Valen woke up with a jaw-cracking yawn and stretched. He blinked open his eyes, the memories of the happenings of the recent days coming back to him.

  He had been surprised to learn the festivities did not end the night Aiden came back with the Kushala body, but rather lasted for several days, and the reason why was because it was the actual tradition.

  Valen had been an outlier for deciding to go with Aki, an isolated smith, as normally when somebody managed to slay an Elder or Apex level monster and brought back the body, the festivities lasted for as long as the hunter took to forge their new equipment. Something that Valen had missed due to choosing Aki as his smith.

  Once he learned this, it made more sense to him and they explained the reason this tradition was borne: it was believed it helped the prevailing hunter to focus spiritually on their task, and that the support of everybody would result in it being stronger.

  It was the fifth day of the current surprise festival, though, and the late nights were starting to take their toll on Valen. He plodded through his morning routine and put on his armor, Adem waking up partway through the process and helping Valen finish before putting on his own armor.

  “Hmmm, the furr-stivities seem to be ending. It’s quiet,” Adem remarked.

  Valen raised an eyebrow behind his helmet.

  “You are certain?”

  “Yes, Aiden might have finished,” the Felyne suggested.

  Valen smiled. “Then let's not waste time, I’m certain they will want us to be present for the ceremony of his title.”

  They exited his room and immediately noticed the crowd that was starting to gather on the main plaza of Astera, everybody seeming to be buzzing with anticipation. Valen looked around then noticed somebody waving at him, which he immediately realized was Ikari, so he nodded in answer and went to join him.

  He thought he would have to push through the assembled hunters, but they noticed him and made way for him. Valen thanked them for their kindness, then joined Ikari on the side of the impromptu stage.

  “Aiden has finished, I presume?”

  Ikari nodded. “He finished just last night, we are waiting for everybody to finish waking up then they will announce his title. Arcos is with him in the back for now, but they want you to stay here.”

  Valen chuckled. “I cannot wait to see what the result of his hard work will be. I cannot think of somebody more deserving of wearing Kushala attire than Aiden, given his history with it. I have heard the stories of what happened in Dundorma, and he was brave to be part of the fight that day.”

  “I am certain his old leader will be proud of him. Julius is respected by a lot of people and we were sad when we learned he retired from being a hunter, but he was getting on in his years. It is impressive that Jake is still going.” Ikari replied with a smile.

  “I believe he may be retiring soon, now that he knows the next generation can take up the reins though. He was already relieved when I was able to take up on some of his duties, now that Aiden will be able to as well…” Valen tilted his head, then shook it. “Only a good thing, he deserves to retire.”

  Ikari was about to answer to this before a hush fell on the public as a whole and, turning around, they both noticed that Arcos had finally came out on the stage, a sure sign that the announcement was about to begin, the handler came to the side of Valen and they stayed at the edge of the platform, their focus now fully on the Commander.

  He cleared his throat to get the attention of the few people still distracted then started his speech.

  “A hunter’s mission is first of all to maintain the ecosystem, and keep it stable. This is the reason that you are required to obtain the permit to pursue the hunt, lest we over-hunt a key species and create a collapse of the ecosystem. This has stayed true since the foundation of the Guild.

  “However, it doesn’t prevent you from defending yourself should a monster decide to attack you indiscriminately while you are out of the field. In case you have no choice but to kill your attacker, an investigation is launched to determine if you truly had no other options. This is the main reason that the Hunter-Handler system has been started and imposed here in the New World, as due to the wilderness, it is much more critical that we attempt to not accidentally collapse the ecosystem by our presence.

  “But a category of Monsters sits outside such rules: Elders. By their mere presence, they are able to destabilize the environment if they so desire. It had once been believed they always did so and as such any sighting had to be followed by a dedicated team that put an end to the threat, but over time we learned that not all Elders destabilized the environment. Some made the effort to restrain their effect on it, and others even were helping it thrive.

  “I am certain you all know where I am going. We had to ascertain whether or not some of these supposed threats were actual threats recently. Two of them proved to have no issues to worry about… The last one however… An act of bravery and steadfastness was required to overcome it. To overcome the rogue Dragon of Steel. So today, we are celebrating the ascension among the Named Hunters of one of our peers. One that has already been known for his acts during the Frenzy Crisis and Dundorma’s Storm. But when he had to deal with the threat alone, when separated from his teammate, he rose to the challenge, faced an unyielding obstacle… and broke it!

  “So today, I am proud to present to you all… Hunter Aiden! The Gale Breaker!” The Commander turned around, revealing Aiden entering the stage.

  Thunderous applause and cheers resounded in the plaza, as everybody was excited by both Aiden’s appearance and his Title. Aiden’s armor looked like plate armor with more ‘rusted steel’ lines running through. On his shoulders were bulky plates that would offer additional protection. A cape trailed behind him, but only went down to the knees. His helmet had decorative ‘wings’ that emerged from its sides.

  Finally a shield was strapped to his right arm, and its paired blade was sheathed on his back. Aiden had once admitted to Valen that even though he knew how to wield all weapons, he preferred to use the Sword and Shield if possible. And it seemed that he had chosen to use it as his dedicated weapon now.

  Valen applauded, making sure to be part of the cacophony that resounded throughout Astera. Though once Aiden raised his hand, the applause died gradually until it stopped.

  “Well, here I am, among the legends that are respected far and wide… I will admit that I did not expect this result when I set out for the New World, even less when I started my career. But being here now, with my own title, is kind of scary for me, but also exciting!

  “This is also proof that I actually am good enough for this job!” Some laughs emerged at this quip. “I got to admit that it was kind of a thought of mine, that I wasn’t ‘good enough’ and that I felt like an impostor being considered a great hunter, compared to others. But I know now that it is mostly due to the great luck that I had to have always worked among legends ever since the beginning. Hunter Julius, the Ace Hunters leader, the Frenzy Vanquisher, and now the Blue Flare and Sky Piercer, I always was among greats, but I think it is time that I accept I am part of them too!”

  The crowd applauded at this, supporting Aiden’s words.

  “However I think it is time to put your fears to rest, because even though I might be acknowledged as a better hunter now… "I will not let this change what I am, right? A gnarlycuga hunter!"

  The laugh and groans of the assembled audience comforted Valen that indeed, things wouldn’t change. Aiden would still stay the same as he ever was, quipping puns every occasion he could get away with it. Adem however tapped Valen’s shoulder and pointed behind him, so he found himself faced with Rapha?lle and Sophie, who seemed to have decided to join him.

  “He needed the confidence boost, this should help him be more effective in the future.” Rapha?lle remarked.

  “I agree, and this time what happened to me shouldn’t happen to him. Not here.”

  Rapha?lle looked at him, her head tilted in an unasked question.

  Valen sighed as he answered. “Let's just say that I made myself the enemy of some people, and that I was kind of sidelined for a while. I had a lot more action here in the New World than I’ve had in years. I’ll tell you the whole story if you want later.”

  She nodded in acknowledgment, and they focused back on the event, as it seemed Aiden finished his speech and was walking towards them under applause, Arcos walking on his side.

  The now named Gale Breaker raised a hand towards Valen, and he could almost feel him grinning in his helmet. Still, Valen smiled as well and clasped his hand with him. “Now we are equals Valen! I am certain we will work much more together since you won’t have to worry about myself as much!”

  “I am certain, Gale Breaker,” Valen said in a teasing tone.

  “Oh don’t you start Sky Piercer! You called me by my name before and you will keep that courtesy up!”

  They stared at each other with their helmets then laughed for a solid while, then once they calmed down a bit, Aiden sighed then looked at Rapha?lle.

  “The Admiral is back, he is waiting for you at the Celestial Pursuit, it didn’t seem to be urgent but he looked a bit worried, I would go join him.”

  Rapha?lle nodded. “I will go join him then. Do you have any details?”

  “Seems to be about a discovery the Seeker made, but he wants to have a Hunter join him to assess the situation.”

  “Then I’ll go. Good luck to both of you. May the Sapphire Star light your way.”

  Valen smiled. “And may the Red Comet keep your skies clear.”

  Rapha?lle did not react to this, as by that point everybody was used to Valen’s unusual addition to the traditional farewell. The two hunters then left and headed towards their rooms to prepare. Once they were out of hearing range, Aiden chuckled.

  “You know, I’m kind of impressed how much you manage to sneak references like that, but I’m guessing people just think you are keeping a theme.”

  Valen chuckled as well. “It’s easier to treat it as a game. Besides, you know how much respect I hold for her… And I would not have it any other way.” He said the last part as a whisper.

  The two of them separated once they were getting close to their rooms, and Valen sighed and started fiddling with his weapon, making sure to safeguard it with the dedicated protective covers he had stocked up. He smiled as he went through the motions of the menial task, as he knew it meant that Aiden was now fully the same as him, and that he had the best way that would allow him to grow: the same way that he was able to keep his skills sharp. He resolved to find a way that would allow him to share in it.

  Valen found himself relaxing several days later, chatting with other hunters at the Celestial Pursuit, and sharing drinks with them. Those were the kind of moments that he treasured, as it showed the companionship that every hunter shared, the more quiet side of hunting.

  Rapha?lle had left with the Admiral towards the Elder’s Recess to investigate whatever it was that the Seeker had found. The goal was just for them to investigate then come back for reinforcements if there was indeed a threat.

  The training session with Aiden had gone well, the first few spars had shown his rustiness since the last time he used the Sword and Shield, but he found his marks quick enough and soon was able, if not overpower Valen, at least hold his ground against him. He gave tips occasionally, though only those he knew could help him, as Valen was not familiar at all as to how his weapon was wielded.

  The session stopped after a few hours, but they still sparred every day, and the improvement on Aiden’s side was visible as he was getting familiar with his new equipment. They were both happy with his progress, though Valen knew that he needed experience against a real monster, as it was the best way he would be able to progress.

  So that is what Valen was thinking about while he was at the Gathering Hub, when suddenly a horn resounded in the whole of Astera. A horn that had never sounded until now… But of which the meaning was unquestionable: a threat had appeared and all top-ranked hunters were called to action, which meant him and Aiden.

  Valen immediately stood up, putting down his beer chop in a hurry, he excused himself but the other hunters were understanding: he was needed and there was little time to lose. He rushed to the elevator powered by the waterwheels, the Felyne that was about to use it giving up her place due to the emergency.

  The ride down was not long but soon enough he was down and he spotted Adem that was running on all fours towards him. His Palico was spending time with his kind when the horn sounded. He jumped on his shoulder while he ran towards the council table. Once he was here, the Commander was already here, as well as Aiden.

  “Hunter Valen reporting!”

  “Good, I’ll be quick: a Deviljho has been spotted in the Ancient Forest, and you know that your Handlers were doing an expedition to study the local flora, you need to go there and at least warn them of the danger, putting down the Deviljho is your second priority.” He looked on his side, where Lukas was for once fully geared out, wearing his Tobi Kadachi armor. “Lukas will accompany you, he will have more of a supportive role in the hunt, but you know how monster materials work, and he is the only one I know can stand his ground against it. Given you both have the best gear you could ask for, having only them for research would be a waste. Are you alright with that?”

  It was a common practice: when an emergency hunt appeared and all hunters responding to it had no use of the materials, they sent a lesser equipped but still qualified hunters so that the materials would still have a use. Valen himself benefited from this policy once with his old team, but it seemed that this time he would at last be on the other side of this tradition. He thus nodded.

  “We will make sure it is a worthwhile effort.”

  “Then leave immediately, the more you tarry, the more danger there is for your Handlers.”

  The trio then headed towards the gate and whistled for their personal Wingdrakes. They hooked up on them and followed the direction of Lukas, who knew where the reports had been made.

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  It still took a couple hours for them to reach the spot, flying over what clearly looked like a trail of destruction, broken trees, torn-up grass and ruined earth clearly indicating that the World Eater had gone through this area. So they landed and Valen examined the tracks.

  “Fresh, not more than an hour.” He stood up. “He doesn’t seem to be heading directly towards where our handlers are located, but we should still go warn them.” They all nodded and whistled for their rides again. They quickly grabbed on and resumed their flight on top of the trees.

  They were all tense, as the news of the emergency had made them worry about their Handlers, but they did not want to push their rides too far lest they collapse in exhaustion, hence they moderated their pace, knowing that they would be faster than their foe nonetheless.

  Soon enough, they reached the area they were staying at and Aiden spotted them from above, and they dropped next to them. The two handlers perked up, looking up from the colony of mushrooms they were studying.

  “Valen?” Ikari was surprised by his presence. “Did something happen?”

  “A Deviljho has been spotted, you need to leave,” Valen answered, which made his handler immediately freeze, before he relaxed, then nodded. Lea had nodded as well and immediately started packing their equipment, the two novice hunters that had been assigned as their guard now on guard.

  Ikari accepted his backpack from Lea, and he looked at Valen.

  “Good luck, I know that you can take care of it.”

  Valen was about to answer when a roar resounded through the clearing, and a large tremor could be felt by them all.

  “VALEN! RIGHT REAR!”

  The Hunter dove by instinct, barely avoiding being stomped by the gigantic leg that appeared where he was standing not an instant ago. He rolled on impact and unsheathed his weapon with the same motion.

  Valen looked up and towering above them was the living spawn of hell. Green hide that hid it in the forest, rippling muscles all around that were covered in scars, a thick, pickle-like tail that swished dangerously, and a jaw overcrowded with teeth that even were still stuck due to constant growth. This was the World Eater itself, the most feared Wyvern by them all, only beaten by Elders. And it was looking at him with primal hunger, as if he was only a meal.

  He entered a defensive stance, ready to dodge anything that it would throw at him, when suddenly Aiden ran up to the Wyvern and uppercutted it with his shield, immediately eliciting a roar of pain, but achieving his goal, as its attention was now focused on the hunter. The beast immediately attempted to lunge at him.

  Valen risked glancing at his side, and immediately saw that Ikari was frozen stiff, panicking. He reached on his shoulder and shook him, snapping him out of his state, then he shouted.

  “GO, IKARI!”

  That did it, and his Handler immediately bolted, running towards Lea and the other two hunters that were waiting for him. Now certain that he was out of danger, Valen focused back on their foe. The Brute Wyvern was currently trying to stomp Aiden, but he was too nimble for it to be caught by the Wyvern.

  Lukas was circling around, waiting for an opportunity to attack. Valen thus narrowed his eyes, making sure that he kept their foe in sight. When the Deviljho raised its leg to attempt a destabilizing stomp on Aiden, he braced himself and bent forwards. Immediately as the foot impacted the ground, he ignited his armor’s thrusters and rocketed forwards, raising his weapon to the side. Aiden had reacted correctly by jumping over the tremors, but Valen only focused on his current goal. And once he was close enough, he cut diagonally with his weapon, managing to strike the knee of the monster, cutting deep into it and making it roar in pain.

  Valen did not relent his assault and pursued his movement, morphing into Sword mode by squeezing partially on the trigger, then stabbed forwards, piercing the tough skin that covered the Deviljho’s calf. He only managed to get the tip inside, as the hide was too tough to go further. He then activated his weapon’s thruster, propelling him backwards, which was the correct decision to make as he narrowly avoided a kick in return.

  The injury was still minor, and it spoke of the strength of their foes that Valen’s weapon barely pierced it. Valen bled off his momentum once his feet touched the ground again, digging deep furrows into it. He was hunched forwards once he slid at a stop, and used his current distance to assess the situation.

  The two handlers and their guards were no longer visible, having vacated as quickly as they could on his orders. Aiden was currently the sole focus of their foe, using his nimbleness to dodge the numerous attacks it was attempting, using his shield to deflect if he could not dodge. Lukas was still keeping his distance, he could not afford to be hit compared to his two partners so he was simply waiting for an opportunity and supporting the two of them from a distance.

  Valen took note that Aiden’s strike also barely pierced the hide of the Deviljho, something that he knew would mean that the best way to triumph over their foe was to wear it to exhaustion. So he took a deep breath, and ran back towards their foe.

  From that point, all Valen was focused on was simply inflicting as many wounds as he could on the World Eater, tiny compared to its gigantic frame. He could not remember what happened, or how long he fought, all he remembered was the numerous impacts that he felt through his hands as his weapon pierced through the skin, the jarring sensation as he blasted himself forwards, backwards or sideways once a strike proved dangerous to him. He sometimes glimpsed Aiden doing the same, finding an opportunity to sink his weapon into their foe, then perform a combination strike on it until he back-flipped away from a retaliation strike.

  Lukas contributions were few, but always significant, and everytime he managed a strike, they were able to use the fury of the Deviljho to capitalize on its surprise.

  This was how the fight continued, until something happened that completely shifted the dynamics. Finally, the Deviljho howled and its scarred hide on his torso burst, exposing the muscles that swelled beneath.

  “It is enraged! That must mean it is desperate!” Aiden shouted.

  “Then we are close to the end, a couple well placed strikes and we should be done.”

  “It’s on you! Watch your Left Wing!” Aiden warned him back.

  And indeed, the Deviljho almost managed to fall a tree on top of Valen, while he was preoccupied watching the head. Avoiding the falling timber was easy, but it also meant that Valen had to be extremely careful following that.

  Then Lukas said. “I think I got an idea, Aiden, I am gonna need you, Valen, can you distract it a little while longer?”

  Valen nodded, and he had the perfect idea to be sure to grab their foe’s attention: he squeezed the trigger on his weapon, building up charge inside it, and then, right after the World Eater lunged to bite at him, he released the trigger, unleashing a big dragon element infused explosion right in its face. Since he unleashed it from a bit of a distance, but not point blank, the damage was less than what it could be, but the effect was enough: the Deviljho immediately turned to him with a hateful glint in its eyes. It definitely meant that Valen now had its full attention for a bit.

  He had to be careful weaving through the attacks though, as he realized something he overlooked: his phials were starting to run dry, the one powering the amped explosions now dry after the last attack he did, while the one powering the thrusters on the sword was running low. Thankfully the thrusters on his back were powered by the Gem, so he did not have to worry about running out of fuel, he just had to make sure to not have prolonged intense use.

  For a few minutes though, all he did was to weather the sole minded rage the Deviljho unleashed on him, flinging the ground at him, uncountable attempts to stomp him, bites and tail slaps were everything it tried at him, it even attempted to breathe dragon energy at him twice, once he managed to dodge it, but got caught by surprise the second time, but surprisingly he got out of that with only cosmetic damage on his armor.

  Then suddenly at last, the Deviljho paused, as it needed to catch its breath after the intense energy it just spent attempting to squash its foe.

  Lukas shouted: “Now Aiden! Valen, Rear Right!”

  Looking behind him, he saw that Aiden was right behind him, holding his shield with both hands, Lukas running towards them. And by looking at the position Aiden was in, preparing to act as a springboard for Lukas, Valen immediately understood their intention. So he dropped his weapon and held Aiden on the waist, bracing himself.

  With one last step and when he had almost reached them, Lukas jumped, carried forwards by his momentum, and raised both his legs up, then landed on Aiden’s shield, who immediately lifted it with a yell of exertion, at the same time Valen also lifted Aiden as much as he could, increasing the boost the two of them were providing to Lukas.

  And it was enough, with the boost the two of them provided, he managed to land on the Deviljho’s neck, and immediately pulled out his carving knife to stab it in one of the bulging muscles to provide a handhold.

  The Deviljho reacted immediately however, trying to buck him out of his neck, and managed to keep up for several seconds before it had to stop to catch his breath. Valen guessed that it did not recover enough from its frenzy from Valen. And Lukas also knew it, so he did not let the moment go to waste, he pulled out his Greatsword, raised it high above the air, then stabbed down as hard as he could, adding all of his weight to the weapon.

  His aim was true, a resounding crack echoed, and like a puppet whose string was cut, the legs of the Deviljho immediately stopped functioning and it dropped to the ground with a gigantic slam that sent tremors all around the area.

  Valen froze for a moment, before the lack of any movement from their foe made him relax and he released the breath he just realized he was holding. He looked to his side at Aiden, who was doing the same, and he was certain he was grinning behind his helmet.

  They both nodded to each other and joined Lukas who was panting since the adrenaline was finally wearing off for the group.

  “That was not how I expected the hunt to end for sure. But I guess that will suit me fine!” Lukas said.

  “Good job Lukas, you may think that you did little, but thinking of a plan of action on the fly is no easy feat, most hunters just react on honed reflexes and instinct as we do not have much time thinking while fighting a monster. So be glad that it was what allowed us to see this through!” Valen congratulated his partner.

  “Yep! Do not worry, especially with a weapon as slow as yours, this is the usual thing, trust me, I know.” Aiden chimed in.

  “Let’s fire the all clear then return to Astera then.”

  Valen nodded, and he pulled out a green flare, lit it up and fired it up in the air. Thankfully, at least in the Ancient forest, they did not need to build sentinel outposts, as the local Felyne tribe, called Grymalkyne, volunteered to look out and relay the flare signals to the camps the Hunters set up. So once Valen fired it up, he knew that it would take a few hours before their Handlers would be here to confirm the kill. However it’d take a couple days before the transportation of the body could be managed, due to the quest being an emergency one.

  So, with the group knowing that it’d be a few days before they were back in Astera, they started setting up a camp for this night at least and started chatting to distract themselves.

  A few days later, they were all arriving back into Astera, the body of the Deviljho being wheeled in on a cart with the cheers of everybody accompanying them. Valen smiled, he would always appreciate that his work would be recognized, something that he sorely lacked in Dundorma from his other hunters. The general populace did, but it was more due to adoration than of true respect, so he was enjoying it much more here in the New World.

  Lukas did a short speech, then excused himself to go to the smithy so that they could plan crafting his new gear. In the meantime, Valen simply decided to take a bit of time being a vigil at the watchtower. Aiden joked about it being a boring pastime after their walk back, but he simply said that he wanted to relax for a bit before they were once again on call.

  So he simply looked out on the horizon, Adem being another pair of eyes, while he simply took in the natural beauty of the Ancient forest that surrounded that side of Astera.

  He did not even need to fiddle with something to help pass time, just admiring the landscape surrounding it was enough. He periodically scanned the surroundings, focusing more in the air than in the ground, since that was where the biggest threats came from.

  Valen did not know how long it had been since he started his vigil, but he suddenly noticed a speck on the horizon, and given that it was more of a static shape than a moving one, he guessed it was the Third Fleet’s airship, so he pulled out the telescope to check, and it was indeed confirmed. Given that the airship wasn’t planned to be back in Astera for a while, that meant something must have happened.

  He did not need to ring the bell, as it was reserved in case of a hostile monster approaching, but he left his post and headed towards the Commander, who needed to be informed of the unusual circumstances.

  “This is odd indeed. I will make sure the dock is ready for them, get ready for anything though.” Was his answer.

  It did not take that long before word spread of the sighting of the airship however, and a crowd was starting to gather in the main place, and even more when it fired an orange flare that meant ‘Assistance Required’.

  Speculations were high as to the reason for the unexpected return, but Valen had a suspicion it had to do with what Raphaelle and the Admiral went to do. He hoped it was not the worst case scenario, but he guessed they’d have used a red flare for emergencies.

  Then suddenly, the airship had to rotate to be able to dock properly and Valen heard many gasps, including his own.

  Secured on the main deck by numerous ropes was the gigantic body of an Elder Dragon, that had surprisingly not scales, but some kind of thick bluish skin. Its wings were clearly shredded, and numerous wounds covered it. Valen couldn’t see much more than that due to the airship frame covering it, but it clearly was the biggest Elder that he has seen, barring Zorah.

  The Admiral did not wait for the Airship to finish docking before jumping out, and headed towards the Commander.

  “You can guess what happened, and I am certain we found the real cause of the Crossing anomaly. But we first need to make sure Hunter Raphaelle is tended to, she has no injuries, do not worry, but she is exhausted, had been sleeping for a couple days.” He sighed. “If I had any suspicion as to what we’d find, I’d have asked for at least one of you to come, Valen, Aiden and Jake. But we were all caught by surprise and bad timing. I am proud to say however that Hunter Raphaelle rose to the challenge and proved herself several times over. I’ll explain all I know at the council once we are all settled.”

  Nobody asked any other questions as their most pressing concerns had been addressed, and right as he finished, the airship had finished docking, and two healers were carrying Raphaelle on a stretcher, Flighty staying by her side, out of the ship. They were heading towards her room, and he looked at them until they turned a corner and went out of their sight.

  Masani and Kora stepped out of the airship after, followed by another Wyverian that seemed tired, and had a few scratches but other than that looked fine. He was carrying a staff that looked like an Insect Glaive though he did not see a kinsect anywhere on him. They looked at each other, though when he saw Valen, he thought he saw recognition in his eyes but it went away quickly that he wasn’t sure.

  They all assembled at the council table while the entirety of Astera seemed to want to look at the unknown Elder that had been brought back by the Airship. Finally the Admiral started the meeting, which was a reminder that he technically outranked the Commander but did not use that power often.

  “As you saw, something happened when we were investigating an anomaly in the Elder’s Recess. The Tracker that had called me found more of the strange crystals that I brought back, but were unusual by their unmatched purity. He found their origin point, and so he called me and I brought Raphaelle and Sophie with me so we could investigate…

  “And we found it, though when we saw it, it was only a chrysalis, and we were about to pull out and call for you… When the Elder inside hatched. The Seeker got caught by one of the beams that it used to cut a way out, and I had to pull out with him, leaving Raphaelle alone to deal with the threat… But she did. She did marvellously.

  “She fought for hours, accumulating injuries and fatigue, and pushed through, Flighty always to her side, always saving her at critical moments. Her original goal was to make sure that the Elder did not leave the area, to cripple it and call for reinforcement. But she never could find a moment to retreat. And eventually she triumphed…

  The Admiral then smiled. “She did one last thing before exhaustion caught up to her. She walked up to the Elder as if possessed…” Valen’s eyes widened and he was sure Aiden’s too. “And carved a gem out of it, she barely had time to store it in her pouch before she collapsed of exhaustion on top of it. I tended to her immediately after and the Third Fleet Airship came to rescue us, we decided that we had to bring back the body though, we could not leave it there like we did the Nergigante’s.

  He nodded. “I already know what her Name will be. It is only appropriate, given what she has faced.”

  Valen then interrupted:

  “This is a surprise though… Two Named from Elders in such quick succession? I am certain this is the first time, it is usually once per generation, and if you count me, we have three in such a quick frame of time…”

  The Admiral chuckled. “Indeed, it shows how amazing you three are though.”

  Finally the Wyverian talked, the first time he did since he arrived.

  “One last thing needs to be pointed out, but I know the researchers need to know this: I am certain our Elder was the cause of the Crossing Anomaly…” Gasps echoed from all of them. “Which means… The Research Commission’s purpose may be at an end, once we finish studying the body.”

  Valen did not know what to think of this… He had come to love the New World, and having to leave it… He hoped it did not come to that, as it was where he knew he should be…

  “We will report to the Guild on the Mainland once we know all the details.And at the very least, we have a few months before we get an answer, so we will stay here at least that much longer. Besides, we’d need a lot of ships to all go back to the Old World,” The Commander interjected. “So rest assured it won’t be right now that we return.”

  Valen nodded, as did everybody else on the council.

  “This is all we had to share, Council dismissed,” The Admiral concluded, freeing everybody from the meeting, though Valen smiled when he saw all the scientists all but rush out to the Airship the instant the Admiral finished his sentence.

  Aiden grabbed Valen and led him to a private space, then he asked.

  “You are alright Valen? I know what you feel about returning…”

  Valen sighed.

  “You know that technically I am exiled. But I hope a solution will be found, I don’t believe the Guild will want to abandon all of this though, too much investment has been made for it to be completely abandoned. So I believe we’ll find an alternate solution.”

  Aiden nodded.

  “Indeed, we’ll have to make sure to see Raphaelle once she wakes up, for now… I believe a celebration will be made, so let's make sure we are among the first to be served, by reserving our seats!”

  Valen smiled, and followed Aiden to the lifts to the Celestial Pursuit. Indeed, spirits would be at an all time high tonight.

  A couple of comments on the other sites were pretty close to the final Name of Aiden, having guessed the “Breaker” part of it, but Gale was the correct first word!

  And yep, the Deviljho was in part to be sure that Valen and Aiden had something to do while Rapha?lle did her work, but it was always intended that she would face Xeno’Jiiva solo, as to earn her canon “Sapphire Star” title.

  I will see you for the next chapter, hopefully sooner than this one!