Chapter 7

Twilight spilled across the overgrown vegetation of Planet Pantano, illuminating the terrain in a warm orange glow. The day was coming to an end, and it was an interesting period between when the creatures active during the light began winding down to sleep, while the nocturnal critters were just starting to wake up. A certain speckly green lizard maybe three hands in length from snout to tail end was sitting atop a boulder catching the last of the rays, basking in the cooling air with thoughts of blissful content. Below him in the freshwater springs were three strange bipedal beings that had emerged from some contraption which fell from the sky. So far, they hadn’t been bested by any of the inhabitants and had actually managed to slaughter this area's most ferocious apex predator. Their presence turned into a deterrent for other hungry beings and the lizard found it oddly calming despite their exasperated chattering.

How long had it been since he’d been able to relax and enjoy himself? To take a moment to appreciate the majesty of this wild and untamed home of his?

Should he count the ways?

To the insects on the mossy outlooks

And the crystal-clear waters aplenty

Though I fear the jaws of a hungry beast

I do love the variety of grubs.

And while my time is not guaranteed on

This hectic soil, I wish to see dozens

Of nightfalls while I’m on this mortal plane…

On a positive note, the lizard was finally able to experience the joys of writing poetry. With a trill of delight and a fluttering of his neck frills, he concluded his sonnet just in time to wind up in the mouth of a large constricting snake.

Below this scene was a pleasantly balmy pool of freshwater. From a distance the sparkling surface looked inviting and refreshing, but the locals were well aware one drink would mean certain death. Of course, that ensured the pools weren’t overrun by flesh-eating fish, and with a zap from Rowan’s sanitizing probe, all the bacteria and diseases were instantly killed. Their fight to escape with their lives from their command ship had been bloody and brutal and all three were interested in taking a long soak while their small spacecraft recharged.

The pool they chose had a boulder fallen practically straight down the middle and the pebbly bottom added to the pristine clarity. King Reign insisted they bathe separately with Rowan and Able on one side while he was on the other.

Rowan let out a sigh of contentment as he leaned back into the rocky alcove with his arms propped on the boulders behind him. It wouldn’t be too much longer now until the escape pod they took was fully recharged, and it sounded like the next step was commandeering a much larger craft. Preferably with impressive weapon systems and combat technology. This part of the galaxy was slim-picking in that regard, but Rowan wasn’t brave enough to point that out to his king.

Prince Able let out a woeful sigh as he took a seat near Rowan, worry written into the grimace on his face.

“What’s on your mind?” Rowan asked, knowing the answer but figuring the other wanted to talk about it. Able flicked his eyes at him sheepishly, then pointed a glare at the boulder before sighing again.

“I’m just worried about my siblings. And after everything that happened, I can’t help missing Alessandre.” He replied, his lip quivering a touch at what he professed. Rowan gave him a knowing look before sending a splash of water at the prince. Able raised his hands to block the attack and shot an irritated frown at the other man, but Rowan’s cheery smile disintegrated any interest he had in retaliation.

“I miss him too, he was my best friend.” He stated warmly. “But we don’t know what’s happened to Leo and Tyra, so it’s too soon to jump to conclusions.”

Able gave him a glittering and soulful expression, conveying how deeply concerned he felt and how meaningful it was to be reassured as such.

A snarl came from the other side of the boulder. “We can’t spend our time grieving over the dead, we have to focus on the mission before us.” King Reign announced authoritatively. Both young men bristled at his words and Rowan grimaced as the prince’s expression darkened. Able abruptly stood, splashing waves through the pool as he turned in his father’s direction with hateful eyes.

“Is that all we are? A mission?? Are you just going to cast us aside like you did to Jalen?!” Able demanded, his face lighting up bright red with anger.

“Your emotional immaturity is abhorrent.” The king shot back, his voice low and dangerous. Rowan wondered if he was better off hiding in the bushes a few paces away as he slowly sunk below the surface of the water. Prince Able staggered back a step, completely at a loss for words.

“Y-You!!” He began, tears of frustration gathering in his eyes. “You! You… are an awful, cruel, heartless person! I can’t believe mother tolerated you as long as she did! You’ve always been callus and sadistic, but nowadays you’re downright monstrous!!”

Able took several heavy breaths, glad he was finally given a chance to speak his mind, but also feeling an overwhelming amount of hollowness as he let it out. He hated that his baseline reaction to anything emotionally stressful resulted in tears, but he was fed up with his father’s attitude, especially now when they were all being hunted by the Galactic Alliance. He snarled angrily, getting more upset by the lack of a response since he was finally standing up for himself.

“Say something!! Don’t just hope I’ll turn into an obedient soldier one day!”

Silence stretched over the freshwater pools, followed by the faintest of splashes. Had he just stepped out of the water and walked away?? Before Able could chastise his father again, though, Rowan was leaping into action and hopping over the boulder.

King Reign wasn’t one to let a conversation fizzle into nothing, so when he stopped responding, Rowan had a feeling something wasn’t right. He’d been ordered to stay on the same side as Able to provide the prince with added protection, but that left Reign to watch his own back. As Rowan vaulted over the boulder and landed on the other side, he realized the reason he stopped responding was due to him being wrapped up by a giant constricting snake. Reign’s face was solid purple from the lack of oxygen along with the strength of the reptile keeping him from taking a single breath. Without a moment to lose, Rowan lunged for the king’s personal effects and snatched up his knife, then dove for the snake and sunk the blade into its flesh. The thing was so large the blade only impaled halfway through the creature, which was an alarming sight. Rowan had to stab it a few times before it began releasing its hold, but as it did, it turned its anger on the younger blond man.

“Whoah!” Rowan shouted, taking a few steps back as it began uncurling itself from the king and took a swipe at him. He ducked left, then right, all the while holding the blade ready to strike in front of him and taking long strides backwards. He eventually heard a gasp, then a splash, then sputtering and was glad to know the king was no longer being asphyxiated. He decided to end this fight with a final attack, but as he was about to, an ominous shadow cast over him and the snake just before two large hands shot out and took hold of the scaly beast, then proceeded to tear it in two.

With a warlike shout and an infuriated expression that could shatter glass and peel paint, Reign’s arm muscles bulged from exertion until he had half the snake in either hand with gore spraying all over him and Rowan.

Rowan gave a contrite scowl as he lowered his hands and gingerly opened his eyes to find his king heaving haggard breaths with deranged eyes. Blood covered him from head to where his thighs disappeared into the water and Rowan couldn’t help averting his eyes from the sight as he cleared his throat and rubbed the back of his neck.

“Able!!” He thundered, tossing the snake aside. A small squeak was his only response as Reign began wiping the blood from his shoulders and chest. “I don’t care what you do, but I’ll be hunting down Enyo and I’ll kill him with my own hands.”

Prince Able felt a tightening in his chest as his father completely disregarded him. It was the same throughout all his childhood; if it couldn’t be solved with brute strength or violence, his father wanted nothing to do with it.

“You’ll be coming along?” Reign requested, directing his question at Rowan. The younger man snapped to attention.

“Of course, your majesty.” He replied, bowing respectfully. As he did, the lower half of the snake they’d killed began squirming and thrashing. Both men stood back, ready for a second round, when a shape suddenly breached the water and went straight for the blond man. Rowan let out an undignified yelp as another green scaly thing landed on his chest and scrambled to get away. It used him as a springboard onto the large boulder before disappearing over the other side.

“Able!” King Reign called out just before the prince let out a shriek. Before he could be ordered to, Rowan was hopping over the boulder once again, landing in the other pool and face to face with a speckly frilled green lizard draped over Able’s shoulders. The creature was fairly clean for being in the stomach of the giant snake, but it had also just swum through the water. When Able didn’t seem to be in distress, Rowan relaxed his guard a touch.

“Are you alright?” He asked, wondering if he should be plucking the thing from the other man’s shoulders.

“Yeah, sorry. This little guy startled me, is all.” Able replied, reaching up with his first finger to scratch the lizard underneath his chin. To their surprise, it sounded like the reptile was purring. Able always had a love for animals and gave the critter a kind look as he patted its head. It nuzzled into the touch as well and Rowan couldn’t help chuckling before he submerged himself once again to wash the gore from himself.

“Don’t get too attached.” Rowan whispered after he surfaced, scrubbing his face with his hands.

“For pity’s sake, he’s not keeping the cursed thing, is he?” Reign muttered cantankerously on the other side, splashing as well before climbing out of the water.

“It’s rare to find friendly life on Pantano!” Able defended, receiving groaning utterances from both Rowan and Reign. “I’m keeping him! AND I’m going with you to teach Enyo a lesson!”

“I’m dropping you off on the next planet and you’re going to look for your brother and sister.” Reign corrected definitively, his tone leaving no room for compromise. Able snarled indignantly, stomping his foot, then launching into a long-winded speech about never being listened to and never having anything go his way. For the most part, Reign tuned out his son as he brought up his unfair childhood and the unjust expectations his parents had for him. He slipped on the form fitting durable suit he wore which covered everything below his neck before he began securing the pieces of armor in place. He glanced up as Rowan emerged from the other side of the spring and something odd caught his eye. He strode over to the other man and used a hand to guide him to turn and face him. Rowan tried to ask what he was doing but ended up a stuttering mess as King Reign reached out and traced three welted scratches across his chest.

“”T-The lizard… did that.” He finally explained, clearing his throat harder. “When he caught me off guard.”

Reign nodded once. “Make sure you get disinfectant on it. Who knows what you could catch.” He ordered, turning back to put on the rest of his uniform and impressed when he noticed Able was still ranting about his stubbornness.