I was awoken somewhat rudely the next morning by someone shaking me. I blearily opened my eyes to see Shadow's beaked face looking down at me with a slight grin. She pointed at the window, where the sun was on its way up.

"I did not get to sleep long enough..." I grumbled.

Shadow laughed silently, before turning and walking out the door. She gave a little flick of her tail, suggesting that I was to follow. It took me a moment to shake off the lingering sleep paralysis and wake myself up enough to actually follow her out.

She lead me into the main room, where in addition to the people I had already met, there were some new faces gathered. Miasma stood in front of the fireplace, and next to her was a beat-up looking old Diablos. The other monsters were gathered in a crowd. I spotted Glow and Stinger, but there was also a Najarala, a Gravios, a Mizutsune, a Gypceros, a Tzitzi Ya-Ku, an Agnaktor, and a very pretty-looking Gold Rathian. Miasma was in the middle of addressing the group when she caught sight of me.

"Ah, speak of the devil. Like I was saying, we have a new recruit joining us today. I'd like you all to meet Aether."

Heads turned in my direction, and seeming to move as one, the monsters I hadn't yet been introduced to all crowded up to me. Except for the Gravios, who seemed unperturbed, and the Diablos, who looked a little exasperated.

"Well hello, my dear," said the Mizutsune. His voice was smooth and suave. "Quite a pretty little thing, aren't you?"

"Uh..." I tried to speak, but didn't get very far.

"I feel it would be somewhat rude not to inform you that I will be asking you for an interview later," said the Najarala. "Please note that while some of the others will try to tell you to ignore me, ahem, Sky Stinger, this is more or less mandatory."

"She's not that pretty, Dancer," huffed the Gold Rathian. "My scales are much shinier than hers."

"Of course that's all you care about, you-" started the Agnaktor, but he was cut off by a screeching roar from the fireplace.

"Would ye give the lass some room to breathe? You lot are too excited for yer own good sometimes," said the Diablos. I was guessing that she was the one who had roared.

The Diablos walked up to me, and the small crowd parted. "Sorry about that, lass. This lot don't often get to see a new face. They're a wee bit overexcited." The Diablos' voice was kind and gentle, and she spoke with a thick accent of some sort that I couldn't put my claw on. She reminded me of a grandmother, but she also held a strength and presence unmatched by even Miasma.

The Diablos was quite impressive to look at as well. Much like Miasma, she was covered in scars and broken shells. I had noticed when she walked over that she had a distinct limp in her right leg, but the worst part of her visage was her twin horns. Or rather, her lack thereof. Where her horns should've been, all that remained was a pair of ragged stumps.

"I'm Courageous Charge," said the Diablos. "The wee lass must've thought you had something worth keeping or you wouldn't be here, so I'm glad to have you in our family."

I tried not to giggle at the imposing, battle-scarred Miasma being referred to as a "wee lass".

Miasma chimed in, not bothering to move from where she was standing. "If you're all done making a show of yourselves, get to work!"

"Yes, Boss!" cheered the group of monsters, raising claws and wings into the air.

Like magic, the crowd dispersed, the monsters all running off. The Gypceros and Tzitzi Ya-Ku both ran upstairs, while the rest of the monsters ran every which way, going out the doors or deeper into the lodge. They moved with such purpose that I couldn't help but stand and watch them go about their business.

"Well, don't just stand there looking lost," said Miasma, looking at me. "Come over here for a moment."

I walked over to the fireplace to face Miasma. Nearby, Glow was fiddling with something in his medic's bag, while Shadow and the Mizutsune were reading the bulletin board.

"Today, I'm going to assign you a partner. Your partner will accompany you on every expedition you go on, bar a few exceptions. No matter where you're going or who else tags along, you'll always have your partner by your side," said Miasma.

She tilted her head towards the bulletin board, where Shadow had pulled down a piece of paper to show the Mizutsune.

"As you can see, Silent Shadow and Death Dancer are partners. I put them together because their fighting styles complement each other well. They share a weakness to thunder-based attacks, unfortunately, but both are nimble enough to avoid getting hit in the first place. But perhaps most importantly, the two get along well. Shadow is extremely shy and reserved, but despite his outgoing nature, Dancer never tries to force her into things. They are fast friends, and that is perhaps the most important thing to look for in a partner."

"You know," remarked the Mizutsune, presumably named Dancer, "it is quite rude to discuss others while they are standing right there. Of course, m'lady has nothing but good things to say, so it is not all bad."

Miasma ignored him, and continued talking. "So, I'm going to choose a partner for you, and you're going to do a test run with them. If it doesn't work out, I'll find you another. Got it?"

"Got it," I said with a nod.

"Good. Now, it's going to take me a little bit of time to ask around the guild and find you a partner, so you should explore the guild and the town. Getting your bearings now will make things easier later."

I nodded, and Miasma walked off. Now left unattended, I felt rather awkward. Glow was fixated on some potion or another that he was brewing, while Dancer and Shadow appeared to be debating the piece of paper rather fiercely, though Shadow was communicating in glares.

Not sure where to go, I bolted to the nearest room exit, which happened to be the stairs. The spiral staircase went up quite high, and it also had no railings, which was mildly concerning. When I reached the top, I found myself in a small, circular room. The walls were made almost entirely of mirrors, save for a few windows. The windows seemed to have multiple panes of glass that could be swapped in and out, if the sheets of multicoloured glass lying around were any indication. Though the room was small, it currently held two occupants, the Gypceros and the Tzitzi Ya-Ku. Though by the sounds of it, they weren't too pleased with each other's company.

"Are you colourblind, or are you just stupid? I said green, not blue," snarked the Gypceros.

"I think you're the stupid one here," shot the Tzitzi Ya-Ku. "The all-clear sign is blue, not green."

The Gypceros' crest started flickering. "Look, who's the senior one here?"

"You, old-timer. Guess you're going senile," said the Tzitzi Ya-Ku with a smirk.

"You little-"

"Ahem." I cleared my throat before things could escalate.

"Oh, hello. You're the new girl. Aether, right?" asked the Gypceros.

I nodded. "Yep."

"Well, welcome to the communications hub," said the Tzitzi Ya-Ku. "I'm guessing you wandered in here by accident. No one other than me and ol' rubberneck here ever have any real reason to come here."

"Kindly refrain from using slurs in front of guests," said the Gypceros, glaring at the Tzitzi Ya-Ku. "Honestly, can't you do anything right?"

"I can correct your stupid mistakes."

The Gypceros' crest sparked a little, but he took a deep breath and moved on. "So, ignoring my rude colleague here, would you like an explanation of what goes on here?"

"Sure," I said. The Tzitzi Ya-Ku busied herself picking up coloured glass and stacking it neatly off to one side, keeping an eye on our conversation.

"I'm Bright Spark. I'm the chief communications officer for the guild. The annoying little pest stacking glass over there is Flash Bulb, my assistant. And according to Miasma, she's also my apprentice, so someday she'll take over for me," explained Spark. "When that happens, all of you explorer types can say goodbye to correct messages, because those are not Flash's specialty," he added under his breath.

"Hey! I heard that, old man! And I was right this time, anyway," said Flash.

Spark ignored her. "You'll want to take one of our code guides, because we're how the guild communicates with explorers out in the field. The colour, number, and intensity of our flashes are used as code for messages. For instance, a single blue flash, which I may or may not have mistaken for green, is the all-clear signal."

"What happens if I'm too far away to see the flashes?" I asked.

"You'll never be too far away, because there are towers set up all around this area. You'll always be within range of at least one tower, and all of the towers should ideally be broadcasting the same message," said Spark.

"'Ideally'," echoed Flash.

I got the feeling that these two weren't very good at what they did. But the guild didn't seem to be burning down, and it seemed like they knew where things were supposed to go and what messages they were meant to send, so they couldn't be completely useless.

"Sorry for bothering you. I'll leave now," I said. "Thanks for telling me about your work though."

Flash waved at me as I made my perilous way down the spiral staircase. "See you!" she called.

By the time I made my way back down to the ground floor, Dancer and Shadow seemed to have finished debating their sheet of paper, whatever it was. Glow was nowhere to be seen, presumably having taken his potion-brewing operation somewhere else. As soon as she saw me, Shadow inclined her head towards me with a smile.

"Ah, hello, my pretty," said Dancer as I walked over to them. "Forgive me if I am mistaken, but you're new to the city, correct?"

I nodded, wondering where he was going with this.

"Well, as it would happen, my partner and I are going into town to pick up some supplies before our next adventure. Would you like to accompany us? We can show you where all the important places are," offered Dancer.

A guided tour? It sounded both helpful and intriguing. "Sure," I said.

"Splendid. Well then, if you'll just follow my silent friend and I, we can get started."

I followed the pair out into the streets proper. Even after seeing it a few times, I still found myself eagerly breathing in the cool, damp air, gazing around in wonder. This early in the morning, the mist was thick and the city quiet, as though the fog was swallowing up all sounds. The blue dragon scales seemed to shimmer in the mist.

Dancer shook out his long fur, sending bubbles everywhere, and spread his fins to catch the moisture. "Ah, what a beautiful morning. Wouldn't you agree?"

"Yeah! Such an amazing view," I said, still looking around.

The streets certainly weren't as busy as they were yesterday, but there were a few monsters out and about, and I could smell bread baking somewhere. The delicious smell reminded me that I hadn't eaten today. Or yesterday, for that matter. In fact, now that I was paying attention, I realised I was absolutely starving. As if to further cement that fact, my stomach grumbled loudly.

Dancer gave a good-natured laugh. "I see you haven't had breakfast. Perhaps after our little tour you can visit Garnish in the kitchen. I'm sure she'd be willing to whip something up for you."

Shadow smiled at me and tilted her head towards a nearby storefront, where a very sleepy-looking Qurupeco was leaning his head on the wooden counter. The sign above him depicted a bottle of steaming green liquid, suggesting that it was a medicine shop.

"Remedy! Look lively, I've come inquiring after the price of potions today," said Dancer, addressing the Qurupeco.

The Qurupeco snapped to attention. "Hah? Uh, welcome to Healing Remedy's salve shop, where you can find the fix you need for a reasonable price... oh, it's just you. What do you two want? And who's your friend?"

"Her name is Aether. She's a new recruit. Try not to gouge her too much, if you please," said Dancer with no small amount of disdain. Shadow emphasised his point with a hard glare.

"I do not gouge! My prices are fair for the goods I provide. It's not my fault that confounded Rathalos friend of yours allows himself to be robbed on a daily basis. He should be charging at least the same prices as I do, but he's too stupid to take advantage of a clear opportunity," said Remedy, sounding somewhat offended.

"Yes, yes, I've heard it all before," said Dancer. "But 'that confounded Rathalos' hasn't brewed any new potions yet, and we're in need of a fresh batch. How much?"

"For five, it'll be three hundred," said Remedy, using a wingtip to push five small vials across the counter towards Dancer. Shadow snorted.

"Three hundred? Are you mad? Two hundred and no more," haggled Dancer.

"Two hundred and fifty?"

"You can find the ingredients for these growing on the side of the road. Even two hundred is a bit generous."

"Fine," said Remedy, rolling his eyes. "You're lucky I'm such a nice guy."

Shadow rolled her eyes right back at him, clearly not impressed. Still, she opened the bag hanging around her neck and carefully rolled the vials in, while Dancer passed over a stack of golden coins.

"Come again!" called Remedy cheerily as we walked away.

"Honestly, where does he get off which such ridiculous prices?" wondered Dancer aloud. "Heed my advice, Aether. Don't buy from him unless you have to. Our dear Glow is more than willing to share the medicines he brews with the rest of us. You need only ask."

"Noted," I said. In truth, I hadn't any real idea of what the local currency was worth, but two hundred for five potions seemed like a lot, especially given the reactions of Shadow and Dancer.

The three of us continued walking through the foggy streets. Occasionally the mist would part and a monster would emerge, but it was still early enough that most of the city wasn't awake yet. I narrowly avoided being skewered by the horn of a Seltas as he busied himself setting up the outdoor seating of what appeared to be a bar or tavern.

"I'm very sorry, madam," apologised the Seltas. Curiously enough, he was wearing a little apron, and had a tray balanced perfectly on the end of his horn. "If you come back when we are open, I will provide you with a free drink to apologise."

"Oh, it's alright. You didn't actually hit me, so we're all good," I said.

"Still, my queen will be upset that I almost harmed a potential customer. Please, stop by later. I insist," said the Seltas.

"Alright," I relented, if only to get him to stop apologising.

As we walked away, Dancer turned to me. "Perhaps that was a stroke of good luck in disguise. The drinks served at the Majesty Tavern are quite delicious."

"Majesty Tavern? That's an odd name," I said.

"Supposedly it's so named because the Seltas who work there insisted on referring to it as 'Her Majesty's Tavern'," explained Dancer. "It's a wonderful place to relax after a long day. We of the guild often go there to unwind, and sometimes to pick up new jobs."

"So where are we headed next?" I asked. We had passed a lot of closed shops and a few that were in the process of opening. The monsters manning the stalls varied from fanged beasts to flying wyverns, but one thing they all had in common was that they looked like they wanted to go back to bed. Seemed I wasn't the only one who didn't like rising with the sun.

"We're heading to the general store and then to the bank. After that, I'm afraid Shadow and I will have to depart. We have a treasure hunting mission to attend to and those tend to take a lot of time. You can still explore the city at your leisure. It's rather safe here. I expect you'll be fine," said Dancer.

I followed my two tour guides through the streets. We mostly stuck to the main road, though we veered slightly off the beaten trail to reach the general store. Dancer negotiated with the Blangonga manning the counter, offering bits and pieces from his satchel for various amounts of money. The two of them haggled a bit, and some trades were done through barter, but in the end both seemed happy.

Next stop was the bank, rather predictably situated on the main road, across from what looked like a barracks of some sort. On the way, we passed a few lesser merchants, sitting on rugs or just on the ground, arranging their mismatched collections of goods. I spotted a Pukei-Pukei, a Tetsucabra, and even another Tigrex. According to Dancer, they were travellers who were stopping to peddle some excess items before they moved on.

The bank was run by a freakishly-alert Lagombi, whose long ears twitched and whose eyes carefully scanned the streets for any sign of danger. Good to know that the care of people's money had been entrusted to someone who clearly wasn't slacking. The bank itself consisted of a simple wooden counter like most of the other shops, with a massive metal vault behind it that looked like it could give a Rajang pause.

"Good morning, Dancer, Shadow," said the Lagombi in a sing-song voice, her cheery attitude belying the dreaded morning person. Shadow beamed back at her and Dancer smiled.

"Good morning, Mrs. Golden. How are you today?" greeted Dancer as he began pulling bags of coins from his satchel. Shadow did the same.

"Wonderful," said Mrs. Golden. She looked towards me. "I don't believe we've met. What's your name?"

"I'm Aether," I said, surprised at how gentle and motherly she seemed to be. After how carefully she'd been watching the street, I'd expected someone more...intimidating.

"Ah, a new recruit are you? I can tell by the sparkle of excitement in your eyes," said Mrs. Golden with a wink as she counted the coins that Dancer and Shadow had given her. When she finished counting, she turned and carefully deposited the money into the vault.

"I recommend you make an account here with me, dear," said Mrs. Golden. "You'll lose a nice chunk of change if you fall in battle. But leave it with me and I'll guard it as fiercely as Kulve Taroth herself! I've never lost so much as a single monha in all my long years. Your money will be safe with me, I guarantee it."

So the money here was called monha. Good to know, since I'd been wondering but was too embarrassed to ask.

"I will, once I actually have some money to deposit," I said.

Mrs. Golden waved a paw at us as we walked away. Shadow and Dancer checked their bags over one last time, before turning to me.

"Now, my dear Aether, we must be off. You know where the lodge is from here, right? It's at the northmost edge of the city, on top of the slope," said Dancer.

"I want to look around a little but more, but I'll try not to get lost," I said.

"Very well. See you later!" he called, walking away. Shadow smiled at me and waved a claw before turning to leave with her partner.

Left alone in the beautiful streets, I wandered aimlessly to see what else the city had to offer. The mist was starting to clear up as the sun climbed higher, and the streets were looking more alive than they had before. Monsters had started walking up and down the walkways, and the shops were mostly open now, though the Brachydios at the moving and lifting stall was still asleep behind his "Open" sign.

As I walked, I spotted something interesting. Down a well-kept side street, I saw a temple-like building adorned with flowers, mirrors, and hanging decorations. There was no door, so I assumed it was open. Curiosity piqued, I headed over.

Once I got there, I was struck by the scent of incense, and the serene atmosphere within. The building's interior was constructed of finely crafted wood, with tapestries and paintings on the walls depicting many figures that I recognised as Elder Dragons. There was an altar in the back, with candles and incense burning, and a massive tapestry of what appeared to be Shah Dalamadur hung on the wall. The shrine, or whatever it was, seemed empty, so I cautiously walked in to look at all the amazing sculptures, wood carvings, and other works of art that were set up in here.

"Welcome, visitor," said a voice.

I nearly jumped out of my scales. I hadn't realised anyone else was in here. Glancing around, I spotted the one who had spoken. A dark figure sat in the shadows in front of the altar. With such dark scales, I hadn't even seen them. Their voice was oddly androgynous, and I couldn't tell by looking at them whether they were a male or a female.

The mysterious figure stood up and approached, and only then did I realise that it was a Gore Magala. The Gore Magala was garbed in a long, flowing blue robe that covered its wings, and it had a small pouch full of white berries hung round its neck.

"The Tigrex is the first visitor this one has had today," said the Gore Magala. "Forgive this one for not greeting the Tigrex when she first arrived."

It took me a second to decipher what the Gore Magala had said. It had such an odd speech pattern. Maybe that was a shrine attendant thing? Or was it just a Gore Magala thing?

"Um, no, that's alright. I was only curious about what was in here. I'm sorry to have bothered you, um..." I trailed off, looking for a name or a title or anything that I could use.

The Gore Magala laughed softly. "This one is called Cloak. This one's kind lack genders, but the Tigrex may refer to this one as Brother if she so chooses," said Cloak.

"Alright, Cloak," I said, relieved to have something to call...him? It?

"The Tigrex said she was curious about the shrine? Would it be presumptuous of this one to assume that the Tigrex has not seen a shrine such as this before?" asked Cloak. Its gaze was oddly piercing for something which had no eyes.

"Erm, no, I haven't," I answered.

"That is odd. Where is the Tigrex from, if this one may ask?"

"Someplace far away," I said, if only because 'I don't know' would've raised too many questions.

"Far away indeed for the Tigrex to have not heard of the blessings of our great Shah. This one was under the impression that all lands were at least aware of His Greatness," said Cloak.

"So this is a shrine dedicated to Shah Dalamadur?" I asked, eager to move away from the topic of where I was from.

"Indeed. It is by the Shah's blessing that we all were granted life, way back in the beginning. This one also furnishes the offering of thanks to the lesser Elders for the blessings they provide. This one will provide a listening ear, or words of comfort, though it does not recommend physical contact, for fear of Frenzy outbreaks." It smiled at that last bit, as though it was making a joke.

"I see. Thanks for telling me about this place. It really is a lovely shrine," I said. I wasn't lying when I said it was a nice place. The craftsmanship on all of the art was exquisite, and I could tell that Cloak put a lot of work into keeping it clean and tidy.

"This one thanks the Tigrex for her kind words. Will the Tigrex be needing anything else?" asked Cloak.

"No, I'll leave you alone now," I said, turning to leave.

"May the Shah smile upon us all," said Cloak as I left.

Stepping back out into the cool, misty streets was a bit of a shock after being inside the warm, incense-choked shrine. I took a moment to clear my head. My stomach was still growling, so I decided it was about time to head back to the lodge and see about getting some food. I had a vague idea of where it was, so I started heading in the direction I thought was north.

As I was walking out of the side street, I suddenly felt my right foreleg collide with something soft, nearly tripping me up.

"Ow-ow-ow! Watch where you're going!" said an irritated-sounding voice.

Looking down, I saw a Velociprey rubbing at his back where I'd presumably just kicked him, glaring at me.

"Oh! I'm sorry, I didn't see you there," I said.

"You better be sorry," said the Velociprey with no hint of forgiveness. "I'm delicate goods, see?"

I opened my mouth to snap a retort, but before I could, a Velocidrome and two more Velociprey walked over to us.

"What's going on over here?" asked the Velocidrome.

"Oh boss, you won't believe it. This mean lady kicked me! And she's not even sorry!" said the Velociprey I'd accidentally run into.

"You lying little-" I started, but got cut off by the Velocidrome.

"Is that so? Well now, Miss, I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you for a little...compensation," said the Velocidrome.

"Really now," I said flatly.

"Yes, really. See, my friend here is quite important to me. And he might have an injury or something that needs to be treated. So how about it? Feel like handing over any money you got? Otherwise me and the boys might have to get rough," said the Velocidrome, while his three Velociprey cohorts bared their claws menacingly.

I was suddenly very aware of the fact that these guys were trying to mug me. Could I take them? There were four of them and only one of me, but I was a lot bigger and stronger than they were.

"Is there a problem here?" asked a new voice. I looked up and saw a Glavenus approaching from the main street.

When the Velocidrome heard the Glavenus, he went so white I could've mistaken him for a Giadrome.

"Sabre, my friend, how are you today?" he asked nervously, avoiding eye contact. His Velociprey cronies looked like they wanted to run away, but they were clearly too afraid to.

"I'm fine, but you seem to be having an issue over here," said the Glavenus, unimpressed.

"Yes, well, you see, this Tigrex here kicked my friend, and we were just trying to get her to apologise," said the Velocidrome in the most insincere tone I've ever heard.

"Somehow I doubt that. I hope you're aware that I have permission to arrest you after one more incident," said the Glavenus.

The Velocidrome gulped audibly.

"And I think harassing a young lady counts as an 'incident'." At this, the Glavenus hefted his impressive, sharp-looking tail.

Now the Velocidrome looked like he was about to faint.

"Perhaps you'd best crawl back into the gutter you came from before this becomes an incident, hmm?"

The Velocidrome leapt at the chance to get away. "Of course, Sabre sir! We'll be gone so fast you won't even know we were here! Come on boys!"

The pack of crooks bolted off, quickly becoming lost in the crowd. The Glavenus sighed.

"That lot is a pain in my tail," said the Glavenus, turning to me. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, thanks to you," I said, grateful for his assistance. "I don't know if I could've fought them off on my own."

"Well now you won't have to. I'm Valiant Sabre, one of the guards of this fine city. I don't believe I've seen you before. What's your name?"

"I'm Aether. I just joined Miasma's guild."

"A new guild recruit, are you? If you'd like, I can walk you back there. I left my friends up there and I'd best get them back before they kill each other," said Sabre.

"Kill each other?" I asked as we walked, trying to remember who had seemed at odds earlier. Flash and Spark maybe?

"They tend to disagree on just about everything. Sometimes it feels more like I'm looking after two squabbling siblings than running an exploration team, but I wouldn't trade them for anyone," said Sabre.

Before long, we were standing outside Explorer's Lull. Sabre smiled down at me. "Here we are," he said.

I practically ran in, eager to both meet my partner and possibly get some food. Sabre followed behind at a much more even pace. Miasma was standing in her place by the hearth, Glow standing next to her looking somewhat troubled. The Agnaktor and Gold Rathian from earlier were lounging on piles of straw, carefully avoiding one another's gaze.

The Gold Rathian noticed us first. "Oh, Sabre. And the new girl," she said.

"Hey there, Sabre. Come to free me from boredom?" said the Agnaktor.

"Indeed I have, Vent. And Glimmer, you'd think you could at least try to remember Aether's name," said Sabre, looking between the two of them. I guess these were his friends.

While the three of them started talking about places to explore or something like that, Miasma beckoned me over.

"You were gone a little longer than I expected. Was everything alright? Dancer and Shadow said they'd show you around before they left," said Miasma.

"They did. I just happened to wander around on my own a little bit afterwards," I said, carefully leaving out the part where I almost got mugged.

Miasma nodded. "Well that's alright then. Anyway, I've found you a partner. Want to meet him?"

"Sure," I said, though I felt like I already knew who it would be.

"Glow, stop looking depressed and come over here," said Miasma.

Glow slowly walked over to me. "Hi," he said, sounding unsure. "I guess I'm your new partner."

Bit of a slow chapter today, but at least it didn't take nine months to come out. This chapter is a bit of a breather after the action of last chapter, but next chapter we'll be back in the dungeons for some adventures. As always, if there are any criticisms or errors, point them out to me so I know what to look for when I do an editing pass.

P.S: For whatever reason, the document editor is having a seizure today, so some of the formatting might be messed up or missing. I'll try to fix that tomorrow.