Aria and Noctis sat in front of a small fire. The campsite they were at was a secluded spot safe from monsters. There was already a tent set up with a bed and equipment inside.

"So let me get this straight..." Aria stared over at the prince, a mixture of skepticism and bewilderment on her face. "You and your friends traveled through a portal from your world to mine. You don't know why the portal sent you here, or even why it was there in the first place. And to top it off, you all got separated."

Noctis grumbled at his phone, unable to get a signal to even contact his comrades. "That pretty much sums it up." He sighed, tucking his phone into his pocket. "I know it's hard to believe, but it's true."

Aria chuckled. "I believe you. With the strange clothes you wear and the devices you have, not to mention your lack of knowledge on absolutely everything here---it all makes sense in a crazy way. Your world is quite different from mine, that much is certain. And do you have monsters in this place called Eos?"

Noctis nodded. "Yeah, but most of them are nothing compared to what lives here." He thought of his friends at that moment, worried about them. If they ran into a beast like the Rathian, then they could be in danger. He stood from the stump he used as a seat by the campfire. "Look, I don't have time to sit around and chat about it. I need to find my friends."

"Hold your Aptonoths, prince." Aria gave a smug grin. "Why do you think we're sitting here? I didn't bring you to my camp just to talk. We're waiting for our ride out of here." She looked past him to the small ship flying in. "There it is now."

Noctis turned around, seeing the small airship. It was built like a boat but with a large balloon and several propellers to allow it to take flight. Amazed, the black-haired male stared as the ship hovered above their camp, sending a rope ladder down for them. Aria casually got up and walked over, taking hold of the ladder and looking back at the prince.

"Well? You wanna go find your buddies or what?"

Noctis blinked in surprise. "You mean...you're gonna help?"

"Of course. I'm a hunter, it's my job to help out with things like this." She gave a small frown. "But only on one condition---I'm in charge. You don't order me around, and you follow my instructions."

As much as Noctis hated the idea of following someone else, he knew it was the best action to take. He was used to leading others, he was royalty after all. But in this strange world full of deadly beasts, he didn't have a clue about what to do or where to go. Being a hunter of that world, Aria would be best suited to track down his teammates.

He sighed in annoyance. "Fine. You're in charge. Just help me find my friends, they could be in trouble for all I know."

Aria smiled, satisfied by his response. She started climbing up the rope ladder with Noctis following behind her. The airship ascended as soon as they were both onboard, the man behind the wheel steering them clear of the trees. Aside from the man, there was a group of small, bipedal cat creatures onboard. Most of them wore some kind of articles of clothing, and every single one of them were working, either carrying supplies or helping to operate the ship.

"Are those...cats?" Noctis questioned.

"They're Felynes," the woman corrected. "They're friendly, peaceful creatures that adapt well to working with people. A lot of them can learn to speak too."

Noctis silently nodded, looking out at the view from the sky. So much of the land below was wild and uninhabited by people, and instead, was thriving with plants and animals of all kinds. The ride took a short while, and was spent learning more about the world from Aria, but finally the prince saw a much larger airship coming into view. There were plenty of people onboard working and going about their business. The Soaratorium was created by the Wycademy to study the environments and the ecology of monsters safely from the sky. Not only that, Aria was the Wycademy's most valuable member, acting as their hunter to both aid in their studies and ensure the safety of everyone of the Wycademy and the villages they were in contact with.

Noctis was quiet as they boarded the large ship, looking around at the busy surroundings. He followed Aria to the captain of the Soaratorium, the Wyventurer. The prince thought it strange that the one in charge was merely a child, but he didn't question it. The boy seemed intelligent enough, nearly as wise as Ignis even. Aria explained everything to the Wyventurer, who seemed baffled by the story, but agreed to use his resources to help the newcomer find his friends. Both hungry for a hot meal, Aria led Noctis over to the Bistro run by a Felyne chef. They were served up a delectable meal that even the prince enjoyed.

Their meal was interrupted though by the Wyventurer. "Hunter, we've just received word from Yukumo Village that a strange man had found his way there. The chief described him as 'otherworldly', so perhaps he's one of the prince's friends."

Noctis jumped out of his seat. "If it is, then we have to go there."

The young Wyventurer nodded, a cheerful grin on his face. "We've got a ship prepared to take you both. You can set out whenever you're ready."

Noctis hurried to finish his meal, as did Aria, and the pair took a small airship out to Yukumo Village. It was dusk when they arrived, but Noctis was still able to get a look at the beautiful autumn leaves that decorated the trees and the ground. The eastern style of the village made it a very scenic place. Aria went straight to greet the chief, who was seated outside near the footbaths.

"Ah, Hunter, I've been expecting you," she said. "You came to meet with the stranger." She eyed Noctis. "I see you've brought another otherworldly person with you. A strange phenomenon must be at work here."

"Where's the guy that came here?" Noctis abruptly asked.

The chief's gaze flicked toward her left. "You will find him with the Wyverian researchers, his face buried in a book."

The prince hurried in the direction she'd gestured to with Aria hot on his heels. They quickly came across a small group of people at a table piled with books. A familiar, bespectacled man was seated with them, an open book in front of him.

"Ignis!"

The advisor looked up upon hearing the voice of his prince. "Noct!" He jumped to his feet, a relieved smile gracing his lips as he met Noctis halfway. "I'm glad to see you're alright. Where are the others?"

The prince shook his head. "I don't know. I was alone when I emerged from the portal. Thankfully, Aria here gave me a hand." He glanced back at the young woman.

Ignis gave her a warm smile. "My name is Ignis Scientia, trusted advisor to the crown prince. You must be the Wycademy hunter everyone's been telling me about. A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Aria, and I thank you for aiding His Highness."

Aria smiled back. "Don't mention it. It's what I do."

Ignis turned his attention back to the prince. "Have you seen the numerous types of beasts inhabiting this world? They're nothing like the wildlife back on Eos. Here, the villagers coexist with nature and help keep balance within the ecosystems. It's simply fascinating."

Noctis chuckled. "I guess it is pretty awesome in a sense. I went toe-to-toe with a monster called a Rathian back in that Verdant Hills place."

"The 'Queen of the Land'. Yes, I've heard about those infamous Wyverns. I too saw a monster on my way here from the Misty Peaks. A large predator that looked strangely like a pickle."

Aria gasped, her eyes growing wide. "You saw a Deviljho?! In the Misty Peaks?!"

Noctis raised an eyebrow questioningly. "What's a Deviljho?"

"It's a powerful, ravenous Brute Wyvern capable of hunting local wildlife to extinction. It can't be allowed to roam freely or it could cause massive damage to the area. We have to report this so the Wycademy can keep an eye on it, and if necessary, I'll hunt it down if I must."

Aria went straight to the chief, letting her know of the appearance of a Deviljho in the Misty Peaks. Whether a hunt for it would be issued, the hunter didn't know yet. But as long as the Wycademy kept an eye on it for now, she could rest easy. With the sun sinking farther on the horizon, she allowed the two males to rest in the room she'd been given whenever she went to Yukumo. Her Felyne Chamberlain had made makeshift beds for them both on the floor. Even though they were worried about Prompto and Gladio, the boys managed to fall asleep after such an eventful first day in this strange, new world.