into fists, all by themselves. “Not have to deal with? They’re my friends! I’d rather die than leave them here!”
The dragon’s jaw drops. “But… do you like them?”
“Yes! I fucking love those girls! I’m not going anywhere without them. We’re not dragons! We don’t hate each other! And none of us are going anywhere at all with the fucking Plood!”
Caronerax tries to take my hand again, but I evade him and take a step back.
“You don’t understand,” he says. “Hear me out. The other dragons will come with us to Earth. They will gather hoards there, they will become my people and army. We will conquer Earth. I will defeat, dethrone, and kill my father and become king of the dragons! And you will be my queen. We will own the Earth, with all its riches. I will command the dragons as their king. We will rule the universe!”
I take another step back, away from this madness. “Oh, hell no.”
It’s the first time I’ve seen a dragon looking forlorn. “I don’t think you understand, Jennifer. We will be king and queen. You will own your planet!”
“I don’t want to own anything,” I tell him, acid tears burning at the corner of my eyes. “I only want to go back there and live in peace and quiet. I don’t want any dragons plundering and pillaging my home planet!”
“But they need to,” Caronerax says patiently. “They can’t find hoards here! The Plood say that Earth could be a rich place. The other dragons will gather their hoards there and become my people. Our people. As well as the inhabitants of Earth, who will be our servants. Do you understand how strong this will make us?”
“I don’t want to be strong,” I tell him. “Not like this. I want to go back to a safe Earth with my friends.”
He gazes at me with his blue and yellow eyes. “Are your friends really more important than me?”
I back off more, shaking my head. “I don’t want this. I don’t want to be queen. I don’t want anything to do with the Plood ever again.”
“Then perhaps you should continue on your own,” Caronerax says, his voice cold. “Without me. Go to your useless spaceship and your pitiful friends. While I prepare to rule the universe. You would only hinder me and slow me down.”
It’s all too huge and much too crazy. It’s like a nightmare, and I can’t make any sense of it.
I turn my back and run blindly through the woods, away from the Plood, away from the crazy dragon.
Branches and vines whip around my head, and I scrape my ankles against rocks and bushes. But I have a strong urge to put as much distance as possible between me and the Plood. I thought the dactyls were scary. But those little Plood with their cold eyes and their total lack of morals… fuck no. God knows what they would do with us.
I’m out of breath, and I have to slow down. My breath is going ragged in a sore throat as I try to not break down in hopeless tears. If he’s right, and the escape ship is in fact useless, then I’m running to my death, pretty much.
“Fine,” I whisper. “Then I’ll die with the girls.”
Again, I almost walk right into the bobont.
Running around it, I pick up the thing I had almost finished making before, then stand there and take in the gigantic creature.
I have nothing to lose now. Nothing. My very life feels cheap.
The bobont’s skin is rough and hangs in curtain-like flaps, as thick as a luxurious mattress.
This will probably kill me. But he can walk faster through the woods than I can. Much faster.
I eat as much of the berries and fruits as I can to lighten the pouch and give me energy.
I sling it around my neck, hold onto the spear, and place one foot at a horizontal fold in the bobont’s thick hide. Kicking off from the ground, I stand there quite securely. But I have to get much higher.
I slowly climb up the bobont’s side, thankful for the darkness. When I look down, I can’t see how high up I am.
It gets easier the higher up I get, because the bobont’s body curves off and becomes level and flat at the top.
I sit down on the living mountain and take a short break, calming my breath.
Dammit. He was so great. And then he turns out to be only a power-hungry jerk who is good friends