Ancalagon - 124. Chapter 124

“Oh look, there’s some of those plants. The ones with the sindranth.” I crouched, wanting to study the tiny organisms that had ultimately been responsible for so much change in my life.

I was yanked backward off my feet, pulled against Garjah’s thick chest.

“Ow! Stars!”

Bouncer growled, jumping down out of a tree he’d been prowling through, his head swinging back and forth.

“It was him,” I said, jabbing a finger over my shoulder and into the meaty muscle I was captured by. Bouncer growled but Garjah huffed at him so he stalked off. “That stuff is dangerous,” Garjah said.

“I wasn’t about to touch it again.” This time I recognized the odd pattern of holes and the dark movement. “Plus I have much better equipment, remember?” I’d given up my human exosuit, sort of necessary since I had denser body tissue and a whole extra set of limbs.

Their technology was better for many things. Not everything they did was better, though.

“Still. It is my job to keep you safe.”

I turned in Garjah’s arms. Well, I squirmed until he let me turn in his arms. I wrapped two arms around his neck and looked up. “Your job is to keep everyone else safe. Species liaison for security.”

“Seedrah will do well in my old role. I will stay with you, and I will keep you safe while we patrol.”

Patrol also meant I’d have a lot of chances to make new discoveries. Not once had we been separated since he came to get me from the building where the Kardoval had been really hidden. I think he finally got that we were stronger, and safer, together than apart. “I think the people were quite upset that you didn’t want to either take on the role of leadership or stay there as the head of security.”

“I oversaw the process the Aqnars suggested. It was a novel concept.” That was an understatement.

“Allowing those with qualifications to be nominated by people and then holding a vote? It is one that has its roots in antiquity. Many civilizations have used a similar governing process, including humans.” I shrugged. It would take time for his culture to overcome their dependence on their memories, and the rigid cast into roles, to be comfortable with it. “It works, sometimes. And limiting the terms and conditions, and having different levels like the security forces be under a different leadership helps prevent their total control.”

“That is true.”

No one would ever hold supreme power over Garjah’s people again. There had been even more demonstrations, speeches, and rallies held when the news was released about what the Kardoval had done. Most against the Kardoval, but… not all. Some had been led against me and many were outcries against Bouncer, despite the fact he’d only been protecting me.

Cerops didn’t belong among them, they said.

In the end, I would never have been safe to live on the planet safely. We’d have been hounded every time we went into the public. Despite how much they all revered Garjah, Bouncer scared people and I refused to live without him. Besides, while I enjoyed exploring his planet, Ardra still called my name.

The agreement in place to share the planet meant I could explore it and send my reports back to the Galactic Institute. Garjah was still doing his duty to his people. He was patrolling their edges.

And Bouncer was ecstatic. He’d changed since we brought him home. He’d always been close to me, to both of us, but this was different.

Sometimes I thought he’d challenge Garjah if he didn’t love him so much. Then they’d spend time wrestling around on the ground and end up in a pile of limbs panting with identical grins.

“Are you sure this is the life you want?” I asked Garjah.

“It is. I have you, Bouncer, my friends, and even yours.”

Ases stayed behind to do his duty as the ambassador, but he commed us frequently.Timok came with us. I wasn’t sure if I was happy about that or not. In the end, all I really needed or wanted was Garjah and Bouncer in my life.

“Is this the life you want?” He stroked his hands down my back, his hands tangling with the extra pair I never expected to have.

“Always.”