Scaly and creepy.
I led the way back to the village, ensuring that Assistant 23 was following close behind me. I would not allow him to get lost or hurt under my supervision. The village was not far, but under the veil of night, the world was different. Darker and colder. Not even an adult Maeleon would wander off on their own at night. In that way, I highly respected Assistant 23’s bravery.
But I was selfish, and the village was not far enough away. Soon, we would arrive, and our time together would end until our next interaction. The idea made my scales itch with dread.
I needed more time with him. I wanted him all to myself. But unless Assistant 23 shared my desires, it would be inappropriate to act on my urges.
Perhaps I should tell him the truth. I doubt his opinion of me could get any lower.
I stopped walking and turned to face him, but he had been walking so close behind me that I accidentally smacked him in the face with my spiked tail.
“Ack!” he cried.
Panic surged through my feelers, and they pulsed a sickly neon yellow. Instinctively, I leaned down to examine Assistant 23’s face for injury, but the frustrating faceplate remained in the way. I could not discern his condition.
“Are you all right?” I asked urgently.
He made a sound like a laugh, except it was breathy and short. “Yeah, I’m fine. It’s my fault for following so close, anyway.”
He lifted a gloved hand to rub the shield. His thumb moved back and forth across the strange reflective material.
And then he paused.
“Um… Farr’vye?” he said.
“I am here.”
“Is there… a crack in my face shield?”
Leaning closer to examine the material, I scanned the area where his thumb lay. It was blocking my view. I gently pushed it aside, which earned a small squeak of surprise from the human. Once the view was clear, I saw the crack. It arced from the top corner of his dark shield like a bolt of lightning.
“There is a crack, and it is large,” I confirmed.
A hoarse, strangled cry tore from Assistant 23’s throat. He stumbled backward, clutching his face. He continued to wail as he turned his back on me and crumpled into the grass.
“What happened?” I asked.
“D-don’t come near me!”
The claws on my feet dug into the soil. It took a painstaking effort not to approach him. I wished he would not put so much distance between us while I was concerned for his safety. My tail lashed from side to side in frustration.
“Are you hurt? Please respond,” I called.
Assistant 23 was silent as he cowered and trembled in the grass. Even Kookee seemed worried. It bent its head lower and sniffed the top of the human’s head with its wide nostrils.
“If you do not answer, I will disobey you,” I warned.
“No, no, no…”
Assistant 23’s words came out in a cracked moan. He did not seem to hear me. He was balled up on the ground with his face buried in his knees, and his arms surrounding them. I had never seen him look quite so upset.
Frustration swelled in my chest, so hot and bright that it nearly choked me. My human was hurting, and I could do nothing to help him.
I could only barricade my feelings for so long. Unable to keep my distance, I rushed to his side. But before I could offer to help him to his feet, Assistant 23 wailed and collapsed on his side as though my presence had physically knocked him over.
“Let me help you,” I insisted.
“You can’t help me!” he shrieked. “Please, just leave me alone!”