Morning brought with it a world of trouble for Tyr. The baths were mixed, and not everyone deemed a wrap worthy of use, so he was once again exposed to far too much flesh. His breakfast was a far cry from what he ate back home. The meat, which he didn’t ask about, was tough and thick; so was his drink. Afterwards he was weighed, measured, and given a set of aging armor that fit rather snugly in all of the wrong places.

“Hey, New Guard. You’re to report for basic training in the arena whenever it is you feel ready,” a male voice reported to him from behind. “I’ve also been informed that the princesses will be attending your training. Lucky Mosswine.”

Tyr turned to see who it was, but his armor stopped him from actually doing so. The sooner he could get out of this antique, the better off he’d be.

He’d been told at breakfast that his only way out of the armor was through the arena, which was apparently a rather big deal in the city. Whole crowds of citizens came to watch hunters train against the captured monsters that they or other had brought in. Although there were always plenty of hunters willing to capture, training beasts were revitalized after every fight, if at all possible. Tyr had plenty of time to see all of this while waiting for his match with the Rhennox.

Well over a hundred hunters waited in the lobby with him, all with numbered tickets for their place in line. He’d expected a single instructor, an empty arena. That was how the stories always went with stories from hunters from other towns. This though, this spectacle was something else entirely. Not by chance, Motherly Guard was there as well. She nudged him in the ribs when he wasn’t looking.

“Hey there, New Guard,” she said. “You ready for today?”

“If I’m not, I guess I’ll know.”

“Come now, where’s your-” she let the sentence drop there, having apparently remembered something important. “Right, well. Good luck out there, you’re up next, yeah?”

“If they call me next, yes.”

“You haven’t been listening? Most people are either too nervous or too excited not to count everyone before them.”

“I suppose I’m neither then.”

“You’re a piece of work, that’s what you are. I hear the princesses came just to see you today.”

“It’s not what you think,” Tyr said.

“Yeah, you got the girls lined up like blangos in heat and you’re telling me there’s nothing going on? I don’t think so.”

“Does no one in this city listen to anyone else?” he said without thinking.

“What was that?” Motherly Guard asked, her tone taking a nosedive.

“Nothing. That’s my number.” Tyr left her to her own musings and theories, since she obviously couldn’t be helped. The instructor at the gate, far from as enthusiastic as the ones Tyr had heard of, handed Tyr a medium-sized whetstone, good for about ten sharpenings, a few potions, and a small ball containing a single, rather agitated flashbug. Last, but not least, he gave him one piece of advice.

“Don’t get killed in front of the royals, New Kid.”

As he stepped out into the roar of the crowd, Tyr scanned the arena to check for anything he could use. The area was much larger than what he’d seen from the other side of the gate, and covered entirely in sand. The marks from the previous battles hadn’t been cleaned; the smell of blood and sweat was everywhere. What was most-noticeable of all though was the sudden, booming voice of a woman he couldn’t even see.

“Now, ladies and gentlemen, welcome the newest recruit to our very own royal guard, New Guard!” People cheered and hollered. “Today, he’ll be facing off the beast you all know and love to see go down: the Rhennox!” More cheers, these ones even louder than before. Second pick in a match of only two, Tyr knew that didn’t spell anything good for him. “This is the competitor that our princesses have been waiting for, so give him another big cheer!” As the third wave of applause came, Tyr spotted the princesses in a private section with what, from a distance, looked like a black dot.

“New Guard. Are you ready for your fight?” the same woman shouted from wherever she might’ve been. Tyr nodded, only hoping he could be seen. “Alright then, work on the enthusiasm next time, and release the Rhennox!”

From across the arena, a gate lifted and out charged a rather large and grey beast. Even at this distance, he could make out several small horns across its face and a temperament that was going to be less than favorable. As it got closer, its heavy plating along the head and back came into view. This was going to be a challenge.

Tyr leapt to the side just as the Rhennox went in for the kill and swung his blade in the same action he used to draw it out. The Nifilan Edge bounced back with nearly the same force and sent him spiraling off balance.

Tyr recovered while the Rhennox spun itself around and came roaring towards him again. Once again, Tyr leapt to the side, but this time he took after the beast in hopes of staying behind it. The only problem with this plan was that the Rhennox never seemed to slow down. It took wide turns to keep its speed up as it went in for ram after ram. A simple creature, that much was true, but difficult to kill without a sharper weapon. As Tyr went in for another attack, a Melynx that commanded respect shook her head.

“I don’t understand what you see in him, ladies. He isn’t even smart enough to sweep low with his attacks.”

“You did let him into the guard, Commander,” Adaline said. “You must have seen something in him too.”

“I’m sure he’s just gauging his opponent,” Sarah added. “New Guard was an incredible hunter before the accident. He just needs time.”

“Time isn’t something he has in a fight,” the Commander said, eying Tyr as he gulped down a potion for the injuries he received on only a grazing blow.

Below, Tyr gritted his teeth and tried to will what was left of his chakra around his blade. Any increase in sharpness or strength would help tremendously. He couldn’t do it. He could only feel the weight of the blade in his hands. There was no connection at all, and there was also no way he was going to be able to get to what appeared to be a soft underbelly in the old armor he was wearing unless he was willing to be trampled for every hit. There had to be a better way of fighting the beast than just waiting for it to tire, because it didn’t seem it ever would.

So, he did the next best thing. Taking the ball in one hand, he waited until the Rhennox circled around again before crushing it and tossing it forward. For a second, the crumbled orb just flew forward, but then the flashbug inside died and Tyr closed his eyes for the flash bright enough to temporarily blind anyone in the front few rows. Hopefully they’d been smart enough to not look.

The Rhennox, instead of simply being dazed, had actually rolled over onto its back. A useful trick. Tyr took the advantage to land several piercing strikes. The beast howled, but didn’t get up until the effects of the flash wore off. Even with the full fifteen seconds of daze time, Tyr hadn’t been able to inflict enough damage to stop it, apparently. In fact, once the Rhennox was back on its feet it simply took off at full speed again. Tyr was less than glad they’d only given him one to use.

Minutes passed with nothing new. The crowd’s cheers grew less and less fevered, but Tyr hardly noticed it anyways. He took his first major hit when his armor wouldn’t move with him as well as he was used to. The Rhennox caught his leg with a horn and flipped him prone. He coughed and rolled as quickly as possible, barely saving himself from the second charge. When he got up, however, he didn’t have enough time or room to dodge.

Hundreds of pounds of angry Rhennox plowed into Tyr and sent him flying. He bounced across the arena floor twice before hitting the wall with a rather audible clang. The audience fell hushed, and Tyr could barely breathe. Pain coursed through every inch of his body without his chakra to lessen the blow at all. There wasn’t time for pain though. Not in a hunt. He pushed his body to stand and leap, but it wouldn’t move.

The Rhennox slammed against him, and the full force of the brute’s body impacted against his chest. His bones cracked as his armor caved inwards, and his muscles spasmed in shock at the pain which whited out his vision. For a second the entire world was nothing but a screaming inferno as death ran through his veins, and then it got worse. His vision returned to him and he could see the blood, his own blood, which he’d coughed over the Rhennox’s face. His body was ringing with agony, every heartbeat pulsing out a new wave of suffering to every inch. When the Rhennox actually started backing up, and his body began to fall, he swore that this was the end.

But it wasn’t.

Something in him brought up his arms to catch himself in the sand. On his hands and knees, he felt the eyes of every spectator as acutely as he felt the pain running through him. The Rhennox had taken off, but he could hear its angry hoofbeats as it circled around. Through the pain and the disorientation, he thought of Natalie, of how helpless she must have felt against the silver Rathalos, and he thought he could feel it to. It was like his soul was connected to hers through time and space. He wasn’t going to die this time. At the last second, with all the strength he possessed, Tyr shoved himself out of the way and rolled from the Rhennox’s path.

For a few moments, he lay there, trying to regain his breath and health with a quick potion. He was surprised that the Rhennox didn’t seem to be moving, and wrote it off as pain distracting him until he turned his head and saw it standing in a daze. There were a few cracks in the wall where the Rhennox must’ve struck his head, knocking himself temporarily into a state of stupor. That was the trick he’d been waiting for. Tyr got to his feet slowly, drinking the last of his potions in the process, and then trotted as best he could towards the other side of the arena. He barely made it by the time the Rhennox found him once more.

Tyr took a deep breath, waiting as close to the wall as he dared, and jumped with all his might when he knew the beast wouldn’t have the time to turn. There was a crash, and then temporary silence.

The Rhennox was dazed, but wouldn’t be for long. This was it. It had to be Tyr or the Rhennox. With a surprising amount of speed for his condition, Tyr flew forward with his katana towards the Rhennox’s side. At the last moment, he leapt forward, barely half a foot off the ground and slammed his blade into the brute’s shell.

“He just doesn’t learn,” The Commander said.

In that moment, Tyr used the last of his strength and the recoil of his impact to whip himself around. He pushed his body to power through the arc, and when his blade connected between the Rhennox’s jaws the katana cleaved straight through and embedded itself in the beast’s front legs. Blood gushed from the wound and covered Tyr’s arms as he gasped.

The crowd erupted into sound.

“Well, I’ll be a sonofakutku.”

“I told you,” Sarah said, smiling despite the gore. “He’s incredible.”

“He’s got potential,” The Commander concluded. That said, she hopped down, bowed to the princesses, and walked away as casually as a member of the Felyne family could. Adaline was whistling and applauding as loudly as anyone else in the arena, and so Sarah joined in.

At the epicenter of all the attention, Tyr struggled a bit, but finally yanked the Nifilan Edge from the Rhennox’s legs and wiped the blade on its hide to clean it before sheathing. Normally, his chakra would wipe it clean, but there wasn’t enough in him to even extract armor skills, much less clean a blade. His body was bruised and definitely broken, so he only hoped the potions he’d had could hold him over until he could see a medic. He dragged his feet every step out of the arena and back into the lobby full of cheering hunters.

Between pats on the back, some more gentle than others, and enthusiastic ‘well done’s’, Motherly Guard and Climbing Captain managed to find him and pull him out of the throng. “Never seen anyone take out a Rhennox like that before. You sure you’re not just faking this whole broken chakra thing?” Orion asked.

Tyr just shook his head, which hurt more than it should’ve. “I need a healer.”

“I’d need two if I took a hit like that in your armor,” he shouted as he ran to fetch someone with more medical expertise than himself.

Motherly Guard sat down with him, still holding her ticket. “I feel sorry for the next guy who has to go out there. It’s all a show, and an act like yours is hard to follow.”

“It wasn’t an act.”

“I didn’t mean it like that.”

“Just don’t talk right now, please.” Tyr thought of a dozen other reasons why he wouldn’t want to be spoken to before he settled on: “I just don’t want to think.” This was apparently good enough for her, as Motherly Guard didn’t say another word before the healer and his felynes arrived to cart Tyr off to the Guard Infirmary.

When Tyr woke up in a bed, stripped of his armor, he felt like hell. His body ached as it never had before when fainting from a quest. Worse than he’d ever remembered feeling in his life, in fact. As he sat up, painfully slowly, Adaline looked up from a copy of a well-known Monster Ecology text. “Awake already? You truly are as incredible as my sister would have everyone believe.”

“How long have I been out?” His head was swimming, but he forced himself to stay up.

“Oh, only a few hours.”

“And how long before I can hunt on my own again?”

Adaline twirled a bit of her golden hair and shrugged. “I’m not sure. The healer said something about regeneration stimulus and the will the live, but I’m afraid I wasn’t close-enough to hear the full explanation.”

“Who was?”

“Sarah and Clay Claw.”

“Who’s Clay Claw?” he asked. His armor was nearby, and it looked as bad as he felt. He’d need to get it repaired if he wanted to be able to breathe in it comfortably.

“I’ll tell you for a kiss,” Adaline offered, gazing up at him from where she sat with a dangerous look in her eyes. Although it took some effort, Tyr slowly raised himself out of bed, ducked himself back down to her level, and planted a gentle kiss against her cheek before pulling away as quickly as he could. “You are as tricky as a Nerscylla,” she teased. “Well, I suppose I can forgive you this time, considering your condition. Next time you’re not getting off so easily.”

“Then I’ll do my best not to need anything from you too soon. Now, who’s Clay Claw?” While Adaline might’ve been slightly off-put by his comment, she still told him his answer and watched him head out the door. He was going to be even more of a challenge than she’d expected, but that was just fine. The only fun in any hunt was the challenge.

Given a choice between trying to gain access to the Princess and the Commander, Tyr thought that the Commander would be the easier option. He wasn’t more than a few steps down the hallway, his body nearly doubling over with pain, that he reconsidered his options. Clay Claw hadn’t seemed particularly interested in him the night before, and if she was in the middle of important business it could’ve been hours before Tyr would ever have time to ask her.

Sarah, on the other hand, was a princess with her own schedule to keep. There wasn’t any better chance of her being available than the Commander. In fact, because of her status he might’ve been refused any admittance at all without her permission. He wasn’t used to the idea, but he did know how political figures worked, in theory. With little hope of finding either readily available, Tyr turned around and headed back to his bed. The medic would have to return eventually.

Not surprisingly, Adaline hadn’t moved an inch. “Back so soon?” she asked. “Did you miss me that much?”

Tyr knew it was a joke, but wasn’t certain if it was a good one or not anymore. He had laughed when people had said it back in Nifila, hadn’t he? He took another look at his armor, wondering how he’d get back into it. Clay Claw had warned him about him being out of it, and he was just in his underclothes in front of a princess he’d chided for doing the same the night before. As uncomfortable as his armor might be, it was better than the alternative. “You’re at least consistent company,” he said as he struggled into each piece of the Battle Gear.

“I thought you’d see it my way. So long as I have you, I’d like to ask you a few more questions of my own.” Adaline took a new seat on the edge of the bed. “Just what is it you’re looking for in a woman, Tyr?”

“Do you have nothing else on your mind?”

“I have plenty on my mind. Are you going to answer the question?”

“I’ll tell you what,” Tyr said as he finally managed to get the second of his greaves on. “I’ll give you an answer for every answer you give in return. Does that seem fair?”

“That sounds wonderful,” Adaline smiled. “So, what is it you’re looking for in a woman?”

“Perfection. Why is it you’re so interested in me when you hardly know me?”

“Oooh.” She sneered playfully at him. “Trickier than a Nerscylla then.” Adaline paused long enough to consider her answer. “You’re not like other men. What makes a woman perfect?”

“More things than I can count. Why should I be interested in you?”

“I believe you’ll find me perfect once you get to know me. What makes you so sure I’m not perfect?”

“I don’t even know your name.”

“Just ask for it.”

He didn’t ask. Instead, he fell silent, staring out the window at something in the distance. Whatever it was had to be too far away to be discernible by the naked eye, and yet Tyr seemed transfixed.

“What is it?” Adaline leaned against his back and set her chin on his shoulder, trying to find the point he was watching. She had to stand on her toes to do so, but it was worth the few seconds it would last.

“I’m never quite sure.” Tyr ducked his shoulder down and stepped around Adaline just as the medic was passing by. “Excuse me. I have a question.”

“You’re awake?” he asked, adjusting his spectacles. He was an older gentleman. He was also human, by all accounts, which was abnormal in a field that required as much expertise as healing. “That blow you received in the arena very nearly killed you; I was surprised you managed to stay conscious as long as you did.”

“It definitely felt like it. How long will it be before I can hunt again?”

“New Guard, I’m not certain if you know this but your chakra is broken. You shouldn’t have been in a fight with that Rhennox, much less with anything that might actually be dangerous.”

“I can’t not hunt,” Tyr said, and there was something at the bottom of his stomach that pulled down on him, but somehow pushed him forwards. “How long until I can move without feeling like I’m going to split myself in half?”

“If you were a normal, healthy human being? You’d be back in an hour. But no one prepared me for someone in your condition. It could be hours, or days, even a month. Without your chakra to speed up the healing process, there’s just no telling how long it will take.”

“Look,” Tyr countered, his voice rising with a mild heat from that downward force. “I can’t be out for weeks. I can’t be out for days. I need to go and hunt or I’ll… I’ll…” He didn’t know where to go from there. Something was wrong with how he felt, and when he realized it was that he was actually feeling something he forgot how to hold onto a feeling.

The medic nodded slowly. “I see. Well, if you’ll wait here, I do have something I can do which might help. It will probably be as painful as the Rhennox was though. Are you certain you want this?”

“Absolutely.”

Adaline smirked to herself. All her guesses had been right so far, now she just needed him to want her. “Well, with that settled, perhaps you wouldn’t mind answering a few questions of mine?”

“Certainly, Stunning Princess. What can I do for you?”

“You said that Tyr shouldn’t have been hunting in his condition. That was just because he could’ve been hurt more severely?” Human Medic actually looked straight to Tyr when Adaline said his name, his eyes wide. Luckily for him, he’d recovered by the end of her question.

“He certainly could have been. In his condition I’m astounded he was able to fight back at all, given what the chakra from even something as weak as the Rhennox should have been doing to his ability to fight.”

“So, it would take a hunter of incredible skill to do what he did then?”

“It seems that way to me, yes.”

“I’m certain of it. He proved as much in the arena today.”

Tyr didn’t look as certain as they sounded, but he didn’t say anything. He just stood there with his arms crossed and a look of concentration on his face. “Well, thank you for your help. How long should we wait for you?”

“I’ll be back in an hour as I gather what I need for the operation.”

Adaline waited until the medic left before she spoke again. “You are incredible, Tyr. I’ve seen dozens of those provings and you’re the only I know of who did what you did.”

“Who had to nearly be killed before getting a lucky strike?” His voice was back to the dull monotone again. “Do you think that what appealed to them is what makes someone a good hunter?”

“I don’t,” she urged. “But that didn’t look like luck to me.”

“It doesn’t have to look that way for it be that way. You might understand if you’d ever hunted for a day in your life, Princess.”

Adaline’s hand came up so fast that Tyr barely had time to react. By the time he’d even processed the attack, she had stopped it. Her hand quivered no more than centimeter from his face. There was only one person who’d ever spoken to her that way before. She’d stopped herself, but it took her a few moments longer to calm down. Tyr didn’t know exactly what to say, but she did.

“My name is Adaline.”

She left, just as quickly as her strike. Tyr didn’t object.

As promised, it took almost exactly an hour before Human Medic returned with a large box. “Please take off your armor and lay still on your back. As I said, this will hurt, and I still don’t know that it’ll work. Are you still certain you want to go through with this?”

“I’m sure.”

“Okay then. Again. Stay still.” Opening the box, the medic pulled out a long needle, almost the size of a sword. “This technique is one that’s normally used for those who need a chakric release. It helps them to get rid of negative emotions or long-lasting health issues. Even then, it’s not always,” the first needle slowly pierced into his arm at the crook. It was, as promised, like a fireball focused on a single point for a few moments until the needle stopped moving. “Successful.”

The pain wasn’t easier each time, especially since the old needles were just left in, stinging with any tiny movement. But, since he couldn’t feel the fear, couldn’t be nervous about each new pierce, at least his stomach felt fine. At least, he did until a needle actually pierced his stomach. The last needle the medic inserted as slowly as he could, right above Tyr’s heart. The needle inched down so slowly that Tyr thought he could feel every microscopic movement. His body was on fire, and ice, and lightning, and even dragon. He’d have killed for water.

But as the final needle reached its destination he could feel again. The pain eased into a rush of emotions that surged through him, tangling him in everything from rage to grief and joy to terror. He screamed. His body tried to wretch, but there was no direction that felt any better, and so it paralyzed itself. He was trapped in his own skin and dying to get out

But he finally felt something.