Forty Years of This [Monster Hunter World]

Chapter 3

"Commander!" "The Commander's back?" "Things are turning up!"

Moments after stepping out from the forest, the Admiral had both the Commander and the Quartermaster in a massive bear hug. When he let go, the Quartermaster hissed in pain and limped away.

"I was worried I'd have to do it all without you!" The Admiral beamed down at the Commander. "You jumped off like a fool, but I never should have doubted you!"

"I couldn't let our quartermaster float away-- I'm not taking on his job along with mine." But despite his calloused words, the Commander's gaze lingered on the Quartermaster, watching him until another crewmate helped him along to wherever the injured were tended to.

"When we pulled the rope back without you, we thought you were gone. It killed morale." The Admiral, a giant of a man with a wide-set jaw and wild blond mane, looked lost. "There are some people we can afford to lose. You are not one of them."

"We can't afford to lose anyone."

"If it's between losing one person and two..." The Admiral didn't finish his sentence. He shook his head, tossing it as if chasing away the thought. "No. You're right, and that's why you're my second. But I don't want you being reckless-- that's my job! Next time, I'm the one to jump into the ocean after someone."

"I'm surprised you didn't beat me to it. What's the situation here?"

"The Tech Chief says the ship is secure where it is. Not even another hurricane could knock it down, and with a little more support it will be the perfect watch post. We're not sure how much of our supplies have been lost since the hull broke open. We're organizing search, rescue, and hunting parties, but now that you're here, you can do the organizing, and I can do the leading." The Admiral grinned. The weight of losing his second had been a heavy burden, but with the Commander back, he felt light as a feather. "How did you get back? What's with the bugs?"

"You are the most willing figurehead I have ever known." The Commander looked about him to see that the little green fire flies had since scattered about the crew. Some had landed gently on the ship while others hovered about the people. When someone swatted at them for getting too close to their face, they shifted from green to red and darted under a branch, hiding themselves.

"What was..." The Admiral pointed to the soft red glow beneath the tree.

"I found those glowing flies on the Quartermaster after I scaled a tree to look for the wreck, and then they jumped to me. On our way back, they kept darting from us to remnants of the ship and the crew. They lead us back here. I don't know how they knew, or why they did it, but it was like having a scent hound." The Commander smiled fondly at the glow. "Scoutflies. They're little scouts. I think they're going to be critical to our success here... In fact, Admiral, there are some other things I saw I need to tell you about..."

The rest of the day passed with the Commander informing the Admiral about the gentle winged beasts in the forest, the road like network of vines in the canopy, and the miracle of the scoutflies. By the evening, two parties had gone out hunting and brought back familiar hauls of butchered monsters and edible mushrooms. A bonfire blazed on the mountain side, and as the sun set, he found himself dreaming.

The next morning, he found the Quartermaster leaning on crutches meticulously going over the inventory. The Commander paused before addressing him-- the man was as meticulously groomed as he'd been on the ship, but now everyone was feeling the aches and pains of shipwreck, and the Quartermaster couldn't be free of that. Yet he wore a bored expression like the brace on his leg and the bruises on his body were nothing.

"The Admiral's beard is already growing in, and yet you don't even have any wayward stubble. I have been up since before dawn, and I haven't had the time to shave." The Commander rubbed his jaw. "I haven't even found a change of clothes."

"I am the quartermaster." The man turned his bored glare on the Commander. "It is my job to know where things are. If you need a straight razor or a change of clothes, I recommend you first search the officer's quarters on the ship. If you cannot find yours," he gestured towards a stack of smaller crates. "I have not yet gone through those."

"I was... Nevermind." It was still a mystery to the Commander how the man had managed to find the time to preen, and it was a mystery that pestered him like an itch, but he knew better than to ask again. The Quartermaster seemed a cold and prickly man even if his words themselves implied nothing but neutrality. It was a far cry from the amiable warmth of the rest of the command team, but the Quartermaster wasn't really a part of that team. He lacked the synergy.

"It seems much of the lost supplies were found downhill of the wreckage. There is still a great deal missing from the inventory, but--" The Quartermaster suddenly froze. He grew stiff and stared intently forward. The Commander recognized pain. "But not all is lost. Much of the weaponry, food, and settlement supplies are intact. I have no way of knowing how much of the medical supplies we have already burned through, and so I cannot give an estimate of how long we have until those run out."

"I am proud to have you in this crew, Quartermaster." The Commander's words were seemingly unprovoked, so he was not surprised when the man before him narrowed his eyes in suspicion. "You are one of many who are striving for success in spite of pain and setback. I am proud to have such a worthy crew. With people like you, we will make it."

There was a moment of silence as the Quartermaster looked down at his feet and the Commander waited for a response. When their eyes met, and though his words dripped like venom, there was a fire in the Quartermaster.

"Whatever the goal may be, I will ensure you have the supplies to achieve it."