Chapter 23 – The Night (2)

"A pun-filled alien-dragon species…? So that's what I missed. Damn, I feel bad!" Line says with despair.

Even when done with dinner, we sit and chat in the empty canteen. This was how it always was for us… at least Fara, me, Line, and Tony. But now the numbers had doubled.

"Maison says 'because he is my son he should listen to me', and, 'this is Mally, my ally'. He didn't even say ally as it was supposed to be, of course pun-filled," Tar imitates Maison's voice, the only thing he got.

"Good that Line didn't meet that dragon, or we'd have a dead teammate," Tony laughs.

"Won't you be there to protect your husband?" I tease my sister-in-law.

"We aren't yet married, the relationship barely started yesterday. And we missed a day of it. Like dammit!"

"And now you'll have a child too," Fara adds.

"No idea if I'm either happier or sadder, by that part."

"Weird life is a dragon's life," I chuckle.

"And look at you talking like Max," Sam says.

"And look at you, being jealous," I smirk.

+

"Leader of the dragons, I need to ask you a favour," Maison says, as everyone follow Mally, out the room.

"What'd you need from me?"

"Max and Sam… you must separate them. I understand that they are your friends, but you must… as the price is very much more, otherwise."

"Separate them? That doesn't sound fair to my own friends."

"Exactly. You're the only one who can do this. Because they are your friends… wouldn't you want to protect them? You don't understand how many are at stake, at Rahambose."

"Even so… Max and Fara had caused Rahambose once, according to the visions. What guarantee that if Max marries someone else, taking my word, that it won't repeat? And if you mean I must end their lives-"

"-not their lives. Never. I would never dream such a thing. But if you fear that Max will yet cause Rahambose, with his new bride… how about you be his bride? Then you can have control on the situation"

"But…" I say, and a rush of thoughts pass my mind. Max… the connection I felt with him always… was that the solution to Rahambose, all this time? "I'll do as much as I can."

+

"I guess that calls two marriages within the team," Fara points.

"Not so soon!" the two pairs complain and giggle.

"Well, it is going to happen anyways, kids," Tar says, magically having a bowl of ice cream to eat, so suddenly. Wasn't he the first to finish eating?

"You must find someone, or are you married, Tarragon?" I ask.

"Well, I'm somewhat a lone-wolf, better that way for me."

The ice cream looks tasty, looking at the way he eats it.

"Just accept that no one fell for you," Fara laughs.

"That's hurtful, how dare you tell the truth?" Tar laughs too.

"How would a human baby come out of an egg?" Line asks, stroking the egg.

"We forgot to ask about that part," I say.

"Maybe it is in its dragon-form," Rusty mumbles, without looking up.

"Maybe, and then how much time to hatch?" I ask.

"He said something along the lines of how we care for it, it varies, right?"

"Well, so what's the next adventure…?" Line asks.

"Nothing much left to do now, except if the military come with a new quest for us," I sigh loudly. "Saturn or something."

"That's a bummer, we missed the fun part," Tony smacks her lips.

"Well, even before Max and the others showed up, we had enough adventures. And you missed just one, it passes."

"What about Rahambose?" Max asks, making me feel goosebumps and shudder a bit.

"Yeah, that guy must be stopped, and we'll be the only ones," Line says.

"Firstly he's supposed to be mine and Max's son, and he'll kill us first when he occurs," Sam sighs.

"So, basically we must plan on killing your son?" Tony asks.

"Or he'll kill all of us," Max sighs and then chuckles.

"Relax murderers, I think we could find an alternative," Fara points.

"How about we just break that loop then?" I shrug, playing with the spoon on the table.

"How do you plan on doing that?" Tar asks, drinking water… right after ice cream, really?

"What if Sam and Max don't marry, and have a child?"

"Aster, what are you saying?" Fara asks, laughing nervously.

"We need to stop Rahambose, don't we? How about Max marries someone else? I'm ready, he can be the leader of the dragons later."

"What is gotten into you? Aster… wake up," Max laughs just like Fara, nervously.

"No, you wake up!" I stop fiddling with the spoon, and it crashes into the floor. "This will just be a loop again. If we can stop him: we must… and make sacrifices for the greater good!"

"Aster, do you hear what you are saying?" Fara asks.

"Think of it straight, we just will go on causing it just because of our emotions! And if we must make sacrifices then we must!"

"This is not you, you are a good person, a better person," Fara tried to reason with me.

"The whole point of good is we expect evil to be like us, and expectations kill! Fara… you should know."

"'Fire kills fire, and evil does too' those are Rahambose's words," Tar says. "Not yours… you want to tell us what happened, Aster?"

I open my eyes wide open, yet don't see them in front of me… none of them. I see my Dad, and feel him protecting the one guy, who was blamed to be a Rahambose… all his life. And that is how he died.

I get up and leave the room. I walk straight into the 'L+T+F+A' room, and sit near the broken wall, where the rubble was cleared. A small battle… could the dragons and castle near it, when I myself am Rahambose, eventually?

I look to the sky… they claim that it is where the dead go… to become stars. That's where my parents where, one of those stars.

"Looking at your pieces in the sky, Star?" Rusty's voice comes, before I realise he is here.

"I was egoistic in ways, when I said that… when we were younger," I say, without looking at him. He just sits besides me.

"It was cute. And you were just a kid, it passes."

"Then I guess I still am, so it doesn't," I let out a breath.

"That wasn't you, Aster," Rusty places his hand on my shoulder.

"Well, if I can't control myself… I don't deserve to be the leader. I could have become Rahambose, and caused everything instead of Max's son. Or someone," I say, as my sight gets blurry as my eyes full up.

"But you didn't. And you are still you, because you realised before getting full-on Rahambose or something," Rusty softly laughs.

"Please don't… do that."

"That?"

"That nervous laugh… as if you are talking to some… ready to break person. Pacing your words, to maintain peace and make sure they don't break."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to… Aster…"

"I wouldn't have snapped out of it, if not for Tarragon's words… and… what if I eventually don't snap out of it?"

"No one said you had to do it alone, you are not a lone-wolf like him," Rusty says. I laugh, wiping my tears. "Whatever this Rahambose is supposed to be… let us fight it together, Aster. You are our leader."

"I'm just not good enough."

"That is the dialogue of the stone-gem guy from Fara's vision, not yours."

"I'm serious, Rusty."

"Look, you are not Esterine… don't let her idea get inside your mind."

It was true… her word echoed in my mind, continuously, these two days. But…

"I have done worse things that you don't know of," I say, realising that it wasn't Esterine.

"Well, you'll have your reasons and I can't just judge you by the short of that."

"I was about to kill a guy and his family, years ago. Rusty. And that is not something you won't judge me for."

"But you didn't, did you? Aster… being as strong as you are, is hard. You KNOW how much harm you could cause. And being these… people who want to find the short-way out… isn't harming someone, and getting what we want: just so easy?"

I knew that feeling. I really wished that I could just kill Esterine and end it right then and there. In the easy fashion.

"Look, your first thought is not really you. It can get affected by your emotions. But snapping out of it, Aster… really shows who you really are. Not acting on emotions and having control… you are good enough, Star. And that's good enough to me."

I sniffle. But no tears or words come out. But I feel myself smile, and show it to Rusty, and he feels relieved to know that I'm okay. Pulling myself closer to him, I place my head on his shoulder, and he holds me closer by grabbing my shoulder, and stroking it.

The night just got more beautiful.

+

"I'd have also liked some guidance and help on 'The Empire'," Maison tells me. "You seem to have a great team… a friend tells me."

"Is there a problem over there?" I ask.

"The current King… something wrong about him," Maison says and looks at my questioning reaction. "He can't see me."

"All dragons can see you… even Sam's Dad without a gem can see you."

"Exactly my concern. But it could be nothing. Just something new but… you could have helped."

"Maybe when I go rogue from the leadership," I smirk. "I'll come help you then. But if you really need help-"

"-no. I'm sorry. It could be nothing. Forget that I told you."

I nod.

"Take good care of the dragons. They need you."

I don't understand how he thinks I'm good enough, but I nod.

"Take good care of Mally."