I think the Jagras that keep coming to the nest are the same as before. This is the fourth time my snares have caught any Jagras, but now instead of running, the others continue to come after the eggs, seemingly sacrificing one of their own to benefit the rest of the group. I hear the snare snap one down, but the others follow closely behind it continuing their beeline for the eggs. I take a flash pod out of my pouch and quickly load it into my slinger, then aim it at the middle of the group. They all keep their eyes on it, and then it flashes and temporarily blinds them all. I take this opportunity to kill two of them, driving them away from the eggs. I usually only kill monsters because I need to, except every time a part of me feels sorrow for the monsters. This time was different; This time instead of feeling sorrow, I felt anger.
As I killed the first two, the anger grew, and I rushed to kill the rest. By the time three more Jagras were dead, the rest had regained their vision and retreated, noticing they were outmatched. I wanted to chase them. I wanted to make sure they never came back. I clean up the mess best I can afterwards, tossing the dead Jagras over the edge of the nest for whatever may find them. After finishing, I reset the trap, then notice how close the sun is to the horizon. I wait for Queen to return, then head back to camp to clean my sword and have my evening ration. As I sit down to eat, I notice right next to my ration is a letter from the guildmaster, which I set to the side so I may read it after I eat. After I finish, I open the letter.
"To Talem, By now you may have noticed a developing pattern which you and the Rathian you have been assigned to assist. This pattern of taking turns to guard the clutch is shared by Rathian and Rathalos all over the world who guard their eggs, although in the New World this pattern is slightly different. Each morning, the father of the clutch, or father figure in your case, goes out to hunt while the mother stays at the nest guarding the eggs. This is when you will return to camp to receive your morning ration and any other smaller assignments for the day. The average time that each Rathian and Rathalos go out to sustain themselves is around 2 to 3 hours. You will be able to assist the guild by handling a few smaller assignments in your area during these periods, and we hope that they will help you productively pass the time.
After you finish the tasks, you are to return to the nest, where the Rathian will be waiting to leave to hunt for her food. After this, you are to remain at the nest. Your palico has reported that you have set traps near the entrances, and we have decided to encourage this to ensure the safety of the nest. During your time at the away from Astera, keeping the eggs safe and warm is your first priority, needless to say. When the Rathian returns, you will go to camp to receive your second daily ration and any other assignments. You and the Rathian will take turns guarding the nest, following this loose schedule. During the last period at the end of the day while the Rathian is at the nest, you will receive your final ration of the day and report the status of yourself, the Rathian, and the eggs.
Along with the final daily Ration you will receive a new bottle of cleaner, clean garments, and towels, so you may bathe and wash your underclothing, then hang them to dry as you have done before. Afterwards you will return to the nest, where the Rathian will be waiting. In the New World, Rathian and Rathalos sleep together at night, so we hope you will take this time to observe your new friend and learn more about each other. Best regards, Guildmaster Tavris."
The guildmaster has always cared deeply for his work, but he has never let that get in the way of staying kind and generous. He taught me a lot of things, especially the importance of the balance in nature and how we as factors in that balance must try to preserve it. He's also a big part of the reason I hate killing monsters and try to capture them. I follow the instructions on the letter, writing the report then going to bathe and wash my underclothing. By the time I finish the moon is already out, and so I return to the nest, using the moonlight to help me find my way. Along the way, I notice a clearing in the branches with a gorgeous view of the land below and the ocean beyond it. There's hardly a cloud in the sky, so the stars are all clearly visible. This beats nearly anything I could have seen in the old world in beauty, and all I can do at that moment is stare. After I finish, I continue heading back to the nest.
When I crawl through the brush, Queen lifts her head a bit slower than last time, probably because most of the monsters in the forest are going to sleep by now. She is curled up over the eggs, slowly dozing off. I take my armor off near the entrance to the nest and make my way back over to her, and she opens her eyes as she hears me approach and keeps one on me, though not warily. I'm right next to her again, so I decide to sit down.
I run my gaze over her, observing every part of her body in close detail. It's only now that I notice a considerably sized scar on her right leg. It's hard to tell what caused it, but my first guess is that it was from a fight with an Anjanath. Her ribs are still slightly visible this close, but much less so than when we first met. Some of the spikes on her tail have broken off, and are in the process of regenerating. There's a nick in the tip of her left ear, and the hair on her back is noticeably shorter than that of other Rathain. The spike on the front of her right wing is broken off, and it doesn't look like it's going to grow back.
As I continue to observe her, I notice other smaller cuts that must have been caused by struggle with smaller monsters, such as Jagras or Aptonoth. I reach my hand in front of her face like before, and she slightly lifts her head to sniff it again, then settles it and closes her eyes. I try reaching a bit closer to touch her forehead. She responds by jerking her head up and away, looking at me with a glare similar to Daiko's after I try to pet his head while he's sleeping. It's not angry, it's just sleepy and confused. After a few seconds, she rests her head again and I lay down beside her. She keeps her eye on me as I do, but closes it again when I get settled. I'm glad it's a warm night, it saves me the trouble of needing to build a fire. I close my eyes and drift to sleep.