Epilogue Ror’k
Epilogue: Ror’k
It was Saturday, which meant the humans gathered in the community center’s dance hall for their weekly social ritual. According to Dottie, it was to “dance their troubles away.” I did not understand how that worked, but I was willing to try.
The strings of lights overhead twinkled like the night stars outside.
Except instead of the evening air, it smelled like citrus cleaner and the alcoholic beverage a female was offering to everyone at the counter.
The gray striped kitten we’d rescued sat on top of the rumbling speaker, sleeping right through the noise.
Jask’l swayed to the beat on his own as several Earth females tried to get his attention.
He seemed completely oblivious to all but one.
His eyes kept drifting to Bailey who was visiting for the weekend.
She and Kurt were in New Franklin to do a kitten trade so Kurt could expand his gene pool with our “wild” cats.
But even distracted, Jask’l danced naturally to the music while I bumbled like a new hunter stepping out of the grow vat for the first time
“Relax,” she said, giving me a squeeze. “If you can fight the bugs, you can dance.”
I stepped closer, still trying to mimic the other dancers, but my movements felt stiff, like this was a test or a battle I’d not trained for. “You said this is a bonding ritual.”
“It can be, yeah. But many people just do it for fun.”
I frowned. “Like training.”
She giggled. “You can look at it that way. It’s okay just to move together to the music.
” She pulled me down by my horns, which a nice human had joined back together using resin so that there was a line of pink matching Dottie’s hair where the crack had been.
“Just pretend we are on your ship alone,” she whispered into my ears.
We’d practiced dancing several times in our shuttle, and it had always ended up with us naked in the sleeping nook, not sleeping. The memory had my chest rumbling. She placed her hand in mine and guided my other hand to her waist.
“Good,” she said. “Now follow the music.”
We swayed to the beat, trying not to bump into any of the other dancers on the floor. But it was soon pretty obvious I was too tall, and my feet too big. Our legs kept getting tangled.
I scowled at my own feet. “They are too large for this.”
“That’s not true. You’re so graceful when you fight. This is no different.” Her face lit up. “Ooh! I have an idea. Let’s modify this for us.”
She kicked her shoes off and tossed them under the table. Shoving her glasses higher up on her nose, she stepped up onto my feet. In this position, she had to stand closer, and she wrapped her arms around me for balance.
“Does that hurt?”
“No. You are light.”
“Perfect! Now we don’t have to worry about our feet tangling. You move. I’ll just hold on.”
My first few steps were tentative, but when I realized she wouldn’t fall off as long as I kept my steps short, I started moving around the room with the other dancers.
“See, your feet aren’t too big. They’re perfect.”
By the time the song ended, my face was hurting from how much I was smiling.
“That is fun. Want to keep dancing?” she asked as the next song started.
“Yes. I do. But there is someone trying to catch your attention.” I turned her to face the female waving at us from the counter.
“Nina! She’s passing out another one of her special brews. Let’s go give it a try.”
We waltzed over together.
“This brew is not nearly as strong as the other one,” the female assured us as we each took a cup. “Let me know what you think.”
“I still plan on taking small sips, in case your idea of ‘not as strong’ is still strong enough to knock out an elephant,” Dottie said before taking a tiny sip. “Oh, it’s good! It still has that deceptively light feel. I like it!”
The female turned to me, expecting my verdict as well. I let a few drops fall on my tongue before downing the small cup in an entire gulp. It was alcoholic. There were also fruity flavors and a warming effect. My simple declaration that it was good had the female grinning.
“Hunters are always so easy to please.”
Then we were making our way back onto the dance floor.
Things had changed a bit since our initial mating bond.
To everyone’s surprise, we were stuck together for an entire week.
When she went back to work at the library, it was only for the morning shifts.
When she was working, I would train the youngsters in the gym.
It wasn’t just those boys anymore, but anyone who wanted to join.
In the afternoon, Dottie and I would go out and hunt down flyers in our shuttle. And whenever I saw a small, manageable group of scuttlers, I’d suit up and hunt them too. It was a good routine, and I’d never been happier.
Sure, I wasn’t destroying scores of scourge at a time like I used to, but a few here and there added up.
I was glad to be out there making a difference again.
I couldn’t believe that I’d ever thought it was time to plan my last battle.
There was still so much left to do and an entire world for us to explore—and the most wonderful female to spend the rest of my days with.
Forever wouldn’t even be long enough as long as it was with her.
“I understand now,” I said solemnly as we sat down in our seats at the end of the song to let others have their turn.
“What do you understand?”
“Everything.”
I gazed down at the precious female in my arms. Here in this little bubble of ours, with the twinkling lights above, the rest of the world faded away.
A contentedly strong hum filled my chest. And I finally understood.
This was what our creators had been trying to save.
This was why they’d sent us out into the stars, even as they sealed their own doom.
We were the only things left of Xarc. The only things left of them.
It had never been about killing the last scourge. They’d sent us out so we could keep on living. So we could find love. And happiness. And… this.
Somehow, against all odds, we’d found our future.
THE END