Pursuit and Reconnaissance - Subject Seventeen Addendum

19-10-2047

Recorded by Maj-Gen Thomas Brightman

An underground city known as Lea Monde has been discovered beneath the Skylands by Oddclaw, Senior Knight Watterson and Officer Drumarien.  During their pursuit of a dangerous predator known as "the Blood-Beast," the monster was seen entering the offshore storage bay which was guarded by a collective of undead aquatic beasts fuelled by an intangible essence.  Through a small resistance force we managed to repel the beasts who are now currently prowling the entrance of the bay and the city itself.

In the depths of the city, Oddclaw, Watterson and Drumarien met with its guardian, an undead local named Baldwin still of sound mind and body who explained that the city was the source of "the Dark", an essence of living darkness that corrupts the soul and takes over the bodies of those alive and dead to become near-mindless beasts.  Despite apparently being unable to leave the city's limits, some of the Dark has bled into the ocean to infect fossils beneath.  However, even these beasts have a limit to how far they can roam, and instead remain near the entrance.

This has also confirmed the source of the energy spike from this year's experiment, but as to how the city arrived without triggering a higher number of TEFs remains unknown.

        "James is trapped?!" gasped Chanoch.

        "Yes," Oddclaw nodded, "the cave collapsed but he is not hurt, he is just inside."

        "We have to rescue him!" Jane cried pounding her fist.  "Gather a team of diggers and get back inside!"

        "Right!" Jarren pumped his fist.  "I'll help out too."

        "Same here," Diana clicked her fingers, "ain' nobody gettin' left behind."

        "I'll round up the force," Thomas said clasping his hands, "we'll take the Petrie out to mobilise faster, anything else?"

        "That was it," the raptor bowed, "the city is very big under the Skylands, but Baldwin is our friend and can help us if we get lost."

        "And these uh...undead?"

        "Baldwin can kill them...again, but fire can hurt them too!"

        "Alright, we'll get on that, I'll call you when we're ready."

They stepped from the meeting room table and went their separate ways, Thomas and Jane heading to the hangar as Jarren and Diana looked to the raptor.

        "You coming with us?" the turian asked.

        "I must speak with Chanoch first," he said, "I will see you in the library."

        "Actually we're gonna go see the doctor, the physics one to ask about getting home."

        "Alright."

He turned to the lizardman as the two left.  Chanoch sat in his seat with head bowed in his hands, sighing deep with frustration as his teeth gritted tight.

        "I am sorry."  Oddclaw sat next to him.  "He is alright, he told me to tell you he is fine, and that he is sorry-"

        "I know."  He patted the raptor's side.  "I...something has happened to him."

        "What do you mean?"

        "He is different.  There is...something, I cannot tell."

        "Then we get him back.  I will help you-"

        "No," he stood up, "you have your family, you should be with them-"

        "James is my friend too," he stood up with him, "I cannot leave him!"

        "But your family-"

        "If my mate went missing you would help me yes?!"  He grabbed Jarogniew's wrist.  "So I will help you find your mate."

        "...thank you."

He pulled the raptor into a hug before they went to the laboratory, joining Jarren and Diana who sat in chairs discussing with Andrea around the console.

        "We want to help out in the rescue," explained the officer.

        "So we gon' need to be here a li'l while longer," finished the soldier.

        "I getcha," the doctor nodded, "strictly speaking there's a feedback option on this machine that repolarises contact with your point of origin, so strictly speaking you can go back anytime you want for the next fourteen months."

        "Whut happens after that?"

        "Then we perform another experiment connecting to another world, hopefully back home to our future, but that also means you'll miss your chance because once we connect to another world, the feedback's attuned to it."

        "So like you're jumping to a different frequency," Jarren crossed his arms, "except you can't turn the dial back you can only do it one way."

        "Basically," nodded Dixon, "I mean I COULD connect to a world previously encountered but only if I got the exact calculations."

        "You don't write them down?" Diana smirked.

        "I do, but there's no reason to go back, it's just scratching off the paths I've already encountered."

        "Got it.  Sir."  She turned to salute Chanoch at the door.  "How's it going?"

        "Good," he saluted back, "the beast has been disposed of."

        "Yeah I know, I'm keepin' thuh head when yer done meltin' thuh parts."

        "Wow you could just ask," the turian snorted, "for like a photo or something to remember me by."

        "Hah, naaaah," she pinched his cheek, "you prettier than that thing Jarren."

        "Pre-what?!"  He blushed with twitching mandibles.  "Wow I...never been called pretty before, handsome but not pretty."

        "I call lovers handsome, not friends."

        "Haha, fair enough, I'm glad to be your friend."

The two bumped fists as Oddclaw looked towards the gate beyond the console.  The shimmering steel ring with half-a-dozen frames attached by a mess of cables.

        "Hmmm."

        "Something up?" Andrea looked over him.

        "I...when you return home, I will miss you and this base."

        "Aww."  She rubbed his waist.  "I'll miss you too Oddie...but not that first time when you freaked the shit out on me."

        "Hah, aaaah I...forgot about that."  He hung his head.  "I am sorry for that, and the things I said those years ago-"

        "Hey-ey, don't, it's fine you've done more than enough helping us out as our ambassador."

        "Alright then."

Putting his hands against his shorts, Oddclaw felt something crinkling in one of his pockets as he gasped.

        "Andrea!"

        "Yes?"

        "I just remembered, Baldwin our friend in Lea Monde, he gave me something for you."

        "Wait, what?"

He offered the scrap of paper from his pocket, the scientist reading a series of numbers that to anyone else would make no sense.  But it was all too clear to her as she reeled back slightly.

October 28th, 2031 A.D.  Experiment 579, particle offset 74%, Kirk-Roentgen frequency 300 terahertz.  T.E stability resonance 43.

        "...where did you get this?"  She brandished the paper at him.  "How...what IS this?"

        "Baldwin gave it to me," said the raptor shrugging, "he said it was important I give it to you."

        "But...how does he, you said he never left his city but this is...this...this is exactly my calculations!

        "Fer real?" Diana looked over the note.  "Huh, yeah that's weird."

        "Also it's in human," Jarren pointed at the scrap, "it's not in the same language I saw down in Lea Monde from like the signs on houses and stuff."

        "Wait."

Dixon stepped back and over to her console, reeling through a series of recordings saved in the database as she found and played the one sharing the same date as that of the note.

        "REGABAH!"

        "Ha vant mokhayr?!"

        "Jana vakhayr eazizere.  Quadha katait dhallutrucs Baldwi-"

        "Jana huna haqqusszhte lerrijarsszh-"

        "THA-, THAT IS HIM!"  Oddclaw cried.  "That's Baldwin!"

        "Wait, WHAT!?"

She rewound the audio and reheard their voices.

        "Ha vant mokhayr?!"

        "Jana vakhayr eazizere.  Quadha katait dhallutrucs Baldwi-"

        "There!" the turian shouted.  "That other voice, it totally said Baldwin!"

        "This...is this, are you fucking serious?!" Andrea clutched her head.  "This is the same guy, you're sure?!"

        "Yeah," Diana confirmed, "same scratch in his voice like he got a whole phlegm in there, also that lisp."

        "Well I wasn't gonna bring that up," Jarren muttered, "it seemed kinda rude to talk about his speech impediment."

        "Sorry just lettin' the doc know about it."

        "It is absolutely him," the raptor nodded, "I know that voice."

        "How the fuck did he know?" Andrea turned towards the wall with a thousand-yard stare.  "He...he couldn't have known, I did the numbers before it opened, this is also...this is the same world Haytham's from this, this Ivalice right?"

        "Yes, Baldwin called his home that too."

        "...god, where the fuck is Haytham when I need him?"

She fell back on her seat digging fingers in her scalp.

        "This shit is hurting me I swear...so what do we do?"

        "Well," Jarren rubbed his neck, "Baldwin gave you these coordinates, why would he do that?"

        "He only said it was important," Oddclaw said, "and that I had to give it to you."

        "Well, hold up, Dr. Dixon you said that there's a feedback system on your gate?"

        "Yes," she nodded.

        "You can send us back because your gate brought us here, but not Lea Monde under the mountain because your gate DIDN'T bring it...so, what if you got someone or someplace from the same world as Lea Monde an-"

        "SHIT!"  She clapped her hands.  "Fuck you're right, that's what he wants, he just wants me to send his home back by getting someone from Ivalice!"

        "RIGHT EXACTLY!  The feedback system knows if they're from that world right?"

        "I...actually I don't know, the city didn't come through my portal but...did it?"

        "James did."

Chanoch stood at the door as they turned.

        "I read through his books, hoping to find something to help him.  He planned to bring the city here, using your gate and his magic."

        "What?!"  Andrea stormed through the group to his face.  "How the fuck can he do that, what, what are you-"

        "This."

He handed her a book in James' writing.  Inside was a bookmarked page detailing bizarre calculations relating to a book and a gravity well as Andrea widened her eyes.  Words spoke of Ivalice, grimoires and even the language she recognised from Haytham's text.

        "That...that little..."  She bent the book in her hands.  "That...little FUCKING SHIT!"

Dixon hurled it against the control room glass.

        "WHO THE FUCK DOES HE THINK HE IS, LEECHING OFF OF MY TEG FOR HIS OWN BULLSHIT?!"

        "Hey-ey calm down!" Jarren cried.

        "DON'T TELL ME TO CALM DOWN, I DON'T TOLERATE SOME FUCKING HOGWARTS-ASS WANNABE PIGGYBACKING ON MY EXPERIMENT, WHEN I AM TRYING TO GET EVERYONE HOME!"

        "Yo, calm yer tits!" Diana grabbed her shoulder.  "Not sumthin' a scientist should be doin' shriekin' down thuh place."

        "How would YOU like it if some jackass fucked with your work and brought a whole city through endangering everyone you know?!"

        "Same way I feel about thuh bitch who dumped a Blood-Beast in my world killin' three dozen peeps."

She smacked her tongue against her cheek as Andrea faltered, stepping back with a gasp and a deep shudder as she clutched her head before Watterson turned to Chanoch.

        "Ya got any more info on this James, sir?"

        "No," he shook his head, "I do not know what he is planning, or why he wants this city here."

        "Can we contact anyone from his world?" asked Jarren.

        "Only his magic book can get us there, and only he can use it."

        "And no," Dixon added, "I don't know which numbers can take me there."

        "So we git 'im back," said Watterson cracking her fingers, "break through that shit, then drag his ass here, send me an' Jarren back an' git yerself ready fer sending thuh city back next."

        "I agree," the raptor smacked his fist, "we must find James, make him tell us why he did this and then get Baldwin's city home."

        "Well this sucks," Drumarien kicked a stool, "was hoping to stay around more than a day, we only just met this afternoon and already since then we fought a monster in the desert, met you all on this base and then had a cave adventure!"

        "You don't have to go back soon," said Dixon moving to her seat, "just before next year if you want to stay a few more days."

        "Well, I don't wanna impose bu-"

        "Hey I'm good," Diana shrugged, "didn' see enough o' this place, y'all got fuckin' grass by that mountain where we fought thuh skeleton things, shit's crazy!"

        "Wait, you've never seen grass?"

        "Not THAT much, s'like a fuckin' field!"

        "I will show you then!" said Oddclaw taking her hand.  "You can stay longer if you like, and I will show you my home."

        "Yeah, that sound cool, 'preciate it Odd."

An hour passed as they went to the library, taking a moment to rest before the mission as the Petrie was loaded and prepped for flight.  Andrea started calculating the measures for next year's experiment, taking all her notes from the year she had been given whilst a growing fear gripped her chest.  Haytham's absence became more potent as she lost her focus, scribbling out theorems to redo them and repeat ad nauseum as her bed became colder by the minute.

In the hangar of the base, robots of both reploid and badnik design were amassed as those specialising in excavation were brought onto the Petrie and joined a small group of soldiers armed with weapons for the ensuing melee.  The dead of night welcomed them in the airs as Oddclaw, Chanoch, Jarren and Diana joined the large sleek indigo ship of alien design that flew straight to the Skylands, floating down to the shallows in the space of an hour where they met an opposing force of dreadsome skeletal beasts beneath the moon.

        "SOLDIERS READY!" Chanoch barked from the ship's ramp.  "ALPHA FORCE COVER THE SOUTH, BETA FORCE COVER THE ENTRANCE, MOON FORMATION!"

        "SIR!"

        "ROBOTS, GET INSIDE AND DIG THROUGH!"

        "YES SIR!"

Soldiers piled out from the ship with lasers firing upon the ancient beasts, the raptor, turian and both knights shooting down the wretched and forcing them back to the sea away from the storage entrance.  The robots piled in past to the collapsed room beyond the many crates and started digging away at the rocks whilst a smaller group went into give them cover.  Vile creatures lurched with hissing shrieks from the water as lasers burst across their skulls, their ribcages laced with a fiendish essence that tainted their claws before burning plasma tore through the weakening Dark.  Despite the crawling mass of undead that lurked beneath the shore, they fell swiftly to the amassing might of the human militia that made a wall of searing fire, peppering lasers that tore the length of the stone beach as howling snarls of ragged beasts filled the air.

At the back of the storage bay the collapsed room was in sight, the badniks and reploids locking drills and revving them up to tear into the hard stone as moles and bears and rhinos shovelled out the rock and ripped through the gravel, gouging the earth and piercing through granite with a screeching crack over the course of thirty minutes.  All whilst the ensuing melee continued outside with yelling orders and blasting bursts of fire that briefly rumbled through the cavern, roaring screeches of the wretched condemned struggling to maintain their emaciated flesh revived by the diluted essence of Dark bleeding faintly through the sea.

        "KEEP OUT OF THE WATER!"

        "ON YOUR LEFT MORE OF THEM!"

        "I GOT THIS!" Jarren pulsed a shield around his group as more beasts came.  "GET BEHIND ME I'LL PUSH 'EM BACK!"

        "God FUCKIN' damn how many o' yous are there?!" shouted Diana.

        "CAPTAIN!"  A moletank revved out the cave towards Chanoch.  "WE GOT THROUGH!  Yer gonna wanna see this!"

        "Alright, stay formation!"  The knight ordered his group.  "I will return soon!"

The soldier marched through the storage bay as the sounds of the ocean turned faint in his ears.

        "Is the path clear?" he asked.

        "Sorta," said the badnik waving his drills, "but now we got sort of a new problem."

        "A monster?"

        "No.  It's kinda weird."

        "Stay back."  Chanoch drew his blade as he approached room.  "I will go first, cover me."

Pushing the last rocks away from the debris of split boulder and scattered shale, he stepped forth towards the cellar in the back of the room where old barrels of vinegar stung his nostrils as something barred his way.

        "What..."

A large barrier of searing crimson laced with burning indigo, trembling before them with a threatening seethe.

        "What is this?" he gasped.

        "No idea," a bear reploid muttered, "some kinda energy field?"

        "I'm not picking up a signature," said the mole badnik, "but I know its source is that thing there."

He pointed one of his drills towards a strange lock buried into the wall with a flower on its front, surging the force of the barrier from within its rusted piece.  Chanoch pressed his sword against the lock before it suddenly repelled with a spark, making him flinch as he stepped back.

        "This...my sword cannot touch it.  ODDCLAW!  WATTERSON!"

        "I'M HERE TOO!" Jarren shouted.

        "ONE OF YOU COME HERE, NOW!"

Diana came thumping with her boots crunching the steel and dirt with rifle at the ready, checking all corners of the crates before arriving at Jarogniew's side.

        "What is this?" he pointed to the barrier.

        "Uhhh...sum kinda energy field?"

        "I just said that," the bear waved.

        "Whutever this weren't here before," she shook her head, "just thuh rocks fallin' on our head."

        "It was set up after?"  The lizardman rubbed his chin.  "But...who?"

        "Hold up."  She bent down towards the lock.  "I seen this thing before...yeah, yeah Baldwin that uh, that dude we met down there he had these locks that put up forcefields."

        "Can you disable it?"

        "Nah...only Baldwin can."

        "Meaning he put them up.  Why?"

        "No idea."  She crossed her arms.  "When he put 'em up before it wuz usually to keep people out...or from escaping."

        "Even James?"

        "Naw.  Naw that James he shoved us hard away an' then thuh whole ceiling came down on us, he coulda gotten out."

        "...what are you doing?"  Chanoch shook his head.  "What...what are you doing James?"

With the rubble now cleared the group made their way back towards the Petrie and flew off to the base, the lurking beasts of the shore near the cave sinking back to the depths from the lack of enemy presence.  Oddclaw was dropped off en route to rejoin his family, telling them all he could before he fell asleep from exhaustion of the entire day's events, curling up with his children and wife tucked against his body in a pile of scales in their nest.

Morning soon came sweeping across the forest, the shining lake bathed in golden orange as Chanoch arrived in the light of the sun, with Jarren, Jane and even Watterson in tow with collars attached as the sounds of screeching families filled the air as they trudged through the curtains of green with thick clumping steps.

        "Now remember what I said," began Jane, "stay in the forest until you're allowed to come in, they don't like strangers."

        "Got it," Jarren nodded flipping over a log, "and these collars help us translate them?"

        "Correct, and Oddclaw helped us with that greatly so-...um, Ms Watterson?"

Diana fell back as she stared at the trees, slowing down with a gasp and hearing the cool breeze of tropical seas whistle between the leaves.

        "Holy shit," her legs turned weak, "this...this place is amazing."

        "You alright?" the turian stepped close.

        "Yeah...just...never seen this many trees it's kinda...y-yeah, I'm good."

        "Alright just stop here a moment."

She walked into the Hunters' Nest with Chanoch in tow, waving to an old raptor who laid slumped within her nest as one of many littered across the bare scrublands of the lake.

        "Good morniiiing!" she cried.

        "OH!"  Barren chirped sitting up in the nest.  "Good morning, did not expect to see you and...new friends?"

        "Yes, this is Jarren and this is Diana, you know Chanoch already."

        "Hi there!" the turian waved from the edge of the nest.  "Hope we're not bothering."

        "We came to check up on things, do a little fact-finding with the new monsters in the region."

        "Ohhh yes," the aged raptor stretched with creaking legs, "Oddclaw was telling me about them, he is out hunting with his family, he will return soon."

        "Good," Chanoch bowed, "may we speak with your leader?"

        "I will call the guard but I am not leaving."

She barked out with a call to one of the strongest raptors in the nest, a brutish thick-muscled beast who almost reached the height of Chanoch as Barren explained brief before sending him away.

        "You can stay, when Oddclaw arrives those two can come into my nest."

        "Thanks," Diana saluted, "you doin' alright ma'am, you need help?"

        "No thank you.  So these...deadbeasts, I heard, are they because of your coldfire?"

        "No," Jane shook her head and sat next to her, "this city came because of someone else, Andrea is certain that her gate didn't bring it here."

        "James did," Jarogniew sighed sitting beside them, "he must have...used his magic."

        "Can he really do that though, bring an entire city by himself?"

        "He is inside it but would not leave.  His message of...his mission, all he said was he is sorry and had to leave and...I am...I do not know what to think."

He placed his head in his hands and clenched his eyes shut.

        "My mate is lost and I do not not know if he is alright or not...I am afraid of never seeing him again, never smelling his soft hair, never hearing his voice-"

        "He is fine."

The old raptor slipped her head upon his lap.

        "His heart still beats for you.  He is thinking of you just as much as you are of him."

        "B-barren," Jane whispered.

        "Do not lose hope.  He lives on in your heart, and your dreams.  If something had to pull him away from you, to go on a journey to find a truth that you do not understand...then you must believe he did it for you and him."

        "I...I-i..."

Chanoch gasped with a bitter breath, stroking Barren's head as she purred and licked his chest with softening eyes at him.  They waited in silence until Oddclaw returned with his family, fresh with blood and chunks of meat on their backs, an old grey feral raptor beside him two younger beasts and a shorter anthro child dressed in a grass skirt with bangles.

        "STONETREEEEE!"

Seaclaw rushed straght towards him with a bodyslamming hug.

        "I missed youuuuuu!"

        "Hmhahaha, hello Seaclaw," he squeezed him tight, "how are you?"

        "GREAT, I killed a threehorn!"

        "Ohh?  Very good, you are becoming a great hunter!"

        "Mmhmm, I had my longstone an' I cut its neck like HWWWAH!"

He swung his fist with invisible blade as the lizardman chuckled.

        "You are getting better, perhaps we should have a swordfight one day."

        "YAH YAH, can we Stonetree, can we?!?"

        "Of course."

He kissed the boy's head as their blood-red eyes gleamed at each other.  Jane approached Oddclaw and Moonclaw whilst their children rolled into the nest and slumped exhausted.  Oddclaw waved to Jarren and Diana as they stepped with his permission into the nest.

        "Children you remember our friend from the Skylands?"

        "OH, Skycrawler!" Skyfang yipped at Jarren.  "Hiyaaaa!"

        "Heheyyyy you doing alright?" Jarren waved to her.

        "Yahuh, how are you?!"

        "Ohhhh not bad, this is my friend Diana."

        "Sup," she nodded as Oddtooth sniffed close to her.

        "Your thtone ith different from the other hairlethh," he snorted.

        "Huh, you figure that out?"

        "Mmm.  Thmell like fire in a dethert."

        "Not bad, yeah I live in a desert."

        "Oddtooth has the BEST snout!" Seaclaw grabbed his head with a lick.  "He knows eeeverything from yer scent!"

        "Nice, thassa good talent...damn."  She leaned back and stared at the trees.  "This place is...gorgeous."

        "Glad you like," Moonclaw purred, "it is a lovely home we have."

        "Y'all just, live this shit every day?"

        "Well yes, this is our nest."

        "Damn...I wuz born in a desert so-"

        "I was too!" Barren grinned licking her.  "So what is worse, sand in your legs before you sleep, or when you wake up?"

        "Aw fuck def'nitely before, take fuckin' ages to sleep."

        "Woah woah let's tone down the language," Jarren winced pointing at the kids.

        "Oh don't worry about that," Jane waved him off, "different cultures and such you can speak freely.  SO, good hunt today Moonclaw?"

        "Very good," the mother licked her lips, "a foolish threehorn that can feed us all for two days, how are you Jane?"

        "Not too bad, have some business with the elder though but I wanted to give you two a heads up first."

        "About the deadbeasts?  Oddclaw told us, we cannot fight them?"

        "Not without fire no it seems, but we've been tracking their movements through the night and they do not seem to leave the area close to the Skylands."

        "Territory," the anthro nodded, "they are protecting it then."

        "That's what we thought yes," Jane nodded back, "I'll just go tell Fishclaw the rest of this."

        "Alright."

She walked through the nests towards Fishclaw's own as the mother and father rejoined their children in the nest, sliding down the sides with their fresh meat as they all tucked in to their thick juicy steaks dripping with red.  Chanoch was offered some by Seaclaw as they ate together, his siblings Oddtooth and Skyfang retelling the story of the dreaded threehorn they stared down and gouged with heroic might, whilst their grandmother chewed away with her worn-down teeth taking her time.

        "Tho what you doing now?" asked Oddtooth.

        "I am protecting Jane," Chanoch looked to the lake.

        "So do you wear that stone ALL day?!" Skyfang bumped his chest.

        "Yes, until I sleep."

        "That looks really exhausting."

        "Stonetree's the STRONGEST guard in the Shining Mountain!"  Seaclaw piped up with his arms in the air.  "He can fight anything cuz he's the biggest an' the cleverest an-"

        "Why don't you live with him then if ya like him so much?!" she poked her tongue at him.

        "Now now children," Barren purred shaking her head, "it is good to have friends outside of the nest, when we are lost and far from home, right Oddclaw?"

        "Yes," her son looked to his mate, "it is good to have friends outside the nest."

        "I have LOTSA friends outside the nest!" Seaclaw marched a circle round the nest.  "There's Stonetree, uhhh, Leafhair, um, all the hairless like Jane an' uncah Jeremy a-an' Highwave too!"

        "How is she doing?" asked Moonclaw chewing up her steak.

        "OH she's gooood, I'm gonna see her again soon at the sea an' we're gonna play."

        "Good good, as long as you are safe and do not wander off."

        "He alwayth wanderth off," Oddtooth snorted ripping more meat, "you thould have uth keep an eye on him."

        "Yeah, an EYE on him is all you got!" Skyfang nipped his cheek.

        "H-HEY!"

        "Skyfang!" Oddclaw snarled.  "Do not mock your brother, that is terrible."

        "Uh...s-sorry."  She licked him in apology.  "You're still the best hunter out of us anyway."

        "Hah, you think tho?" Oddtooth snickered licking his fang.

        "Well yeah, you took down that threehorn before any of us saw you!"

        "You have to remember where the wind blowth, keep it tho it doeth not blow your thent to anyone elthe."

        "UM, father?!"  Seaclaw bashed his fists excited.  "C-can I playfight with Stonetree, pleaaase?"

        "You are not tired?" he asked patting his thigh.

        "Nah-uh!"

        "Well...if Stonetree wants to."

        "I would," Chanoch stood up and offered his hand, "I want to see how well you trained."

        "YAAAH!"  He clambered up in the lizardman's arms and crawled upon his head.  "I know a good place, it's where I keep my longstone!"

        "Hmhmhm, alright," Jarogniew nodded gripping Seaclaw's legs, "show me the way."

        "THHHHAT way!"

        "Hold on tight!"

The stomping claws marched into the forest with Seaclaw giggling all the while, cackling his head off with squeals as he ducked beneath branches with the family watching.

        "I like him," Barren nodded, "he has lovely eyes."

        "They are the same as mine!" Moonclaw snapped.  "And your grandson's!"

        "Yes but you are a female and Seaclaw is my grandson."

        "Mother please," Oddclaw rolled his eyes, "are you that vain?"

        "When you get this old you stop caring."

        "I can hardly wait," Moonclaw reared back with a hiss, "was I like this when we first met?"

        "Oh no," her husband shook his head, "you were much less desperate."

        "WHA-I am NOT desperate how dare you!" shrieked his mother.

        "I saw your head in his lap mother do not fool me."

        "I was COMFORTING HIM you little-"

        "OOOOOH does grandmother have a new maaaaate?!" Skyfang pushed up against her.

        "NO, n-no, oh you are the WORST family, why could you not be like your brother Fishclaw, he became an alpha!"

        "But Oddclaw is the Voice of the Tribe," Moonclaw purred licking his cheek, "he is just as special, if not moreso."

        "It'th okay grandmother," Oddtooth nuzzled her neck, "you're not too old to have another mate."

        "Wha-...OHH!"

She chomped into her meat with voracious insult, the family cackling at her embarrassment as their laugher rang through the forest, the sounds of raptors fading as Seaclaw gripped Jarogniew's head.  Hiking into the woods the lizardman took directions from the child until they found the large twisted tree where his weapons were stored, the raptor leaping off his head to scrabble up the tree trunk.

        "Aaaaaah FOUND IT!"

He pulled up two wooden swords, handing one to Chanoch as he landed in a diveroll through the leaves.

        "Now I know how to use longstones, I been wanting to playfight you for EVER!"

        "Really?" Chanoch grinned tapping the wooden blade.  "I have heard you are training well."

        "Yah yah, an' I fought starbeasts too!"

        "Very good.  I am glad to hear you can protect yourself.  Now show me what you learned."

He went to his stance with sword at the ready as Seaclaw did the same, standing opposite with both hands on his sword and Chanoch needing only one.  The raptor came forwards with a brazen strike as the soldier sidestepped him quick with a little tap to the boy's head.  He dodged swift beneath the slap and spun with a slash against Chanoch's leg, surprising him with a chuckle before he stepped back and blocked the advancing thrust of the boy's blade with a sweeping half-circle.  Staggering from the repel, Seaclaw tried to dig his feet in the earth as the lizardman shoved him back, clashing against with scraping swords as Chanoch allowed the boy to glide off of his blade to a parry.  Seaclaw responded with a fierce diagonal cut across the soldier's face, causing Chanoch to flinch back before he came down with a hard cleave as the raptor dodgerolled out its path.

        "TOO SLOW-A-AAAH!"

        "Too cocky."

The boy tried to come at him but Chanoch guarded sharp with a vertical block, striking in vengeance with a double-cut that went up then down upon the boy's head to make him reel back falling.  He tumbled in a dive and pushed himself with a sudden spring, driving his knee into Chanoch's crotch with a soft wince from the lizard before following with a hard upwards swing cracking his sword against the reptile's chin to reel him back, the child launching himself onto Chanoch's chest to make a wild backflip that kicked both of his feet into the soldier's face.

        "NNNNGH!"

        "HAH, you give up?!"

        "HMPH, little brat," he scoffed with a chuckle and rubbed his snout, "I would never give up."

        "GOOD, now do yer worst!"

        "HRAAH!"

Chanoch came forth with a mighty swing gauging Seaclaw's agility, the boy dodging right before the soldier thrust at the raptor's shoulder to knock him off-balance, following up with a diagonal cleave into the boy's neck to send him down to the floor.  He raised his sword high for a downwards strike, giving Seaclaw enough time to roll out of the way and whack his sword off-kilter, leaving the soldier wide open with bowed head as the boy made a flying leap with his sword above, spinning his body into a mighty downwards strike that slammed Chanoch head first into the dirt.  It barely hurt him, but he feigned a little discomfort for Seaclaw's sake as the boy pressed his wooden sword against the head.

        "Heehee, you give up now?!"

        "Nnngh, not YET!"

He rolled with a swing of the blade to knock Seaclaw back, the boy backflipping out of his reach and pouncing with a driving thrust that Chanoch blocked in a wide sweeping cut to throw him back.  They came at each other, trailing leaves that scattered behind their feet as Seaclaw skidded between his legs in a sliding tackle, ready to strike him from behind until Chanoch's tail swung like a bat against the boy's chest, knocking him down twice with a thump to the side and from above to stop him in his place.  Turning with a low cut he just barely scraped Seaclaw trying to get back up as he struggled to block against the lizardman's swinging strikes, cutting four different directions to keep pressure on the child until he managed to stop the seventh strike with a horizontal block.

Pushing against the lizardman's arm, he parried with a sliding glance of his sword and made a ruthless Z-slash down Chanoch's chest.  He chuckled at the glancing cuts to his armour before he thrust his foot out in a hard push to throw Seaclaw on his back, the boy rolling backwards to jump off a tree and come down with a headsplitting strike.  The soldier blocked with his wooden blade and grabbed the youth with his other hand, throwing him down playfully in a roll before the tip was at Seaclaw's throat.

        "Give up?"

        "NNnnngh!  Heh...heh, y-yer really good!"

        "So are you," he stepped back with a bow, "that was a good fight, thank you."

        "Heehee, that was fun!"  The boy jumped up on his feet.  "I knew you were the strongest in the shining mountain!"

        "Hmhmhm."  He patted Seaclaw's head.  "You are very swift, your sword skills are much better than I thought."

        "Thank ya Stonetree!" he chirped hugging his leg.  "Stonevoice taught me a lot, said cuz I was small an' fast, I should use that even when my prey's really big."

        "He is right, it was difficult to keep track of you."

He handed Seaclaw his practice sword as the boy climbed back up the tree to put them away, leaping onto Chanoch's head as they walked home with a smile on their face.  Thoughts of James still rattled through his thoughts, trying to keep hope as he clutched Seaclaw tighter.

        "You okay?" he asked feeling the tension.

        "I am worried," he replied, "my...friend, James has gone missing."

        "Oh no!  Can we help?!"

        "Your father will help me, it is fine."

        "But I wanna help too-"

        "No no."  He shook his head.  "Someone has to stay and protect your nest, when your father is away."

        "Awwww...okayyyy."

        "Good boy."

Over the next few weeks until their deparate, Jane accompanied Jarren and Diana to meet the various tribes whilst on her duties, the soldier of steel completely in awe from the luscious swelling plains of vibrant life.  Wandering through grasslands and forests, Watterson stared upon the sea and witnessed a myriad of bugs flitting past amongst rodents skipping through the reeds as everywhere she turned was a fresh well of new creatures.  Jarren was fascinated in turn as he helped float Diana above the world, showing her the world as a glorious painting much to her growing excitement beneath her cool-headed expression.  Addison brought them to two meetings she had planned in the Land Before, the first one being in the forest of the Bloodfeathers as they bowed before the leader.

        "It is good to see you again," she purred from her throne within the trees, "how are you Warmvoice?"

        "Not too bad," Jane bowed deeper, "everyone alright here Ms. Sunblood?"

        "We are good.  I see you have new friends from the stars."

        "They are acting as bodyguards for me until they leave.  I've come to warn you about the undead beasts to the east of the Skylands."

        "What sort of beasts?" the alpha leaned forwards.

        "Undead, from the ocean.  There's a place under the mountain that is generating a foul...black water, of sorts and it makes beasts come back from the dead."

She looked to the other raptors around her, the tribe of crimson-feathered beasts turning nervous as Sunblood straightened her feathers with a whip of her tail.

        "I see...do they plan to attack us?"

        "No, thankfully," Jane shook her head, "but if any of your tribe are heading that way you should be careful."

        "Thank you."  The yurgovuchia leapt from her den and walked up to the three.  "I welcome your new friends too, I hope you enjoy our home."

        "Appreciate it ma'am," Diana bowed with Jarren, "you all need help with anything?"

        "Perhaps if you are able to deal with these deadbeasts, but other than that no."

        "No problem," the turian kneeled, "long as we're here we'll keep you safe."

        "More teeth and claws to aid our tribe is always good.  Now, Warmvoice, I would like to speak with you alone."

        "Of course," Jane nodded, "what about-OH, did you enjoy your time at our base?"

        "It was fun!" she barked as they walked into the forest.  "I had never seen so many kinds of stone, some of which are as bright as the sun!"

        "I thought it was only fair you saw what we did."

        "And your coldfire which can open the stars, that I understand more now."

        "Well, the fact you even describe it like that tells me you do."

        "I ask only that when you do move this land, you move it back to where it was in its proper place."

        "Absolutely," Jane bowed profuse, "all of us on the base agreed to this, I wouldn't have arranged the conference if we wouldn't."

        "Good."  The crimson raptor licked her cheek.  "I trust you well, being Oddclaw's friend and fellow voice of a tribe."

        "I promise you on my life I will make certain every creature in this land is kept safe in their home and back to this time when the danger's passed."

        "Thank you."

Once they confirmed with the Bloodfeather tribe they made their way to the swamp, crossing the hills of the Land Before with Diana still agasp at the range of environments they witnessed.  The wetlands they reached within a day after heading north, a soft rain scattering over their heads as clouds thickened over their heads.

        "Wha-...f-fuck?!"

        "What's wrong?" Jarren asked.

        "This...this rain's cold as shit!" said Watterson shuddering.

        "Well it IS water," Jane snickered.

        "I know that, just thuh rain back home's usually warm an' burning."

        "Wait...what?"

        "That's not good," the turian grimaced.

        "Yeah it's why I need my helmet," Diana tapped her head, "meant to ask if you folks could fix it fer me 'fore I git back."

        "We can fix that certainly," said Addison patting her arm, "alright they're just here, follow my lead like before."

Stepping into the marsh Jane tested the waters with her boots as she looked for the presence of kaprosuchus.  The rain picked up with increasing strength, the skies turning darker as water dripped off their backs, the smell of the thickening mire causing Jarren to wrinkle his face.

        "Ugh," he cringed at the popping black bubbles, "you know my species' home planet has these wetlands, and this place is making me think that's a part I'll skip."

        "It's...beautiful."  Diana sighed.  "Like, smell that?"

        "Trying not to!"

        "It's fulla life.  Nuthin' rotting away in barrels, nuthin' clickin' on a counter, everythin' living an' breathing like it should.  I'm startin' to miss this place an' I haven't even left."

        "I'm sorry."  He patted her back.  "Is your home really that bad?"

        "Nah just...you don' see this much green an' grass all growing an' shit."  The soldier sat on a rock at the edge of the swamp.  "This kinda place you don't dare to dream about cuz you only disappoint yourself, s'not thuh sorta thing that's gonna grow out thuh wasteland."

        "Must be pretty hard."  Jarren sat with her.  "But you manage, right?  People like you, you're well respected, you get things done that's for sure."

        "Yeah."

        "And it doesn't matter whether you live in a desert or in the city, every place has its problems.  What matters is the people who make things work, and can get things to work like you!"

        "Hm...well, I guess we manage, sure is a lot better than when I wuz a kid."        

        "Long as there's good people out there willing to put their all into helping others, any place can be a home.  I mean, my home managed after the Reaper War."

        "Thuh whut?"  She blinked at him.  "Reaper war?"

        "Yeah," the turian rubbed his knees, "back when I was about six or seven, the entire galaxy was at war with these awful things called the Reapers, like huge monsters from the other world, I think they were the ones that even made that brute, the Blood-Beast?"

        "Damn," Diana shook her head, "how bad wuz it?"

        "Well, it was the ENTIRE galaxy at war so think of every star you've seen in the sky, and all of them just full of millions of people...now imagine half of them get killed, or maybe like a fifth of those stars are just dead and destroyed, split apart and obliterated by enormous ships of HORRIFYING beasts that, if they don't kill you right there, you'll wish they did when they turn you into a Blood-Beast."

        "...shit."

Diana cringed with a shudder through her steel joints.

        "How thuh fuck you get through it then?"

        "Well, we teamed up," Jarren grinned, "all the species out there put aside their differences when this monster came out of the void that no one could reason with, and we started protecting each other.  Whole communities across hundreds of planets, millions of continents bigger than this one, teamed up and fought back the monsters.  My parents included."

He clutched his palms tight with a gentle sight.

        "Things got scary for a while when the Citadel got attacked a few times, my dad can only do so much as a C-Sec officer but even the little you do, even if you help one person make it through the day, you're already making the world a better place."

        "You really believe that don't you?"

        "I mean, yeah, we helped each other right?  You watched my back and I watched yours, who knows what coulda happened if we didn't."

        "Yeah...yer right."  She bumped his fist with a smile.  "Good talk Jarren."

        "Heh, same to you, Diana."

        "Helloooo!"  Jane clumped through the swamp with a kaprosuchus and velociraptor in tow.  "Sorry for the wait, just talking with Frozentongue and look who I found!"

        "Good day to you," the raptor leaned forth with a large gleaming tooth, "I am Eggfang, Jane told me about you helping my brother's family."

        "Aw neat," Jarren grinned, "I'm Jarren this is Diana, nice to meetcha."

        "I hope you are enjoying our home?"

        "S'pretty good," Diana nodded, "green as fuck an' damn pretty."

        "Thunk yuu," the croc-beast clapped her jaw, "uhm Frozhentung, need anyfing?"

        "Naw yer good, we just helpin' out Jane here."

        "Though I am curious why a raptor is all the way out here," said the turian standing up.

        "I am friends with Frozentongue," Eggfang sidled up to her, "I wanted to make sure she was alright."

        "Oh okay, sorry I didn't mean to sound weird."

        "We all good then?" said Watterson shifting on her feet.  "Or we got more folks to talk to?"

        "Actually yes," Jane pointed to the west, "there's a village of folks we have to warn too-"

        "Yuu zhure?" snorted Frozentongue.  "They kun hundle it with thurr lungzhtonezh."

        "Nevertheless they live here too," said Eggfang, "you should warn them of the deadbeasts regardless."

        "Ugh, fuhn, buh uhm nut going."

        "No one asked you, let the hairless deal with that."

        "Quite," Jane bowed to them, "you'll be alright then Frozentongue?"

        "Yah," she rubbed her snout against a log, "uh got it, keep uway frum uny deadbeazhthh."

        "I will stay for a while," the raptor looked back to the swamp, "I am tired from the long journey and wish to sleep soon."

        "OH, yuu kun zhleep wif muh family uff yuu want."

        "Oh?  That would be lovely, thank you."

        "Alright then," Jane gave a courteous wave, "we'll just take our leave then so goodbye!"

Trekking towards the Mohberrin Village with Jarren and Diana, Addison took a leisurely saunter as the rain started to come, the raptor and kaprosuchus watching them leave as Eggfang sighed out of earshot.

        "Thank you for not telling her."

        "Zhure," she scratched her claws in the dirt, "dunno why ya wanna keep it zhekrit."

        "I told you before, Fishclaw and I wanted to make certain we have another plan should the hairless fail."

        "Yuu dun truzht 'em?"

        "It is not about trust," Eggfang growled lowering her head, "it is about being prepared.  Always have another plan, should one fail."

        "Mmm, uhlright."  Frozentongue swung up against her with a bump of her tail.  "Yuu wanna zhleep in mah nezht?"

        "I would thank you."

        "Heh...nevurr had a zhwiftklaw, or anuvver female in mah nezht."

        "What are you saying?" the raptor smirked slinking her tail over the croc-beast's back.  "I am just a friend you are helping, right?"

        "Huhuuh, uh know uhm juzht teazhing."

        "Hmhmhm, I hope your children do not mind."

        "Ahhh dey're all big enuff now, if zhey wanna khumplain zhey kun get zheir own nezht."

        "How harsh of you!"

        "Nah, wuhterjawzh uhr uhll lahk zhat."

After warning the Mohberrin Village with an update of the situation, the trio returned to Oddclaw's family and waited for a ship to take them back to the base.  A brief sojourn over the sea as they landed back in the hangar, where Amy and Kevin greeted them first with a wave whilst holding something behind their backs.

        "Holaaaa," Izquierda waved, "how was the grand tour?"

        "Great thanks!"  Jarren clicked with fingerguns.  "We're just about to leave soon right?"

        "Yep, Andrea's got the machine all ready to go to send you back, soooo you just take your time and say goodbye to everyone."

        "Already did," said Watteron nodding back, "sorry we couldn't help more 'bout James."

        "It's fine," Amy walked up with a swish of her synth-tail, "you done more than enough and we're real glad to have you."

She brought out from her back a shiny new helmet, polished to a sheen with filters of glistening steel that almost looked silver as Diana gasped.

        "AWHAWWW SHIT!"  She rolled it in her hands and tossed it in the air.  "God DAMN whut thuh fuck you even do to make it look this good?!"

        "Just a little special mix I made, yanno, de-rust and all that."

        "And it smells like spring too!" Kevin grinned.  "Even added my own brand to it too, a metal strengthener made of polysulfides that'll have bullets bouncing off it for a good few years."

        "Holy shit you serious?!"  Diana gave a high-five with both hands.  "Fuckin' AWESOME guys that's sick as hell!"

        "Fuck yeah it is!"  Kevin high-fived back with Amy.  "But that's not the only gift we got for ya, mister Drumarien."

He brought up a sturdy bag that Jarren took.

        "More dextro-sugars for ya on the way back, just to remember us by."

        "Aww thanks!" the turian grinned.  "That stuff really helped me when I was stuck in the ruins underground, I really appreciate it."

        "No problem!" the wolf-mech gave a thumbs up.  "It was fun trying a new chemical theorem, we don't get the chance to do it often!"

        "Well I mean we get plenty of practice," Kevin elbowed her waist with a dink, "lotta time in our room working away-"

        "Woah woah woah, whut?" Diana snickered.  "You one o' them robophiles or sumthin'?!"

        "Ey-ey woah it's not like that she's my lab partner!"

        "Mmhmm, sure it is," she leaned close to Amy with a wink, "don't let 'im cross yer wires too often, hear that happens a lot."

        "What?!" Amy reeled back.  "How did you-"

        "ANYWAYS!" Kevin clapped his hands and grabbed their shoulders.  "You guys should get some rest you been out there a long while, hope you like the gifts!"

        "Sure do thanks!" Jarren bowed and shook his hand.  "Really appreciate all you done to keep things smooth here."

        "Hahaaa thanks dude, nice to hear that more often so you just head to your rooms and chill until we call ya."

        "Thanks again," said Watterson saluting, "appreciate thuh helmet fix, don' wanna git  back without this baby."

        "Why, you going to the prom?"

        "Thuh fuck is a prom?"

        "Ahhh never mind, anyways you guys have fun!"

They waved each other off as Kevin and Amy followed after, heading down the opposite direction to their lab with their four metal feet clanking together.

        "Do we act like a couple?" Amy asked.

        "I mean, are we?" Kevin shrugged.  "We sleep in the same room."

        "Well yeah just because in case you need me, plus I really just need a closet to sleep mode in, I don't need a bed like organics do."

        "Yeah but..." he stopped to rub his neck, "okay since we're talking about it I think it kinda sucks you just sit in the corner all hunched up sleeping, it looks super uncomfortable."

        "I'm fine Kevin," she patted his arm, "if I was uncomfortable I would tell you."

        "Would you?  I mean...you're about looking after others right, but who looks after you?"

        "I do.  Or well, you do sometimes when I need maintenance."

        "Right, so maybe...well..." he twisted his fingers with a slow blink, "you might like to...try a bed, maybe?  Share one with me even, or we could like yanno, swap it for shifts I sleep in it the night you sleep in it the day?"

        "Hahahaha, I appreciate it Kevin but you're good."  The wolf patted his head.  "Long as the room's not full of rust and it's got a roof and four walls and a door I'm all good."

        "Yeah but I don't wanna put you in a box, come on Ames..."

His hands clenched as his shoulders dropped.  She grabbed his wrist with a smile crossing her snout.

        "Ask me again."

        "What?"

        "Ask me again.  Might trip my Boolean gates different ya never know."

        "Hah...alright uhh...do you, want to sleep with me?"

        "I would."  Amy wrapped her arm around his as they walked.  "I never slept in a bed, or with an organic.  Sleep-moded next to one for monitoring but never in contact so this could be fun."

        "But you want to do it too right?" Kevin rubbed her steel fingers.  "I don't want you doing it just because I want to, that ain't fair."

        "I want to yes.  I feel happy when you're happy."

        "Nnnngh don't say it like that."

        "Why not?  My endorph-feedback system's built that way, when I cause endorphins in organics that feeds into my own and that's why one, I do things to help others, and two, I can't hurt an organic ever."

        "Well, if you're up for it then I am too."

        "Good!"  She took his hand.  "Then it's settled, we'll have a mutual recharge after a nice long day!"

        "Great, awesome!"

He skipped with his feet clanking against each other as they headed back to their room, the wolf-reploid chuckling as she was pulled behind to catch up mimicking his pace with her own little skip and a swish of her tail.  Across the other side of the base Jarren and Diana sat down in one of their rooms with Watterson on the bed taking her armour off to rest with Jarren munching his sugars.

        "Mmmmph, this stuff is so good, it's like an energy drink but not gross."

        "Heh," she shook her head, "you gonna be alrigh' getting home?"

        "I'm an officer ma'am," he rubbed his lips, "I think I'll manage."

        "You look like you just coked up on buffout."

        "What?"

        "See?"  She put up her helmet's reflection to show his white-crusted face.  "Not thuh best look fer a guard huh?"

        "O-OH jeez!"  He scrubbed his face clean til his mandibles sparkled.  "Hahah, thanks that coulda been awkward."

        "Yer dad still a guard too?"

        "Nah he retired, had enough of the streets and all, I mean he is getting old."

        "Heh, fair."  She spat on her boots and polished again.  "Whut about you, you gonna keep doing this?"

        "I mean yeah until I retire," Jarren shrugged, "I love being an officer, you get to help people out, chase down criminals, kick some ass that deserves to be and help tourists with a little tour, that part's my favourite."

        "Hah, bein' a tour guide?"

        "I mean yeah the Citadel's awesome!  I wish you could come see it...OH!"

Jarren slapped his head and pulled up his arm.

        "You can TOTALLY see it, my omni-tool records things!"

        "Wait, that doodad on yer arm?" she pointed.

        "Yeah!  Let me show you!"

He tapped above his wrist and spiralled out a thick amber ring that brought up a screen.  Reeling through several options in an alien language, Jarren produced a random video showing a beautiful futuristic painting of smooth curved lines that shone beneath the radiant sky of the nebula.  Pearl and silver with dots of green as all sorts of people walked, humans in clean clothes and purple-skinned humanoids with long tentacled corn-rows on their heads, turians like Jarren alongside gangly wide-eyed aliens and giant toads that walked like men.  Watterson gasped with fascination at the creatures, all speaking in other languages none of which she recognised.  Jarren grinned at her expression changing from wonder to confusion, all in a myriad of seconds as the view went along the promenade of a wide-spanning stone bridge where resplendent waters graced the length of a grand canyon where homes and balconies stretched up on either side.

        "Damn," she murmured, "place looks cleaner than my plate."

        "You like?" he snickered.  "This is the Presidium, it's really nice but not where the real action is."

Changing the recording he clicked on to a gorgeous blue expanse of shops and markets, walls of azure where more of the beasts spoke and traded with each other showing weapons, armour, items and accessories.  The signs of a great battle was evident from the backdrop, burned marks and thick scars that had torn through the wards and were now being repurposed into other homes and storefronts.  Crumbling buildings and broken sculptures did little to dismay the beauty of the serene alien metropolis.  Eventually he closed the recording as Watterson shook her head.

        "Looks a pretty awesome place."

        "Yeah it's the best, we managed to recover pretty well after the Reaper War."

        "Sure did...hey."  She pulled something from her pocket.  "Got sumthin' for ya."

She handed him a thin circle of threads wound tightly together into a mixture of orange, blue and violet.

        "What...what's this?"

        "Friendship bracelet," Diana grinned, "been makin' it on thuh road whilst with ya."

        "Wh-what?  OH!"  He clapped his hands against his cheeks.  "I-i-i didn't even get you a gift oh spirits I'm sorry if I had known-"

        "Nah nah, nah, just sumthin' from me to you cuz well, kicking ass with me earns you one."

        "Awww...th-thanks!"  He slipped it onto his arm up to the bicep.  "Wow these are really nice colours!"

        "I got a friend who taught me about them," she shrugged, "colours an' shit, gave me ideas to compliment 'em fer good bracelets."

        "Well, I love it, and I'm definitely gonna be wearing it when I'm on the beat."

He offered a fist that she bumped before he pulled her in a hug, surprising her as she patted his back and gently pushed him away with a smirk.

        "Yanno I'm gonna miss you."

        "Well, I'll have something from you," Jarren patted his new bracelet, "but...I still really wish I had something for you."

        "How 'bout you make me one?"  She pointed at it.  "I'll teach you."

        "OH, really?!  That'd be great, wh-what colours should I use?!"

        "I dunno, any ya want, how 'bout colours from your citadel like, grey an' blue an' put a little green in there?"

        "...yes."  He jumped up with a pumping of fists.  "That's a GREAT idea, um, where should I get some threads!?"

        "I'll grab 'em, captain Chanoch has a buncha fabrics he likes to use fer sewing an' shit."

        "NICE!"

For the last hour of their day together, Jarren learned how to make a bracelet for his new friend, binding together a twisting tangle of silver, blue and green that she wore upon her arm with pride as he did the same with his.  So they would depart, a story they could not tell the others of their worlds for fear of ridicule.  But a memory they shared and the beast they had slain together, would remain a small but vital part of their lives for the rest of their long remaining years.