I rush to my quarters, as quickly as one can when leaning against a wall, in a ship filled with tremors; with only one leg and a crutch for support.

The automatic doors fly open. My eyes dart between my retractable bed, my modest desk. But it’s— My lips part. “Empty,” I mutter. The room is empty.

“Luenos!” I shout. “Luenos, where are you‽”

The ship shakes again. I trip over the dent beneath the doorway but manage to regain my footing by leaning against the bed’s dark frame. Then, I hear it—a small growl from above.

Peering at the ceiling, I find Luenos, his claws dug into the roof.

I yelp. The step backwards I take is tiny. Tiny, but enough for me to lose balance as I drop my crutch and stumble to the floor.

< Sorry. > Luenos says as he releases the ceiling and lets his body drop back to the floor, landing with a loud bang, inches from my feet.

“I-is everything okay?” I hear someone shout from a nearby corridor.

Turning to the open door, I yell: “We’re fine! It was just Luenos!”

Whoever it is, they don’t bother replying with anything more than a loud and annoyed groan.

< Sorry, > Luenos echoes again. < I didn’t mean to... > He pauses.

I raise a brow. “To?”

< What is it called again? The emotion you feel when something surprises you so much it feels bad. >

“Oh.” I laugh. “Fear. Being afraid or scared.”

His sharp teeth align into a smirk. < I see. > Luenos chuckles. < Fear… what an interesting concept. >

The ship speeds up. Maxwell’s voice booms throughout the speakers once more as he orders us to stay put. I let out an uneasy chuckle and grasp the doorframe beside me. “Yeah,” Something hits the roof and makes the lights above us blink. I shriek. “And I’d love to talk about it more,” I say, “to understand why the heck you guys ended up evolving without it, but right now, we’re all pretty afraid. So, unfortunately, I don’t think we’ll have time for that.”

Luenos tilts his head the way a curious kitten would; had he not been a dangerous, threatening-looking alien measuring twice my size, perhaps I could’ve almost mistaken him for one.

< What are you fearing? > he asks me.

“The Kraken. He’s back,” I say.

< That’s unfortunate. >

With a palm to my temple, I sigh. “Yes, yes, Luenos. It’s very, very unfortunate.” And I know I shouldn’t be laughing, because this is a serious moment, and I’ve been taught to be serious during serious moments; yet, his ignorance is somehow so darned adorable that I cannot help but snicker a little.

Luenos retracts his claws and brings his palms close to his chest. < Missus Vance, > he starts.

I frown. “Vance.”

< Mister Vance? >

“Vance.”

< Mister Vance. >

“Okay,” I groan. “That’s close enough. Say what you must.”

Luenos lets out a small noise sounding close to a hybrid of a chuckle and a growl. < Vance, > he says.

I roll my eyes. “I guess even you have a sense of humour… sometimes.”

He straightens up and smiles, and it fascinates me, how he manages to project such amusement across his features despite his lack of eyebrows and the eerie set of glistening teeth he bares.

Finally calming his jittery limbs, Luenos pauses and points to the empty space beneath my waist. < What happened to your leg? > he asks me.

My lips part. “You— you didn’t see?”

His shoulders deflate as he sits closer to the ground. < Laurine pushed me aside when you and your brother were fighting. She ordered me to leave the room. I heard you scream afterward, so I tried to come back, but Maxwell told me to piss off and proceeded to lock me in a closet. > Luenos brings a single claw to his open mouth. < I still do not understand why he wanted me to urinate. >

“What?” I cringe. “Why the heck did he do that‽”

< Under the pretense that I was a danger to a fainted and vulnerable human. >

My shoulders slug. “Yeah… That sure does sound like something he would do… Sorry about that.”

Luenos shrugs. < It’s okay. At least he didn’t threaten to throw me into the void like last time. >

I bury my face into my palms and shake my head. “I am so sorry I really need to have a talk with him when this is over.”

The ship creaks and tilts sideways once more.

< Are we required to help? > Luenos asks me.

“No,” I say whilst trying to reach my bed between screams and the slippery floor. “We just need to wait it out and trust he’ll land us on a surface that’s… safe, and hidden.”

I attempt to grasp the bedframe. But, with one leg gone and not enough time before the ship rumbles again, I find myself heading straight towards my desk and its sharp edges; ready to greet my skull.

With eyes now shut, I wonder about the end. An end that doesn’t come as a cold string of dark skin slithers around my wrist. “Luenos,” I gasp as his tail, wrapped tightly around my waist, tugs me away from the impending menace and towards he himself.

< Are you all right, Vance? > he asks, holding onto the side of the wall, his long claws dug into its steel. < Your eyes are leaking.>

“Oh.” My laugh comes as an awkward one. “I guess I didn’t realize.”

As sirens, the warnings to take cover, grow louder; Maxwell broadcasts his final announcement. “We’ll either be arriving soon, or we’ll be eaten!” he exclaims. The ship returns to its original position, its floors serving as actual floors again.

My lip twitches. He sounds much too enthusiastic considering the situation…

“Hold on tight, friends!” Maxwell shouts into the microphone. “This shit-storm ends now!”

He takes a turn that sends me tumbling towards Luenos who catches me with all twenty of his fingers. And if the Kraken doesn’t kill us, I think, Maxwell’s navigating surely will…

Luenos pulls me closer. < Is this okay? > he asks, spreading his arms, as he invites me to take cover beneath him from the various objects that fly across the room.

I know, I should be afraid, or at the very least doubtful.

I know, that he could do away with me, for the advantage of chaos is on his side.

But I’m not afraid.

I’m not, and I nod, letting him cover my back with his four arms pressed close to my shirt.

Luenos’s skin remains as cold as his tail, retaining the same latex-like feel it always carries whenever we happen to touch.

As the ship goes spinning once more, and another roar seeps into the walls and bounces off the corridors, it comes to my attention that, aside from the sparring session he and I once did together: I don’t remember ever getting this close. And it comes as a surprise to me, how much of his hold is gentle, calculated and careful; despite him very well having the strength to break me in two.

< Please tell me if I am hurting you. > Luenos says after a moment.

The floor goes full circle.

“You’re not,” I say. “It’s fine.”

By the time the mayhem ceases, a strong urge to puke has caught me by the throat.

From inside the speakers, that have survived by God knows what miracle, Maxwell’s voice returns. “Attention all crewmembers! I am proud to announce that, thanks to my excellent flying, we have safely landed on a nearby moon! Seems lady luck is also on our side! For that flying fucker truly hasn’t followed us here. At least,” he coughs, “not yet… Anyway! I’ll be coming to check on you all, accompanied by technician Laurine, in charge of damage control. That’s all,” he says, “over.”

I furrow my brows. Who made him the leader?

Luenos releases me. “Thank you,” I say before grabbing my crutch and muttering a tiny “excuse me.”

Pressing a palm to my mouth, I rush to the bathroom.

In front of the toilet, I fall to my knee. Bending over, I throw up.

< Vance, > Luenos says, < do you wish for me to call a member of your troupe? >

Ignoring the gross string of vomit stuck between my teeth, trailing down my mouth, I lift my head and catch my breath for two seconds. “That’s not—” Bile rises in my throat again. Never mind, I think.

“No!” I tell him.

My words echo against tile.

I can’t afford any misunderstandings. Everyone is on edge right now. I don’t want them to lock him up, or worse, if he runs to get someone and they take it the wrong way. Besides… puking won’t kill me. It’s not like I hit my head or anything. I’m just a little motion sick, I’ll be fine.

I stare at the mirror before me, at my head, once full of locks that Laurine buzzed off in order to inspect my wounds. Great, now my freckles stick out even more…

A sick feeling tugs at my gut again.

Turning back to the toilet, I exhale deeply and part my lips.