My Business

Marc, Annabelle and Cass froze.

"What do you mean Rou?" Jazz asked.

"I'm asking if she's actually an Ayeri. Come on Jazz, she doesn't act like any Ayeri child I've ever met. Plus, I can't get an energy reading off her. Even young Ayeri have a unique signature that is caused by the energy that gathers in their bodies. Instead, the few readings I do get, seem to appear sporadically. As if she's drawing energy into herself and using it. That's not how Ayeri physiology works Jazz!"

Rou slammed his fist onto the table. "What have you gotten yourselves into this time?"

The four exchanged glances.

"It's Rou, we can trust him." Cass was the first to speak.

"It's not that we don't trust him Cass!" Her brother denied, glaring at her.

Annabelle was still sitting in silence, worrying over what was happening. 'I know he's an old friend, but it's disconcerting that he can use energy without seeming to. I've never heard of a race like that…'

"I'll tell you the truth, if you tell me who and what you are." She interrupted the others before they could start fighting.

"I'm Rou Bask. What I am is not your concern, I'm not the one hiding."

"Bu**sh*t. You know what I meant by who are you, and yes, it is my concern, because if it's something I can sense, then others can as well. The fact that you haven't just introduced yourself formally to ARD means you're hiding from something."

"Fine. As I said before my name is Rou Bask. I am from the planet Oce, you could say my race is distantly related to dragons on Earth."

"So, what you're saying is, that the supernatural community on Earth survived and found a new planet?"

"Yes."

"Is there someone named John? His full name would be John Caperd." She clutched her fists tightly to her thighs, hoping he would say yes.

"Is he also related to a dragon?"

"No, he is a dragon. His name is John Caperd, and he lived on Earth before things went to sh*t. Always told me that he was going to live forever."

"I'm sorry, but if it's who I think you're talking about he died securing a way off Earth for all non-humanoid beings."

"Without him all the founding members would have been annihilated. He was the one that found Oce, and helped our ancestors escape Earth. They then created a society with what humans always classified as monsters, and whom the FSP considers as less than animal."

"I'm in hiding because my kind isn't supposed to be fraternizing with the FSP or humans. However, I think that if someone learns how, we could open negotiations and let the FSP know we aren't mindless beasts."

"Did his family survive?"

"I'm not sure, I can look into it if you would like." Rou scratched the side of his head, unsure as to why she was asking him questions about someone who had been dead for 50,000 years.

"Thanks, can I have a second. It's a lot to process, is it okay if I take a few hours before I tell you about myself?" Annabelle decided that if she could get the man on her side it would be a lot easier to pretend, she was an Ayeri.

"Sure, actually if you are okay with it, Jazz, Marc or Cass could fill me in?"

"That sounds great, thank you." Annabelle went to her room.

Pulling out an old silver frame she gently wiped the frame and glass.

'I miss you all. Why didn't you just escape when you could, instead of giving up your life. What about your family, they had to live with the fact that their father was gone? Sure, you're a hero, what good does that do when you aren't here to appreciate the popularity?'

She fell onto her bed, clutching the frame to her as she tried not to cry. Finally succumbing to the tears, she wailed into her pillow, muffling the sounds of her sobs, trying to keep the others from hearing.

A few hours later Cass came and knocked on the door. "Hey, Rou is leaving, do you want to say goodbye?"

"Can you tell him goodbye for me? I'm really tired from the first day and getting discovered, so I'd just like to sleep now."

"Sure kiddo, sleep well."

"Thanks." Annabelle rasped, her throat sore and eyes puffy.

[Few Hours Previously]

"Since she said yes, spill it." Rou ground out.

"You're right, she's not an Ayeri, she's a survivor of Pasef."

"No one can know, we didn't tell you because the more people who know the more likely it is that the truth will get out." Marc interjected, cutting Jazz off.

"She was in a self-induced coma for 50,000 years, from what I've heard her say she was on Earth for a thousand years."

"WHAT! Are you serious? She was on Earth before it was abandoned?"

"Yes." Jazz was about to continue when they heard sobbing upstairs.

"I'll go check on her." Cass said.

"No, let her cry, she hasn't since we picked her up."

"Alright, but I'm going to check when she is done."

"That sounds great." He turned back to Rou.

"Rou, can you tell us exactly how you realized she wasn't an Ayeri?"

"Sure, it's not that complicated so it should be pretty easy to fix. I think." Rou shrugged.

"Anyways. The first thing was her temperament, where an immature Ayeri would have lashed out without thinking of the consequences, she held back, she may have said something rude, but she didn't blow anything up, or hurt the other party."

"Second is something that is going to be kind of difficult to cover. Her lack of energy inside. Most Ayeri have energy housed inside them from birth, some have lost it due to traumatic events, physical harm, or if their powers were too great for their parents to control, then the parents would have probably had it surgically removed. Of course this limits their control on their powers, but considering how little control they have, plus how much damage an ordinary energy level can do, could you imagine how much damage a kid, whose own parents can't deal with the strength of his power, could do?"

Rou was about to continue talking, but before he did, they heard the sobbing upstairs stop.

"That's my cue." Cass jumped up.

"I'll just go home, there wasn't anything major, just don't let her be in contact with Fresor very often, he'd notice right away."

"Thanks Rou, have a nice night." Marc called from the living room.

"See you."