Rathlands [Monster Hunter] [ENG]

Chapter 14 (Opal POV)

"You people are giving me a headache! Hey, I remind you that we won this battle, so raise those heads, by Ceadeus! We are victorious, be proud Foamians, darn it!" Opal growled, addressing the cohort of exhausted soldiers who were following her.

One of the soldiers, a Daimyo Hermitaur, stopped, laying his heavy pincers on the ground before speaking:

"Your Highness, we are far too tired to enjoy our victory .... Forgive our lack of enthusiasm," he gasped.

The Mizutsune rolled her eyes.

"You are definitely too lazy! You can't even appreciate a well done job!" she growled in frustration before resuming her walk.

"Your Highness, when will we be back in Furosu?" asked the Shogun Ceanataur who was standing beside the Hermitaur.

The Mizutsune felt her facial fins turn scarlet, and her tail wagging rapidly in anger.

"This is the eleventh time you've asked me that question in an hour!" she roared, stopping once more, and repressing her urge to gut the Carapaceon.

A sigh of relief was heard thanks to this new stop.

"For the eleventh and final time," the leviathan announced, putting her claws around her snout like a megaphone, "Furosu will be in sight in an hour! And the next person who asks me that damn question will get soaked in bubbles!"

A wave of complaints arose from this new declaration.

Without further ado, the leader sent the army on its way.

"I really can't understand them. We Foamians managed to defend Ignis alongside the Rathiens, and drove back the vicious enemy!" she mused. "Well, it wasn't without the help of that strange mist there... But we did the hard part! And the Rakurians will now know how to fear us, the people they call lazy!"

She was only talking to herself, but it was as if she were speaking to them aloud. Her excitement and pride were reflected in the repeated change of color of her barbels and the lively movements of her tail.

"I can't feel my legs ..." a voice complained from the far rows.

"It's horrible. I have never been so hungry in my life! Why did we come for, again?" said another.

"I swear by Ceadeus that if we're not back before nap time ..."

"Alright, calm. Caaalm ... Let's forget about them for now ... " Opal thought, her barbels wriggling with irritation.

When the troops reached Furosu, Opal left them on their own, knowing full well that they would mechanically separate and go about their business. Like trained draft horses, once the job was done, they would return to the stables on their own. To use a metaphor, she could see herself as a farmer who was worn by their predictability. Without wasting any more time, she trotted toward the thermae, guessing that at this hour, when the sun was blazing hard on the Foamian Lands, her parents must be at the thermae.

She distractedly greeted the janitor and then entered the thermal baths, passing under a curtain of lukewarm water that acted as a footbath. She soon noticed her mother, father and Laerob sitting in their usual corner. Tidal was dozing while floating in the warm pool, Laerob was half-submerged in the cold pool, leaning on the edge, and Irisée was standing between the two pools, dry.

The Mizutsune approached with a confident, ungraceful gait. Laerob noticed her almost immediately and smiled, attracting her mother's attention in the process. Tidal was probably too deep in his spiritual reflection to react, and remained as he was, fully immersed, with only his nostrils protruding to the surface.