I heard that before…?
Luckily, it had turned out that the man's injuries were only shallow cuts, so simply covering them would adequately prevent infection. The man and Orin had both calmed down a little, sitting across from each other on the floor of the cabin. The nagging thought that Orin had heard the name Kiriko before kept bothering him, though. "Can you tell me about the Kiriko?"
The man nodded. "Kiriko are a species of Magical Beast that are capable of transformation. There have been reports of one living in these woods, but my wife and I had hoped we would be safe, at the very least until after the Hunter Exam started."
"So you're one of the Navigators, then."
"That's right. My wife and I have led applicants to the exam site for some time now." The man leaned his head against the wall. "I hope she's alright…"
"She will be. I haven't known Tenulan long, but I know that he'll be able to track down that Kiriko." Orin assured the man. Well, I hope he'll be able to. Wait. Orin finally remembered. That book of Magical Beasts I read as a kid, before… Orin shook his head. I remember now. Kiriko was one of the Magical Beasts in the book. It can transform into nearly any form. If I remember right, they usually take the form of humans to sneak into our society. Yeah, that was it. I was scared for a week that my parents were actually Kiriko in disguise. He smiled, but it quickly turned to a frown. Maybe it'd be better if they were.
"Is something wrong?" The man asked.
"Oh, nothing. I just remembered that I read about Kiriko once when I was younger," Orin replied. He could've sworn that the man raised an eyebrow for a brief moment, but his expression returned to neutral quickly.
The two sat in silence, leaving Orin to let his thoughts run free. How's a couple supposed to live up here, anyway? They're Navigators, sure, but do they have to live in the middle of the woods? Maybe the Navigators are Kiriko, too. That'd be something. He looked the man over. Of course, I can't tell just by looking at him.
Nah, they're probably not Kiriko.
Orin heard the doors of the cabin open behind him. Before he turned to look, he watched the man. His mouth bent into a slight smile for a second until his eyes widened as if he remembered something. "The Kiriko! It's back!"
Orin whipped around, grabbing the knife Tenulan left off the floor. Sure enough, the Kiriko stood in the doorway, eyes focused on Orin. Shit. Is Tenulan… No, can't worry about that right now. The boy scrambled to his feet, holding the knife in both hands as the Kiriko took one step towards him, then another. As it approached, Orin could see the red irises of the Kiriko, the same shade as the man behind him. Wait a second… Orin narrowed his eyes. The different possibilities raced through his head. Well, I probably can't beat this thing by myself, so… here goes nothing.
Orin dropped the knife. As it clattered on the floor, the Kiriko stopped in its tracks. "What's wrong, boy?" It chided. "Too scared?"
Orin took a deep breath. "No. In fact, I think I figured this all out." I really hope I'm right.
"Oh? And what do you mean by that?"
"You're a Kiriko, but so is he," Orin pointed behind him. The Kiriko laughed.
"Well, well. Aren't you the smart one?" The man stood behind Orin. He turned to watch the man's face stretch. Actually, nearly every part of him stretched out. His arms, legs, torso, face, ears, eyes, fingers, nails, everything. In seconds, the man had suddenly become a Kiriko. "What tipped you off?"
"Well, it was mostly a hunch," Orin replied. "But I noticed both of you had the same eye color, and I knew that Kiriko could take on human forms. Once I realized that, I remembered that the old woman in the abandoned town on the path here mention that the Navigators here would test us."
Both Kiriko laughed. The one that had just entered the cabin managed to gather themselves first. "Our eyes? I think that's the first time someone used that logic!"
Just then, Tenulan entered the cabin holding the woman in his arms. She had regained consciousness, and upon seeing the two Kiriko laughing, sighed happily. Tenulan was clearly confused, but Orin quickly called out to him over the laughter, "It's alright. The Kiriko aren't going to hurt us."
The woman spoke up. "Why don't we all step outside? We can explain everything."
Tenulan had no choice but to oblige the woman. Orin couldn't help but join the Kiriko in laughing. Yeah, I bet seeing that would give you a heart attack. The two Kiriko followed the two applicants outside. One Kiriko had transformed back into the man that Orin and Tenulan first stumbled across just a short time before. He and the woman stood in front of the Kiriko in the late morning sun. Tenulan asked, "So, what is really going on here?"
The Kiriko answered, "Not everyone's here yet. Just wait." Sure enough, not a second passed before another Kiriko jumped into the clearing. Another second, and it stood next to the first Kiriko behind the couple. Wow, the two Kiriko look identical. Come to think of it, the man looked like that too when he changed to his… original form? The first Kiriko continued. "Now everyone's here. Allow us to introduce ourselves. We are navigators. Our family is helping out with the Hunter Exam. This here is my husband," the Kiriko gestured to the other. Orin noticed a small scratch on the second Kiriko's shoulder. That must have been from Tenulan… "And these," the Kiriko gestured to the two in front of her, "Are our children."
"So you two are siblings? Not married?" Orin asked.
The son laughed. "No. We're not married."
The daughter added, "I had put fake tattoos on my arms that are a symbol in of the local people for girls who vow to never marry."
Tenulan looked at the ground. I guess he didn't notice that.
"Anyway," the first Kiriko, the mother, cleared her throat. "It is practically impossible to reach the exam site without the aid of a navigator, since its location changes each year."
"We can't just take everyone there, though," The father continued. "So we test applicants to determine who is qualified to take the Hunter Exam."
Bingo.
"Orin," The son said. Now for the moment of truth, Orin thought. "You bandaged my injuries and remained by my side to reassure me. But not only that, you deduced that I was a Kiriko once my mother arrived at the cabin." So far, so good? "You exhibited your intellect and were able to solve the puzzle with few pieces. For that, you pass our test."
Orin let out a breath he hadn't realized that he was holding in. Alright. I'm in. Now, Tenulan's turn. He turned his head to see Tenulan's reaction. Tenulan had a satisfied smile as he nodded his head.
The father cleared his throat. "Tenulan. You followed my tracks to find me in the forest and were able to catch up to me, despite remaining on the ground. You also managed to give me this cut before carrying my daughter back to the cabin. Your physical strength and tracking ability were more than capable of handling this test, so you also pass."
Yes! Orin couldn't help but smile. We've done it. Now we're officially in the Hunter Exam. One step closer to your goal, Tenulan. Of course, you still haven't told me what it is. But fine, then. You won't tell me your reason, so you won't hear mine. Yeah, I wasn't sure about this at first, but with the two of us working together, I stand a real chance, so we're one step closer to my goal, too.
Orin held out a fist to Tenulan. "We did it, Tenulan!"
Tenulan stared at Orin's fist. "Yes. But what are you raising your fist for?"
Right. "I'm trying to do something called a fist bump. Just tap your own fist on mine." Tenulan hesitantly raised a fist of his own. Orin leaned over to complete the fist bump, punching his fist into Tenulan's. "See?"
"I believe so."
The father cleared his throat again. "Now then, if you two are ready, we will take you to the exam site. I hope neither of you are afraid of heights." The son and daughter shifted back to their Kiriko forms. Then, the feathers sprouted out the arms of each to become wings. One walked up to Orin, while two approached Tenulan. "Grab on."
And so, Orin and Tenulan flew, holding on to the ankles of a Kiriko or two. Orin laughed as he watched the ground fly past underneath. On the other hand, Tenulan had his eyes shut tight, knuckles turning white due to how hard he held onto the Navigators. Even so, the two applicants were only just about to reach the starting line of the Hunter Exam, where the real trials would begin.
Lessons in [REDACTED] Culture 101
While Tenulan's homeland is still unknown, he revealed a small detail of his life there. The people of his homeland follow a semi nomadic lifestyle, traveling across the land. Aiding them in this is their use of the ger, or as it is known in other cultures, the yurt. Gers are circular, tent-like structures designed to be easily disassembled and moved while also offering insulation from the cold. A ger is constructed with an expanding circular wooden frame, itself composed of a lattice structure along the walls (excluding the door frame), bent roof poles, and a crown. Some gers also have one or more central support support pillars for the crown, and may also use straight roof poles. Once the frame is expanded, a felt cover made from animal pelts is placed over the frame and tied down if needed.
Additionally, if it was not already clear, Tenulan's people do not speak Basic, the language used across the world of Hunter X Hunter (I can't find anywhere if the language has an official name, but another fanfiction, Lattices, by Rhyss, calls the language Basic, which I feel accurately describes what the language is in universe). While the Basic script, in which most of its characters have a counterpart in one of the Japponese scripts (better known to us as Japanese), the written language of Tenulan's people uses its own characters that occasionally resemble Basic characters, but ultimately knowing how to read one does not allow you to read the other. Therefore, while Tenulan has learned how to speak Basic for the most part, he has yet to learn how to read and write in Basic, as he has not needed to up to this point.
Tangent aside, this leads to the first word of Tenulan's native language in this story: Kurshat. Kurshat is an all-purpose curse word, analogous to "shit" or "fuck" in Basic. The direct translation means "tainted root," referring to a phenomena in his homeland where plants can become poisonous and dangerous to consume, indicated by their roots changing color.
Hi, it's Glaive, the author! Thanks for reading!
I think this is as good a time as any to say that I do not own Hunter X Hunter, which is an original work of Yoshihiro Togashi. Of course, I do claim ownership of the original content created for this story (basically anything you don't recognize, assuming you've watched/read most of the series).
Also, remember how I mentioned in the previous chapter that I couldn't find the filters for searching on the mobile website? Yeah, I found them, like, right after publishing the chapter. Oops. The rating situation I outlined in the previous chapter still stands, though.
Also also, I apologize for randomly shoving facts about Tenulan at the end of the story. I want to start exploring more about his people and how their language and culture differ from the rest of the world because I enjoy that type of worldbuilding :) I assure you that the name of his homeland will eventually be made known, but I can't say for sure when. Might be soon, but who knows?
And another side note! Astute readers will notice that I changed the two-choice quiz question slightly (I feel that it still captures the intention of the questions given to Gon and Co., and that other guy we never got a name for because he failed the quiz) and changed the encounter with the Navigators a bit more since Gon and Co. have yet to reach the cabin (uh, a minor spoiler warning for that, I guess) so I have to change some details around for that, as well as only having two characters versus three makes it so that Orin and Tenulan probably wouldn't have been able to pass if they had to do all that Gon, Kurapika, and Leorio did, but there just aren't enough roles for five people in the scenario from the source material (it's like it was meant for three people. Crazy, I know.).
Well, that was a lot. If you didn't read any of that, I don't blame you. I would at least skim the section above about Tenulan's homeland though. But with that, I really should end this super long footnote.
"See you next time!" - Dolce Kamiya, Yakuza 0
