Chapter 28: Steak Combo
"Hey Gon! Come on in to the kitchen. Mary made us something to eat!" Yelled Leorio with his lips stained red.
"That explains the red hands, a bit, but what about all the hair on the floor?"
"Y-yeah I kind of messed up on that end, when I tightened the restraints on the other Kiriko I cut off some of their hair. So in order to make up for my mistake I ended up having to fix their hair. A-at least I tried?" Said Mary as her face turned red from embarrassment.
"Don't worry about it." Sad the woman from before. "Besides I like my hair a little bit shorter anyway!"
"If you're here where's your father?" Asked the Kiriko next to Gon.
"The other Kiriko is over there in the corner." Said Kurapika.
In the darkest corner of the cabin was the Kiriko sulking, it's nice yellow fur reduced down to where you could see bits of his skin poking through.
—————
Around 10 minutes later
"Hey Mary where did you get all the ingredients to make this?" Asked Gon, still shoveling food into his mouth.
"Ummm, I found the pantry, again I'm sorry about that." Mary said while bowing to the Kiriko.
"I'd like to know the recipe actually." Said the woman.
"O-okay the recipe is..."
After a nice meal. and the other Kiriko stopping his sulking in the corner, the four were escorted out of the cabin.
"It's been ages since anyone has been able to tell us apart." Said the Kiriko that didn't have its fur trimmed with a smile on its face to Gon.
"It personally makes me happy, but, but, my fur, it took so long to grow..."
"You see before Mary practiced her barber skills, the one we tried trapping together was the husband. Now that he's been shaved I guess people will be able to tell them apart more easily." Said Gon.
"Now on to more clear introductions. I'm their daughter." Said the woman from before.
"I'm their son." Said the previously injured man.
"And we're their parents." Said the two Kiriko in their beast forms.
"Well not that you don't already know, but we Kiriko are the navigators for the hunter exam. The venue location changes every year, and as a result it's difficult to find. So we guide those who come to us to the exam site." Said the shaven Kiriko.
"However, we don't help every candidate." began the woman.
"So we test the applicants to see if they're qualified enough to take the exam." Continued the man.
"Mary."
"Y-Yes."
"You were able to not only use the vaguest of hints to deduce my identity, but you were able to apprehend both my father and myself. Mary showed that she was both knowledgeable and powerful, which makes her more than worthy to take the exam. You pass." Said the woman.
"Way to go Mary." Congratulated Gon.
"T-Thanks."
"Leorio."
"Yes."
"You never realized my true identity. And even fought against the person who did, however you dressed my wounds faster and more thoroughly than a doctor would. Most importantly you continued to reassure me that my "wife" was safe."
"S-stop it it's embarrassing," Leorio said, pushing up his glasses.
"Your compassion makes you worthy to take the hunter exam. Thus you pass."
"R-Really?! Thank goodness..."
"You did it." Said Gon.
"Kurapika."
"Yes."
"You also demonstrated that you are very knowledgeable, by being able to discern my identity by my tattoo on my right arm, which means single for life. Therefore you also pass." Said the man.
"Way to go Kurapika!" Said Gon.
"Yeah."
"And finally, Gon."
"Yes!"
"Your superhuman physical ability and perception makes you more than worthy to take the Hunter Exam. You pass."
"G-great job Gon!"
"Thanks!" He said with a smile on his face.
"All right! We will now take you to the exam site!" Said the four Kiriko.
"But how are you going to take us?" Asked Leorio.
"By flying of course."
The four Kiriko, in their beast forms suddenly changed their arms into long wings. Unfortunately for the Kiriko, two had to take Leorio at a time because of his weight. In the night sky one could see the faint silhouettes of beasts carry four people.
—————
It was already late into the morning when Mary and the others had arrived in Zaban City. The streets were busy with activity as many walked down and up them, looking at the items for sale and setting up their own shops. There were stalls with exquisite pottery, some with toys, of which Mary bought a wooden soldier, and some with produce. There were also some sketchy stalls per say, ones with cheap jewelry sold at a high price, some with deadly items such as poisons, and even a few clearly fraudulent fortune tellers. Because it was unnecessary only one of the four navigators accompanied them, it was the "injured" Kiriko in his human form that led them. He had led them to a tall and grand building, the stone pillars near the entrance holding up a building made of a beautifully carved stone exterior with windows that seemed to glimmer in the sunlight all over the building.
"So, this is the exam site... this is what draws..." began Leorio.
"Hunter applications from across the world." Finished Kurapika.
"My first shot at the Hunter Exam... This excitement... I wonder if this is what Dad felt, when he first arrived."
Before they could take a step Mary called out to them. "H-hey guys! It's over here!"
Unlike the grand building next to it, in front of them is what appeared to be an old tavern, a picture of a steak on the top of the building was the main eye catcher.
"Wait, is this a joke? Any way you look at it, it's just a restaurant!" Said Leorio. "You're not saying all Hunter Exam applicants are meant to assemble there?"
"That's it exactly." Said the navigator. "No one would expect the Hunter Exam, with its millions of candidates to be located, here right? At least that's what I thought too until meeting her." Said the navigator while pointing at Mary who was too busy trying to fit her toy soldier into a book.
"Hey Mary, what's that book for?" Asked Kurapika.
"It's something that's kept me alive for these past couple of years." Said Mary with a serious tone.
"O-okay." Said Leorio, surprised at her sudden shift from being happy to being serious in an instant.
Walking into the restaurant the were greeted by what seemed to be the head chef of the location. "Welcome!"
"Is the back room open?" Asked the navigator.
"What'll it be?" He asked.
"The steak combo that will make me see the light. For four."
In a serious tone the chef asked, "For four...eh? How do you want them?"
"Grilled over a low flame, until done."
"Got it. Please seat yourself in the back room."
After walking over to the back room the navigator spoke to them, "wait here."
"Wait? Where are the others?" Asked Leorio.
"I can't wait for the steak combo!" Gon said with an extreme amount of enthusiasm.
"Gon that was just a password to get us inside." Explained Kurapika.
"Oh man, so we don't get to eat?" Complained Gon.
"One in every ten thousand...That's the number of applicants who make it this far. You've done extremely well for first-timers. Well good luck." Said the navigator before finally leaving.
A click sounded in the room before they felt they were being lowered somewhere.
"T-this is it guys! We finally made it!" Shouted Mary.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
A_Random_Person
A_Random_Person Great recipe, I know. Also couldn’t get this out earlier since I had a fever, probably shouldn’t have even tried writing for now since I got another headache but ehh. Let me know if I made any mistakes (there’s probably a few) and all that good stuff. Next chapter will come out whenever I have time. Most likely it’ll be two next weekend.
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