The Sea Drake had sustained light damage from its encounter with Zorah Magdaros, the dragon bone that reinforced its hull prevented the jagged rocks of its hard shell from piercing through. After they took a few hours to inspect the ship, account for, and secure all the cargo in the hold, it only took them another day to reach the New World. Crew and hunters alike were still jittery from the earlier excitement and the anticipation of the journey's conclusion.
Akira and his team were back on the main deck as the fleet came into sight of the new world's coast. Off the port side waves pounded against the rocky cliffs of a lush forest. Above the boughs of the old growth trees wing drakes could be seen circling lazily through the air.
“Look at the size of that tree…” Atsuko murmured to nobody in particular.
Rising tall like a King overseeing his court was an ancient tree. Its branches stretched wide casting shadows over large swathes of the forest. The only thing that Akira could think to compare its height to was the Zorah Magdaros.
‘I think the tree still has him beat’ he thought in awe.
In the far distance, they could see the silhouette of a Rathalos circling the highest branches, its lazy turns a testament to its dominance over the forest. Though his team and he were all A-list hunters even they would think twice before taking on the red scaled wyvern. Highly aggressive, with blistering fire, and potent venom only a fool wouldn’t approach hunting one with caution.
Ahead, as they came around a bend they could see their destination. The Research commissions base of operations, and their home for the foreseeable future, was a hodgepodge of wood, steel and bone. As the ships began docking at the small port, Akira could see that the previous fleet's ships had been repurposed to make the structures within the compound. Its crowning feature was a ship speared onto the tallest peak of the rocky ridges of the HQ’s northern border.
‘I wonder if our ships will share a similar fate?’ he mused, before he and his teammates returned to their bunks to make ready for their arrival.
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As they began disembarking the ship they were met by another hunter. He was a tall man with black hair and skin sporting a tanned complexion. The thick leather vest, iron plated greaves, and bracers showed signs of heavy use but otherwise looked well maintained. The same could be said for the large bone greatsword strapped along his back in a heavy sheath. The man greeted them with a wide smile.
“Welcome to Astea, Hunters of the 5th fleet!” the man exclaimed, waving boisterously as they all approached. “Follow me, I’ll get you settled into a bunk, and then show you around.”
Akira and the others followed him through the wooden harbor.
“The name is Takumi by the way,” The field team leader said over his shoulder as they began their trek.
The dock was set up at the mouth of a river that split the high cliff that Astera spanned in half. Above them was a web of wooden scaffolding and support beams that engulfed the back half of the dock in shadows. The combination of the loud clanking of chains, the noise of the sailors unloading the ships, and the pounding of the waterfall that fed the river drowned out any conversation the hunters thought to have. They made their way onto one of the large platforms used to bring the cargo up from the ships-which was also the source of the clanking chains. A portion of the waterfall was being diverted to fall atop a massive waterwheel, which was what powered the lifts.
“It seems the Commission hasn’t been idle these last few decades,” Hojiro quipped, barely having to raise his voice to be heard over the noise.
“We’ve had to get creative, but you’ll find that the New World is plentiful in resources.” Takumi interjected, having overhead Hojiro. Many things could be said about the big man, but having a quiet voice wasn’t one of them.
“Which Fleet did you arrive with?” Reiji asked, he was already starting to look much better now that he was no longer on the ship.
“I didn’t come with any of them, I was born and raised here in the new world. Just like my parents were” Takumi said casually.
“Though my grandfather came with the first fleet. You all will be meeting him here shortly. He is the commander of the commission.” He continued just as the lift locked into place onto a raised platform. In front of them, shaded under the massive skeletal hull of a ship, were a multitude of different stalls, each one displaying a range of supplies or equipment a hunter might need, from mega potions to field rations.
“This here is the trade yard, the commission will give you a voucher for the basics when you’re on an official mission, but if you have any specialty items you require that will be on you. Just talk to the quartermaster over there and he’ll get you sorted out.” Takumi explained as he pointed to a far section of the trade yard. There a large stack of barrels and crates were set in neat orderly piles as a man and his felyne assistants made notes on clipboards as they walked through them.
“I almost feel like we over packed,” Astuko murmured as she eyed a vendor selling arrow coatings.
“Better to be over packed than under,” Akira said as they followed Takumi through the stalls. They were heading to a multi-storied structure made of several different sections of ships, lashed together by ropes and a confusing network of catwalks and rope bridges.
“Too true, we certainly wouldn’t want a repeat of our first hunt together,” Reiji added dryly.
Atsuko and Akira cringed at the reminder while Hojiro just laughed. The team’s first hunt had been to capture a Congala for a guild researcher who had wanted to test a prototype gas mask he was developing against the beast wyverns mushroom enhanced fumes. They had planned to lead it into a trap set up beforehand. Only for the trap to be sprung by a wandering Yian Kut-ku just as they led the target to it. With their only trap sprung and having to deal with two angry wyverns, they ended up having to improvise.
After chasing off the Yian Kut-ku with a screamer arrow shot by Atsuko, Akira unloaded his supply of exhaust rounds into the Congala. When it finally wore itself out Reiji was able to deliver a vicious blow to the beast wyverns head stunning it and knocking to the ground. A convenient branch loaded with vines was dropped onto the writhing creature to further immobilize it while the tranq rounds Akira shot it full of took effect. Only for their efforts to be wasted because the signal flare for the airship transport to move the beast was left back at their campsite.
Though having ended in embarrassment, that first hunt had shown them that it took more than skill with their weapons to be good hunters. A lesson Akira had taken to heart if his heavily laden pack and journals bursting with notes were anything to go by.
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Takumi ended up taking them down to the bottom level of the living quarters. The rooms down here were shared, each one having 3 sets of bunk beds and a large chest for each hunter to store their possessions.
“I’ll leave you all to settle in, meet back at the trade yard in two hours and I’ll finish showing you around.”
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The hunters had all claimed a bed and began the process of unpacking their gear and personal items.
“These beds certainly beat those hammocks from the ship” Hojiro said, he let out a heavy sigh as he stretched out onto his bed. The big man just barely fit the bed, the wooden bed frame creaking ominously as he shifted around.
“I’d sleep on the hard dirt if it meant not having to deal with that blasted rocking!” Reiji said, dragging an oiled cloth over the iron surface of his weapon.
“If I never see a ship again…” A knock on the door interrupted him and a woman walked in. Dressed in the typical uniform of a guild receptionist and she carried a large duffel with her arms full of books. Her pale skin was red with strain as she carried her belongings toward one of the unclaimed beds.
Atsuko and Akira both got up and helped her with her things.
“Whew, thanks partners!” She said breathlessly, after taking a moment to stretch out her back. The woman was short with dark brown hair that had been shorn at her jaw line. Her emerald green eyes show through the lens of her glasses, the curiosity shining in their depths bespoke a mind constantly buzzing with questions waiting to be asked.
“My name is Hiromi, I will be your handler starting today. It’s a pleasure to meet you all!” She continued finishing with a formal bow.
The hunters all shared a look, Reiji just giving a shrug of his shoulders, before Akira spoke up, “Nice to meet you too, Hiromi, but what is a handler?”
“You can consider me as your own personal field receptionist. Since we still have so much to learn from the New World, the Fourth Fleet Master has decided to have guild receptionists attached to hunter teams to gather information.” she explained.
“Of course I will still be gathering all available requests for you all to take on.” she continued.
“Well then I guess that makes you part of the team,” Akira said, returning her bow.
The rest of the hunters followed suit, with Atsuko and Reiji giving an incline of their heads and Hojiro just giving a grunt-he was already dozing off, halfway into a nap.
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Over the next hour the hunters and Hiromi finished unpacking their things and then all made their way back to the trade yard to meet back up with Takumi. The exuberant man entertaining them with antecedentes of the various locations around Astera.
Their first stop had been the Ecologists research center, The large wooden structure was located in the far corner of Astera. They once again made their way through the trade yard to get there. Inside was chaotic as both handlers and wyverians ran too and fro, their arms full of papers and books, while others sat at desks furiously writing or organizing papers.
“This is the Ecological research center, any information we find about the local flora or fauna gets recorded here. Most of the researchers left with the third fleet’s airship twenty years ago.” Takumi began, before his brows furrowed, a frown disrupting his usual easy going smile. “ We lost contact with them afterwards and haven’t heard from them since.”
He quickly shook his head, a smile twisting his lips once more. “Anyways, let’s go find the head ecologist, he has a new piece of equipment for you.”
With that Akira and the other new hunters of the fifth weaved their way through the busy hall until they made it to a large office situated in the far back. Takumi Knocked on the sturdy wood door and waited barely a moment before entering the room.
“Thats’s a lot of books,” Atsuko murmured as they entered. The whole back of the room was stacked floor to ceiling with tombs of all shapes and sizes.
Akira just raised a brow in silent agreement, behind him he heard Hojiro let out a low whistle.
Situated in the center of the massive collection was an old wyverian man, age shrinking him to a diminutive height. He was perched upon a small stack of books, as if a king reclining in his throne. He didn’t seem to notice their arrival so engrossed was he in the large tomb on his lap. Takumi had to clear his throat to get the old man’s attention.
“Huh?! Oh, Takumi and… you all must be the hunters from the fifth fleet.” the head ecologist said, he let out a sigh and closed his book with great reluctance, before hoping down to the floor.
“Follow me if you please,” he continued, weaving through Akira and the other hunters to exit the room. A moment later they were in a new room, this one filled with all different kinds of flora. Flittering throughout the room were small insects that gave off a green bioluminescent light. In the middle of the room was a large table that had small lantern-like objects laid out, the same insects were hovering all around them.
“These are scout flies, a curious insect native to this land,” The wyverian said without preamble once they had all entered the room, “we discovered that they lack a means to digest food by themselves so form a symbiotic relationship with local fauna, circling nearby herbs, plants or corpses with their bioluminescence to attract them. Thereby getting to eat whatever is left over.”
At this point the Ecologist was intent to give a lecture, already he was pacing back and forth in front of them. “Additionally, when they sense the prey drive of large carnivores the light they give off will turn to a bright red. Some of our researchers have postulated that this is to warn their “feeders,” as it were, of the danger so that they preserve their source of food.” Just as he took a breath, no doubt to continue regaling them with his accumulated knowledge, Takumi gave another polite cough.
“Ah, my apologies, to the point, each of you will receive a scout fly cage to help you in your hunts.” the head ecologist finished, a look of slight embarrassment coloring his expression.
They all receive a cage and a brief instruction on how to feed them before continuing on with the tour.
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The sun was low in the sky, a warm orange glow cast over the wood and sails that made up the gathering hub. This was the last stop in the tour. Takumi had been thorough, taking them to the workshop, training yard, canteen, and the arena.
The arena had been a surprise, though not unheard of. A lift had taken them down into a natural cavern behind Astera. At the end of the tunnel was a large pit, this was used for hunters to dispatch captured wyverns that the commission wished to examine or harvest parts from. This served an additional purpose of allowing hunters to train in a controlled environment and was also a source of entertainment for the denizens of Astera.
The gathering hub had been the Flagship for the first fleet, the Celestial Pursuit, but due to a large wave that had lifted the vessel as they approached the new world, it now rested high on the ridge overlooking Astera. Though it no longer sailed the waves it now served as a place for hunters to relax and trade stories of past hunts and information acquired with blood and sweat.
Akira himself was nursing a tankard of Ale as he leaned against the railing. His gaze was drifting out across the expanse of the Ancient forest, the lush foliage slowly being engulfed by shadows as the sun sunk to the horizon’s edge. Behind him, the vibrant sounds of laughter and camaraderie filled the air, the other hunters of the Research Commission made merry and relaxed as the day drew to a close, their jovial shouts and clinking tankards contrasted with his introspective mood.
‘What is it about this place that draws the Elders?’ he mused, taking a sip of his drink.
As he pondered this thought, he turned away from the railing and leaned his back to it. Out in the crowd he saw Hojiro laughing uproariously- cheeks flushed a deep red from his drinks- as he flung a would-be challenger to the ground in an arm wrestling contest, the poor man no match for the giant prodigious strength.
“What are you doing skulking in the shadows Akira?” Atsuko asked, leaning next to him on the railing. She had her own tankard of ale in her hand, a teasing smile on her face.
“I was just taking in the sights and thinking,” he answered, giving a nod towards the forest sprawling behind them.
“This place is amazing,” she agreed easily, “I can’t wait to get out there and see what else there is to see.”
They stood in a companionable silence, content to watch the other hunters enjoying themselves. A few moments later, there was a hush that descended over the gathering hub as a figure made his way to the edge of the poop deck. He had stark white hair and his weathered face was covered in faded scars. Despite his age, the man’s posture was straight and full of confidence. He wore a stern expression, but there was compassion in his eyes that shined through as he looked out over the assembled hunters.
'This must be Takumi's grandfather, the commander. There is certainly a resemblance.' He mused.
“Hunters! Lend me your attention,” the Commander began, “I want to first extend a warm welcome to the hunters of the fifth that join us tonight.” At this he raised a tankard up, those in the crowd mimicked him and gave a cheer. A few minutes passed before everyone quieted down quickly as he raised a hand. “With the help of these hunters I know that we will be able to make progress in our task of unraveling the secret behind the elder crossing. In that regard, as I’m sure many of you have heard, a Zorah Magdaros has just arrived to the New World, we will need to track it down. It is the key to this mystery, I can feel it in my bones. So enjoy the night, drink and eat your fill, but know this! Tomorrow we have work to do”
Another round of cheers punctuated his departure as everyone returned to their drinks. Their voices once again filling the air with excited chatter and laughter.
“Well you heard him, let’s get some food,” Akira said with a smile, gesturing with his now empty mug as he and Atsuko made their way to an open table.