Kael lay stiffly on the ground, allowing the Rathian to examine and sniff him from head to toe.
Even though he had recovered a bit of stamina, he still didn't dare move.
He didn't dare make any action that might cause a misunderstanding.
Of course, there was another reason.
His Acceleration trait hadn't activated.
That meant this beautiful Rathian harbored no hostility toward him. She was probably just curious.
Sure enough, after finishing her strange inspection, she gave him a glance filled with unclear meaning and then lost interest. Turning around, she returned to the herbivore's corpse and began tearing into it with great mouthfuls.
Although Kael couldn't understand that look, her behavior clearly showed that she no longer cared about him.
She was probably just judging whether he posed any threat.
After all, unless they were mates, Rathalos and Rathian usually lived separately. Each had their own hunting territory, rarely interfering with each other.
Once he was sure that this beautiful Rathian truly had no interest in him, Kael finally relaxed and hurried to focus on recovering his strength.
He was exhausted, in pain, and starving.
The sooner he recovered, the sooner he could hunt again.
Since this plain had so many herbivores, there were definitely other prey around. Small creatures like Aptonoth or rabbits wouldn't be rare. And even if there weren't any, at least there should be mushrooms in the distant forest, right?
Come to think of it, Rathians usually carried their prey back to their nests.
If they didn't, they would only eat the softest, most delicious parts and leave the rest behind.
Since this beautiful Rathian hadn't taken her prey away…
Wouldn't that mean he could eat the leftovers later?
Even if the best parts were gone, it was still meat!
Way better than mushrooms, right?
As he thought about it, tears of hunger almost flowed from the corners of Kael's mouth.
He was really starving.
Thump. Thump.
Heavy footsteps suddenly startled him.
When he opened his eyes, he saw the beautiful Rathian carrying the prey in her mouth, walking toward him.
Kael didn't believe for a second that she was kindly coming to share.
The more likely possibility was that she was about to take it back to her nest.
So… not even scraps for him?
Beautiful Rathian, couldn't you show some mercy and leave a bite for this poor baby?
Before his little dream could even begin, it shattered.
Did he really deserve nothing but mushrooms?
If he'd known it would be like this, he might as well have reincarnated as a Pukei-Pukei. At least those guys loved mushrooms.
Uh…
Thinking about Pukei-Pukei's "wise" big eyes, Kael shuddered and quickly crushed that terrifying thought.
Just as he was lost in his imagination, the herbivore's corpse—reeking of blood—was suddenly tossed in front of him.
The belly skin had been torn open, exposing layers of red and white fat.
Just looking at it made his appetite explode.
Faced with such a feast, Kael's hunger was completely unleashed.
He no longer cared whether this might offend the beautiful Rathian.
He had only one thought.
Eat!
Eat, eat, eat!!!
Watching the hatchling tear into the meat with huge bites, a satisfied look appeared in the Rathian's eyes.
The way he ripped open muscle and swallowed it whole made him look like someone who hadn't eaten in ages.
Poor little guy…
How long have you been starving?
Seeing that Kael was fully immersed in eating, she no longer hesitated and bit fiercely into one of the corpse's thighs.
The belly was definitely the most delicious part.
But if you could chew through it, the thighs and back weren't bad either.
And so, this herbivore was divided between two fire wyverns—one big, one small, one female, one male.
The prey had an impressive amount of meat.
Just the two thighs and part of the back were enough to fill the Rathian.
She glanced at Kael, who was still gnawing away at the belly, licked the blood from her lips, walked into the lake to wash her head and claws, and then lay down nearby to quietly watch him.
After a long while, she noticed that the exposed part of the belly was almost gone.
Kael was even starting to bite into areas that were still covered in skin.
Immediately, she stood up and walked over.
Ignoring his protests, she grabbed the back of his neck in one bite, lifting him up like a mother carrying her cub.
Dragged away from his food mid-feast, Kael instinctively struggled.
He flapped his wings desperately and kicked with his claws, trying to get back to the meat.
He was traumatized by hunger.
Since hatching, this was the first meal that had truly filled him.
Even though he already felt stuffed, he still wanted to keep eating.
The Rathian didn't indulge him.
She tightened her grip slightly, shook him twice, and only stopped when he calmed down.
Then she spread her wings and took off into the roaring wind.
After orienting herself, she flew straight toward her nest.
The rushing wind against his face finally brought Kael back to his senses.
Watching the clouds slide beneath his feet, fear and excitement intertwined in his heart.
The excitement probably came from his Rathalos instincts.
As the King of the Skies, flight was his natural domain.
The fear, however, came from reality.
He still couldn't fly.
His skeleton and wing membranes weren't developed enough to support takeoff.
In his previous life, people joked about hunters being unkillable and monster hunters having osteoporosis.
But this was reality.
If he fell from this height, he didn't believe he'd survive.
With that in mind, he stayed completely still in the Rathian's mouth, letting her carry him toward the unknown.
Rathalos eyesight was extremely sharp.
Even at this altitude, he could clearly see the scenery below.
He passed over forests.
Crossed rivers.
Watched the dense greenery gradually thin out.
When yellow sand began drifting through the air, he started descending.
On a cliff at the border between the Ancient Forest and the Wildspire Waste, the Rathian slowly landed with Kael in her mouth.
There was a hidden cave here.
Inside flowed a small stream connecting the Ancient Forest to the Wildspire Waste.
This was the nest she had found after leaving her siblings and spending a long time searching, relying on her ability to hunt alone.
In this area, non-flying creatures couldn't reach it.
Flying ones couldn't defeat her.
Over time, the surroundings became her territory.
Aside from a certain "wise" Pukei-Pukei that liked hunting poisonous mushrooms in the nearby jungle, few wyverns dared to wander here.
The nest resembled a cliff structure.
Above it lay the Ancient Forest.
Below stretched the Wildspire Waste.
A waterfall flowed nearby, feeding a small stream that ran through the cave.