Ark: A Scifi Alien Romance by Lucy Snow

what I said, I just meant that there are creatures from our lore that remind me of you - the wings, and the scales, and the immunity to fire.”

    Ark chuckled. “It seems that the scouting division gets started earlier and earlier.” He turned and started walking again.

    I stood there, dumbfounded. “Wait, what? Hold on! Come back here!” I charged after him, but Ark didn’t slow down. “You mean to tell me the dragons from all our mythological stories…were real?”

    Over his shoulder, Ark called back, “I do not know for sure, Melissa.”

    He knew more than he was letting on, and I hated how he could leave me hanging like this. “It is curious, however,” he continued, “that your planet’s historical record contains mythological creatures that look like my people.”

    Well, shit.

    When we got back into the ship, Ark immediately set down his blade and supplies and checked on Admiral Kaalax, consulting the medical panels that hovered above him, giving various life signs and diagnostic information.

    I still couldn’t understand the readouts, but as I put my own things down and sat down on a nearby bench I could read it in Ark’s face that the outlook was grim. Kaalax would probably not make it.

    “How’s he looking?” I asked, trying to sound optimistic and hopeful, and probably unsuccessful at either of them.

    “His condition remains critical,” Ark said, his tone suggesting that he didn’t want to talk about it anymore. I was only too happy to oblige.

    “Is there anything you can do? Can he shift into his other form?” I was grasping at straws here.

    “He is beyond the help that could render,” Ark said, gravely. “He will not survive much longer.”

    “I am well aware of that fact,” came Admiral Kaalax’ voice from the bed below. “Especially with you two talking so loudly.”

    “Sir,” Ark began, “is there anything I can do to help?”

    “Listen to me, Ark,” Kaalax said, his voice soft. I leaned forward, straining to hear, though after a second I felt like I shouldn’t, like this was a special and intimate moment between two men who were very close.

    “I am here, sir.”

    Kaalax’ eyes flicked over to me, studying me before going back to Ark. “I know you well, Ark. You have worked for me for a long time.”

    “Not long enough, sir,” Ark said, almost reverently. “We have many more battles to fight together.”

    Admiral Kaalax coughed, and even with my extremely limited experience in dealing with Kreossians, I knew that cough didn’t sound good. “You say that, Ark, but we both know it is not true. I have one more battle to fight, and you will too, someday, but not any time soon. I will fight this battle without you.”

    “If it must be that way.”

    “It must, and you know it.” Admiral Kaalax’ looked at me again. “You have other responsibilities now, and preserving life is more important than presiding over a dead man.”

    “I know it to be true.”

    Kaalax coughed again, and motioned Ark closer to him. Ark knelt down in front of his commanding officer, and I leaned forward too, just close enough that I could hear without making it clear that I was eavesdropping, though I totally was.

    “Do not move me from this place, Ark.”

    “What? You are a hero of the Kreossian Empire. Your body will be enshrined in the Hall of Legends with the rest of your equals, sir.”

    Kaalax shook his head. “I never cared for that kind of recognition.” He looked around at the blue and yellow leaves. “This planet is more important than you know, Ark. I chose to have our meeting with the Humans here for a reason. I wish to remain here.”

    I nodded, unable to speak at such a request.

    “I know one more thing, Ark. The humans did not do this. They were not responsible.”

    Ark moved head back sharply, his face filled with subdued rage. “You cannot mean that, sir. The humans had every reason to sabotage the meeting. You saw the reports from the