I-I

Somewhere on Cetus many Solar Circles in the past…

Respin had more luck than any Menkar should have, especially one born malformed like him. The area his cottage was build in was a rather crowded one. There were at least six other housings in his proximity consisting of modernised high-rise buildings and an unknown amount of cottages and sheds. While the majority of windows were always dark, there were enough Menkar to step on each others feet in more than a matter of space. And since most of them were younger than ten Solar Circles the majority was as impulsive as expected of that age.

Still, most tenants kept to themselves and their hobbies until the adults came. They drafted every Circle all those over twelve Circles old either into the Fleet or any other job available. For Respin this was still a distant day. It he was not sure if he wanted this day to come early or never.

Due to his missing horns and his tendency to avoid conflict he lived a life of almost absolute isolation. For a long time his only company consisted of one of his hatch-mates and his trusted pet, a big tortoise with a beak strong enough to break the sturdiest metals, commonly called a Shellturtel.

Respin had found the animal with a large crack in its shell close to his cottage. Out of pity he had taken it in where other Menkar would have either turned it into soup or left it to die on its own. After he had nursed the tortoise back to health, he had found himself with a large protective companion on his side. Much to his own bewilderment since Shellturtles were not known to be sociable.

As for his hatch-mate… Her name was Amaris Matara. She and Respin had both been mocked for their differences. While it had been the lack of horns for him it was the sand-coloured hair and the pale greenish-blue skin she sported. She got mocked less so than him but it was enough to glue them together the more people pushed them to the the borders of society. But out of this one commonality they shared grew a tight Bondemateship.

For a long time, all was well. Respin and Aramis visited each other often. And if they could not they kept in contact via the External-Cetusian Communication Net. Commonly shortened to ECCN it was the main source of communication and information exchange of the Cetusian Empire.

As far as Respin cared about, it all could have stayed like this forever.

But as nothing ever remains the same, his life changed around his sixth Hatchday.

—

„I haven’t seen Amaris in a while…“, Respin mused, while he fed his Shellturtle with Fluxberries.

Since those berries were not only as hard as rocks but also poisonous to Menkar, he wore thick leather gloves. While they offered protection against the juice, he could barely move his fingers in them. At the beginning of his Shellturtle-ownership-adventure it had been a chore, but now it was only a slightly inconvinient task.

Gente the Shellturtle nudged him with its worn yet massive beak. A gentle gesture considering it was large enough to actually bite off his head. Respin smiled, appreciating the sympathy his pet was showing him. Careful not to find his fingers bitten off he gave it another hand full of the violet berries.

„Maybe I should look for her… What do you think?“, he asked the Shellturtle, which titled its head questioning and resumed eating.

„You’re not much of a help, are you?", he chuckled but this laugh soon got stuck in his troat. "But maybe she’s in danger. I mean, we’re hatched the same day and are Bondmates… This must be the longest time we haven’t seen one another in… in forever.“

Again his pet tilted its head and swallowed the Fluxberries. Feeling not too well, Respin gave it the remaining berries. Once that was done he stood up and washed the juice off of the gloves. Despite only being deadly when ingested he did not want to take any risks. After all his skin like any Menkar’s was thin enough to allow for minor water-breathing, which meant that other substances might permeate it as well.

Once clean Respin placed the gloves back into their compartment and sighed. Looking around the kitchen, which consisted only of a small hearth, a very small refrigerator and a few cupboards along with a small table with two chairs, he went to one of the chairs and sat down. While he thought about the next steps to take, he watched his Shellturtle bite into the cabbage on its plate next to the door.

On the one hand he did not like the idea of leaving his home without a clear idea of what was going on. Amaris could have traveled somewhere, but why had she not told him so? Also, the fact that she had not been online since at least two days did not bode well. She also had not answered his inquiries of her well-being.

If something bad had happened to her, he could not sit still. He could never live with himself if he would not set out to look after her.

Determined to do something, Respin stood up and went into his living room. Since it also functioned as his tank-room it was dominated by the large water tank in the middle of it. The motor, which kept the temperature constant and filtered the water, hummed his usual deep resounding tone. Besides the tank stood a huge trunk made from scrap metal and old circuits.

This was his immediate goal.

Respin opened it with a solemn expression. Inside he had stored various things among them two combat-knives made from adamantium. He had found them discarded in one of the many vacant backyards of the small settlement he lived in.

Nervous he pulled them out and looked at the sharp blades, which would never dull. He had not used them much beyond to cut down some of the peskier and sturdier plants trying to force their way into his cottage. He had also used them once to fight a vermin problem. Thinking about the later send a shiver down his spine to the tip of his tail. He almost dropped one of the knives in the process.

„Is it really such a bright idea?“. he asked himself and turned around.

Behind him the Shellturtle waddled on tick thorny legs through the hole in the wall he had made for it. Its yellow beak was still streaked with the violet juice of the Fluxberries. But beyond a inquisitive look it did not bother with him. It moved on towards its sleeping place — a soft cushion on the ground right next to the water tank where the motor kept it warm. On it, the Shellturtle settled down and pulled its legs and head into its multicolored shell. Respin looked at it with mixed feelings and sighed again. Walking past his sleeping pet, he grabbed his frayed coat form the rack next to the front door and left his home.

—

As Respin moved past one of the bigger housing-complexes he almost ran into one of his neighbors. This Menkar was a stout fellow with a rather meek look to his face. As he hatched two Circles before Respin, he was already taller and much stronger than him.

„Mind where ya going!”, he said annoyed as he balanced a crate with strange jars inside.

„Sorry, didn't see you,” Respin replied and bowed his head to deescalate the situation as his terrestrial Drone had taught him.

„You're lucky none of my wares got damaged,” his neighbor sneered. „And now scurry off, Smoothy. Ya wasting my time!”

Annoyed his neighbor sorted the jars in the crate he was carrying. As he did so Respin saw something swimming inside one of the jars, that looked like a nose. My mind's playing tricks on me, he told himself. I better go.

Respin turned away and continued on his way. Once he was almost past the whole housing-complex he stopped and looked back.

His neighbor was already gone.

Since he felt he had no time to spare, he moved on. Besides, he was thankful the whole encounter ended only with a minor insult and nothing more or worse.