Colony

Tina slithered out of the boulder-heavy blanket and jumped off the supple sweetness of the bed.Immediately facing her by the bedside was a wall which parted in response to her gesture, revealing a closet. Dark clothes bathed in a strong blue tint.She reached into the brightly lit closet and indiscriminately picked out one of Ludin’s shirts. She threw the large grey, long-sleeved shirt over her head, and it came down almost to her knees, her arms consumed entirely by the length of the sleeves.Tina immediately sauntered after him, into his office, where she found him already seated, examining Ezna’s reports. “We’re making progress, Tina,” Lude announced. “What is it?” Tina’s breath caressed his neck, her arms curling around him. “A new language.” There was audible excitement in his announcement. “That’s another one recovered.” His glad tidings caused a spark of joy in Tina’s eyes. “That’s incredible.” “It says here,” Ludin went on, pressing the device towards her face, “Yefchek’s team of re-historians were finally able to completely decipher the Paptyzac glyphs. Well, not exactly completely. It says here that a few translations might prove inaccurate.” “Inaccurate?” Tina seized the device from his hands. “It seems they couldn’t entirely decipher every symbol. Some of them were translated, given speculative meaning.” “I see.” Tina’s eyes traced the writings on the screen, which unfortunately were written and illustrated using human alphabets and symbols. “So translating might have some inherent inaccuracies in instances where the undecipherable symbols are present.” “Correct.” “Fortunately, it says only a small handful of symbols remain undeciphered.” “Yefchek and his team. They’ve really outdone themselves.” “How many does that make it? Six?” “Seven, Tina. Seven languages, Tina, and many more to come. We may not be able to revive all twenty-seven languages and dialects, but we will sure as hell continue to try. We’ll learn them and teach them to others, who will also teach them to others, and so we shall pass them on.” Tina returned the device to the levitating desk and again confined Ludin between her arms. This defiant passion for freedom and restoration—this was what she adored most of all in the present Ludin, the commander of the Restoration. That, and his armour-like appearance. As she was lost in thought, she felt the resumption of the stinging in her central red eye, which she announced with a pained hiss. “What’s the matter?” Lude was already on his feet. “The eyes?” Tina nodded. “Didn’t you use your medication?” “I ran out.” “Then Qikdak should get you more. That incompetent little—” “It’s fine, Lude.” Tina halted his vitriol. “It was today. I ran out today. I was going to get more on my way to the Academy, but…” She felt pain in her eye again. “But he’s supposed to have them sent to you before they run out. That’s his job, is it not? Lousy. Marlina needs to keep them in check.” Tina pressed a gentle palm on his hand to soothe his frustrations. “I’m fine, Lude,” Tina reassured him, smiling. “Are you sure?” “Well, it stings a bit, but it’s not too bad. I’ll get the medication later. I’ll be fine. “Let me see.” Ludin walked forwards, towering above her. His lips stretched towards her face, observing her stinging red eye. “What are you—” “Shhh.” His lips shortened the distance, almost kissing her eye. Gently, he pressed her head between both of his hands, and then slowly she felt the soft tingling sensation of wind passing gently over her eye. Her face was aglow with a smile. “What are you doing?” she whispered. “Quiet.” His voice showed no intolerance for interruption. He went on, delivering gentle wind unto her eyes. Tina watched him with her two unoccupied eyes, and for some reason she received an inexplicable urge to burst into a fit of laughter. And burst she eventually did. “Will you stop laughing?” Tina did not stop. She couldn’t stop. She tried. Ludin was hands-on-hips, watching her with a flare of annoyance in his golden eyes. “Fine, then.” He returned to his desk. He picked up a pen, dipped it into an inkpot, and began to put pen to paper in that archaic human way of writing, which he seemed to adore despite his deep hatred for humans and any and all of their creations. “Wait… Lude…” Tina uttered, struggling against gut-clenching laughter. “I’m not laughing anymore.” She laughed while Ludin scribbled gibberish onto paper, pretending she was inaudible. It took every ounce of strength she had to at last subdue the fit. “Okay. No more laughing.” “Promise?” “Promise.” Ludin rose.“Don’t laugh.” “I won’t.” Tina smiled.He glanced into her eyes to detect dishonesty, which he did not find, and then smiled. “Alright.”With that, he was once again projecting wind onto her pained eye. Tina felt her eyes, all three, grow heavy, and her eyelids announced the threat to slide shut. She curled her fingers around his forearms, feeling the soft blades of hair against her palm. Tina could very well fall asleep in those arms. Such was the safety she found from his mere existence.How, Tina wondered, How am I supposed to protect someone this strong? “Does it feel better?” asked Lude. Tina nodded. “Alright.” He let go of her head.“I’ll go get the eye drops.” Tina pulled him back just as he began to walk away. “Let’s go together. The Academy closes soon, so we could pick Lily on the way.” “Alright, then. Makes sense. Let’s get going.”

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