[DISCONTINUED] No Straight Roads x Monster Hunter Rise

-CHAPTER FOUR: Trinity of Terror, Great Izuchi-

~Play the music at the top during the fight scene for the best experience~
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"So," began Tatiana. "Do you kids remember why I lead you back here?"

"The reward, you said."

"Ah, good you remembered." Tatiana smiled, knowing she didn't have to repeat herself. "Because now, your reward is your first monster quest."

Upon hearing that, Mayday pumped her fist in the air with a jump. "YES! FINALLY!"

They were heading to a large, semicircular table. Inside the closed area were an array of dazzling tapestries, paintings of monsters drawn in Malaysian Wayang Kulit styles. Sitting inside was the same red haired man they saw yesterday--Kliff.

"Kliff!" Mayday shouted. Her voice immediately grabbed his attention. He looked up at Mayday and greeted her with a warm smile.

"Ah, its you kids! I just heard that you passed the test! I'm very proud!"

"Thank you, Kliff!" Mayday bowed. Kliff twiddled with a quill in his fingers. "So are you kids ready for your first hub quest?"

"You bet I'm ready!" Mayday pumped her fist in the air excitedly. Kliff chuckled. "I thought so." Kliff opened a fat, wide leather book and flipped through the delicate pages. "Ah! Here it is!" Kliff's index finger fell onto a page which read, Bird Wyverns. He flipped the page and pointed to an illustration of a monster behind the first page.

"Today you will be hunting the Great Izuchi."

"Oooh! Sounds exotic! What is it?"

"It is a bird wyvern found in the wooded areas of Shrine Ruins and parts of the Flooded Forest. They also hunt in packs."

"Ooh-that doesn't sound good."

"And heads up—they all have a blade at the tip of their tail, so be wary of that. Be sure to bring your ninja skills as well."

"Haha, we will!"

Kliff chuckled. "Good luck kids!" BBJ bowed and mounted their Palamutes. BBJ we're about to leave, but stopped. "Wait," Mayday's fuchsia gaze fell upon Kliff. "Didn't Elder Tatiana arrest you or something? Ya know, what you did with the satellite?"

"Oh, Tatiana released me because I told her I had knowledge about the Rampage. The only downside is that I am on a year of probation." Kliff grimaced. "And believe me; feeling the eyes of the NSR hunters monitor your every move is not a pleasant feeling."

Mayday only blinked at his response. "Ookay, well, we're just gonna leave now." A cast iron grip clamped Mayday's shoulders.

"Before you go," It was Tatiana. "We have one more thing for you." Tatiana clapped her hands and a worker carried a large, owl looking bird on their arm.

"Woah, what is that?"

"That is a Cohoot. They locate monsters. Each hunter gets one, and teams get only one too." The Cohoot tilted its head at Mayday. Its orange feathers opened and closed, like it was taking in warmth from the sun. Mayday squished her cheeks with the tips of forefingers.