A few days passed.

Respin was in his home, contemplating over the only picture he owned of himself and Amaris. On it they stood together in an awkward yet happy pose. She laughed on the pictures, showing her sharp teeth, while Respin looked flustered and surprised. He still remembered vividly that she had jumped him after she had used the automatic shutter on the camera. It was surreal to never hear her speak again. To never have her laugh stuck in his ears.

Sometimes Respin wondered if the time with her had just been a dream. A few fleeting moments of companionship and happiness… Now he felt like something had been torn from within him. It hurt but there was no medicine against this pain. You’ve to live with it, he reminded himself constantly. You’ll grow used to it. As you’ve grown used to everything.

Her death had also turned him from a recluse into a hermit. He didn‘t dare to leave his cottage out of fear that her murderer would find him.

„But Amaris’ case shows that he does invade homes…“, Respin mussed.

He sat crying in a corner of his living-room, hugging his pet, which hadn‘t left his side since he had returned. Suddenly someone knocked at his door. The shellturtle looked up and nudged Respin towards the door as he made no move to stand up. Maybe her murderer is here, he thought apathetic.

As far as he was concerned, they could burst the door open and kill him. But as the visitor did not force their way into his cottage but knocked again, he stood up. Sluggish he went to the door and looked through the spy-hole.

It was his stout neighbour into whom he had walked before he went to Amaris. Surprised Respin opened the door.

„Hello neighbour“, the other Menkar greeted him with somewhat forced politeness.

„Hello there”, Respin replied baffled but forced himself to not let it show too much. „What can I do for you?”

„Just want to know if you might let me borrow some of the poisonous berries you get for your pet?”

„Fluxberries? I can give you some but what do you want them for? You can get poisoned by merely touching them.”

„Well, I myself got my hands on a small baby Shellturtle and want to feed it properly”, he said somewhat flustered.

„Really? Can I see it?”, blurted Respin out before he could keep himself from doing so.

„It's a little shy, so I don't want to stress it more than necessary before it has bonded with me.”

„Oh, I understand but mind telling me it’s colours?”

„Colours?”

„Shellturtles come in a wide variety of colours and shell-patterns. There are never two turtles that are the same!”

For a moment Respin's neighbour looked confused, then he answered the question, „Mine got a swirl-pattern on its shell. Looks like water currents…”

„You’ve some luck!”, Respin replied eager.

„Luck?”

„You must've gotten a new mutation, because I've never heard of swirl-patterns in them. You should go to a breeder once it's mature. You can make a lot of money with it.”

„There're breeders for those beas-beauties?”

„If there's an animal there's almost always a breeder for it somewhere,” Respin explained happy. „While I found mine injured in the wild there are also some who buy them from others. You can read up on it in the ECCN.”

„I will look into it,” his neighbour replied slow. „Now, could you give me some of those berries?”

„Sure thing!”, Respin replied and went to the cupboard he kept the jar of Fluxberries — he always bought them from one of the vendors of the settlement.

Once the jar was on the table, he pulled out another smaller jar and put on some gloves. Careful not to get even the smallest drop on his skin, he filled the jar. To close it he washed his hands with the gloves still on, then removed them and put a new pair on. Once it was closed he washed it in the sink before giving it to his neighbour.

„Since your turtle seems to be still small, you should give it one once a day”, Respin explained. „And don't worry about the berries. They're so poisonous they don't spoil. Besides, what's your name?”

„Felder,” his neighbour replied absentmindedly as he took the jar from Respin.

„Well then, Felder, you can come by any time if you've trouble with your turtle,” he told him with a board smile. „I like to help.“

„I'll keep that in mind,” Felder replied in a strange tone, which Respin attributed to Felder feeling weird that he was treated so friendly despite the countless insults he had thrown at Respin since he lived in his cottage.

Once Felder was gone Respin remained standing in the round door frame. Suddenly he received a clap on the shoulder. Startled he let out a choked sound while Serfin greeted him.

„You look happy yet miserable,“ Serfin remarked as Respin turned to him. „Like you’ve cried the whole day and just now got good news.“

„Don't startle me like this,“ he replied accusingly and let him in.

„Sorry, the opportunity was too perfect.”

„I’m sorry for the chaos“, Respin continued as he showed Serfin to the slightly cluttered living-room. „I wasn’t in the mood to clean up the last few days. Want something to drink? Eat?“

„No, Res“ he replied waving his hand „Just wanna speak with you.“

„Can I get myself something?“

„Sure. It’s your home after all.“

„Come along. We can talk in the kitchen.“

„Sure thing.“

After Respin had offered Serfin a seat he filled himself a glass of water. Then he sat down at the kitchen-table and watched for a while the ice cubes clinking and swimming in it. For a minute or two neither of them spoke a word.

„I’ve come to think…“. Serfin began in a low voice. „We should take revenge.“

„What?“. Respin coughed, awoken out of his stupor.

„You heard me,“ his guest responded. „We can’t let this butcher roam around like this.“

„You’re right, but I can’t do this,“ he replied hastily. „It would also mean to go down on his level and this is something I’m not fond of.“

„Do you think one of the adults would bother?“, Serfin inquired serious. „As long as he’s smart enough to not go after the Morphlings under the care of Drones or the Drones themselves he won’t be caught.“

„You’re right,“ he admitted with a pained expression. „But what can I, the hornless freak, do beyond getting myself killed? Maybe we can make the murderer laugh himself to death while he kills me?“

„You’re not just your horns or rather the lack thereof. You had the courage to face me alone. Just with one of your knives at the ready.“

„That was an entirely different story… I wouldn’t have been able to harm you, even if my life depended on it. I’m not cut out to be anything but a weakling…“

„Stop talking like you’re worthless!“, Serfin snarled and banged his fist on the table, making the glass wobble and the ice cubes ring inside it.

Respin jumped up and almost fell over his own feet. Serfin’s face had a frighting expression plastered on it. It almost seemed as if the tall Menkar was about to jump at Respin and tear him into bits and pieces.

„Sorry,“ he said and ran his hands over his face. „Didn’t mean frightin’ you. Just happened.“

„I’m okay,“ Respin replied and sat down again swallowing hard.

„Sometimes my temper gets ahead of me,“ Serfin explained.

„It’s okay. But why are you even here? Why do you care about me? We don’t know each other.“

„Amaris cared very much about you. Spoke fondly of you when she was around,“ Serfin replied after a deep breath „You two were Bondmates after all. So since she liked you that much… I like you too.“

„You make me feel bad for not wanting to take revenge for her,“ Respin said with a sad smile. „But I’ve nothing to offer in the means of taking revenge. I’m neither strong nor can I use my psychic ability as a weapon.“

„The way you pointed your knife at me the other day looked like you would actually cut me down,“ Serfin replied with a smile.

„Not really,“ he objected. „I’ve told you already that I wouldn’t have harmed you even if you had downright tried to murder me.“

„Do it for Amaris.“

„I doubt that she would approve of me taking revenge. She was always so kind and thoughtful. There’s always a peaceful way to deal with anything. That’s what she used to say.“

„You’re selling yourself short. Not many would’ve dared to enter Amaris’s home to look for her.“

„I wasn’t courageous. I was stupid. Besides, it was dangerous to go alone in the first place. If this murderer would’ve been still there, we wouldn’t speak right now.“

„You’re not alone.“

„That’s true but I’m not sure about this… revenge,“ said Respin reluctant. „Give me one day to think it over.“

„Take the time you need. Let’s meet tomorrow night at my place,“ he offered „No need to be afraid, Res.“

„I… I’ll be there.“

With that Serfin left Respin with a small handwritten map to where he lived. Once the front door had fallen shut, Respin buried his face in his arms on the table. Revenge, he thought, I’m not angry. Just sad. Should I be angry? Is it right to be angry? Is it right to become a murderer to avenge murder?