Nikki stayed with Valen for several weeks. They traveled together, the Elder only leaving them to go hunt. Valen appreciated that she sacrificed so much of her flying time to stay on the ground, but he knew that they would eventually have to separate again, though he knew that there would no longer be such long gaps between their visits like before the “Elites” tried to assault him. They now would be able to meet more often, and Valen’s special flare allowed her to find him in the case of an emergency. However, it could only be used in true emergencies, as it was too visible and unique to not attract questions. He dared fire it as he knew they were far away enough from Astera that nobody would even be able to spot it, but he wouldn’t repeat it if possible.

  Nikki stayed with Valen as he traveled around the Wildspire Wastes, filling up the map of their region as they did, with some helpful additions from Nikki, who could spot landmarks from further away. He did not note which landmarks were impossible to view from their routes, as it would no doubt attract questions as to how he spotted them. Valen left most of the drawing to Adem though, who had more talent in that field than him. The Felyne rode on Valen’s shoulder as they did.

  One thing that Valen tried to do in their travels was try to extract from Nikki what she meant by calling the New World “The Graveyard.” But she refused to tell, saying that it was something that she couldn’t explain and that they had to see for themselves. She did say though that the land was full of energy, much more than she expected and expected for the place. Valen could tell that she was quite unnerved. She hid it well, but he knew some of her lies. It was mostly visible on her tail, which was twitchy at times.

  Nikki even slept with them, which also had the added benefit of making every large monster leave them alone, as they instinctively knew that an Elder was very dangerous. Until they met Nikki, they had to avoid them, though they took notes on what they were - he spotted a few Barroth, some Bird Wyverns that had an inclination to steal Eggs, a couple of Rathians, one Piscine Wyvern that seemed to swim into a large mud pool they found. But most importantly, they found a Diablos, the horned Wyvern known for its short temperament seemingly at home in the harsh environment, but Valen knew it was extremely rich in the monster’s diet: Cacti. So he took note of all of them, drawing as best as he could those he was unfamiliar with, and continued to roam around.

  Eventually… All things must come to an end, and as they started to get too close to Astera, Nikki returned towards the nest she had found in the New World, and Valen made almost a straight beeline to Astera, though they came from a slightly different direction, which would help them fill in the map a bit more.

  Finally, after about a month in the wilderness, they could see the gates of Astera in the distance. Reinvigorated, they crossed the last of the distance and arrived in front of the large gates early into the afternoon. The two hunters that were at the guard rotation only needed to see him before raising the large door made of wood to let them inside. One of them seemed to have run to warn the Commander about his return.

  Valen then walked back inside Astera, the few hunters on the way welcoming him back and greeting him. He nodded back to most of them, but they stopped when he finally arrived in front of Arcos. “I’m back Commander, and my travels have been productive. Do you want my report immediately?”

  “That would be ideal, Hunter. I’ll assemble the relevant members, you know where to go.”

  Valen nodded and walked towards the conference table, noting the massive changes there have been on Astera on the way, the most visible was on the Tradeyard and the housing. The ships that the whole fleet traveled on had been almost completely dismantled, leaving only one intact, and the rest now was built into the Tradeyard, which had been greatly expanded over the sea, and the housing, where the cabins in which the Hunters and Handlers traveled in had been dug out and incorporated into Astera as a whole. Valen knew that it did not look the same from the sea, giving it a massively expanded appearance contrary to what it had when they had come in. It didn’t have that much of a homely feel, but it looked much more unique.

  He finally arrived at the meeting point and pulled out the notebook and the large map that he had drawn. A few people started coming in, he recognized first the Second Fleet master, who had so graciously forged the Slinger for him, who settled himself to the right of him. Next to him was the Chief Engineer, a tiny Wyverian who was responsible for the innovations in Astera, he was the original creator of the Slinger, and wore a powerful lamp on his helmet. The Chief Ecologist was on the opposite side of the table, he was the one responsible for recording all discoveries made in the New World and was a wyverian as diminutive as the Chief Engineer. He mostly wore blue-dyed garb and a scholarly hat.

  Next to him was the Provisions Manager, a woman with darker skin than other people around the table, with braided hair and was holding a notebook. She was the one responsible for the Logistic side of the New World, making sure everything at Astera was running smoothly and that the camps in the hunting ground were in working order and stocked up with supplies.

  Another Wyverian stopped next to her, but he was as tall as the humans this time, though he still had the pointed ears and the distinctive digitigrade feet as well as only four fingers on his hand. He was the one studying any changes in the environment and, along with the Provisions Manager and the Chief Engineer, was also responsible for the logistics of Astera. They worked together to make sure no hiccups happened. He was the one who would warn or even forbid Hunters from going to a hunting ground if he knew there was a dangerous monster roaming.

  The most notable person present, at least in appearance, was the large Felyne, almost as tall as the other humans present. The Meowscular Chef, as he was called, was once The Admiral’s Palico. Now he was the one responsible for the Canteen, spending his days preparing the meals for everybody at Astera - but especially for the Hunters who were about to leave for a hunt. He wore a bandana and had one of his eyes closed permanently due to the scar running over it, likely earned during his time hunting with Arcos.

  Finally, facing Valen were the Commander and the Field Team Leader. He was the one who directed the groups of hunters on the terrain and greenlit regular hunts, only vetoed by the Commander for emergencies. He was carrying a very large Greatsword made primarily of bone. A light vest was all he was wearing, which revealed the powerful muscles that made his frame.

  Once everybody was gathered up, Arcos started the meeting. “As you all know, I sent the Sky Piercer on exploration duty a few days after the Fifth Fleet arrived. You are all aware that we have been unable to map out the Wildspire Waste since we first arrived at Astera. As we cannot send any more hunters into the Ancient Forest for the moment, I believe now is the time to start the preparations to establish a presence in the Wildspire Wastes: first as a research zone, then as a hunting ground once we know what we can and cannot afford to hunt.” Everybody nodded, now aware of the Commander’s goal. “So tell us your findings, Valen.”

  The Hunter nodded. “First of all, we’ll need to make sure everybody brings in enough water. The heat can be quite harsh during the day, though not at the levels of the fabled Sandy Plains.” Some people nodded, they were familiar with the desert. “As for the monsters, I found some I am not familiar with and some we know from the Old World. I could confirm Barroth, Rathian, and, more importantly, a Diablos.”

  “A Diablos you say?” The Chief Ecologist asked.

  “Indeed, I saw one feeding on Cacti. Its food is abundant in the Wastes, so it’s no surprise that they thrive there.”

  “We will have to figure out their territories then.” The Commander interjected,” Not all hunters are certified to hunt a Diablos, so it would be good to avoid a bloodbath.”

  Valen noted as Aiden struggled to suppress a chuckle. He made a note to ask Aiden what had amused him later, then continued his report. “As to what I saw I was unfamiliar with, I saw one unknown Bird Wyvern. It was cream colored, had a large beak, and it seemed to eat eggs as its main diet.”

  The Chief Ecologist nodded in recognition. “Sounds like a Kulu-Ya-Ku. They are common near Astera as well.”

  “I also saw a Piscine Wyvern that seemed to thrive in mud much like a Barroth. I would not be surprised if those disputed the same territories.” Valen finished.

  “This one will need to be named then, once we figure out more about it.”

  “Did you find any safe campsites?” The Provisions Manager asked.

  “A few, they are marked on the map,” Valen said, pointing to some crudely drawn tents on the map. The Provisions Manager checked, then nodded.

  “Hunter Valen, what are your general feelings about the Wildspire Wastes then?” The Commander asked.

  “I don’t know about the Ancient Forest as I haven’t traveled into it yet, but it seemed like there weren’t as many monsters in the Wastes. Given the rarity of plant life other than cacti, the carnivores in the area seem to predominantly hunt ApcerosI did spott some Kelbi herds grazing around though, so they may hunt those as well. I would say that the monsters have toughened up a bit due to competition, but without hunting one I wouldn’t be able to tell for sure. For now, I’d say to make sure everybody who goes there has at least a few hunts worth of experience, preferably into the Ancient Forest.”

  “Those were my thoughts on that matter anyway. Now that we know the rough basics, let’s discuss how we will proceed to set up in the Wastes.” The Commander concluded Valen’s report.

  Everybody agreed, and the second part of the meeting began.

  Valen exhaled, removing his armor after having worn it for almost one month. He would need to clean it before he wore it again.

  The meeting lasted several hours, every detail needing to be decided on, and everybody grilled Valen about every detail he remembered about his travels, which information would be passed on to the Handlers so they could start discussing the workings of the region.

  It was the boring part of meetings, but Valen knew about their importance, so he just powered through it. He knew the more details he could give, the less the Hunters sent into the region would be surprised, which reduced the risks of accidents happening in the field.

  At least he was able to say that he was proud of what he had done, of being part of something as important as exploring unknown territories. Though he felt a bit guilty that he had to hide Nikki’s contribution or even existence… But he had no idea how they would react should they learn about her. He was venturing into grounds unknown, and he wasn’t sure if they would praise him or immediately throw him into prison. So for now, he simply kept her a secret. He was aware that he probably would have to reveal her to Ikari at some point, but he hoped that he could make him promise to keep quiet about her.

  Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

  Valen spotted that Adem was already curled up in his bed and smiled, then decided to follow his example and got into bed. Exhausted by the month, he fell asleep quickly.

  The next several days then weeks passed quickly without much fanfare. There was now a lot of activity in Astera, though it was notably emptier than when Valen departed for his mission, which made sense since a lot of Hunters and Handlers were now spread around the Ancient Forest to hunt or research monsters.

  Valen also had reunited with Ikari, who had finished the basic training he was due for upon his arrival. The Hunter would have given him the notes he had recorded if the whole research team wasn’t already working on them so that they could copy them and spread the discoveries to the other Handlers. He at least gave them a verbal recap of what he told the conference members the previous day, which Ikari scribbled on his notebook. He completed them when the report was made public to the Handlers.

  Adem spent his spare time assisting at the kitchen with the large meals the Meowscular Chef needed to prepare. Ikari simply was taking care of the paperwork for Valen, while Valen himself simply rested after a long time on the field. News trickled into Astera, and several hunters came back with their prizes, which mostly consisted of Great Jagras and Kulu Ya Ku, and sometimes a colorful Bird Wyvern with large wings and a striped tail. Named Pukei-Pukei, this wyvern was a bully over small monsters and was notable for the large tongue he could spit, as well as the poisonous glob he could spit out and the toxic gas he could spread from its tail.

  Valen heard about the exploits of Sophie, who was the only one until now who had managed to hunt all three of these common monsters in the Forest. She was currently proudly wearing an armor set made of the bright feathers of her latest prey, a very large Pukei Pukei. It had been known to the current residents in Astera for being a nuisance, but they had lacked the spare resources to take care of it until now. He had seen the quarry brought back to Astera, and even he could not stop himself from whistling at the sheer size of the wyvern, compared to the other ones that were brought in.

  He had heard that she was selected to be the one protecting the next expedition in the Wildspire Wastes. The next expedition had two goals: to establish the first camps and to look for signs of Zorah since they had lost track of it a few days after the Fifth arrived in Astera due to the forest regrowing extremely quickly after his passage. The researchers weren't sure what caused this phenomenon, but they suspected it was the large concentration of Bioenergy around the humongous tree at the center of the Forest. Valen also suspected that it was the Elder’s gigantic pool of Bioenergy assisting the regrowth. A cutting of the tree had already been brought back and planted in Astera, and its growth was nothing short of explosive, already as tall as a regular tree and showing no signs of stopping, though it had slowed down since.

  Shortly after Sophie left for the Wildspire Wastes, Valen was called by the Commander. He had heard reports of an Anjanath causing troubles in the Forest, and they wanted him to observe it. Due to its aggressive nature, they needed to know if it would calm down or if it needed to be put down. Valen nodded and thus he, Adem, and Ikari departed from Astera, carried by a duo of Wingdrakes.

  The blue and yellow-scaled small monsters were docile, able to be trained to carry Hunters. While this would seem to be impossible due to the weight of a fully geared hunter, the wingdrakes were found to be rich in Bioenergy which they used to aid their flight, allowing them to carry the Hunters with deceptive ease.

  Thus the Trio traveled to the Ancient Forest, the journey only taking a couple of days due to the speed of the small monsters. When they arrived close to their destination, Valen gasped.

  The Ancient Forest had at its heart a gigantic tree. It was so tall that the canopy of the forest was only a fraction of its size. Valen could glimpse the sea to his left but he was certain that the roots of the tree spread far enough to reach it, which would give it access to the nutrients that filtered through the bed. Several Wyverns were flying around it, circling it and perched on it, looking like a bird nesting in a tree, but it gave an idea for Valen to the sheer scale of the tree. He was certain there was nothing like it and it was as ancient as the New World, being born at the same time as the landmass. It was also what had given the Ancient Forest its name, as the sheer age of the tree could not be contested.

  Furthermore, as they got closer to the tree, even Valen could start to feel the Bioenergy radiating from it. It permeated the very air itself and gave chills all over his body. He also could feel how his armor guzzled it all up like a Hunter in the Sandy Plains under the mid-afternoon sun. It also made him wary too, because if it powered up his armor… What about the monsters? At least he knew that nobody other than him had permission to hunt right next to the Tree, as the Commission quickly discovered that the monsters that even traveled through were much more durable and dangerous than those further away from it. It was another reason they were worried about the Anjanath. Its territory wasn’t next to the tree, but since it had moved near it recently, they feared it would quickly grow more powerful than its peers.

  Valen sent a worried glance at Ikari. The Handler knew that he had to hide himself as much as he could, but Valen worried about him freezing in a time of crisis while he should escape. After all, he would not fight as effectively if he had to protect the Handler.

  At least most of the Handlers that wanted to follow their Hunter on the field had been given what was called Ghillie Mantles, which were long coats that one could put over their clothes to conceal themselves from monsters. Different ones depending on which region you would go to, but they were primarily made of leaves for the Ancient Forest. It essentially masked one’s odor and muffled their sounds, though they should still be careful where they walk. It wasn’t deemed practical for hunters unless in particular cases, they were fragile and would break too easily under the acrobatic maneuvers that hunters needed to be able to perform. There was research being done on making other mantles, but it wouldn’t be concluded unless more monster materials were made accessible. So it was something that would have results only later and may benefit all hunters as a whole. Ikari's Ghillie Mantle was folded and put into his backpack and he would put it on once they arrived at their destination. As for Valen, they would render his jetpack unusable, so he already knew that he would not be using them often.

  The Wingdrakes landed right in the middle of the base camp at the foot of the Tree. It was off-limits for any hunters besides Valen, Jake, and the Field Team Leader, though Valen supposed that Aiden would probably be the first to gain access to it once he forged armor from a tough monster in the New World.

  Valen dropped his backpack and stored it in the tent, only keeping his hunter’s pouch on, which contained several potions and other utilities like flash or dung pods that he would use in emergencies.

  Once he exited the tent, Ikari was already draped into the Ghillie Mantle, which was the same color as the bushes and moss everywhere. He could not contest that when somebody wearing it stayed still, they would be indistinguishable from the environment. It reassured him that it would lessen the risks of Ikari being targeted, even though his fear of monsters would make things harder.

  “Are you alright, Ikari?”

  “I-I have a bit of jitter, but I think I can manage, as long as I am far enough…” He took a deep breath. “I’ve been trying, b-b-by approaching the captured monsters to get as close as I could. It’s a bit better, but I still want to do better.”

  “Don’t worry then, I’ll make sure you are not in danger on my watch. I don’t need to engage the Anjanath, we just need to observe for a few days and make our report to the Commander.”

  Ikari nodded. “Then let’s go while my nerves are steeled enough.”

  Valen nodded then turned to Adem. “You are my ears as always, tell me if you hear anything unusual.”

  “No worries Meowster! I’ll be sharp like paw-lways!”

  Valen shook his head at the Felyne’s familiar antics and they entered the small trail leading into the heart of the forest.

  They found their quarry quickly, as it was not trying to be stealthy. It even left all kinds of marks around, spraying its mucus on tree trunks where his territory was delineated. He had frowned when observing that. From what he had heard, Anjanath was not quite the Apex of the forest - that title was reserved for the Rathalos that had made his nest at the top of the tree. It and his mate were the monsters that dominated the area, having no equal among the other forest-dwellers.

  The Anjanath didn’t even seem to be that old, looking barely out of the juvenile period, but it had a few scars on his legs. After conferring with Ikari, they surmised it was an individual that had won all of its fights for territories and that, after establishing itself as the top predator in his original home, had tried to make a bid for the top territory of the Forest.

  They could see that the residents around did not like it, but the Pukei-Pukei that tried to challenge the Anjanath lost the fight and had to retreat to lick its wounds, though it almost could have won, the Anjanath not having gotten out of the fight unscathed. But its victory also seemed to bolster it, and its aggressiveness only increased as a result.

  A Tobi-Kadachi, a Fanged Wyvern with light blue scales and a gliding membrane between his legs, and all of its coat were made of scales that could be easily electrically charged by it shaking them around, then shocking its adversary by slapping them with its tail, also contested the Anjanath. It had managed to ambush it by dropping from above on its back. And it seemed that it would win until the Brute Wyvern managed to roll over, and with a devastating bite, used its superior mass to puncture its hide and even spewed a stream of fire at it. The Tobi-Kadachi bolted immediately after it, but the damage on the Anjanath sails was done, where one was torn, and it looked like it would take a while to heal.

  Ikari was scared when they found the Brute Wyvern, but he had progressively managed to regain his composure over the few days of observation… Until the Rathalos decided enough was enough.

  The Rathalos made himself known by immediately snatching the Anjanath by its back, and after it flailed around, but only causing the venomous talons to sink deeper into its flesh, he slammed the monster back down in the ground, making the Anjanath topple on his side, then breathed out a fireball at the Brute Wyvern. He hovered around, then let out a powerful roar that made even Valen cover his ears.

  After the injuries sustained by the last two challenges, which it hadn’t recovered entirely yet, and the brutal beat down, once it got itself back on its feet, it threw a fearful glance, and bolted into the forest, in a direct path away from the tree. It finally seemed to have gotten the message that it wasn’t welcome and not tough enough to survive the hardened monsters of the Tree.

  Ikari was curled in a ball near Valen, but thankfully it only made him harder to see. The Rathalos did not miss the Hunter, however, and looked sharply at him while growling.

  Valen knew that if it came to a fight, he would be the victor, but this was not why they were here, and he did not want to disrupt the established order of the forest, which eliminating the top monster definitely would. So he assumed a nonthreatening posture and holding his hands in front of him, slowly walked backwards.

  The Rathalos seemed to have gotten the message that Valen wasn’t here to challenge him, and after a last snort, he flew away.

  Once he was out of sight. He immediately came to Ikari's side and whispered. “The Rathalos flew away, all is clear.”

  It took a while for Ikari to calm down, however, and only after several minutes when Valen instructed him to take deep breaths, he said in a hushed voice. “Sorry. It was too big of a surprise for me. I hope I didn’t disappoint you.”

  Valen shook his head. “You did not. You were doing wonderfully until the Rath arrived. Take a bit to calm down and we’ll head back to the camp. You’ll stay a couple more days so that I can check where the Anjanath is headed and then we’ll go back to Astera to make our report.”

  “T-t-that sounds alright for me.”

  “Then let’s go, I do not want to be here when the Rathalos return to check if we are still intruding in his territory.”

  So they walked back to the camp together, at as quick of a pace as they could without making too much noise. Valen knew that even though the Anjanath was trounced, it would only take its frustration somewhere else… Which might mean he would have to take care of it after all.