The journey back to Astera happened without any hiccups, to the relief of everybody present. The trip above the Great Ravine was the tensest moment, one where everybody expected whatever scared the Wingdrakes to appear at any moment from above, but either they were lucky or they were too big for it, it did not appear, which once the mountain chain was behind them, allowed them to relax. The trio of hunters had to be on guard at all times, ready to react at a moment’s notice.
The landscape then shifted to the desert hilltops of the Wildspire Wastes, the dangers of which they at least knew and were able to avoid. Their main concern was the lone Rathians that occasionally wandered around, the mated pairs preferring the lush greens of the Ancient Forest, but fortunately none made an appearance.
It only took a couple of days for them to finally spot Astera on the horizon to the cheers of everyone present, especially the researchers, who hadn’t seen the outpost for over a decade. A flare was quickly launched from the airship to signal their presence, though it was certain that they had already been spotted, and indeed a response was quick to appear. So Masani ordered them to maintain their heading, as they should arrive at it sooner rather than later.
Almost everybody but the critical crew was perched on the railings or windows to look at the outpost. Valen stayed on alert though, just in case a Wyvern decided to make an appearance at the last moment.
But to his relief, this did not happen, and they flew over the walls of Astera, without resounding cheers that came from below, quickly mirrored by quieter but more enthusiastic cheers from the researchers of the Airship.
They only stopped once they managed a hover over the docks, no place being available for it to land, due to the now-tilted nature of the ship. So they simply dropped the anchor in the sea and threw ropes to the sailors on duty at the dock to secure the airship. Finally, a rather long gangplank was retrieved to allow them to exit the ship on firm ground.
Masani was the first out, as was proper, with her being the leader of the whole Fleet. Arcos was waiting on the dock, and she stopped in front of him. There was a small staring contest before they simply embraced each other.
“I’m glad that you are okay. We have been worrying over you over these years. We hoped that you were okay but without any guarantees…” Arcos trailed off.
“Thank you… The beginning was rough but we got used to our situation over time.” She released him from the embrace. “I’m certain the Chief Ecologist will be giddy over all the data we have accumulated.”
Arcos chuckled. “I am sure he will.”
She now took a more serious air. “We have some new findings about Zorah, the situation is worrying. I’ll let our Hunters and Handlers share them.”
“I’ll assemble the council then.”
Both of them then left the dock, thus allowing Valen and the rest of his companions to exit the airship. They followed their superiors, knowing that they would immediately have to prepare.
Once at the meeting table, they waited for everybody else to arrive, Sophie, Ikari, and Lea organizing their notes in the meantime, as one by one, the fleet leaders and other important persons arrived at the table. The Meownster chef was the last to arrive as Arcos called for the meeting to start.
“First, we welcome Masani back to Astera, as I am certain the ordeal in the territories past the Great Ravine was not easy.” She nodded. “But that will come later, she informed me that our team made worrying discoveries while they were there.”
Sophie took over.
“Indeed. We discovered two new regions past the Great Ravine: the Coral Highlands, where the airship was stranded, and the Rotten Vale.” The Chief Ecologist was furiously writing in his notebook by then. “Just know that we have discovered that the Rotten Vale is the digestive system of the New World, allowing it to spread Bioenergy and become as abundant as it is. It is also where Elders go to die here.”
Everybody inhaled. What she just said implied that the goal of the Research Commission might soon arrive at its conclusion, which is to figure out the Elder’s Crossing. Ikari then took over.
“However… it did highlight a new irregularity: we found no recent Elder bones. We could confirm there were no new bones since the Crossing started increasing in regularity, which implies that we still have no idea what causes it.”
Then Rapha?lle followed. “However, we confirmed one thing. Zorah was originally heading for the Vale. But it has diverged from its path since.”
“So Zorah followed the pattern of disruption and we still do not know what causes it?”
“That’s the gist of it, Commander. And try as we might, we couldn’t find its trail anywhere. The New World regenerates too quickly for it.” Rapha?lle finished.
Masani nodded.
“I suggested that they go look for the First Wyverians. They have been living in this land for longer than us, they might know where Zorah is heading.”
“Then this is now your task Rapha?lle. Go look for the First Wyverians and try to get answers from them. A lot is relying on us finding Zorah, so try to do your best so that we do. There have been rumors of one at the top of the Ancient Tree itself, so I suggest you start there.”
“I will, Commander.”
Then he turned towards Valen and Aiden.
“The both of you should stay on alert, I have a bad feeling about what is happening with Zorah, so I suggest you get ready for anything.”
They nodded in response.
“The rest of you, we need to help the Third Fleet upgrade their Airship and allow them to resume their duty. I’m certain the Airship Engineer is already drawing up plans, so we just need to make sure they are executed quickly.”
“I’ll put my fleet on the construction of a proper dock for their airship.” The Second Fleet master said. “We should be done quickly enough.”
“I am also anticipating the boost to our research that sharing their findings will give us. Oh yes, I’m giddy with excitement!” The Chief Ecologist exclaimed in an excited voice.
“And I’ll make sure our logistics handle the new arrival smoothly.” The Provision Manager concluded.
“That will be all then, may the Sapphire Star light your way. Dismissed!” The Commander said to conclude the reunion.
Everybody immediately started to return to their posts, the cheerful mood having invigorated everybody with the return of the lost fleet. Valen glanced from the corner of his eye and saw one of the Wyverians who handled the logistics of Astera approaching Masani. Valen remembered that he was her sister and smiled. They would have much to share with their reunion indeed, so he would leave them to it.
Valen decided to follow Aiden, who went to the main gate leading to the Ancient Forest. They were quickly joined by Lea and Ikari who had to pick up their notes at the meeting table. Rapha?lle had already gone to her room to prepare.
“So, now that we are back, what are you going to do Valen?” Aiden asked.
“First, I’m going to relax a bit. We have been running ragged for this last month, so I’ll enjoy the time when we aren’t crucially needed to defend something or are on a time limit. Then I’ll probably help around Astera until Rapha?lle comes back.” Valen answered.
“Good idea. I don’t need to rest as much since I joined you later, but I do need to see what the Second Fleet Master can do with the Tigrex materials we brought back. There are also the Legiana materials, though I believe that Rapha?lle asked that we try using them to make something else than a set of armor. I think you have seen the Ghillie Mantles the Handlers use? She had a couple of ideas about using the wings for something similar, but she wanted to present them to the smithy first.”
“That sounds interesting indeed.” Valen turned to Lea and Ikari. “I guess the both of you are going to share your findings with the researchers?”
Lea nodded.
“Indeed. We have a lot that we need to show and we have to do it properly.”
“Good luck.” Valen then chuckled. “I hope reigning in their excitement will not be too hard.”
“Do not worry, I have learned some tricks over time.” He looked at the sun. “I’m gonna rest for a bit, I’ll come help you later.”
The other sent goodbyes while Valen went to his room with Adem following him. There he removed his armor and stretched. He hadn’t truly relaxed in a while, always having been on alert subconsciously because of either being in the wilderness or because even though the Airship had been safe for years, subconsciously he still believed it was at risk of attack in the unfamiliar region.
But at last, he was able to take a bath to decompress and enjoy what he now knew was his new home.
Surprisingly, Rapha?lle was back the next day with good news: she had already found a first Wyverian. However, instead of telling her the answers immediately, it instead asked her to prove her strength, by hunting both a Rathalos and a Diablos, by herself. The Commander gave her the go-ahead once she brought the news and gave the locations of two targets that could be hunted without disrupting the ecosystem, though she answered that she intended to attempt capture anyway, to the delight of the researchers.
She had made a new weapon out of the Odogaron she hunted while in the Vale, which would help her against the Rathalos since she did not have to worry about the ineffective fire element.
Valen and Adem helped the researchers around the outpost in the meantime, especially the Chief Botanist, who had been nurturing an ancient tree cutting. It had grown tremendously in their absence, so much so that it almost reached the top level of Astera, which was staggering. However, what was most impressive was the discovery that plants grew faster near it, which was an incredible boon since it made Potions a more available commodity instead of requiring constant gathering trips.
However, Valen instead offered something else for cultivation: Dragonfell berries. He always looked out for them while in the field, and had now acquired a sizable stock. His official reason was that he used them to distill phials for his weapon, but the real reason was that Nikki was an absolute glutton for them. Oddly, this was the complete opposite of what any other Elder did: to stay clear of them. He believed that since Valstrax was so chock full of Dragon energy, it gave them the equivalent of a small energizer instead of disrupting their powers like it did other Elders.
Still, since he had a feeling they might encounter Elders sooner or later, he believed helping to farm them would only benefit them, and he could collect the extra as gifts for his secret friend.
A few days later, Rapha?lle and Sophie came back with their task complete, but their grim faces and the fact she immediately asked to call for a meeting raised alarm bells for Valen. He exchanged a worried glance with Adem, and they followed them. Once everybody had been gathered, the Commander started the meeting.
“Judging by your face, you do not bring good news.”
“I bring the worst: We’re facing an ecological cataclysm.”
Everybody paused. This was the worst-case scenario for the Guild; when an Elder caused a threat so great to the ecosystem that it had to be stopped lest it be damaged irreparably. The last time it had been called had been for the Magala crisis. Valen was too low ranked at the time to be called, but he had heard stories of hunters who had been required to help.
“Are you absolutely certain?” The Commander asked.
“We are.” Sophie nodded as well. “The First Wyverian confirmed that Zorah should have ended its journey at the bottom of the Vale, but that something distracted it from its path. And should it continue on its current course, the New World would be bathed in a fiery inferno from the massive release of Bioenergy that would occur. The location he is currently headed for? The Everstream.”
Stolen novel; please report.
Valen frowned, he was certain he hadn’t heard about this location. He looked at Ikari, who looked pensive.
Sophie again took the lead.
“The First Wyverian told us the Everstream is where the Bioenergy is channeled through the New World. You could say it is the main artery of the continent. But it also wouldn’t be able to handle the instant release that Zorah would produce should it die there, while the Vale would diffuse it over time. Here, I drew on the map the location.” She placed the map on the table.
Everybody leaned forward to study the map. Valen immediately noticed that it looked like a spiral, coming through the heart of the Vale. He also noticed one edge of it touched the sea.
But before he could point out that fact, the Provision Manager interjected.
“We still have a problem, the operation we conducted in the Great Ravine may have been a success, but we haven’t quite recovered the supplies expanded for its completion. Wood isn’t an issue, but ammunition is.”
“I may have a solution to this issue, but first let’s determine the course of action.” The Commander said. Valen took the opening to speak.
“That place, where it barely touches the sea… Do you think it is open to it? Because if so, that sounds like the perfect place to conduct the operation.”
“That is what I thought as well. Though we used almost all ships to expand Astera upon the Fifth Fleet's arrival.” The Field Team leader pointed out.
“I forgot to ask, do you have an idea of the time we have Rapha?lle?” Valen asked.
“More than we had to prepare for the Great Ravine, I am certain.” She answered. “But I am not sure of the exact time.”
“We’ll assist how we can,” Masani said. “The airship should greatly help with logistics.”
“That will be a great help indeed.” The Manager said. “I’ll conduct an inventory so I can report how much we have at our disposal for this task.”
“We need to divert Zorah. Stopping him would not solve the issue as he still would be in the Everstream. If that spot you pointed out does have access to the ocean Valen, it would be the only place we could even attempt this.” Rapha?lle said.
Valen was about to answer before one of the sentries shouted.
“Ships on the horizon!”
Everybody looked confused for a moment except for the Commander, who grinned while still having his arms crossed.
“Well, well, well, looks like my intel was right.”
Sophie gasped.
“Is it the Argosy… And another ship?”
“Indeed. You were already on your mission then, but soon after you crossed the Ravine I sent it back with all the research we had compiled at the time, but also to request assistance. Apparently, it kicked a Vespoid’s nest back home given how little time it took to come back. I suspect our Captain got more than he thought. I received a messenger bird yesterday warning me of his impending arrival.”
Valen shook his head.
“He has guts, isn’t the sea still violent right now?”
“They are, but he became familiar enough with them over the years, and now I trust him to brave them.” The Commander concluded.
“Should we wait for him to see what we have to work with before starting to draw plans? We also should check if there even is a possible location to stage our operation.”
The Commander nodded, then turned to Jake.
“Huntsman, if you may?”
“I will do what is needed.” He answered with a gruff voice, then stood up to hitch a ride on his Wingdrake.
“This emergency council is done, we will go into further detail once we have the information we need. Dismissed!” The Commander concluded.
Valen nodded and went to the docks to wait for the Argosy, Aiden, and Adem joining him. The situation was dire, and the word spread quickly, which could be seen on the serious faces of other hunters and members. But as long as they had a way to prevail, they would be alright, Valen knew it.
What looked like the whole of Astera had now assembled in a gigantic cavern that seemed to glow from the intensity inside. They had prepared for this hurriedly but with resolve. A gigantic barrier of wood barred the way further inside the cavern, though reinforcements made of metal could be seen, bolstering its structural integrity.
Jake had returned quickly with the news that the plan was possible, and the added fact that the Captain had returned with a ship full of ammunition and supplies made it certain. One of them was even equipped with a Dragonator, a gigantic, dragon element-infused drill that was able to pierce even the Bioenergy-reinforced defenses of an Elder. It was the key for their whole operation, hedging everything on a single strike with it that would convince Zorah that it would not be wise to continue further in.
Valen, Rapha?lle, and Aiden were waiting further inside the cavern since they had another task like last time. They were the ones that would take care of triggering the traps the engineers had set up: stalactites and stalagmites ringed with explosives that would drop them or topple them once triggered. They would hopefully weaken Zorah's armor for when they would shell it at the barrier. They were discouraged from targeting Magma cores, however, since it would only plunge the Elder into lethargy, thus hindering their goal. They needed him to actively decide to go into the sea.
All of them were waiting for the signal to proceed, which would be given once Zorah was spotted. Adem and Flighty were both on their hunter’s shoulder, ready to assist them when the time came. Everybody was tense, the fate of the New World depended on the success of their endeavor. They had to succeed, otherwise the whole reason they came here would fail, along with a calamity.
The Commander had even offered anybody who wanted to go back to the Old World the ability to board the Argosy, but to their surprise, nobody did so. They all were united in their goal to see this operation through, which elicited cheers once everybody realized that fact.
At last, the signal they were waiting for echoed through the cavern. The three hunters looked at each other and nodded before whistling to their respective Wingdrakes, which immediately flew to them and carried them toward Zorah’s shell.
They each had their locations they would stay near: Rapha?lle would be at the head, Valen at the shell, and Aiden to the back. Each of them carried special ammunition for their slinger that would make it easier to trigger the explosives.
It was debated if they could use the location the hunters were waiting at as a platform to man cannons and ballistae while Zorah approached, but in the end, it was agreed to carry too great a risk of friendly fire for the hunters, so they would have no supportive fire during their task.
Valen was dropped off at his designated point and stabilized his footing on the shifting shell. Zorah was constantly moving, and he also could stand up on his hind legs if he needed to free his front paws at the cost of his mobility. That did not deter Valen however, and he looked around, paying attention to the ceiling of the cavern above him. He would have the Teostra’s share of dropping the traps on Zorah, being nearest to the cave’s ceiling. It was a risky endeavor, but there was too much of a gain for it to be dismissed, as weakening Zorah further would greatly aid them in their task.
He looked around until he spotted the first stalactite that came into range. Given it was off to the side, he believed he had the best chance to drop it since Rapha?lle hadn't targeted it yet. So he brought his left arm up, aimed with the slinger, then fired.
The brown ball, unassuming at first sight, sailed through the air and then cracked open on contact with the rock, freeing the explosive dust that was contained inside. It immediately ignited due to a spark created on impact, which started a chain reaction triggering all of the explosives wrapped around the natural spear.
The explosion was strong enough that it cracked the upper part of the rock and hurled the massive spear downwards, directly toward Zorah’s shell.
Valen had already found a place to brace himself, as a violent rocking immediately shook the whole shell of Zorah. Whether it was from pain or discomfort, he couldn’t know, but it affected the Elder.
Once the shaking subsided Zorah continued walking, but it seemed a bit more hesitant, a bit more careful. He didn’t notice anything else unusual though, so he dismissed it and prepared to wait for the next rock he could drop.
Which wasn’t long to come, but instead of him it was Rapha?lle who detonated it this time, a stalagmite that jutted out over the Elder's path. The spire of rock was engulfed in an explosion before tipping over towards Zorah’s flank. It did not bite as deeply as the one Valen had dropped, but it still had an effect.
However this time Zorah knew something was wrong and seemed to start trying to avoid the biggest stalactites that were on the road. It proved that the Elder recognized something was wrong and was trying to adapt to avoid the danger. It was able to dodge a couple of them, but not all, and over its entire journey towards the erected barrier, the group dropped as many of the improvised traps over the Elder’s shell as they were able.
But eventually, they ran out, and in the area before the barrier they seemed to no longer be big enough to be worth it, so the group of hunters whistled for their Wingdrakes. Their part was over and they would need to get to the next one, which was to shell Zorah with cannonballs until he decided that pursuing this path was not worth it. Valen believed that it was already considering it, given the cautious steps it was taking.
Their flight was short, and they were dropped off at the top of the barrier, where several cannons were placed, as well as their supply of cannonballs. All cannons were ready to fire and filled to the brim, they just had to wait for Zorah to enter their range, which would happen soon.
Valen knew roughly what range the cannons had, but that initial volley was important, they had to truly show that pursuing forwards would not be a worthwhile adventure for Zorah. So they had to strike as hard as they could.
Zorah was wading through the water, as it had been for most of its journey in the Everstream. It was only after the barrier that the water subsided, revealing the jagged terrain of the long cave that spanned the entire continent.
And suddenly, cutting through the stomping sounds Zorah was creating, the Commander’s voice boomed out loud and clear.
“FIIIIIIRE!”
Valen immediately slammed closed the storage for the cannonballs and pulled the lever that triggered the firing mechanism. Immediately after, the cannon started firing a volley of shots, the strange mechanism allowing each to be fired independently. The booming noise reverberated through the cave, echoed by the other dozen cannons that fired at the same time. Thankfully Valen’s sealed helmet dampened the infernal noise, but Adem wasn’t as lucky, and the Palico groaned as he covered his ears to protect them.
A massive volley of cannonballs arced through the air, visible through the ambient light of the cave, and everybody stared at them, waiting for their impact. And then they reached Zorah.
The Elder was immediately bathed in explosive fire, hidden for several seconds as the rolling barrage ensued, and it shrieked in pain, a sound which grated on everyone’s ears. Then the barrage ended and the smoke dispersed, revealing the aftermath.
Large portions of its shell were cracked, creating new flows of the internal magma that coursed through it and lighting it up with renewed light. Its “beard” had been completely obliterated, and it seemed that the magma core on its head was cracked, but still functioning. Zorah seemed stunned for a moment, but it did not last long, as it roared in pure rage, a roar so intense that echoed through the cavern, chilling Valen’s bones. They made it angry… But would that work for or against them? They all hoped for the former.
“GOOD JOB HUNTERS, NOW RELOAD AND FIRE AT WILL!”
The Commander’s voice snapped them all of the trance that seemed to have taken everybody, and they rushed to reload the cannons from the nearby piles of cannonballs. Valen carried them the short distance that separated them, assisted by his Felyne companion, who had to heft them above himself to get the leverage to move them. He knew Adem could handle himself though and would only be insulted by an offer of help.
Once they reloaded the siege engine, they fired it again, and soon enough a constant barrage was impacting Zorah, who braved it nonetheless and walked purposefully towards the barricade. The cacophony of the first strike became a loud background noise, a staccato of percussion that never stopped, and increased in frequency over time.
While each cannonball did not do much, the sheer quantity that was pelted at the Elder certainly had an effect. The side that was exposed to the most volume of fire, that being from the ship and half of the barricade was simply being eroded, being dug into slowly by the explosive ammunition.
Zorah still pushed through and eventually came to face the barricade. Then it did something that it hadn't done before: it started charging an attack in its gigantic maw. Valen’s eyes widened. There was no doubt what kind of attack he was charging, given the observable qualities of the monster… and while it probably wouldn’t destroy the barricade in a single blow, it would severely weaken it, possibly enough to let Zorah smash through.
He was about to attempt to do something that was most likely extremely reckless when the Commander’s voice boomed again.
“HUNTERS! WHERE IS MY DRAGONATOR!?”
A faint reply came, from the Field Team Leader.
“Ready where you are, Sir!”
“THEN FIRE!”
Immediately Valen noticed a figure pulling the lever that released the Dragonator, which immediately started spinning before extending at incredible speed. It immediately started drilling into the rear side of Zorah, and it was drilling deeper, going through the sturdy rock layer… and eventually, a gigantic spray of blood erupted from it.
Zorah screeched in pain, the sound finally loud enough to even overcome the protections of Valen’s helmet, who reflectively attempted to clamp his hands over his ear and gritted his teeth. The sound was amplified by the cavern, making it much worse than it usually would.
Eventually, Valen’s ear stopped hurting and he immediately looked at Adem. The Felyne had a pained look on his face, but there was nothing Valen could do for him at the moment. He looked at Zorah, expecting it to be angry… only for it to have a look of fear in its eye, as it was staring at the now bloodied Dragonator. It seemed to be completely surprised to see the result. Valen could almost see it starting to think and hoped that they hadn't made it angrier than it was before.
Then, suddenly it seemed to have a clearer look in its eyes, looked towards the sea that was visible from the large entrance, and immediately dove into the water, where it got deep quickly and began to swim away, out of the Everstream.
There was a pause, then everybody cheered as loud as they could. They had done it, they had managed to divert Zorah from its course, saving the New World. Valen smiled and exhaled in relief. The previous weeks where they had been preparing for the operation had been extremely tense, as everyone knew the stakes and that there would be no do-overs.
To his surprise, Rapha?lle and Aiden came to him and immediately did a group hug. He was surprised for a split second, before returning it.
“We did it… I was afraid we would fail and have to suffer the consequences of our failure, but that’s no longer a worry.” Rapha?lle confided. “So much rested on our shoulders.”
“We kicked its Lun-ass-tra!“ Aiden joyfully said.
Everybody chuckled at Aiden’s joke, as it helped reduce the tension.
Valen was about to say something when Jake dropped next to them, the Wingdrake that was carrying him now going to perch on the ship. “Good job. I was not with you as the Commander asked me to keep an eye out for any surprises we might have. I thought we would see the return of our spiky menace, but strangely it was absent. At least it meant we did not have any distractions during our operation.”
Valen nodded, but internally he agreed with Jake, something was off. Nergigante was interested in Zorah the last time, and it recognized the opportunity for what it was. But the fact it wasn’t present this time meant something had to be off.
He pondered on that as the celebrations continued and everybody rejoiced in their victory. And for some reason, he believed something had happened.
