BETH

The days bled into each other, turning into weeks.

Beth woke up to the scent of aromatic food. The makeshift human bed was made out of fluffy blankets stacked on each other and even more blankets on top of her. Birgitta and Leo had received similar, separated, sleeping arrangements. She rubbed her eyes and stretched her arms, she felt well rested, more rested than she remembered, since Saif kidnapped her family. It was almost as if she had forgotten how life was before. She performed a big yawn, not because she was tired, but because it felt good. How long had she done anything just because it felt good?

Tern’s presence never left her mind. “Good morning, Beth, and morning to you all. As humans say.”

“Good morning, to you as well,” Birgitta said, and got up and kicked at Leo’s pile of blankets. “Up!”

“Capt’n! The clamps. Blow the clamps!” Leo stirred awake, and shook his head. “Not cool. Kicking an eldery man in that manner. Much, non-lady-like.”

“Eldery man?” Birgitta fought back laughter, but her lips pulled wide anyway. “You might be the oldest of us, but you are not retired just yet. But wait, Tern is considerably older than you!”

“This is not a fair comparison,” Leo said.

“Maybe so, but a comparison nonetheless,” Birgitta said.

Rahgon lumbered into the chamber with Elzrig and Freet on her sides. “Food!” she said when she noticed the plates and bowls set up on the table. “Training always makes my stomach feel empty. I am ready to fill it again, and to do more battles.”

Training? Beth felt left out. Why had she not been asked? She grabbed herself a seat on the long table after everybody else had already picked a seat. The seat between Birgitta and Tern was free, intentionally left so, and thus she grabbed it.

“You can always ask if you can join. Bring your mace from the shuttle,” Tern said. “It would be good for you, both mentally and physically.”

“Maybe I will. It would be nice. But wait, how did you know that?” Beth asked.

“I have studied you and your brain ever since we first met. And even in more detail since our bonding started,” Tern said. “I sense your thoughts before they come to existence.”

A younger purple dragon’s head poked in from the corridor. But as Beth laid her eyes on it, the dragon retreated.

“Who was that?” Beth said.

“Nymri. Don’t let her bother you, she is just a bit nosy,” Rahgon said.

Leo got up and jammed himself down between Birgitta and Beth, even though technically there was no room. She scuttled to the side. “Thanks. One cannot be safe enough around these parts.”

“I don’t get why you are still afraid of aliens, but well, I will let you be. The few, well chosen omfs and dragons are our friends,” Beth said.

Birgitta passed a bowl filled to the brim with stringy meats in some brownish sauce that smelled delicious. “I think it’s ridiculous, Leo. How long have Tern been with us?”

“I am not afraid of Tern. Not too much at least,” Leo said.

Tern replied with floating up and over the table, and making the seams around several modules shine a light on Leo while approaching him. “I HAVE COME TO TAKE YOU TO ANOTHER DIMENSION. STAY STILL OR THE ANAL PROBE WILL ENTER WITH ADDITIONAL FORCE.”

Leo jumped away from the table.

“What have I said about jokes, Tern?” Freet injected.

Beth and Birgitta broke down laughing together, while Rahgon and Elzrig had no clue what was going on and kept stuffing their snouts with food.

“Anal probe,” Beth mumbled, fighting to keep the laughter away, because she saw how humiliated Leo was.

“Leo, I can be funny. I can make puns. I can make jokes,” Tern said. “You will experience the full Tern-experience.”

Leo struggled to his feet and back to the table. “I am not ready for the full Tern-experience. I just want to sit down and eat my food in peace.”

“Rahgon, could I train with you the next time you go about it?” Beth said. “Just wake me up when you wake up and I will be ready. Please. I need some proper exercise.”

Rahgon and Elzrig exchanged a glance.

“We can probably sort something out,” Elzrig said. “I would very much like to see you humans do battle. I can only guess how unique your fighting style must be. The scar you left in Rahgon’s face is a testament of your abilities to do violence.”

“Brutish and direct,” Tern whispered.

The meal ended once all food was consumed, but which was not that impossible with two creatures that weighed together around twenty tonnes. Beth gave the knock on Birgitta’s shoulder and they proceeded up the mountain peaks, Tern gave them a ride with his bubble shield up through the mountain’s blessing.

Tern settled them down on the mountain square and floated in another direction. “I will go and explore.”

Beth nodded.

The two of them walked up the peak to their usual stop and viewing. Beth sat down on the cold rock and looked out at the horizon. The morning was beautiful, as the sun came up and its rays struck the fields of mud, for a moment all the mud glimmered as it was filled with sparkling diamonds.

“I will never get used to this sight,” Beth said.

“I get what you mean,” Birgitta said, sitting beside her.

A few adult dragons played around in the mud just as the sun rose. Younglings flew and played in the air, chasing each other and snapping at each other’s tails. Some swarms trained battle maneuvers and simulated combat. On the peaks beside them, a cannon looking object protruded from the top, it was larger than their shuttle and it looked like a team of dragons manned it. It looked weird. But the cannon moved smoothly and turned great, covering big parts of the sky. More cannon erupted from other peaks and emplacements along the mountain range. A defense system.

“It’s so peaceful,” Birgitta said.

“In peace you prepare for the next war,” Beth said.

“How cynical of you,” Birgitta said.

“It’s true!” Beth said. “It’s coming, it’s just a matter of time.”

They let the silence take over, and the slight wind pulling at their clothes and hair.

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

“So, the usual schedule today?” Birgitta asked.

Beth nodded. “A run along the peaks and down the slopes of the mountain. Going on a flight with Leo. Then a walk through the mountain, just exploring. And food in between, as usual, before it’s time for sleep again. But I will try to take it easy, I will have training tomorrow morning. With dragons.”

“Cool, just don’t hit them too hard. We don’t want to hurt their confidence.” Birgitta smiled wide, revealing her teeth, as usual.

“I will try to hold back,” Beth said.

The flight with Leo was uneventful, but the sight of the planet from space was just awesome. Then they ate again, before she and Birgitta with Tern between them explored the inside of the mountain. Leo stayed on the shuttle and kept flying, saying he would rather watch the world from afar for a bit longer, but Beth suspsted the real reason but didn’t say anything. Elzrig sat on his pillar and carved at it painfully slowly. There was little change from day to day, at least Beth was not able to detect anything. But the blue dragon was at it for a few hours every day.

Wyrhgon and the king snuck up on them, as they were still looking at Elzrig working.

“Humans, humans,” Wyrhgon whispered.

“Wyrhgon,” the king said. “Beth, Birgitta and Tern. I hope you are all receiving enough food and hospitality from our mighty people.”

“We are having a splendid time. Thank you, king Xeulius,” Beth said.

“Great! We are not going to stall you for any longer.” The king left with Wyrhgon tightly behind.

“The two of them are so weird,” Birgitta said. “One day the king looks on us as if we were food and the next he asks if we are treated well enough by his people? Weird, I say.”

Beth nodded. “The king is not well. It’s as if he barely remembers from day to day. But only what Wyrhgon tells him. I believe there is a human illness for it, but I cannot remember the name of it.”

“Cute, since it’s about dementia. It’s called Alzheimer’s and it makes it difficult for the individual to retain recent memories,” Birgitta said. “And it becomes worse and worse, until you don’t remember anything.”

“A sad way of going out,” Beth said.

“Isn’t all kind of dying sad to you?” Birgitta said.

Beth remembered Milo’s death. “You are right. I used to think that dying in battle was better. Going out swinging and all that. But now when I think about it, romanticizing war and violence, is not cool.”

“You have grown,” Birgitta said.

“Than…,” Beth started.

“Beth, I have received a signal,” Tern said. “I believe it originates from the Final Sight.”

“What?” Beth asked.

“Beth, I have received a signal,” Tern said. “I believe it originates from the Final Sight.”

“Yes, yes! I know, I heard you, but I am just stunned,” Beth said. “What does it say?”

“It’s small, and only asks for our coordinates. I can send a reply, if you want to,” Tern said.

Beth hesitated. Was it really a good idea to provide their location to Captain Samuels? “Why would they even ask for our location? Claire and Diego would not send Captain Samules after us, not after what happened.”

“We can deal with the Capt’n,” Birgitta said. “We have dragons.”

“What if it’s Saif? I am not giving him the coordinates to Shuvoq,” Beth said. “No. Tern, don’t do it.”

“Affirmative,” Tern said.

-

Weeks turned into months.

Sweetness rushed into her mouth, her skin flowed into metal without her thinking about it. She grabbed lower on the cord and started spinning up her mace. Elzrig took flight towards her and she launched the mace. The mace crushed the air as it flew, making a distinct sound, but even with all the momentum fueled into it, Elzrig rolled gracefully and avoided the projectile with ease.

Elzrig landed in front of her and he bopped her chest with his snout. “The power in your throw is amazing! Especially when your body has so little weight.”

“Thanks, I guess, but I still missed,” Beth said.

“Your strengh might rival even Rahgon’s,” Elzrig said. “If it’s as you say, that your different body fluids fuel your power and you have yet unlocked the stronger ones.”

Rahgon snorted in the background.

“I get it how you were able to fight back Rahgon and give her the gash on her snout,” Elzrig said. “I had my doubts when I first laid my eyes on you, but the strength in your tiny body… It’s amazing. If you only learned how to move more gracefully, I think you can become unstoppable. Your fingers are even of similar size as the tips of my claws.”

“Rahgon’s strength and might, and Elzrig’s precision and gracefulness,” Tern said from the back, as he watched the training session.

Rahgon snorted.

“Don’t listen to her, Beth. Rahgon has not gotten her fill of fighting and battling for quite some time now. She grows bored, but deep down I am pretty sure she likes having you and your friends around. It provides a contrast from the other dragons and their various ploys for gaining power. Especially Wyrhgon,” Elzrig said. “I am sure about my opinion. I am happy that you allied with us, that you joined the Celeste clan and thus you ended up here.”

Beth bowed to the two dragons, deep and down on her knees, she put her mace down by her side. “I am humbled. Thank you Elrizg and Rahgon. Thank you for the opportunity.”

“Thank you. Now, back to training. Try to deflect this one.” Elzrig leaped forward.

Beth came up to her feet and offset them, gaining balance, and she raised her fists into a guard. She had forgotten the mace on the ground. Elzrig spun around her fists at the last second before crashing into her, and slammed his claw at her feet and pulled.

Beth fell forward, landing facedown on the rock. “You move too fast. That’s cheating.”

Rahgon snorted again, but this time the snort was of an amused kind.

“Beth, in battle there is no such thing as cheating. Either you live or you die. This time you died,” Tern said.

Elzrig landed in front of her, offering a paw to help her up. “It’s the blow that you don’t expect that kills you. You never thought I would be able to spin and come around you like that, avoiding crashing at that last second.”

Beth accepted the paw and came up on her feet. “I can try to speculate and try to predict what you are going to do. But I cannot act on everything. I have never fought you before, your style is unique.”

“That is my point entirely. Keep your fighting style varied and unpredictable. Lead your opponents into a way of thinking and then strike out with something unexpected instead. It’s a classic strategy. You cannot rely on your strength all the time, it makes you vulnerable,” Elzrig said.

Beth nodded. “I will try to keep that in mind.”

“Elzrig, are you trying to mock me?” Rahgon said.

“You are too old and too bitter to learn anything useful. Beth, here, on the other hand is young and energetic and hungry to learn. Especially when compared to our kind, Rahgon,” Elzrig said.

Rahgon snorted and turned her snout away from them. This snort sounded condescending.

“For an organic being, you are a clever one,” Tern said. “I will store these tips in my memory banks for future use.”

Elzrig nodded towards the omf, and then turned back to Beth. “You ready?”

Beth grabbed her mace and started spinning it. “Come one, then.”

-

Months turned into two and a half years.

Beth sat down on the cold peak, the snow crunched and felt cold on her back, but it was alright. It had snowed heavily this winter, but during the next week or so, all this would have melted and ran down the mountain slopes to the mud fields. She sighed, the exhaling air turned white and misty. The inhaled air tasted fresh and crispy.

Tern floated up to her. “You are still marveled by this view?”

“And you are not? It’s not static, you know. It changes with the seasons, giving the vista a new flavour. I love it and I will never grow tired of it,” Beth said.

“But I have committed the different ‘flavours’ to my memory banks,” Tern said. “I can pull them up whenever I feel like it.”

“Maybe that is the problem. Your memories never fade, because they are backed up and saved in perfect conditions. Humans forget things, especially minor details. The memories in our brains can fade or be enhanced, depending on experience and perception. The moments change,” Beth said. “We get to relive those moments and then the context is restored again, or maybe changed completely.”

Tern pushed slightly at her side. “An interesting concept. So, you are saying that if I delete the memories I have of this view, it will feel new and invigorating to watch again?”

“Yes. But I don’t think you will delete anything. You are too scared, too sensitive for the loss,” Beth said.

“There. It has been done,” Tern said. “I am viewing this view for the very first time again. You know, I even purged my long time storage for this so I hope it is worth it.” Tern turned around and looked upon the view again.

“What do you feel?” Beth asked.

“Nothing. I feel absolutely nothing,” Tern said.

Beth frowned. “You never deleted the memories. I don’t believe you.”

“That’s correct. I couldn’t do it. The images and feeds are just in too good conditions,” Tern said.

Beth laughed. “You have gotten funnier.”