Sotet kneels at the edge of the pond—studying his handiwork. Readjusting a large stone, Sotet grins with satisfaction.

“Finished at last,” Sotet exclaims. He climbs unsteadily to his feet. “Now, we can begin stocking the pond. The cryo cultures we’ll be using are in the two packs on the left. Will you get them, Adahlia? I am finding it increasingly difficult to stand. These boiling suns don’t do much to help the situation.”

Adahlia retrieves the packs and brings them to the water’s edge. She glances sideways at Sotet. “Why was it necessary to put rocks at the bottom of the pond?”

Sotet meets her gaze and offers her a friendly smile. “To slow the reabsorption of water back into the ground. No different than the artificial rock you humans use in your swimming pools.”

“You mean cement?” Adahlia offers.

“Yes, I think that is what it was referred to,” Sotet responds. “Yes. I do think that is what I mean. Ce-ment. Yes.”

Adahlia reaches into the first pack and removes a cryo culture. She pushes a button on the left side of the tiny cryo pod in her hand. A hiss of compressed air and a small pocket of condensation is released. The frozen creature inside the cryo pod resembles a bullfrog tadpole. However, the creature’s body is covered by glowing orange scales, and it has three eyes instead of two. Adahlia makes a disgusted face and furiously shakes her head. “Nope. Not eating that! Let’s open another one. Ick. What is it?”

“It is a hivul,” Sotet states. He politely takes the cryo pod from Adahlia’s hand. “They live at the bottom of large bodies of water—feeding on carrion and other decaying matter. Similar to an Earth catfish. They are also opportunistic eaters, and will feed on any injured beast unfortunate enough to wade into their territory. Yet, their meat is quite good. Also, they reach adulthood—and create offspring—at an exponential rate. If you will not eat them; I will. I am beyond famished.”

Sotet turns the pod upside down and the hivul plops into the artificial pond. After a few moments, the creature reanimates. With a flick of its tail, the hivul disappears under the surface of the water. Adahlia jumps up and down with excitement. “I want to open another one. Maybe there will be something different inside.”

Adahlia reaches into the sack at her feet and removes a second cryo culture. She repeats the process of opening the pod and peers inside. Inside the pod is a small fish similar to a Koi. She glances up at Sotet. “We have these on Earth. My mom had a fish like this a couple of years ago, but my babysitter overfed it, and it died.”

Sotet takes the pod from Adahlia’s hand. “Possibly. We have visited your world in the past. It is possible that some time ago; a shrike may have brought a fish such as this to our world. Or, perhaps it was the other way around. We may never know.”

Sotet drops the second creature into the pond and reaches for another cryo pod. He removes a third pod and pauses long enough to look around. Lerfaf lies on the opposite side of the pond—watching Sotet and Adahlia. Diyrl is asleep some distance away; her tail coiled in front of her and her head resting on both taloned feet. Sotet wonders how she can sleep in such an uncomfortable position. Sotet addresses Lerfaf in a familial tone.

“Why did you leave your world, Lerfaf? What great evil could have driven you here? If your world is as wonderful as you say…Why come here at all?”

Lerfaf lowers his head and stares into the pond’s depths. He takes an extremely long time to answer. “The world I left was no longer the world I loved. The world I had always believed in. My brethren and sisters began warring with each other. At first, it was over little things. A resting place here. A waterfall or ceremonial place there. But gradually, the battles became more frequent and more drawn out. I watched as the same magic which had once made our world so beautiful…Was used to turn it into something I no longer recognized. Great houses dissolved into chaos. Our leaders were overthrown and replaced with rulers who were violent and cruel. My world was nearly in ruins when I made the portal jump to this one. After all the bloodshed I had seen, a world full of nothing but sand and brutal suns paled in comparison.”

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Adahlia stares at Lerfaf in disbelief. “So unicorns…Equifrits…Can be bad?”

Lerfaf nods his head solemnly. “Any being has the potential to be bad. Just as they have the potential to be very good. Good and evil are choices. Not fate. We create our own fate by the choices we make. Whether they are good choices—or bad ones. My kin chose cruelty and war. And so, our world died.”

Adahlia plops down onto the ground and crosses her legs. She stares across the pond at Lerfaf. “But you don’t really know that your world is dead. You said that your world was ‘nearly’ in ruins. Isn’t it possible that your world survived?”

“I don’t think so,” Lerfaf replies without a moment’s hesitation.

“But how do you know that?” Adahlia counters.

“I have the ability to see many futures,” Lerfaf continues. “And the outcome of nearly every single one involves the complete destruction of Equival.”

Adahlia grows even more intrigued. She leans forward and peers intently at Lerfaf. “You mean…Like parallel time lines? Alternate realities? You can see those?”

Lerfaf snorts and shakes his mane. “If that is what you refer to them as—Then, I suppose.”

Adahlia steeples her hands and narrows both eyes. “So what of our future? What do you see, Lerfaf?”

Lerfaf becomes agitated and glances over at Sotet. Sotet simply drops the frozen creature inside yet another cryo culture into the pond and looks away. Lerfaf is saved from further discomfort by the Diyrl’s loud voice. “If you are so opposed to war, Lerfaf? What do we do when we run across a group of hostiles? Such as the being who injured my wing? Do we run and hide? Or do we fight?”

Lerfaf turns to Diyrl and offers her a wry smile. “I never said I was opposed to war. However, some things are not worth fighting for. I seriously doubt, ‘You’re in my favorite sunning spot,’ is ample reason to turn a fellow equifrit into a pillar of stone. I hope you would agree?”

Diyrl nods in the affirmative. “I do have to agree with you on that. No use turning equifrits into pillars of stone when burning them to cinders will do.”

Lerfaf shoots Diyrl a dangerous glare, and she lets out a raucous laugh. Unfurling her legs from beneath her, and climbing to her feet, Diyrl strolls to the water’s edge and takes a drink. “Lighten up, Lerfaf. I was only kidding. But you never answered my question. In the interests of our little traveling troupe here—What do we do, if we run into hostiles? Do we turn tail and run? Do we broker a peace treaty? Do we surrender?”

“My goodness, Diyrl!” Sotet exclaims with a huff. “When you put it like that, you make it sound as if we are utterly defenseless.”

“Well, aren’t we? You and I are growing exceedingly weaker—by the day—due to malnourishment. Lerfaf lacks the will, or the desire, to fight. And Adahlia is just a child. I would say we are not at our best.”

Sotet stands to his full height and puffs out his chest. “Neither are we at our worst. On Shretonia, I am a Level Six Artisan Crafter. I can build almost any weapon from only the raw materials around us. My body may be weak, but my mind is still very sharp. I intend to return to my world—and my family. Nothing is going to stop me. If you want weapons—I’m your shrike! And I never run away from a good fight.”

“My my, Sotet,”Diyrl coos softly. “There is some fight left in you!”

Lerfaf does not appear as pleased by Sotet’s sudden fierce transformation. He glances warily from Sotet to Diyrl. However, Adahlia is overcome with excitement.

“Can you make me a sword, Sotet?” Adahlia exclaims. “And a bandolier? Like the one you made for Zorobo? I won’t use mine for evil. I promise.”

Sotet realizes the mess he has stepped in and gives Adahlia a noncommittal smile. “Sure, little one. Once everyone is back to peak strength. I do not have strength enough for crafting at the moment.”

“Awesome,” Adahlia says; and crawls on her knees toward the pack containing the cryo cultures. She retrieves several pods and places them on the ground. Pressing the button, on the side of each cryo pod, she releases one frozen creature after the other into the makeshift pond. “Better step on it, then! We need you back strong as soon as possible.”

Sotet glances over at Diyrl and grins wryly. “Yep.”