Forty Years of This [Monster Hunter World]

Chapter 4

"When you come to check on me, it is as if the sun has risen and briefly drifted over to my patch of the sky."

After eight weeks in the brace, the Quartermaster was walking properly on his foot again. In those eight weeks, order and normalcy had been restored to the First Fleet (which currently consisted of one ship beached on a mountain top), and the Commander had taken less time to check on the wounded and spent more time on moving forward. The Quartermaster's unexpected praise made him flush. His mind blanked, and he had no idea how to respond to it, but it seemed the Quartermaster didn't expect a response. He simply kept working with his eyes on his task.

But after a moment of quiet, he turned towards the Commander. His eyes glinted like frost in the morning. "Please," he said quietly. "Know that I will always welcome your company."

The Commander didn't remember how he responded. He blurted out something about caring for all the crew and that included the Quartermaster. Something about appreciating the sentiment, but he did remember the Quartermaster's small smile. The frost and ice were still there, but it didn't feel so cruel and sharp. Visiting the man began to feel like pausing at a cold stream on a hot day.

Where much of the crew was boisterous and loud, the Quartermaster kept quiet and calm. It was no surprise to the Commander when he found the few other quiet people gathering together with him when their duties allowed it. With the Seeker and the Tech Chief setting up shop with the Quartermaster, the Commander found himself visiting more often.

When he approached the three of them during a meal, the Seeker turned to him first. The way the others followed his attention reminded the Commander a bit of how herd animals alerted each other to danger, but he was far from dangerous. Or at least he wasn't a danger to his friends.

"As the three of you might remember, our first supply ship is scheduled to arrive next month. It may come early. It may come late. Assuming another watery disaster doesn't occur, it will also be our first chance to send requests to the mainland. Seeker, I want you to compile a report on what is essential for our survival among the monsters of this land, and what is useful but not life or death. Tech Chief..." The Commander gave a knowing smile and a shake of his head. "Try to remember how much space is on a ship when you put in requests. The Commission is full of bureaucrats. They won't send you everything. And Quartermaster, supplies have always been your job."

"Any special requests, Commander?"

"Help the Tech Chief determine what is a reasonable request and what will be denied immediately. I'm sure you have everything else covered."

"As it pleases you, but I asked if you had any special requests. I believe reigning in my cohort is a part of my expected duties." With an arched brow and a wickedly thin smile, the Quartermaster turned his gaze back to the small Wyverian man.

"Reigning me in? I don't think you stand a snowball's chance in hell of that, Quartermaster. Why you barely keep up with me!"

"Maybe so, but this time I will be able to amend any requests you write, so you would do well to listen to my advice rather than attempt to squander my inventory..."

The Commander genuinely did not care what the two were saying, but he felt an immense relief at seeing the odd one out finally finding camaraderie with others in the crew. Having his people work together and mix well was as important to the success of their mission as having food and shelter.

A month came and went. When the supply ships arrived, the Commander found himself swept up in the wild idea of lifting one out of the water and installing it on the mountainside as the next permanent building in their little camp.

"If we have two buildings, then it's not just a camp anymore," he mused to the Admiral. "If it's not a camp, it's a fort, and it needs a name."

"We should call it something poetic... This whole mission is based on the Tale of the Five... The Celestial Pursuit up there is sort of like our own Sapphire Star..."

"How about Astera? Aestera? Nah, Astera." One of the trackers, a wild mannered woman, jumped in between the men from behind, wrapping her arms around their shoulders with a grin. "That's what we've been thinking about-- the crew I mean. Starry and pretentious but not too presumptuous. Though we have to presume a little about ourselves, eh?"

"Astera...?" The Commander clapped her on the shoulder. "We'll just have to make sure we live up to it."