The Monster Trapper

Chapter 1

"ROAR!"

Sounds of a rage-filled roar ranged through the stone jagged area within the Ancestral Steppe landscape. The area war large with a big round nest in the middle, and all around were burnt dead trees and jagged stones angle inward and upwards around the area, like an arena of sorts. It had two pathways leading into it, and a cliff for anyone who dared jump it.

And standing on one part of this arena area was a Rathian. Rathian is a medium-sized true flying wyvern. Her hide is a duller and more muted colour, and her lower mandible features a long, protruding chin spike. Her upper back and wingtips are covered in a moss-like fur not seen on the Rathalos, and while her clubbed tail lacks bony spikes, it makes up for this with its ability to poison foes upon contact.

After her roar, she glared her bright yellow eyes at the intruders who dared challenge her. It was a human and two felynes, all three of which were covered in similar armor.

The human was male who stood about six feet and four inches tall and was covered in blood red tinted color insect armor known as Nerscylla S Armor, full body armor, its pigment is red while the rest are black. In the grip of his left hand was a large blue blade with the appearance of sharp ice and a cartridge close to the hilt and in the grip of his right hand was a large icy blue shield with what looks like a sharp teeth-like appearance in the center; the weapons known as Squaliarma.

Behind this hunter stood two Palicoes, to the left was a normal colored Scylla Armor, and carried a scythe-like weapon in its right paw. To the right was the other Palicoe in blue pigment colored of the Scylla Armor as well, and in her left paw was a scythe-like weapon. They both stood in the matching height of one foot and six inches tall.

"Meow, let's get the meownster!" yelled the left palico, voice sounded female and waved her scythe overhead. Then she charge forward while calling, "Come Josephiroth, Nealerea! To battle, meow!"

"Sasha, don't charge at it!" shouted the other, the voice sounded female as well.

The charging palico stopped and turned to shout, "How many times must I tell you, meow?! In battle I'm Slashuur, not Sasha! MEOW!" Was suddenly pushed aside by the Rathian's foot, which roared and was charging towards the hunter.

"Look out meow!" called Nealerea as the blue armored leaped out of the way.

Josephiroth didn't dodge, merely raised his large shield in front for a block and got pushed backward the moment the Rathian struck him. He had braced for impact and been sent backwards a few feet till the Rathian stopped. Then started swinging his blade at its feet, striking at it for a few times before having to jump out of the way from her tail-swipe.

Knowing the pattern of the Rathian, he dodged the next tail-swipe before getting back at striking at the legs. The canister in his sword started to glow yellow as he kept on slashing in his own pattern.

That is until the Rathian leaped up and did her own backflip, swung her tail and struck him. He went flying and banged his helmet covered head against one of the large rocks in the area. Luckily for him that he didn't get poisoned from the strike, mostly because of his armor's purpose. But after he got back up, his arms dangling down, weapons still held in his grip as he wobbled, seeing stars in his dizzy state.

"You damn meownster!" yelled Slashuur, her shout gained the Rathian's attention. "Meow! That's right you stupid meownster, over here!"

"Hold on Joey, I'm coming!" called Nealerea, running to him on all fours. The moment she came close, she leaped up as high as she could and hit the right side of head, awaken from his confusion.* "Sorry meow! You okay?"

"I'm okay Nala," Josephiroth replied. "Thanks for the help, now let's go help Sasha." Nala nodded and they both turned and headed over to the battle.

"It's Slashuur meow!" called Sasha, somehow heard them, but at that moment, the Rathian turned around once, swung her tail and hit Sasha, sending her flying. "MEOW!"

"Go help your sister, Nala," Josephiroth said as he still charged toward the Rathian. Nala goes do so, heading over to her sister.

Like in predicable patterns of the wyvern, it did a second spin around. Allowing the hunter to at least dodge the tail swipe and then slashing quickly at her legs with his blade. After another slash downward, two things happened.

One, scales shattered off the Rathian's leg. And two, the cartridge in his blade was glowing red and showing static.

'Perfect timing,' the hunter thought. He swung his shield arm back and pressed a hidden button, causing the teeth-like middle to spread open, the bottom part of it pushed outwards as well like a long hidden blade and a slot area in the middle. He quickly thrust his sword in, once inside the slot, he pressed a button, moved the charged up cartridge into the shield and loaded an empty cartridge into his sword and pulled out his blade.

The Rathian continued to struggling trying to get up while Slashuur and Nealerea were now coming back to join the fight, coming back to the neck of the Rathian and slashing their scythes at the armored scales that covered her head.

Just as the shield return to its normal state, the charged cartridge inside moving into its right place. He did so again, pressed the hidden button to make the shield spread open, but then thrust his sword in and activating its second purpose.

The sword and shield combined into one as he swung it over his shoulder, revealing it to be now a battle-axe. And in that swing, he slashed down at the tail part of the Rathian. After breaking a few scales, he pressed another hidden button within the battle-axe to make it showed static energy while he swung it, striking the tail about two more times, leaving behind two static orbs.

At that point, the Rathian stood, and just as it about to unleash another angry roar. The static orbs exploded, severing the part of her tail-end off the rest of her tail. She cried in agony as she leaped away from the hunter and palicoes.

'My blade maybe stronger after it been upgraded, but it should've taken more than mere two explosive sparks,' the hunter thought while Slashuur cheered and went to carve the tail-end. 'This Rathian either been attacked before by another hunter, or just became an adult age.'

After her growls of agony, she turned to look at them in a fury, and then took a deep breath and expelled out her mouth a fireball. It soared toward them.

"Meow! Look out!" cried Nala as she leaped out of the way.

"Hey I'm not done carving!" yelled Slashuur as she was grabbed by the hunter with one hand and managed to leap out of the way of the fireball. He leaped slow though, for the weight of his charge-blade battle-axe form had slowed him down for he didn't let go of it.

The fireball had hit parts of the ground closes to the cut-off tail-end and nearly hit his battle-axe. Josephiroth set her down and said in an annoyed tone, "Never carve until the creature is out of the area, not when it's still here."

"Meow, I forgot," Slashuur replied, sounded embarrassed. Then instantly looked towards the Rathian, forgetting what happened before, "Onward my meownions! To victory, meow!" And she charges towards the Rathian, who seemed about to charge.

"Oh sister," Nealerea murmured as she helmet-covered face-palmed, then started to chase after as well, rushing by the nest in the middle, heading to join her sister to attack the Rathian.

Josephiroth quietly chuckled and shook his head, then took grip of his charged battle-axe and started to follow. Seeing the Rathian seem about to charge, he would've jumped out of the way. But as the Rathian neared its nest in charge, Slashuur was once more pushed aside while Nealerea had jumped out the way.

The Rathian didn't continued, just leaped herself into the air, flapping her wings, staying airborne. This confused the hunter for a second, but he was prepared for this moment.

He took his hand from the hilt of the battle-axe, caused it to be weighted into the ground while he fished through the hidden pockets within his armor and pulled out a small ball. He quickly hurled it forward.

The two palicoes saw what he did and quickly covered their eyes, just as he did so as well. It burst and emitted a blinding flash of light.

The Rathian roared in agony, blinded by that temporary light and crashed down on the ground, in a dizzy state and still tried to get up.

"Purrrrfect! Attack!" yelled Sasha after seeing the downed Rathian after the flash bomb. She quickly charges forward, and Nala followed behind.

Josephiroth about to follow as well, but as he came near to the nest, he had just saw what was in it. He halted and stared at the nest, seem froze for hours as he realized the truth in his mind.

It look the Rathian less than a minute to finally get herself back up, and in the rest of that minute to get out of her dizzy faze. She roared out, breaking Josephiroth from his thoughts.

"Meow! Come Nealerea! Rath-of-Meow time!" Sasha said her sister beside her, Nala quickly nodded and both of them leaped into the ground, quickly digging and vanished into the dirt.

Once he could hear again, he then did pressed a hidden button on the hilt, causing his charged battle-axe to shift back into the shield and sword. He does so in a quick motion while turning around and then placed the sword and shield into the straps on his back, securing them in place.

He rushed over to the cliff area, but as he does so…

Bursting out of the ground close to the raging Rathian come a small but moving palico tank. Both sisters sitting behind the controls of this small version of a tank.

"Time to blast this Rathian with our Meownzer Tank!" yelled Slashuur with glee, she and Nealerea did a quick hi-paw before taking control of their assault vehicle.

Hearing this, the hunter had stopped and turned around, "NO SLASHUUR!" he had yelled loudly as he could.

"Wait what?!" called the palico, but the shout from the hunter at alerted the Rathian as well. The hunter didn't move away from the cliff, "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"

"Move away from the cliff, Joseph!" called out Nealerea.

The hunter didn't moved, he heard them; he just chose not to move. The Rathian then fired a fireball from her mouth; it headed straight at the hunter.

BAM!

It struck him in the chest and exploded in a violent burst of flame, sending him over the cliff and plummeted down into the depths.

"JOSEPH!" cried Nala as she leaped off their battle tank and quickly followed by digging down into the ground.

"WAIT SIS! OH COME ON!" Sasha cried, had to ditch their tank, for it can only work with two palicoes, and she went to follow her sister into the ground.

The Rathian had turned to where the tank was, but saw no sign of the two Scylla armored felynes. Seeing no intruders around, the Rathian gave this moment a tired growl, had gotten exhausted and slowly headed over to her nest to rest.

In the area, a nesting grounds of ground predators, which was currently vacant of any ground predators at the time. With high vine-covered floor-like that can be easily climbed up upon. Closer to the climbable wall that leads up to the cliff area of the previous area.

The hunter had spent a small moment of rolling around and was now currently sitting in a meditation position. He had pulled out a corked jar of green water, a potion, uncorked it and then moved one part of his head-covered helmet to reveal an opening for a mouth and he drank the potion.

As he does so, close by, bursting out of the ground came forth his two comrades.

"JOSEPH!" cried Nala as she first came out, and Sasha came out as well. When they landed, they saw his current state.

"Yo," said the hunter, had stopped for a moment from his drink, and went back to gulping down the rest from the jar.

"Thought so," Slashuur meowed, doesn't seemed surprised.

As for Nealerea, she currently had her scythe on her back, but her paws were currently clenched. She growled and when Josephiroth had stopped drinking and started to put the jar back into one of his hidden pockets.

"Joseph," she quietly growled as she stepped toward him. "What did I say about using that tactic?"

"Like I always say, don't worry about it, I did that tactic multiple times before," he replied, stretching himself.

Nala had leaped upon him and slapped the left side of his helmet, just as the mouth area closed.

"Wrong answer buster!" she meowed with anger. "That every time you do that kind of stunt makes us worry, meow!"

"Not me," Slashuur meowed, had her arms crossed. "He done this multiple times sis, kinda expected that to happen really. Just means to show that the meownster is currently ready for capture. You know, give the meownster the satisfaction of removing a threat, false-hope." The moment Nala turned to glare at her, Slashuur froze in fright and quickly said, "Actually what I mean to say, meow, is that using yourself as a decoy is very bad and you should be ashamed… meow!"

"Traitor…" the hunter whispered, getting the close range of Nala's glare once more.

"Just for what you did, your punishment is cleaning up the mess in the caravan back at Val Habar!"

"Uh… he basically does that all the time, sis," Sasha meowed, was getting herself back up.

"Including cooking duties and Nappa's latrine duty," Nala meowed, if she wasn't wearing a face-covered helmet, they would've seen her smirking.

"Ooh… free dinner for us later!" Sasha meowed while the hunter, who still was sitting, laid his back down on the ground, showing he didn't like that punishment. "Oh, and cleaning Nappa's stable too… ew."

The hunter groaned while Nala had gotten off of him, giggled.

After a while of climbing, the hunter and the two palicoes had climbed up the cliff, arriving back into the wyvern nest area. They saw the Rathian sleeping in its nest, and the moment they did, the hunter quietly whispered to them.

"Shh, be very, very quiet, I'm going to set the trap," Josephiroth stated as he slowly walked over to the sleeping wyvern. The two palicoes standing nearby, being quiet as possible.

As the hunter slowly snuck into the nest, inching closer to the big, mean, sleeping dragon. Trying to not cause a sound, he came close to its back. And with that, he carefully got down on his knees and reached into the compartment in his armor and brought out a device, a shock trap. He then carefully sets it close to where its feet would be when it stands.

The moment it was set and ready to activate at any moment, he slowly got up and gave thumbs up with his right hand to the two waiting palicoes. Both of them nodded, each holding red painted balls, tranquilizer bombs.

Josephiroth had stood up and rushed out of the nest, trying to make much noise as possible, such as stepping on tree branches and making them step, kicking pebbles to make annoying noises.

And by doing so, had caused the Rathian's eyes open, alerted of the sudden noise. She raised her head and saw the hunter standing so close to her nest. Alarmed, she quickly got herself back up and growled angrily at the hunter. But then the Rathian's right foot had stomped onto the device.

And it activated and bursts of static surges through the Rathian's body, shocking her, paralysis her in a state. She growled weakly, trying to get free.

"Go," the hunter said as he kneeled down to the Rathian, and the wyvern saw the two armored felynes had leaped up behind the hunter and hurled two red orbs at the wyvern's head. One hitting in the eye and the other hitting in the mouth, both of which burst and expelled gas.

The moment it breathed it in, it then collapsed, falling back down onto the nest side. Eyes closed and went back to sleep, but this time in a very deep sleep.

"Meow! Mission success!" Slashuur cheered, Josephiroth stood up and started to draw out a field horn from one of his hidden compartments in his armor. "And now with the battle over, you now can call me Sasha again, meow!"

Josephiroth raised the horn into the air, and breathed into it five times in a row. Every hunter needs to carry a horn for this one purpose, to alert the others waiting outside the Ancestral Steppe landscape that the mission within was completed.

The purpose of the horn calls have different purposes at times, for now though. Blowing it five times in a row and loudly is to tell the group who're waiting to pick up the team who went into this landscape one thing.

The target creature is captured!

"So Joseph, I'm confused," Sasha meowed, looking up to the hunter as he pocketed the horn. "Why was the meownster so weak? This is an HR Four mission, right?"

"When I had severed the tail, I thought this mission should've been an HR One," the hunter replied, crossed his arms. "Until I saw one certain detail that changed it entirely."

"Meow, what's that?" asked Nala.

"Take a look," Joseph said as he pointed with his right armored hand to the nest.

Curious, the two palicoes walked over to the nest, and saw what lay within. What they saw had their eyes widen, despite the fact their covered with Scylla helmet, the blue thin-layered eye-plates allows them to see through it.

And they were looking at Rathian eggs, four in total.

"Whoa! Wait a minute! This Rathian is a mother?! The guild lady didn't mention anything about eggs!" yelled Sasha, sounded furious.

The hunter had come over to the palicoes, and then placed his right armored hand on one, rubbing it slowly before pulling back, revealing some stickiness.

"It's because their recently laid," he said, showing the stickiness gunk on his armored hand to the two palicoes before wiping it on the ground. Then he turned to the Rathian, "She must've laid her eggs right before we even arrived, that's why she was so weak."

"Oh no…" Nala said, sounded sad. She knew one thing about her comrade, she turned to him, "What do we do?"

The hunter sighed as he stood up, "As usual, continue as planned. Once the group arrive to tie up the Rathian for escort to a sanctuary, I'll tell them to carefully transport the eggs with her. These eggs belong with their mother." He looked at the sleeping Rathian, "The mother who likely would tear me apart if she still remembers me for a time and if any of her eggs are missing, likely spend a few months waiting till her tail regrows again."

"Oh tail!" Sasha recalled and quickly scurried over to the cut off tail-end and started carving.

Nala remained by her hunter's side, "What if they…?"

"I'll give them the same warning that I give to any hunter who dare do egg missions," he replied, he looked at the nest again, looking at the eggs. "And if I learn that any of them destroy one of these eggs, I will sever their pride and hunt them down like monsters as well."

"Does that mean no egg for supper?" called Sasha, earning a harsh glare from the hunter in her direction. "Joking! I'm joking! Meow, I know you don't like it when people eat eggs!"

"Please don't joke about it sister, it's no funny joke," Nala meowed with a groaned.

Sasha sighed, "Sorry, couldn't resist, meow."

After about a minute, the transport crew arrived with their transport vehicle, a large airship arrived and had temporary docked down as close as possible. The hunter gave a brief report to the captain of the vessel while the workers tied up the sleeping Rathian in thick rope and carefully transported onto the ship and placed into a large cage.

Josephiroth had threaten one of the workers when they were handling the eggs, had pointed his sword at his throat, giving them a warning to never crack those eggs.

And with all that, the hunter and two palicoes had come aboard and the airship set sailed, heading back to the Gathering Hall. And once there, the hunter collected his pay and rewarded materials and items.

Exiting the large front gates of the Gathering Hall, the hunter and two palicoes came out into the busy parts of Val Habar. Seeing other hunters and few palicoes about, some hunters heading into the Gathering Hall or heading out like them.

"Well the Street Cook is currently busy," meowed Nala, looking at what looks like an outdoor restaurant of a white furred palico cooking lots of meals for paying customers, mostly hunters and their teammates. Of course the option of eating there or eat in the Gathering Hall.

Sasha groaned, "Meow, why is it always so busy?" Was walking with their hunter, walking through the street, passing by other people.

"You know why, it's afternoon sister, lots of hunters are getting ready for missions," Nala stated what was a known fact for the hunters.

They had walked by the market lady advertising some items she selling, she tried to lure in the trio with potions that were on sale, but they just kept on walking. They walk past the wycoom too, no need of going there, at least not yet.

"Still sis, it's rather annoying. Why can't they just do that in the Gathering Hall instead of out here, it feels so good to eat right now and have a nap in the sun," Sasha meowed, smiling under her helmet as she imagine the feeling.

"We could always eat Joe's cooking."

"EW! NO WAY! Sorry Joseph, but your cooking is terrible! Heck I gave the salad to Nappa and he threw up!"

The hunter merely rolled his eyes under the helmet, he knew that's true. Despite being skilled at creating desired items he needs, cooking food like well-done steak was impossible for him, he always gets it burnt. And even so, he would still eat it just to satisfy his stomach.

"And we can go eat AFTER Joseph finishes his punishment," Nala purred a bit, they walked pass the blacksmith forge where The Man was working. Then walked by the weapon seller.

'Might need to buy a regular rank one charge-blade later, there are some missions that specifically state only rank one weaponry,' Joseph thought to himself as he kept on walking with his two trusted friends.

And eventually the three of them arrived to the caravans' parking lot; basically it is a parking lot for any hunter who owns a caravan. Basically each caravan is parked beside one stable for their pulling creature to rest in.

While most caravans had popos resting in the stables beside them, Josephiroth doesn't have one of those furry herbivore creatures. Instead, what he has in his stable beside his caravan…

Is an Aptonoth. Aptonoth are cow-like creatures with leathery gray skin. They have black stripes along their backs and a head reminiscent of a Hadrosaur. They have a large, two-pronged crest protruding from their heads and a flat, spiked tail. And this one is about eight feet tall, and was currently sleeping in the stable, instead of greeting them like a pet would to an owner.

Both palicoes reached up to their helmets and were taking them off. Revealing their heads and body color fur, Sasha mainly has white fur with some blondish yellow and black spots of fur, yellow fur covering the left side of her head, black fur covering the right side, and her mouth and nose and whiskers are white. And Nala has similar colors as Sasha, except her left side of the head is black, and the right side is blondish yellow.

"Well Joseph," Nala meowed, smiled up to the hunter, "we're going to take a nice lovely nap on the bed. So you have the choices of either cleaning Nappa's latrine, or cleaning the caravan and trying to be nice and quiet as possible. Which will it be?"

At that moment, sounds of a large fart came from Nappa's stable, alerting them of what a stinky moment it will be once he does that duty.

He turned to look down at Nala while Sasha was heading up the ramp into the caravan, he asked, "Before I do my duties, will it be alright if I go do a quick shopping first?"

After a moment as Nala thinks, tapping her chin with her free paw. "Hm, very well, you got thirty minutes to change into your non-hunting clothes and go shopping. But if you're late, then be expecting to add in back massages in your duties. So chop-chop," she grinned as she turned and headed up the ramp into their caravan.

'Sheesh, why do you keep pretending to be a motherly figure?' Joseph asked to himself in thought. Then he looked upwards for a moment, 'Thinking of it, wonder how mom, dad and my brothers doing right now? Was it a month since I sent the last letter, kinda hard to remember though, it has been like four years since I last…'

"Hurry up Joseph, your timer is ticking," called Nala.

Clearing his thoughts on the matter, he walked up the ramp into his caravan and stepped inside.

The insides of the caravan is large and spacious, carpets covered the floor with nice patterns. To the left was a barrel, a human-size bed, an open window and crate. To the right are spare sets of caravan wheels, three sacks, a pile of books, two chests, a felyne figurine, a large region map on the wall. And in the back of the caravan are curtains, a desk, a chair, and several books as well. And hanging from the roof of the caravan were hammocks as well.

Pretty much most hunters in other caravans keep a pet, a poogie, which is basically a pig. But for Joseph, he doesn't have one, reason why for not having a pet pig is rather simple. He's allergic to them, tend to throw up the moment he had detected their scent. This is one bright side for wearing a helmet that covered his face except the eyes at times.

As for the reason of the two chest boxes he keeps in the caravan, both chests are well organized. But in one chest are filled with items and materials, and in the other chest are filled with multiple versions of the charge blade and armor sets and clothes, along with talismans he had found during his hunts.

And once he opened it, he first took off his large shield and sword and stacked it inside the chest. Then he reaches up for his helmet, removing the straps within and disconnecting it from the torso armor.

By doing so, in the back of the helmet, after allowing an opening, long whitish silver hair flowed out of the back. Right before the mission, he had stuffed his hair into his helmet before connecting it to the torso armor. Continuing removing his helmet, revealed his face. Unlike his long whitish silver hair, he had a goatee around his mouth that is blondish yellow. He has brown eyes and small rectangular eyeglasses pressed against his eyes a bit.

Once the helmet was off and set down into the chest, he started with his gauntlets, unstrapping and disconnecting it from the torso armor. Then the legging armor, and then the frauds, and then lastly his torso armor. Once his full body set of Nerscylla S armor was inside the chest, he stretches himself a bit.

He has pale white skin, mostly wearing the armor for a long while, a muscular build. And he had clothes on, that were underneath the armor before. He wore a red and black tunic with yellow lining, black pants that reaches halfway around the legs as well as yellow lining, and he wore black fingerless gloves and shoes, both of which too have yellow lining. These clothes are basically considered pajama clothes.

'And yet people mistake hunters who don't wear armor assumed their wearing chakra,' amused Joseph, recalling that detail.

"Twenty minutes Joseph," Nala stated as she and Sasha were lying on the bed, both of them not wearing armor. Sasha wore a white vest while Nala wore a blue vest.

"Thanks for reminding me," Joseph replied, it had taken him over five minutes to take off the armor. And with what he's been currently wearing, he turned and headed out the caravan.

"That will be one-thousand-nine-hundred-and-fifty zenis for the Elite Blade, sir," said the man who works at the Val Habar Armory.

Knowing the price by heart really, since he got a lot of upgraded charge blades back in the caravan. He paid the man and then took hold of his new large shield and sword; he placed them on straps upon his back.

"See you again real soon, meh heh," said the seller, whom chuckled.

"Hm," Joseph replied with a nod, had turned around and walked away.

As he neared the open clear areas of the street, he stops to think for a moment. He thought to himself, 'Hm, what to do, I still got time. I could go to the smithy forge and pay for the upgrade to make the Elite Blade become Elite Blade Plus, make it stronger for rank one, and come back to retrieve it after supper. Hm yeah, that actually sounds like a good idea. I'll do that after I buy a few…'

Bonk in the head as he felt what was like a ball, it bounced off him and rolled away. Annoyed for a moment, he turned around, seeing who decided to throw a ball at him.

His eyes widen in shocked surprised at what he saw chasing the ball. 'A Stygian Zinogre?!' he thought, was about to reach for his sword, but stopped himself as he noticed something strange, well two things actually.

One, it was smaller, and two, it was chasing the ball like a dog.

"Sorry!" called someone, and with that, Joseph turned to look at the being whom supposedly threw that ball before. And he saw what looks like a rookie hunter coming towards him. The boy spoke, "Really sorry about that, sir."

And his eyes still widen as he just watched the Stygian Zinogre come over to the boy, carrying the ball in its jaws. It was playing fetch with the boy!

For a moment, still surprised as he looked at the creature before turning to the boy. He asks, "Is that your pet?"

"Hunting partner actually," the boy replied, "saved me a couple of times."

Hearing the word 'partner' and calling the creature that had brought up old memories in Joseph's mind, of event that had happened over four years ago. He shook his head to clear his mind for a moment, and now feeling curious to see about something, he asked as he held his right hand out, "May I?"

The boy complied by placing the saliva-covered ball, and after he took hold of it, he watched the Zinogre for a moment, seeing the creature eying the ball. With a soft but good throw, chucking it away. The creature turned and chased after the bouncing ball and snatches it before it got too far.

This brought another memory into his mind once more, recalling throwing raw meat to a friendly predator he knew of long ago. He smiled a bit as he turned to the boy, "It got a name?"

"His name is Fenrir," the boy replied with a smile. "I'm Zane. Just came to town with my sister and friends."

'How does he know this stygian is a male?' Joseph mentally asked himself. Learning the fact that this boy who has somehow had tamed a Stygian Zinogre and has him as a friend made Joseph smile a bit more. It still reminded him a bit more on certain memories, but the boy had stated one fact. He and others came to town, a group of hunters. Don't know if they have their own caravan or not, but one thing is known in these lands. Whoever owns a caravan can travel in groups of other hunters.

Despite the fact Joseph tends to be the only hunter in his caravan with two palicoes, he does join group quests at the Gathering Hall or Dundorma Assembly. But mostly the fact that he is now willing to have hunters travel with him in his caravan was rather simple. The possibility to learn a bit more of the Stygian Zinogre lifestyle in a tame environment. Joseph was a bit of a researcher at times too.

"I am Joseph, Monster Trapper and Caravan Owner," Joseph replied, stating simple truths of himself for a moment. For in the future, if Zane and his sister and friends are in need of a caravan, at least they would know of one.

As Fenrir came back, carrying the ball back to Zane, the boy took the ball. Then the Stygian Zinogre became curious of him and was sniffing him for a moment. Raising his right hand close to his nose, he felt the creature licked his hands, just like a young pup would. And with closer view of Fenrir had given Joseph a thought that just crossed his mind.

'This is a young pup!' he thought to himself. Realizing that fact had gotten into his head of the possibility that Zane had somehow kidnapped the young pup from his original family. Mentally he seethed, for the idea of kidnapping children from families deeply angers him, while on the outside, he tried to stay calm. So as he looked at Fenrir, still licking his hands, he said, "Cute little fur ball you got."

"Thanks Joseph," Zane replied, smiling a bit, seem to look proud.

In that moment, Joseph's signature glare came forth as he looked down at the boy, and said in a very serious tone, "How did you get him?"

Zane looked surprised, caught him off guard it seems. He looked to Joseph and he said, "I was in the tundra, I was cooking some meat and Fenrir wanted some. I gave it to him and he took off, chasing after the stygian, he lead me to his dead parent. Having lost my parents to a Silver Rathalos, I felt sorry for Fenrir and took him in. After that… he's been with me for a couple months now."

'Thus saying one good reason why I don't like killing adult parents,' Joseph mentally sighed as he looked down at Zane. He was happy to know that the boy took in the stygian after he lost his mother, giving the creature a warm home maybe. But he was also angry, mostly towards the fact of most hunters.

He had seen a few who are disgusted of egg missions like himself, and even several hunters who are quite interested in the creatures as well and prefer the capture way instead of the killing way. Those types of people had earned his respect. Zane here has basically taken in an orphaned pup and took care of him, that's enough for Joseph giving him respect.

He still was angry though about the loss of life of a parent, such is the terrible life of a hunter. For one day the hunter will become the hunted.

"Zane!" called by another boy, coming over to them. "Ivy asked you give you some water," then the boy saw Joseph, "who are you?"

Instead of replying, Joseph turned away and walked off. He had his arms crossed as he was thinking to himself, heading towards the caravan parking lot, forgetting the idea of upgrading the elite blade.

After arriving at the caravan, he had managed to get back under four minutes. During which his two partners were a bit annoyed that they didn't back massages, but some head scratches will do. He had face-palmed when he realized he forgot to leave his new elite blade with the smithy so to upgrade it. Oh well, he put it in his armory chest.

He spent the time cleaning the caravan, then once that done, he went to clean up Nappa's latrine in the stables, such a dirty job, but does get dung material for dung bombs. Just as long as he takes a nice bath afterward. He also made sure to feed Nappa his regular amount of food, which the big lazy dino gobble it up so fast and went back to sleep in mere minutes.

Once all cleaned up, then came supper. His palicoes friends knew he isn't a good cook and they likely expected him to take them out to the Street Cook for supper.

They were right, and they went to him, greeted others and ate large meal of a supper. Of course Joseph paid the bill, like always when they go out for food, and then they headed on back to the caravan for the night.