ENOCH

"Greta, I'm so glad you could make it. The councilmen were pleased to hear your testimony match Adler's. Have you any other attire to wear tonight? A special party will be held as we are celebrating the assimilation of the eyuul and shelliv races mixed in the city. We will also be announcing Adler's planned voyage showcasing this planet's resources. It's in an effort to showcase our empire's hospitality and our new open policy as all civilians are welcome into the palace during this event...as many that can fit."

"Open policy?" Greta echoes.

"Yes, starting in the morrow, regular people, regardless of wealth or association to our family, will be welcome to come and go through these walls as they please. It was recommended by the councilmen."

"Of course it was," Adler grumbles.

Greta brought one of her limpnuts along. It sits on her shoulder as she feeds it some of the disgusting crumbs my father discarded beneath his desk.

"Don't worry, my little pearl. The formalities will soon be over, and you won't have to attend such meaningless events with strangers. Do be sure to tie your tunic properly tonight and be careful of how much wine-"

"I sincerely doubt she has the inclination to drink so much as a sip of wine after being around you this long. Are you going to tell her, and everyone else waiting in here, why you have avoided confronting the very trouble you invited, Adler?"

Greta's pretty gray eyes shift back to me with surprise.

"Oh? Did Adler forget to mention he was the one who lured the council here-"

"Adler?" Brommy encourages with folded arms.

Behind the mess of his desk, Adler rolls his eyes leaning back in his black marble chair with his hands folded behind his head.

"I'll be there tonight. I have already made my bargain..." Adler trails off.

Greta and I wait for him to continue his confession, but he seems suddenly interested in looking at his star map.

"What bargain?" Greta asks in a small voice.

"Yes, Adler, what bargain?" I encourage tightly through my teeth, "I think it's well past due time you explain exactly what captain Greiznoct, the leader of the council, has bothered waiting around for. We did finish giving them our monetary debt yester-evening. There's just one more thing they are waiting on. Are you going to confess now?"

"Would you relax, Enoch?" Adler sighs while setting his star map down. He glances over at Greta with those predatory eyes before glaring back again at my forehead. "I agreed to pay them off, and I have. I agreed to give them Greta to study during my voyage...to the sea beneath this planet's city. My sweet will showcase our race's capabilities, alongside myself, to, uh, earn their...trust."

I know every word leaving his mouth is a carefully composed lie for her sake. But the real truth, I have no idea what it ever is when it comes to him.

"Earn their trust?" I scoff.

"Yes, Enoch. During my voyage we will show our goodness, sparingly, just long enough to give those long-nosed eyu scum a whiff of the greed sleeping beneath that sea of black." His voice lightens as he catches sight of Greta's skeptical frown, "But! I will not endanger myself or the politicians during this little trip. It will be unknown territory, and in case an emergency arises, I will need the assimilation of the councilmen's manpower to support my fleet upon our return-"

"Details, Adler! I want to know exactly when you will be back and there will be a headcount. If so much as one of those councilmen is found missing...you can expect a lot more guests arriving here, this time, unwelcomed. You invited trouble, so you will clean it up, neatly, until it happily leaves. Is that understood?"

"Yes, Enoch. Why would I bother drawing more attention to this planet after all the bloodshed we have already lived through? The council would find us here, eventually. You and Brommy were too timid to admit our presence and get formalities arranged. So, I did. You and he, every damn mongrel on this planet, will thank me later. I look forward to showing them my hospitality."

I know better than that. So does everyone else in the room, including, our guards and Brometheous standing quietly by the walls.

Adler isn't leading the council down into uncharted waters in search of resources. If there even is a resource, like oil or gas, worth harvesting. The gods know he'd never spare them a pin-drop after damaging his weapon to get down into our city.

It's much more simple than that.

"You are taking them down there to die, aren't you?" Greta blurts out.

Adler ignores her comment and stands up to address everyone's new angry whispers and frowns - which quickly grows into shouting.

"Do not get riled up. We will be returning exactly one moon from now."

"And who is 'we'?" Brometheous asks loudly with a purple face, "I'm not going down there with you. I will not support it! We can take care of the invaders without your help - as we initially planned. Peacefully. Remember? You promised-"

"Planned? Promised?" Adler mocks while watching the mirrored ceiling with an empty smile. He lowers his voice, "You see, that's the difference between you and I, Brommy. You and Enoch enjoy wasting time planning and agonizing over what may or may not happen. You sincerely believe the politicians are going to forgive us for slaughtering the sluggard host we found leeching off the so-called 'free labor' here? Ahahaha!" his laughter crackles sharply through the air. "At least, I admit when I use slaves! Zard never had to! He never did!" he shouts fiercely through gnashed teeth. "He handed over taxing requests without complaint for years because he brainwashed his civilians to work for free at his command. Surely, you all know nothing is free! So, you see, they aren't here to right our 'wrong'. They aren't here for justice. They are the same as us. Only, believe it or not, more greedy and powerful than I ever hope to be." Adler pauses to take in the silence. A smug grin grows on his face as he enjoys our undivided attention, of course. "So, what makes you think I would try something like killing them all down there when I have everything to lose? When they have more greedy souls to feed back home on their multitude of mongrel-run driven to shit planets? When did I ever say I would kill anybody?" he chuckles with a twisted smile.

"Many times," I say quickly. "And you can be certain they will be leaving as peacefully as they arrived. Once again, they killed not a soul to get here, but you did! You killed many!"

***

GRETA

Enoch and his family usually do not argue for this long. Normally, there are not so many guards in Adler's observatory. This advisor meeting must be very important. I wonder what decision will be made?

It's not my concern anymore.

While they all got carried away arguing, I slipped out of the room and made it down the observatory's spiral staircase.

"Where do you think you are going?"

Ren stands outside Adler's temple. A couple guards accompany her side.

"I asked you a question, Greta. Please do not ignore me. Empirical advisor Adler, my husband, said it is my job to make sure you do not run off again. He figured you would do something like this-"

"I have the same privilege as you to come and go as I please," I reply while watching the men at her sides.

Neither of them move.

"Alright, Greta. I will give you a pass. Just tell me where you are going!" I hear her holler at my back.

"To take my Fluff on a walk around the market," I answer while petting my pet as I look over my shoulder.

"Okay!" Ren hollers.

Feeling uncomfortable, I hurry down the long staircase and out of her sight where the city and palace rest below. The number of steps is exhausting, but once I finally make it down, I am free from their control. For the time being, at least.

I find my way all the way back to Brommy's advisor quarters stationed behind the palace. No one is back here right now. The atrium is quiet except for the soft trickle of water coming from the man-made marble pool inside here. All the way at the bottom, the shadow of Rog rests still around long thick seaweed. I don't think this is purely a pool for Adler's pet. I think it is also utilizing a natural spring of some sort.

This atrium is in the back of Brommy's home separate from his private chamber.

Somewhere, beyond these open walls, my daughter has been kept away from me in the palace.

The empirical family does not trust me yet to mother her. I do not think they ever will.

Droplets of my tears leave tiny splashes in the mass of water. With new interest, the large serpent-like animal, Rog, spreads his legs leaving behind the sandy bottom of the pool.

Slowly, his large scaly body drifts to the top. Not long after, Rog's toothy snout rises out of the water.

A rope remains tied around his thick throat anchored by a very tall marble pole in the center of the pool. The rope is taught, he cannot swim any closer.

Trembling, my limpnut presses into the crook of my neck.

"Do not be afraid, my Fluff."

I open my knapsack and throw Rog a smelly fish I found in a wastebin at the market. His huge narrow mouth opens revealing rows of razor needle-like teeth. He jumps as I toss the fish high up at an angle where he must jump to successfully get it into his mouth.

My pet and I both squeak as Rog's weight, pulling the rope hard to catch the fish, causes it to snap.

I holler, scrambling away as he clambers clumsily, but with great intent, out of the water and over the edge of the pool right toward me.

"Down boy!" I shout with strength, for I only can think of copying Adler as the command I remember worked before when he used it.

Rog does not listen. He barrels into my bad leg sending me off my feet. I do not feel scared. I knew the risk. I did not feel good coming back here to see an old animal chained up for the enjoyment of others when I have the power to free it.

"Ah!" I yell as he drags be backwards toward the water by the hem of my tunic.

My Fluff shrieks horribly as it wraps itself tightly around my neck.

"Stop! Stop it! Come on!" I shout with sudden anger. "I said stop it!"

The large serpentine animal continues dragging me backward - right under the freezing cold black water. With my sight, I can see the small silvery shapes of fish that we rapidly pass. I hold my breath not really knowing what else to do. I cannot swim very well, but Rog can - despite his humongous mass.

Instead of watching the surface grow further away, I turn my attention to where Rog is dragging us. We are headed toward the same marble pole I freed him from.

For a moment, I am certain he will ram my pet and I right into it. He will kill us effortlessly before gobbling us up.

Abruptly, he does something I have never witnessed before. He kicks his back legs to turn his entire body facing downward, completely vertical.

Nothing has ever carried my weight this fast. He swims straight down tugging us rapidly lower and lower toward what seems like an endless hole in the sand.

Somewhere, the marble pole has to come to a stop.

And yet, with seemingly unnatural speed, he torpedoes us down further. Then, for a moment, it is completely dark and cold. I cannot feel my body or see anything.

Whoosh!

We meet air. We have reached the surface, on the other side of the spring, where the water is leeching up to feed the pool so very high up above.

I am thrown into the air by the force of his body as he opens his canines. My Fluff and I land on a heap of sand in the middle of a cave. The only glimpse of Rog I catch before he disappears back under the water is the flick of his long black scaly tail.

"I guess this is what we get for helping him," I sigh bitterly while ringing out the hem of my tunic.

My spryt lights up as if having a mind of its own. I gulp eyeing the expanse of the sea cavern. Rog brought us to a sandbar, so we did not remain submerged.

"I saved you! Come back!" I holler with frustration while eyeing the amount of water around us. "Seriously! You should have just rammed me into the pole! I'm sorry, I know I should have rescued you sooner! I'm sorry!" I shout through tears. "I was scared! I...I still am! I'm sorry!" I yell.

"What am I supposed to do?" I whisper.

To swim back out the way we came would be impossible. We are so very far below the surface and out of sight. We are too far down to be seen in this cave.

In the distance, I see a large silver form lurking across the cavern. I squint my eyes, Rog is coming toward us again with new speed. Maybe this is it. He drifts all the way back over to us, which doesn't take very long.

Rog pauses by the edge of the sandbar making a short curt hiss.

What is he waiting for? His huge scaly back is exposed. My spyrt lets me see whiplash marks on it. His eyes make me nervous, but he lowers his head looking straight ahead as though offering us his enormous, and long, back to step on.

With what sounds like an impatient hiss, he snaps his jaws bringing his back out of the water closer to my feet. There isn't room for me to go anywhere. The sandbar is disappearing as the tide rises with his movements.

Holding my breath, I walk onto his back. He then proceeds to drift slowly away from the sandbar with me and my pet standing on his back as though for a ride.

"This can't be good...or is it?" I ask my pet in a hushed whisper.

I'm surprised as my drenched Fluff scurries down my body and has the nerve to rest between the gap of Rog's eyes - which happen to be located right on top of his head. It makes a soft squeak before curling up into a ball as if trusting Rog to carry us away to safety.

At least, he hasn't submerged us again, yet.

With a gulp, I continue standing perfectly still on his back as he continues drifting across the water of the underground sea.

"Please get us out of here..." I murmur while hugging myself. Rog appears to be following the glow of my spyrt across the surface of the dark water. The light only is bright enough to shine a couple yards ahead of him. "Do you know where we are going?" I ask with uncertainty.

I don't know why I am still talking. These animals do not know what I am saying. Although, I am pretty certain they know to some extent how I, or other animals, feel. And so, I do my best to remain calm and still.

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