This was strange. Fawkes didn’t like it, but at least it was a solution. He set his massive ship down in a protected forest by the city they had been forced to move into: Dales.
Dales was a nice city, not the biggest of this planet, but decent, and they were pretty accepting of Vorchans. And while they didn’t really like the idea of a massive starship nested in their forest, there was no other way to really keep him alive.
I feel like a beemster… Flames complained.
As if you ever grew up, Flames. Fawkes joked.
The world was a cacophony of snaps and groans and sirens.
“Fawkes. We warned you!” yelled Greg. Greg was a nice guy, sort of. Being the Chief of Police, he wasn’t being particularly adamant at the moment.
“I warned you too. I gave a week’s notice.” Fawkes said calmly.
Greg sighed helplessly. “It’s probably happening all over – not that we got a way of knowing, with the nodescape down.”
–
–
I hate trees.
I know.
I hate dirt.
I know.
And being dirty, and sticky. I hate that too.
Are you sure? There were times with Flames where –
That’s different!
But Violet stopped complaining, settling in a small farm kindly donated by someone of the planet they had been orbiting.
Be glad you’re lucky enough to be near food. The other beems… who knows how many—
We can last weeks if we hibernate. There is time for whoever broke the nodescape to fix it.
You really think it was a person?
I hope it was.
Why?
People fix things.
Unless they wanted it broken…
Then other people will fix it!
–
–
Red wasn’t sure where she was. It was a rural area with houses, but the sky was red, making all the houses glow ominously.
It reminded her of her dreams, the colors didn’t quite fit, here. Everything seemed surreal. There didn’t seem to be anyone else. Just her, with all these houses. Lots of houses. No noise coming from any of them.
Maybe the people are sleeping?
Or hiding from you? suggested Allonsi. She was getting quieter, her low power state making her uncomfortably calm.
I’m sure that’s it.
You do have claws and spikes and breathe fire.
I also have adorable blue eyes and a friendly smile. She said, revealing a row of incisors. Someone gasped. Her ears picked it up instantly. She turned to the sound, emanating from one of the houses.
Her responses resulted in ruffling by the afflicted house. People were moving about in there, panicking, most likely from the fear of suddenly having been discovered by such a creature. But she wasn’t that horrible! Really!
“Who’s there?” Red growled, but then she realized the people here may not have translators installed in their heads, and if they didn’t have that, then her growls would just – The people in the house screamed – make them panic. “Great…”
I told you they were afraid of you. Allonsi said.
How is it up there? Red asked.
Quiet. There were seven other planets nearby, and they all had that red hue. Allonsi hadn’t been approached yet, by anything, or even saw anything on her sensors. If there were other ships around, they were doing a good job of being stealthy.
Red started cantering towards the house, wings withdrawn, claws swept back and hidden. She made an effort at keeping her incisors from showing. She wanted to look as harmless as possible.
A man emerged from the house when Red was only a few paces away. “Stay back, beast!” he yelled.
Raumen, but he’s a descendent of the planet of Ilo. That’s not here. Allonsi reported.
“What are you doing here?” Red asked.
The man held his stance, but his legs were shaking. “You glow like the other.”
“Like who? Seleene?” Red asked. “Was Seleene here?”
“Leave us be, send us back to where we came from.” demanded the man, slamming the door.
Suddenly Red had a brilliant idea.
–
“Hello?” Hannah knocked on the door.
A silence, for a moment. “Who is it? What are you doing out there?”
“We need to talk to you. We’re here by accident, like you.”
“Who are you?”
“I’m Hannah.”
“Hannah who?”
“Hannah Debreh. I’m a psychologist.”
“We don’t need a shrink. We need a ship.”
“We can help you. We have a ship, but we need fuel.”
“What kind of a ship?”
“A puritan starship. But the nodescape is down. It can’t get energy.”
“What do you mean the nodescape is down, that’s impossible!”
“You got teleported from your home in Ilo all the way to a place where planets are within a million kilometres of each other and the sun is this strange bright red sphere, and the nodescape shutting down is impossible?”
He opened the door.
Red smiled.
He tried to shut the door but Hannah had a foot in, swinging it open vigorously. “Right, here we are then.”
They sat down by the dining table next to the kitchen. Red could hear people upstairs, whispers.
“So you have a ship?” the man asked.
“Yes.” Hannah replied.
“My name is Landlow. Landlow Armstrong.” said the man.
“Armstrong?” Red asked in surprise. “Do you know a Mart?”
Landlow watched her cautiously, “What did it say?”
“She wants to know if you know a man by the name of Mart?”
“Mart! How do you know that name?” Landlow asked, staring straight at Red. “Mart is my son, my eldest. Left home some time ago, took the family ship when he realized I wanted to stay settled down.”
Of all the people to run into. Whoever had put these worlds together like this must have known something about Red, it was the only explanation, and a sick one.
“Answer me, beast.”
“She’s not a beast.” Hannah said. “Her name is Red. If you had the latest translator you would be able to understand her, like us.”
“Translators, we never needed ‘em here. Tiny creatures wriggling about in our skulls.” he shuddered at the thought. “What do you know of my son?”
Red looked away. This was a sick joke. She didn’t want to be reminded of Mart. He left, disappeared. She loved him and he’d left.
“Whoever sent us here is playing with my emotions.” Red said. “This can’t be real.”
She turned to leave.
“What do you know of my son?” pleaded Landlow.
Red kept walking, but listened, “We were never that close. Mart and I. He wanted to follow in his granddad’s footsteps, become a space pioneer, a freelancer. Live a life of adventure and glory and fame. But it’s not like that, not really. He was too young to understand. Is he alright? Is he alive?”
There was desperation in the old man. He was truly worried.
“He’s alive, I’m sure.” Red said.
Hannah relayed it right away.
A sigh of relief washed over Landlow. “For a moment I thought you ate him.” Landlow said with a laugh.
Red smiled back cynically, leaving the house.
“Good day to you, Landlow.” Hannah said, closing the door behind them.
To their surprise, there were people outside now, gathered around the house. They looked ordinary, and worried. “What did you do to poor Landlow?” asked a woman.
“Nothing.” Hannah said reassuringly.
“Why did you send us here?” asked another. “We want to go home.”
“It wasn’t us. We don’t know who did this to you. But we’ll find out.” Hannah explained.
“It was the Vorchan!” yelled one.
“Definitely the Vorchan!” confirmed another.
“We should leave.” Red suggested.
They started walking away, the angry crowd getting bigger, and braver.
“It really wasn’t us!” Red pleaded. Some people panicked at the sound, others had translators and understood.
“Liar. We always knew the Vorchan Empire would invade some day! Figures they would do something like this. Divide and conquer!”
A loud snap. It hit Red hard, knocking her on her tail.
“By the Nova!” yelled Hannah, looming over her.
“What was that?” Red asked.
Another bang, this one bounced off the granite road they were on. She could see the smoke rising from the window of a house a few dozen feet away.
She took a deep breath, readying a flameburst, only to be hit again. This time she fell on her side.
She forced a weak laugh, “I’ve been shot…”
–
–
“A prawn sandwich.” Fawkes said, staring at it.
“Genius, isn’t it?” Nyx asked.
“What’s a prawn?” Fawkes asked.
“I don’t know, just eat it.”
“What if I don’t want to?”
“Then I’ll eat it!” Nyx snapped for the sandwich, but Fawkes pulled it away with his claw, throwing it in his mouth.
They had been here a week, now, living out of Flames like a nice big house. People had even offered to pay rent to live in him, which was how this prawn sandwich came to be. It was their liberation from the recycled goopy food that the beems produced for its crew.
“So this might be the rest of our life.” Nyx said. “Landlords.”
“Terrifying thought, isn’t it?” Fawkes asked.
“And the people here are getting unfriendly. They think the VE were involved.”
“Let them think that.”
“But then how will we be safe here? How will our children be safe here?”
“More children?” Fawkes asked, eyes wide.
“Well if we’re spending our entire life here. I’m sure even you will sire a hatchling eventually.”
“Maybe it’s not my fault! Maybe you’ve just had too many children!”
“We can have hundreds!”
“Then maybe he did something.” Fawkes said, looking away.
“Did what?”
“I don’t know. Neutered you.”
“No!” Nyx roared.
Maybe this wasn’t the best conversation to have in a cafe.
“He couldn’t have! Flames would have noticed! You’ve scanned me, right?” Nyx asked.
“Nope, never scanned you.”
“No I can’t be. I wouldn’t be interested in… oh my Nova maybe I am neutered!”
“What?”
“It’s the only explanation!”
“What??”
“Well – lately. It’s just been so boring, you know, everything.”
“It’s been boring? I’ve been boring?” Fawkes asked in surprise.
“But it’s not your fault. Not if Martock neutered me. It makes so much sense!”
“No it doesn’t.” Fawkes growled, not liking this conversation anymore.
Nyx started to laugh.
“What!”
“You’re so easy to rile up.”
“I’m not easy to rile up…” Fawkes muttered defensively.
–
–
You know what I don’t like? Violet asked.
Is it… dirt? Joshua asked. He was sitting in Violet’s lounge with a glass of wine, giving the lonely ship occasional phantom caresses to get her mind off the dirt. It wasn’t working too well.
I’m glad you’re alive. Everything will be fine. Joshua transmitted soothingly.
You should be out doing things. Violet said.
Like what?
Like whatever young men do. Looking for girls and going to clubs.
I’ve got you. That’s enough for me. When I thought you were going to die… the thought was like a thunderstorm in their neural conversation.
Violet embraced him with phantom wings, wrapping them around him. I love you. We have something the unlinked could never even fathom.
I hope it’ll never change. Joshua said with a phantom kiss, not sure if the ship could even register such a sensation properly.
Never! Violet nuzzled back.
–
–
Red awoke to the chirp of insects and the smell of grass and dirt. The world was still blurry. It hurt to get on her feet. Why did it hurt to get on her feet?
“You’re awake.” said Landlow, checking her bandages.
“Where are—“
“We had to leave the village. We got attacked.” Landlow said.
“Good thing you’re made to fly. Makes you lighter than you look.” Hannah joked, offering her water.
“Your family.” Red said.
“They’ll be fine. I don’t really have anyone.” Landlow said.
“But I heard… footsteps.” Red said.
“Where?”
“Upstairs.”
Landlow chuckled lightly, wiping some of the dirt off Red’s horns. “It’s a one-story house.”
They traveled slowly, not completely sure of where they were going. Landlow didn’t really know of any towns nearby, but he had heard rumours of where The Glowing One lived. He hoped that The Glowing one would be able to help them, or at least explain more of this world to them. Landlow really wanted to see Mart again.
They traveled until it was dark, and slept again to the planetlight. There were no stars here. The next morning Landlow checked the traps he had set and they had a breakfast of squirrels and leocats. Red loved leocats, they were adorable, and tasty. She wanted to let the Raumens eat first, but they insisted, considering her condition. She graciously accepted the leocats and devoured all of them, leaving Hannah and Landlow with squirrel, wretched squirrel.
“How much do you generally eat?” Landlow asked Red as they walked.
“I never really kept track.” Red replied, beating her wings to her gait to make her steps lighter.
They stopped, it was mid-day, and the sun was shining as brightly as it could, washing everything out in a pinkish glow.
“I’ll catch us some lunch.” Landlow said, having fashioned a spear out of some wood. It looked very crude.
“I’ll help.” Red said, not too confident the spear would be doing any effective hunting.
“If you feel you can.”
“I don’t want you to get mauled by a Leopold.” Red replied.
Hannah laughed, “I’m glad you’re feeling better. I’ll hold the fort down.”
Red and Landlow set out north, walking slowly and quietly. They encountered a gnarbeast an hour into their trek. There were two, with three offspring. Red eyed them hungrily.
Both Landlow and Red lunged simultaneously at the two older animals. Red had a deathgrip on one’s neck and Landlow was fighting the other with his spear. While the spear itself was crude, it was an effective weapon, and it hadn’t taken long for Landlow to take down his target.
“Both of them?” Landlow asked, not having expected Red to strike. “I don’t want to waste food.”
“You don’t have to worry about that.” Red grinned, cutting into the Leopold viciously. It only took a few minutes for her to have eaten most of it.
“That’s… terrifying.” Landlow gagged.
“Sorry.” Red held back a burp, trying to remain civil. “I was hungry.”
“You can eat raw food?” Landlow asked.
“I can eat anything. My saliva disinfects, heals, prepares, conflagrates, does everything!”
“Interesting. You know I’ve never encountered a Vorchan before. They are rare, or were rare in my time.” He lifted the Leopold over his back. “How did you come to know Mart?”
“I… he… we were at a spaceport.” Red explained.
“A Vorchan at a spaceport, eh? What brought you all the way to one of our spaceports?”
“A person. Martock. Don’t you know about the slaves? How we were sold?” Red asked.
“No. I musta missed all that. What happened?”
Red explained the story to him on the way back, but summarizing it had been a lot easier than she’d thought, which meant they had quite a bit of time to talk about other things, and the main subject on Landlow’s mind still remained.
“So was he a nice kid?”
“He was.”
“Did you talk to him much?”
“A bit.” Red said vaguely, licking one of her wounds idly.
“Are you alright?” Landlow checked the bandage.
“I’m fine. You don’t need bandages anymore. The bleeding stopped. I can disinfect on my own.”
Landlow grabbed a fresh bandage out of a pouch on his belt, and held it in front of Red’s snout. It took Red a few moments to figure out what he was getting at, but then spat into the bandage a few times. He then stuck the bandage onto a wound on her back.
“You can’t disinfect that part.” Landlow said.
Red smiled. Maybe being nice to Vorchans ran in his family? Or was it just being nice in general? But then what turned Mart to crime?
“Mart was a very nice person. Like you.” Red said.
“Why thanks.”
“But then why was he a freelancer, freelancers don’t do the nicest things.”
“I’d think he was one of the better ones. He didn’t do anything wrong while you knew him, did he?”
Red shook her head, “No.” she lied, remembering the fear of being hijacked.
And then she remembered her rescue, “He was wonderful, and caring.”
She let out a sob, and shook away the tears.
“Are you? I never knew Vorchans could—“
“I’m not.”
“What happened?” Landlow asked, setting the Leopold down and stopping. They were still at least twenty minutes away from camp.
“Nothing happened.” Red said defensively, sniffing.
Landlow waited.
“It would have been perfect. My life—“
Red! Anxiety lashed at the neural band.
Allonsi? The ship was so good at being quiet. But now she was agitated, several other entities making their way towards her.
They engulfed her. Red screamed at the pain as Allonsi suddenly vanished. Her eyes out in the stars wretched from her.
“Red?” Landlow asked worriedly.
“Where did you say this Glowing One was?” Red asked, eyes slits and stance razor sharp.
“On the mountain there.” Landlow pointed out at the mountain whose peak disappeared past the red haze.
She flared her wings, readying for flight.
“Wait, why? What happened?” Landlow asked.
“Whatever it was. Whoever that thing is. Good or evil. It crossed the line, and now it’s going to pay!” Red lunged for the mountain, beating herself skywards.
What was the point of all this? She thought. Why her? Was it because she was a Queen? She didn’t want to be a Queen. She didn’t want to function through the nodescape and glow the way she did. And how would the lack of a nodescape affect her, then? What exactly was she supposed to do?
The trek to the mountain was long and arduous, and she had to stop many times to rest and hunt. But the journey faded to a dim memory when she finally arrived at the base, looking up at the equally long journey awaiting her. She would get to the peak of this mythical mountain and then she would understand. She knew she would.
–
–
Nyx and Fawkes were coiled lazily around each other, staring out at the city only a few blocks away from the forest they had crushed.
Look! People! Flames transmitted, his gaze pointing at a few dozen men who were making their way to the ship.
“And they have guns.” Fawkes added, analyzing the image.
“Who?” Nyx crooned, a little annoyed at how tense Fawkes had suddenly become.
Fawkes partially uncoiled from Nyx, making his way over to the bow of the ship where they could look down on the people with their eyes. They noticed the two Vorchans up top and called for them to come down.
“Why do they have guns?” Nyx asked worriedly. “Should I grab an exosuit?”
“You do that.” Fawkes nodded, giving Nyx a kiss. “I’ll talk to them.”
“Good luck!” Nyx exclaimed, decoupling her tail and jumping free, flying to a maintenance hatch.
Fawkes stared at her for a bit and then glided down in front of the group of men, flaring extra hard to make it clear that they were facing a superior life form. He watched them with one eye, waiting for them to speak.
“I am State Bishop Custard. It has come to our attention that your beems has been violating statute four of the Lupine Regulation.”
Fawkes looked up statute four. Housing.
“Has it?” Fawkes asked.
“Why yes. Generally areas of over a hundred thousand square feet are allotted a certain amount of resources. Your ship is taking that allotment plus five hundred percent.”
“I see.”
“You have also violated every forestry regulation we have, and will most likely be responsible for the extinction of a fair number of species that inhabit this region.” added someone else.
“It’s either that or the death of my ship.” Fawkes replied.
“But is the life of your ship worth the lives of everything in this forest, as well as the well-being of the planet is has decided to become a parasite of?” continued that same person. Fawkes looked her over. She was a middle-aged woman with a neural lens and red hair. She wore a smart white gown with a nametag and title.
“Well, Laura of The People for the Preservation and Protection of Forests, or PPPF.” Fawkes lisped the acronym, spitting it, and tried very hard not to giggle from the annoyed stares. “I respect your position, but beems are also a protected species under GalCore statute fifteen stating, paraphrased mind you, that any beems in duress can do whatever the hell it wants to not die. Now that includes being a ‘parasite.’.”
“That statute is under review as we speak.” retorted Laura.
“That’s good. Well I highly doubt you could ever convince me to let my ship die, so why don’t we just be a little more tolerant for the time being until this crisis passes.” Fawkes suggested, hoping the translator made that sound as civil as possible.
“This crisis is only a crisis for you spoiled few, with your gorging starships and insatiable appetites.” spat an older man. Another shushed him, patting him on the shoulder empathetically.
“Is there anything else I can help you people with?” Fawkes asked with a smile, incisors glinting.
“You have one week to remove your ship or we will remove it by force.” said the first man who had spoken.
“Where else could I go?” Fawkes asked. “My ship doesn’t have too much energy.”
“There is a moon orbiting this planet that might be able to sustain your starship.” suggested Laura from PFFF.
“My starship required minerals, which that moon is lacking.”
The people looked at each other, unsure of what to say.
“One week.” the man finally said. They walked off.
I don’t understand. We’re tiny. Why would they care? Fawkes asked.
I don’t know. But I will have to move soon either way, it’s getting harder to stay awake here. At first I thought it was the boredom, but it turns out I’m draining more than consuming, again. Flames reported.
Where will we move? Fawkes asked, checking the geological information on this planet. There were a few other forests, but the majority of the planet was industrial or commercialized.
Well, there is the resort… Flames highlighted the resort. While it showed up as commercial, a good portion of the resort was unused. The beach had quite a bit of the minerals Flames needed, and he could probably find a way to filter the seawater as well to get the rest of what he needed. It would be suitable for another few weeks, but then they would have to move again. The word ‘insatiable’ did come to mind, these ships weren’t meant to dwell on planets.
Fawkes went back up to the dorsal carapace of his ship, staring out at the city.
“So is this needed?” Nyx asked, grinning in a chrome black exosuit. It gave a subtle hydraulic whir as she moved.
“No. They left.” Fawkes replied idly. Whoosh. “Shit.”
He was too slow; Nyx had him pinned in seconds.
“So, where were we.” she asked, keeping a hydraulic paw over him as she looked her target over.
Fawkes smiled, and Nyx raised her paw, stepping back and turning around submissively. “That’s better.”
“What did you do?!” Nyx asked, trying to break free of the exosuit.
“Now lift your tail!” Fawkes exclaimed.
There was a loud hydraulic whir as the suit fought Nyx over control of her tail. “This… isn’t fair.” she grimaced.
It had been a while since they had a game of dominance, and Fawkes was about to win this one. He lunged. Nyx broke free of the suit, shooting up into the sky, the sun behind her, silhouetting her. He wondered if that was a tactic of hers.
“You look beautiful.” he said before he tackled her. They collapsed to the ground together, tumbling and tumbling until they fell from the ship and were grappling in the dried remains of the forest. Branches crumbled around them as they fought.
Suddenly Nyx stopped, noticing all the carnage. “Did we really do this?” she asked.
Fawkes was caught mid-tumble, freezing over her, tail raised and paws ready to pounce. “I think so.”
“It’s horrible. Look at all the dead birds.” she said.
“What’s the alternative? We can’t let Flames die.” he argued.
“I know…” she said, clawing at the dried dirt idly with a claw, avoiding eye contact.
“Nyx…” he cooed, trying to get in her field of view as affectionately as possible.
“What did they say?” she asked.
“The people? They want us to leave, for the damage we’re causing.” he said.
She leaned up against him, sighing deeply. “What will you do?”
“Defend Flames.” Fawkes said simply.
“I wish we were back home.” Nyx muttered.
“I know, me too.” Fawkes pulled her close with a wing, hoping she would switch back to playing their game, but she disengaged and lifted off, flying back to the ship.
Fawkes looked down at the ground, seeing a Flit there. They were tiny red birds that got their names from the way they flew, flitting between branches. Its ears were stained with blood. It was the concussion wave that must have killed it.
Fawkes considered the terrible toll they now had to pay for the survival of the beems species, and the ethical conundrums that would begin to unfold as time went on. How many beems had died? How many planets were being taxed to capacity from ships forced to live off of them?
He then ate the bird and flew after Nyx, letting the pleasure of the snack and his thoughts about Nyx wash away the galaxy and its problems.
–
–
“It’s not fair.” Red cried. She had been traveling up this mountain for days on end. The Glowing One didn’t feel any closer, and Allonsi still hadn’t turned up. She didn’t even know if her ship was still alive.
What was the point? “Why go on?” She curled up near the edge of the mountain, looking down at the path she had taken. This world was so red, and so cold. She was shivering now that she had stopped moving.
But then something landed next to her, wrapped a wing around her. She recognized the embrace, but didn’t believe it.
“So that’s it, then. I’m dead. I have to be dead.” Red cried, leaning into Lentil. “Why? What happened?”
“You’re not dead.” Lentil crooned, rocking her affectionately.
“I’m so sorry, Lentil.” she sobbed. “I—“
Lentil hugged her close, shushing her. “I heard you were looking for him. I didn’t believe it at first, but here you are.”
“What is this place?” Red asked.
“I wish I could tell you. Rocks, one moment, and then I was here.”
“I was so stupid. So careless.” Red said. “I killed you…”
“I feel alive.” Lentil said.
Red kissed him, he kissed back, but there was sorrow in his expression, “But… I don’t know. This world doesn’t seem that real.”
“What do you remember?” Red asked.
“I remember… a red haze, and you screaming my name.” Lentil said.
“A red haze? Like what?”
“Like you. How you’re glowing now.” he said.
“I’m glowing?” she asked, looking at her paws.
“A little, the red lines on your skin. They’re glowing a little, like a red mist. It’s very beautiful.” he said, gazing affectionately.
“Chances.” she growled.
“What?”
“You had so many chances.” she said. “But you were so noble.”
“I was shy was what I was.” he said.
“But you stayed. You stayed until it killed you.” she was in tears again.
“I don’t feel dead. Maybe you saved me.”
“I really hope this isn’t a dream.” Red said. “I hope it’s not one of my weird dreams.”
“Feels real to me.” he said. “But let’s get moving. It’ll get colder soon, and us Vulcans don’t like the cold, and I don’t feel like dying, or dying a second time, whatever.”
Red laughed, she felt wonderful. “I love you.”
“Me too!” he trotted ahead, using his wings to pick up speed. Red followed excitedly.
And together they traveled until it was dark again, and cold. They huddled together for warmth, taking shelter from the wind in a crevice etched into the mountain-side. “How did you find me?” Red asked.
“I could pick up your glow from miles away. I heard of the commotion in the town and knew it had to be something interesting. Never thought it’d be you, though.” he kissed her.
“Well what are you waiting for, then?” she said softly.
He looked away, “It’d… well I’m… you know.”
“Your first time? Mine too!” she lied, pressing into him and pinning him against the wall. She was slightly bigger, and apparently stronger. Being half-Blackwing was useful.
“I—“ he couldn’t get a word out between the licks and kisses, and finally gave up trying, letting instinct carry them through the night.
–
Red opened her eyes quickly the next morning, and scanned around. “You’re still here.” she said.
“Is that bad?” Lentil asked. He had already been awake some time, staring out at the sunrise.
“No. I just – I really thought it was a dream.” Red said. “The colors seem less washed out, now.”
“It’s the planets, they mess with the colors, it’s strange but you’ll get used to it. It’ll be nicer for a while, and then it’ll go grey for a bit.” he explained. “I – I sort I thought it was a dream too. Maybe this is. Maybe we are dead. I mean I did see a rock come crashing down on me.”
Red was about to apologize again, but he continued quickly, “But it didn’t hurt, Red. Not at all. I didn’t even remember it hit me. It was just that red glow. Maybe you saved me, somehow. With your powers.”
“I really hope that’s true.” Red said.
“It must be. Or maybe we’re both dead, and dreaming. What was your last memory?” he asked.
“I was…” Red thought back. “I was with Allonsi. Oh Allonsi.” she closed her eyes. “I’m so sorry. Something happened to her. We have to keep moving!”
She marched forward, Lentil following closely behind.
“What happened to her?”
“I don’t know. Maybe… maybe she got out.” it was a hopeful thought, “But that also means she left me… she left me just like everyone else.”
“I won’t leave you.” Lentil said quickly, “Never. I’d rather die. You know that for a fact!”
“Why?”
“Because!” he snapped, “Because…” he wasn’t quite sure how to explain it.
“What’s so great about me in particular? There’s millions – billions of other Vorchans out there.”
“But they aren’t you.” he said matter-of-factly.
“But it would be so much easier for you, and less painful.” she said.
“No. It would be pointless, then. What good is the chase if you just catch the easiest prey? Well I mean… like…” he tried to recover from the hole he’d dug before Red pounced over it, but he was too late.
“So I’m just a challenge then?” Red asked, fangs showing.
“No, I mean.” his eyes darted back and forth as he thought of what to say, and then centered them on her, “You’re worth the pain.”
They continued a few more hours, and then called it an early night.
–
Red awoke early the next morning. Lentil was still asleep, the sun was a small crest on the horizon. She didn’t mind this journey. The objective of it didn’t seem that important anymore. She looked up at the cliff. But she had to find The Glowing One, and get Allonsi back, or at least determine her fate. And Lentil, had she really saved him? She drank some of the morning dew and made her way back to their little crevice.
A slight tremor. “What’s…” The crevice began to crumble, and rocks began to fall. “Lentil!” she fired a burst of flame at the incoming rocks, incinerating them in a brilliant red aura.
Lentil woke up immediately, jumping clear of the crevice as more rocks came crashing down.
“Are you alright?” Red asked.
“Fine.” Lentil said. His paws were shaking, and his tail was tucked between his legs. He was staring straight ahead blankly, clearly affected by the experience.
“Lentil.”
“Rocks… I hate rocks.” he said coldly.
She hugged him. “It’s okay.”
“I have nightmares.” he said, looking at the dust that had risen, “Of that day.”
“I’m so sorry.”
“Let’s move on.” he said, shooting ahead.
They traveled deep into the night, now, until they couldn’t see the edge of the mountain anymore.
“It wasn’t your fault.” Lentil said. Red was half-asleep, head resting on his arm, their wings interlocked.
“I shouldn’t have called in that shuttle.” she said.
“You didn’t know.”
“I should have.”
“Could have, would have, should have.” Lentil said automatically.
“What does that mean?”
“Just a saying. It’s easy to know what you should have done after the fact.” Lentil said.
“Oh?”
“Like I should have just kissed you the day I met you. And never let you leave.” he said.
Red laughed lightly, “That’s your Vulcan instinct talking.”
“Maybe…” he nipped at her ear playfully. “But you’re right about chances. They can pass you by quickly.”
“They can…” Red said, yawning.
“I’ll let you sleep.” he said apologetically.
They stayed silent for a while, their breathing slow and steady. They were sharing Lentil’s paw as a pillow, their cheeks pressed up against each other.
“Your breath doesn’t smell like fish anymore.” she said.
“That’s good.” he said.
“But I do recommend mint-grass.” she said.
He turned his head away with a sigh.
“I’m kidding.” she laughed, pressing him against the corner again.
“I’m tired.” he said, clamping a jaw around her neck as he laid his head down. His incisors locked with her spikes perfectly, keeping her from breaking free.
She growled plaintively, but enjoyed the show of dominance, dozing off in Lentil’s grip.
–
A wall, it was what she saw the next morning?
“Lentil?” she cried, scanning around. “Lentil!”
She shot out of the crevice, nearly crashing into him as he glided in around the corner. “What?” he asked in surprise.
He was on his back, pinned by Red. “No leaving! Never leave my sight, ever ever!” she licked him voraciously.
“I won’t.” He chortled, “I was just finding some food.”
“Morning snack?” she asked.
“I missed dinner.” They hadn’t caught anything last night.
“Right. Well we’ll run into something. We always do.”
They continued on, again.
“I think we’re nearing the top.” Lentil said, the winds were occasional gales, now, forcing Lentil to tuck his wings in tight to keep from getting blown off the mountain. Red was using her wings backwards, having the wind press her paws deeper into the ground. It took several minutes for the winds to die down, and then it began to rain. Up until then the weather had been very forgiving.
“The new season’s coming.” Lentil said. “The grey. Rain and mist. It’s that planet’s fault.” he motioned up at a planet off in the distance. It seemed a little closer than the others now.
“How long have you been here?” Red asked.
“Since then, I guess. A few years? I don’t know.”
“Years? Really?”
“Maybe. I really haven’t been keeping track.”
“What did you do?” Red asked, “After the accident?”
“I just lived. I lived on. I figured the Nova gave me a second chance. Or that I was dead. But if this is heaven it’s alright. A little dull, I guess. Or was, anyways, ‘til you showed up and all this started happening.”
Red laughed, “How’s the cold?”
“It’s fine, I think.” he said.
“I don’t believe you.” she blew a light conflagration near his feet, warming the area up considerably. He sighed in relief.
“You don’t have to waste your energy with flamebreath. I’m fine.”
“We’ll take it slow. I don’t mind our breaks, anyways.” she said.
“Okay.” he smiled, still sounding a little uneasy. “I do hope the summit’s near.”
The weather got colder within the hour, and Red realized Lentil was falling farther and farther behind. They had to stop every few minutes, now, to warm each other up with their flame.
“We could die up here…” Lentil said quietly, staring at the embers of their last flamebreaths.
“Maybe.” Red said. The rain was making the cold stick, destroying her insulative abilities as well as her confidence.
“Do you think we can turn around?” Lentil suggested.
She carefully made her way to the edge of the cliff through the drizzle. All she could see was mist and fog down below.
“I don’t—“
Another gust of wind. It knocked Lentil off his feet. He clutched the muddy corner of the cliff. Red lunged for his paws, trying to catch him before he fell.
He disappeared through the mist.
There was no hesitation on Red’s part, or time to think of how crazy this was.
She jumped after him, through the freezing layers of mist and cloud. Blindly and stupidly she plummeted down with him, unable to even call his name as she reached terminal velocity.
She fell and fell, watching all her effort fly by her, inching closer and closer as the mountain widened out. Finally she hit an outcropping, the pain of it cutting into her scales forced her to try and flap her wings and steer herself clear of the mountain. She glide-fell down, crashing into a few naked trees before coming to a halt. It was still raining. The water stung as it hit her new and re-opened wounds.
She laid there for a while, letting the pain of her wounds cradle her into a feverish sleep.
“Red? Red!”
“Lentil?” Red asked.
“Are you alright. Nova you’re a mess.” It was Hannah.
“Was it all a dream?” Red asked.
“Was what a dream?” Landlow asked.
“You ran off, and we followed as fast as we could. Took us days to get to this mountain. And then there we are talking about you and through the sky you fall.” Hannah laughed guiltily, and then started stroking her forehead, “Oh Red…”
“I got pretty far. But I think the wind blew me off.” Red said.
“We aren’t getting up there this season. We’ll have to wait it out. Green’s coming next.” Landlow said, looking at the planet behind the one ominously washing its grey over them.
“So it’s not the sun that gives this light?” Hannah asked.
“No. I think it reflects off the planets.” Landlow said, placing another bandage under Red’s snout.
She spat in it, feeling wretched and alone again. “Lentil’s alive.”
“Who?” Landlow asked.
“A Vulcan Vorchan. He died, Red.” Hannah said.
“I thought he did. I think I was wrong.”
“I’m sorry, Red. But I think the concussion is affecting your memories.”
“No. I have to find him.” Red said.
“What about The Glowing One? Allonsi?” Hannah asked.
Red growled in frustration. “Lentil waited for me. He searched for me even when it was hopeless.”
Hannah was looking at her pitifully. “Red…”
“He could be hurt. He fell, like I did.”
“The mountain base spans several dozen kilometres.” Landlow said, “We won’t find ‘im, even if he’s real.”
“And Allonsi is real.” Hannah added. “And The Glowing One might help us find her.”
“You said we can’t make it up this season!” Red growled, “What else are we supposed to do?”
“Get rest and stack up on supplies for the journey up. I know of a small town right at the base of this mountain. You may have passed it on your way up. It has supplies we could take up by Gnar.”
“By Gnar?” Hannah asked, “Like Gnarbeast??”
“Aren’t beasts after their tamed, heh.” Landlow chuckled, “Let’s go.”
They traveled through the mist for hours. Red was sure they were lost, but then she could hear the clamour of people and the sound of a windmill.
“We’re getting close now.” Landlow said.
“I can hear it.” Red said, ears perked.
“Told you we’re getting close. A few more minutes. Not far.”
The town was small, and Red hadn’t remembered passing it. “I must have flown over it on my way up.”
She flared her wings.
“Where are you going?” Hannah asked.
“To explore the village.” Red replied. Maybe Lentil knew of this place too, and went here to get help.
“Alright, we’ll meet you at the windmill when the sun hits that mountain there!” Landlow said, pointing at a pair of mountains off in the distance.
“Right.” Red flew low over the city. Suddenly she was overcome with a jolt of pain from her wounds and was forced to land.
“A dragon! I’ll be damned.” exclaimed a villager.
“Dragons are ancient, mythical earthen beings. I’m a Vorchan. But call me whatever you’d like. Have you seen another ‘dragon’ around here? Red, a few black stripes?”
The man stared at her in awe. “Figures, you thinking I’m a dragon probably means you don’t have a translator, do you?”
“Tracy, look at that!”
“Don’t touch it!” Tracy shrilled.
“I think it’s harmless!”
Red rolled her eyes and walked off to a stable she had seen on her fly-over.
“I’m looking for a dragon err Vorchan… Vulcan?” Red asked the stablekeep. The man was just staring back at her. “Do none of you have translators?”
He was a raggedy middle aged man with a worker’s build. He wore a large rimmed hat that he tipped in her direction as he spoke. “You come for ya friend?”
“What? Yes!” she replied excitedly.
“Well they ‘ready hauled ‘im off m’ afraid.” he said.
“No…” Red whispered, “where?”
“To the yard off east I reckon’.”
“A yard?”
“Eh you aren’t from ‘round here? Couldn’t be. Far too brave a lass, err you are a lass right? Far too brave, aye. Other dragons wouldn’t dare come into town like this, not without escort no. Ya got escort?”
“Was he red?” Red asked.
“Aye ‘e was, and bruised bad. Frienda yours?”
“Please show me where the yard is.”
“Can’t take ya there like that.” he beckoned at her figure.
“What do you mean?”
He disappeared behind his counter, taking out some shackles.
“No…” she shook her head, backing away.
“No yard for ya then.”
“I’ll ask Landlow… we’re meeting in…” Red looked at the sun, it was still far from those peaks, at least an hour away. “What will they do to him at the yard?”
“Tame ‘im. If ‘e’s lucky ‘e’ll get a lancer. If not… ‘e’ll be … well…” the man chucked, “Practice eh!”
“They’ll kill him?”
“I reckon’ so. Pretty cut up that one ‘as.”
“I love him.” Red said. “I have to save him.”
The man leaned in close. “Lass. I feel yur con-ster-nay-tion. I got a tip, eh?”
“What can I do?”
“You look beat up but pretty strong eh? You strong? Lemme’ see ‘em wings.” Red showed him the healthy wing. “’Aye nutin’ a ‘bita time won’t mend eh? Lemme shackle you up and send ya off to the yard. I promise ya you got what it takes to be worthy ofa lance, and then ya can plead for ya mate there.”
Red looked back up at the mountain. “Do you know of The Glowing One?”
“A myth, dear.”
She looked back, determined. “Shackle me.”
–
–
The first thing they did was grab this large pillow-like object and smother her with it, pressing her face down against the ground. Then they slipped a large shackle on each of her front paws, followed by her hind legs.
She nearly jumped as someone tried to grab her tail, holding it down as they placed a shackle between two of the spikes. With everything connected, they forced her on her side, where they started attaching chains to the shackles.
“Thi’ s’uns already purdy tame.” said the man holding her down with the pillow, releasing it enough for her to listen and watch. He smiled down with a toothless grin. Red smiled back, but figured it just looked like a snarl to them.
“Ma name’s Press.” said the man, “Ya don’t seem like yur gonna hurt nobody.”
“I’m looking for a friend.” Red said.
“A furnd eh? I’ll be yur furnd.” he said amicably, patting her on the head.
“No I meant another drago—err Vorchan. Dragon… you know. Like me, but redder, with black stripes.” Red explained.
“You be the first one we’va seen fora while.” Press said.
“What?” Red asked in surprise, “But that man told me there was another dragon!”
“Press presses all the drraaagons that come by dis way. You’be the first fur munths.”
“That can’t be right. I – this was a trick!” she brought her head back to roar for Hannah but felt Press smother her with the pillow again.
“No—!!” she struggled against the pillow, trying to break free. Finally he let go, and Red ran for safety, only to be slammed against the ground as the chains linked to her were strained.
She tested the chains, seeing them attached to a large wooden contraption with massive metal wheels. They were pulling it along towards the yard.
She snarled menacingly, “Release me or I will eat you all!”
The chains tightened again, and Press was holding her face down, his hands somehow keeping her jaws from opening. He must have been extremely strong to overcome her with brute force.
She felt a muzzle slip over her head, silencing her for the rest of the trip. She gave Press a plethora of pleading glances as they continued forwards to the yard.
She then tried stopping a few times, only to be pulled along by the relentless machine.
“Pressss.” she lisped behind the muzzle. “Leth me ghooo.”
“’M sorry dragonessa. I canna’ do ‘at.”
She gave him another pleading stare, and then started to tear up. It made Press tear up too. “Oh dragonessa. Am’ so soory.’”
She looked away, and drudged onwards as dejectedly as she could, hoping to muster more pity from her onlooker.
“Ya’ll be fine I promise ya. Yull have a lanceh ‘nd a wonderfah life.” explained Press.
“Releasse meee.” she whispered, pulling in his general direction.
“Well…” Press walked over to where she trudged hopelessly. She watched him expectantly. He reached for her collar, testing the lock and the connections.
“Press!” barked a man walking along the far side of the machine. Press jumped at the sudden call, pulling his hands away from her collar.
Red whimpered, coiling the tip of her tail enough to get it to brush against Press’ shins.
That did it. Press grunted in frustration, and then grabbed the chains, twisting the junction where they connected.
They shattered in unison.
With her free, the three other people froze fearfully, unsure of what to do.
Red looked about, seeing nothing but grey flatland for miles. They must have been walking for quite some time.
“Where are we?” Red asked.
“In the northun’ par’ of Malacuh.”
“I see. I want to get back to the city.” Red demanded.
“Dangah in the town foh you dragonessa.” Press said, “Fly away to d’mountains.”
“I still need to find my friend.” Red explained, beating herself up into the sky. Her wings were still sore, but she was able to get enough altitude to see the town off in the distance.
She bolted for it, but then stopped, looking back. Press was being surrounded by the three men. They didn’t seem too happy with him.
Red landed amongst the group, hard, kicking dirt up as she growled viciously. It was all that was needed to make everyone but Press scatter. The large man just stared down at the floor meekly.
“Wut’ave I done…” he muttered shamefully.
“You saved me.” Red replied, leaning down beside him. “Get on my back!”
“Wut? I ain’t a lancah dragonessa.”
“You’ll learn oh-Press-ah.” she replied, nudging him with her wing.
“’M afraida’ heights.” Press replied, mounting her reluctantly.
Red lifted off carefully, hovering to acclimatize herself to the extra weight. One of her wings was already throbbing like mad from the pain, but she could probably make it back to town.
So onwards she went, back to town, back to where she started. The man that had convinced her to go into slavery had some explaining to do.
–
–
“We’re sorry.” said Josh, scratching the back of his head meekly.
“’Tis alright, friend. Whatever I can do to help your critter.” said the farmer. He went by the name of Lowheed, and had been kind enough to let Violet live here for the month.
Now there was no grass left. Violet had killed the crops, her insatiable umbilicals sapping all the trees and evicting all the birds.
“What will you do?” Joshua asked.
“Plenty ‘o land.” said the farmer simply.
“Here.” Joshua proffered him a credit disc. It had all the profit he had made in the past year. “I don’t need lobster.”
“Oh no mate. I was just doin’ what any man should do for his fella’.”
“Take it.”
“And I reckon’ you’ll be needin’ that anyways, my friend. Others aren’t as kind as me. Your cash could come in handy. Your critter’s hardships are far from gone.”
Joshua put away the credit disc, sighing. “I guess you’re right. But if you ever need anything, call for Violet on GalNet and I will come. Here is our registration number.” He handed the farmer a slip of paper with their credentials.
“Sounds good, friend. Fly safe up there.”
“I will.”
Joshua took the ramp up to the cargo hold and made his way to the bridge as Violet primed her lens carefully, testing the distortion field. She was too weak to create a powerful one, so she needed a very specific field to keep herself from stalling out and crashing down into the floor below.
–
The next plot of land they found was thirteen kilometres away. There was an old abandoned shack there, but the grass hadn’t been trimmed for a long time, and the windows were shattered. Creepers had made their way up the walls of the shack, and a few of the boards girdling the frame of the building were missing.
Violet set down hard, immediately deploying her umbilicals and digging into the succulent nutrients down below the planet’s surface.
I feel… she was so euphoric from the feeding that even her transmissions were stuttering, Dirty. This mud is… disgusting and good – all at once.
I’m glad you like the mud.
But I hope it rains. I’m filthy.
I can hose you over with your internal water supply?
You’d do that??
I have nothing else to do…
So Josh spent the rest of the day running a complicated pump connected to a spare umbilical through a maintenance port and out to the dorsal section of the ship. If he started hosing now he could finish by the time he died of old age. But there really wasn’t anything else to do.
She loved it, which, through the neural link, made him love it. So he kept on working through the night, cleaning his massive home.
The shack collapsed sometime throughout the night. Nobody noticed.