The Questions

As everyone stood in a row, still recovering from their duels, the elder gave us all a scrutinizing look, as if assessing our individual strengths.

"Alright, now that only twelve of you remain, it is time for the final test. Any who pass this portion will be allowed to join the hunt. If you fail, however, there is no recovery this time. Here is how it will work: I will ask a series of questions to each of you, and you must tell me the correct answers. The questions will range from battle scenarios to proper etiquette- should a knight or even a young knight cross your path, to beast classifications, and lastly, to how to subdue a beast so that you may bring it home alive for the best chances at the ritual. Now each of you will get four questions; if you miss more than one, you are going to have to come back next year. I know this seems harsh, but I would rather you leave prepared and come back alive than hear you got killed in three months. Now let us begin."

...

As the elder made his way down the line, each set of questions set me more on edge. I had a relatively good amount of beast knowledge from my time with Lira, as well as good weapon and etiquette knowledge from my days in the forge with the fancy customers Pa would get. However, I had no training on how a beast would be properly subdued—neither me nor Lira had ever seen it happen, so there was no way to prepare. I always just assumed that I would fight whatever beast I came across head-on until it surrendered, but I realized now that is an idealistic and naive view.

The elder continued asking questions, and finally, he was at the monster who was right next to me.

"Good evening grandson, do you feel okay after your duel?"

"Yes, elder, I do."

"Oh, please, you can call me grandfather here. We're all family! I am so proud of you, Gen're, do your best boy."

"Yes, sir."

Wow. I didn't realize the elder was of a lineage that could produce such a behemoth, but now I know the monster's name... Gen're. I wonder if the elder himself had that kind of fight in him when he was a boy back during the peaceful age. Did the elder himself teach this kid?

"Leigh? You are up, son. Please come back from whatever world you wandered off into."

"Oh yes, I'm sorry, elder. I'm ready."

"Ah, good lad. Now, your first question: You are in the middle of trying to capture the beast of your dreams, which you have been fighting for hours, and just as you feel you are ready to try and capture the beast... in walks a young knight. The young knight introduces himself formally and asks you to back off the beast so that he may have it. What do you do?"

Oh no, if this is the etiquette question, I have no idea what to do here. I assumed it would be about proper language. What would I do if Cai'l appeared...

"I would tell them it is my fight and my fight alone. I earned this beast, and if they are truly a young knight, they will earn their own, respectfully, sir."

"..."

Shit. Shit shit shit, I let my feelings about Cai'l get in the way, pompous bastard.

"HAHAHAHA YES RIGHT INDEED, LEIGH, RIGHT INDEED. I knew you were a spunky one, but boy, that always trips people up. The knights admire respect over all things; they would never interfere with your hunt—it is most likely an imposter or them testing your courage. Ah, the next question: You are in the Icelands of Neruck—the northern portion of Gilliad—and you happen across a small, let's say five feet wide, hole in the ground that has a black ring on the outside of it. What do you do?"

I—what? What on earth is this? I don't even know what category I am looking at here.

"I avoid it?"

"I'm sorry, lad, that is the trademark of a Neruckian Walthlist—one of the strongest beasts of the north who live in holes they make in the ice floor using their flaming tongues. You would be lucky to spot one of their holes and face them in a fight. They make incredible ritual weapons with their ice and fire tendencies and easiness of capture. Obviously not that easy, but easy for how powerful they are. Anyways, the next question."

Fuck. I was relying on getting the beast classification question. Now, if I don't get the subdue question, I won't pass.

"You arrive at what looks like a camp torn to absolute shreds. Three bodies lay strewn across the ground, and another on top of a campfire still burning. The wounds look as if they were cut in perfect lines, and the tent appears crystal clean-but barren. What do you do?"

I know this one. This exact scenario was something one of the hunters came back and told Lida about from their journeys with Ja. Thank you, brother; I knew you were looking out for me.

"I would slip back the way I came as silently as possible and head in the opposite direction of the capital. The clean marks wouldn't have been made by a beast, but by bandit swords. The clean tent is a sign that it was raided by said bandits, and clearly they are strong enough in size or on their own to take out a group of four. I should avoid them at all costs, and bandits head closer to the capital to find higher-value targets, so going the direction opposite the capital would keep me safest."

"Ah, good lad, knowing to pick your battles is a valuable skill. Never forget it. Now, the last question: You are fighting with a Valrexian Raptor. These short, vicious creatures are covered head to toe in scales, their claws sharper than swords and their speed the talk of legends. Their heads are long and thin with a large snout and beady eyes black as night. Their legs are short but move quick. All in all, these red demons are good prey to bring back for a ritual and are not too hard to find. How do you capture one?"

I know a little about those raptors, but I haven't had to think of how to capture one... I just have to trust my gut and try.

"If I wanted to capture one, and they are relatively easy to find... I would set up a trap. They are known for being vicious and wanting a fight right? So I would make a simple pitfall trap; it wouldn't be too hard since they are so short and I would cover it with leaves or branches. Since they just want to draw blood, they won't focus on where they are going, so I will start a fight with one and lead it back to my trap where once it falls in—the spikes at the bottom will render it immobile, but not dead. Afterward, I will make sure it is subdued with rope or netting and take it to the nearest outskirt village I know of to use their forge. Since I know how to smith my own weapons, I do not need to bring it far so it wouldn't bleed out. That's an advantage of being the son of a smithy."

I looked straight into the elder's eyes, praying it got it right. It made sense to me given my knowledge of traps I have heard of from hunters' stories and from me and Lira's brief studies. I also wanted to nail in the fact I am Pa's son so no one gets suspicious of my lineage nor Pa allowing me to join the hunt so young.

The elder smiled.

"Good job boy. Your Pa would be proud... Next!"

...

Finally, all the other kids are done going through questions. Some of them were brutal to watch, while others stunned me with the accuracy of their answers. I can't forget that I am behind in this fight. I have to be careful.

"Now then, three more failed this trial so that leaves the nine of you to begin your hunt. I am proud of all of my children from this village, please remember before we do the final portion of this sacred event—know that I expect great things from each of you. Make us proud. Work together, and may Fenrir reign."

...