Prompto shuddered, trekking behind the others. "Anyone else got a cold chill running down their spine?"

"Well we are in a frozen cavern," Ignis told him. "But rest assured, we've been keeping our eyes peeled. Nothing big is going to sneak up behind you."

Aria chuckled. "Well...I wouldn't say that. There are monsters everywhere, and some of them can be unpredictable at times."

"Not helping," Noctis commented.

The team of four had trudged all the way up the mountain, and now found themselves within one of the many ice caves in the Arctic Ridge. The Tigrex was on the move, as they have yet to even see it. But they've certainly run into a few of its recent kills. There were occasional bones and gory remains of Popo, a Bulldrome, and even a Blangonga.

Noctis finally stopped, sighing. "Ugh, there's no way we're ever gonna catch up to this thing. It keeps moving all over the place."

Ignis hummed. "Perhaps it would be wise to stay put and let the beast come to us."

While Prompto listened to his friends discussing what to do, he felt something warm and wet suddenly splat onto his head. He reached up, touching the slimy substance, seeing it stick to his hand and seemingly numb his fingers.

"Eeewww! What is this stuff?!"

He turned his gaze up to see where the substance came from, only to find a circular mouth full of sharp teeth hovering right above him, drool dripping from the large maw. With wide eyes, Prompto let out an alarmed shriek that alerted the others. Aria recognized the sneaky monster as a Khezu. It was a type of Flying Wyvern that dwelled in dark caves with the ability to discharge electricity from its pale, rubbery hide. It often perched on ceilings or walls, waiting to ambush prey using its extendable neck. Nearly blind, they relied on smell to track prey or foes.

Aria darted toward Prompto, tackling him out of the way before the Khezu's maw could engulf him. The gunman tumbled across the cave floor while the hunter rolled onto her feet, ready to snatch her weapons if need be. The Khezu sniffed the air, pinpointing each of their locations. It then dropped down between them, letting out an eerie, human-like scream that echoed throughout the cavern.

"Quickly, everyone!" Aria shouted. "Head for the nearest exit!"

Noctis and Ignis took off, sprinting to the nearby opening that led outside. Prompto fearfully watched the creepy-looking beast, its neck stretching around to face them. He was snapped out of his daze when Aria snatched his arm, jerking him forward as she ran right at the monster. Prompto gave a small shriek as he was nearly pulled right into the Khezu's large mouth, but Aria was quick to yank him down. Using the slick, icy cave floor, they slid right under its feet. The hunter was quick to jump up, still clasping the gunman's arm, and dash to the exit.

Noctis and Ignis were already outside waiting for them, glad to see their friends unharmed. "We should be okay out here," the woman said, catching her breath. "Khezu are purely cave-dwellers. They rarely leave the safety of their cavern homes."

Prompto shuddered. "I think I'd rather face the cold out here and avoid caves from now on. That thing looked like something straight out of a horror movie!"

Aria raised a brow in confusion. "What's a movie?"

"It's a type of entertainment we have back in our world," Noctis explained.

Ignis suddenly summoned his daggers. "Watch out! It's coming!"

The others twisted around, seeing the Khezu cautiously poking its head out and sniffing the air outside. Slowly, it stepped out of the cave, facing them. Aria was surprised by its boldness, but grabbed her blades, prepared to fight. But everyone froze when another loud roar resonating across the mountain caught their ears. Aria recognized it immediately, and the Khezu seemed to as well. The beast lifted its head, looking around as best it could, scanning the area for danger.

"Stay on guard," the hunter warned. "The Tigrex is near."

In mere moments, a blur of color came crashing down from the sky, landing on top of the Khezu. The larger monster was their target---the Tigrex. It pinned down the pale cave-dweller, biting into its back. The Khezu grunted in response before glowing blue, suddenly discharging electricity from its body, shocking the Tigrex and making it jolt back with a squeal. As soon as the Khezu's protective discharge diminished, the Tigrex grabbed its head in its jaws, crushing it and killing the opponent. Once the Khezu was dead, the large Wyvern set its sights on the group, growling menacingly.

"Get down!" a gruff voice suddenly yelled.

The four ducked down just in time for an object to go whizzing over their heads. The object burst upon making contact with the Tigrex, emitting a powerful cloud of stink that enveloped the monster. The Wyvern whined and immediately turned tail and ran away, the foul smell driving it off. Aria and the guys turned to see that their rescuer was none other than their last missing comrade. Bundled in Popo fur, Gladio was equipped for the cold with bits of sloppily-made equipment.

"Hey, big guy!" Prompto greeted with a grin, relieved to see the shield.

"Fancy meeting you here of all places," Ignis joked, a small smile gracing his lips.

Noctis gave a slight smile and crossed his arms. "What took you so long?"

Gladio chuckled, shrugging. "Oh, you know, just been surviving in this harsh, cold land infested with monsters. No biggie."

Aria laughed lightly, catching his attention. "Well, you're certainly a tough one. You must be Gladiolus. The name's Aria. I'm impressed you've made it this long out here by yourself. And you even created a dung bomb on your own, with no knowledge of this world whatsoever." She got a hot drink out of her pouch, passing it to him. "Drink this. It'll make the temperature a lot easier to bear."

Gladio took the drink, gulping it down and instantly feeling its effects. "Hey, that feels a lot better. So that's how you beat the cold dressed like that." He pointed out her Zinogre armor, which exposed her abdomen.

Aria nodded. "Pretty much. Of course I'm also a hunter so I've got to wear protective armor, not cozy coats of fur."

Gladio raised a brow skeptically, looking her over. "Yeah, 'protective'. Shouldn't armor actually completely cover your body?"

"Not necessarily," she replied. "We also take mobility and looks into account when constructing armor."

Prompto laughed. "There's a lot you've gotta learn about this place, Gladio."

The group took shelter within the cave now that the Khezu was gone. The boys filled Gladio in on everything they'd seen and learned about this world of hunters and monsters. It was a lot for him to take in, and he didn't quite understand some things, but he got the gist of it. Aria explained to him the importance of the current Tigrex hunt, and like his friends, he agreed to lend her his strength.

"So, do you have a plan to take on the beast?" Ignis asked the hunter.

Aria hummed, looking through her pouch while devising a plan. "Actually, I think I do. Listen up, here's what we should do..."

Aria explained her strategy and the roles each of them had to make it successful. After a short while, they were each in position to begin. Prompto and Noctis stood out in the open snow, glancing at where Ignis and Gladio hid out of sight. The gunman gulped as he stared down at the horn-like instrument in his hands.

"So this hunter's horn thingie will lure the Tigrex to us? Am I the only one who thinks this is a bad idea?"

Noctis sighed. "Well I'm not too thrilled about being used as bait either, but Aria's in charge of the hunt. Don't be a wimp, just blow the horn already."

Prompto took a deep breath and blew into the horn, producing a loud sound that echoed across the mountain. After waiting for a few moments and hearing nothing but silence, the blond blew it again. Almost right after, the Tigrex came flying in, crashing to the ground with a mighty roar. Prompto shrieked as the Flying Wyvern came charging at them with its jaws snapping. The two boys split up, running in opposite directions, and the Tigrex skidded to chase after Prompto.

The gunman looked back, panicking as he ran from the beast. "Aw man! Why does this always happen to me?!"

He sprinted toward the cliffside where Ignis was waiting up above. As soon as Prompto lured the Tigrex close, the advisor leapt down, landing atop the monster's back. The beast immediately stopped, twisting back and forth and snapping at the bespectacled man. Ignis remained just out of its reach, hanging onto the ridge down its spine and driving one of his daggers into its back, managing to pierce its thick hide. The Tigrex whimpered and began violently shaking and rolling, nearly crushing Ignis under its weight. As soon as it paused to catch its breath, Ignis slid down its side, slicing his dagger through its flesh as he landed on his feet.

Noctis then warped in, slashing his sword at its underbelly where its hide was softer, leaving gashes before warping away again. Prompto, from his position by Gladio, began shooting rapidly at the Tigrex. His bullets weren't quite strong enough to pierce all the way through its thick scales, but it was enough to get its attention. The Wyvern charged toward him, and as it neared, Gladio readied his greatsword. As the monster drew near, the shield swung his blade, giving a mighty blow to the side of the Tigrex's head, chipping one of its horn-like ears as it was knocked over onto its side.

Everyone rushed in to wittle away at the creature while it was down, but as soon as it got up, it roared at them. They were all blown back and their ears were left ringing from the concussive roar. Fortunately, everything was going just how Aria had hoped. The Tigrex was left panting, drool dripping from its maw. It was growing tired and hungry. Spreading its wings, the beast flew up and went east, right toward Aria's trap.

"Let's follow it!" Noctis ordered. "But stay outta sight!"

They hurried in the direction it went, finding it landing in front of the meat Aria had laid out for it. The hunter herself was hidden behind a nearby boulder, watching and waiting. The meat she'd so kindly laid out in the open for the Tigrex had been poisoned. And as soon as the monster scarfed down a few bites, it whined, wobbling from the poison that now afflicted it. With it now weakened, Aria jumped in, catching the Tigrex off guard. Its movements had been slowed by its poisoned state, giving Aria plenty of time to get in as many hits as possible. The boys joined in once more, and with their teamwork, the Tigrex was soon limping away, eager to retreat to lick its wounds.

Spreading its wings, it clumsily lifted off the ground. Aria was quick to intercept it though, throwing a flash bomb in front of its face to blind it, causing it to crash down out of the air. The hunter then rushed in, dodging around its snapping jaws to stab her blades straight into its throat. The Tigrex whined and thrashed, but with the poison also depleting its energy, the blow proved fatal, and the Tigrex finally fell. The boys shared a few celebratory high fives and fist bumps.

"Way to go, boys," Aria said with a smile. "You played your parts well. You'd all make great hunters."

"Thanks," Noctis replied. "But we're only here until we find a way back home. Besides, I don't think hunting monsters is a job for royalty."

Ignis nodded. "Indeed. Though we're happy to lend a hand until then."

Gladio crossed his arms. "Now let's get off this damn mountain already. I'm sick of this place."

"We can go back and enjoy a hot, tasty meal at the Bistro!" Prompto chimed in. "Who's with me?"

Aria laughed lightly. "One thing at a time, guys. First we report the hunt, then we grab a bite." She was quick to carve off some Tigrex parts for later use, then the group began their descent down the mountain.