Stranded on a Tiny Planet

Camping By the Lake

Merco was out in the lake up to his knees fishing for nearly a nublar when Traynar finally awoke.

Anu was by his side and held his face in her hands, "Traynar! You're awake. Are you all right?"

He winced, his plumage wilted, "I hurt. Are you injured?"

"No. Where do you hurt?"

"Where don't I hurt would be a better question." he replied weakly. His eyes opened with alarm, his plume lifted, "Where are the Rogashay?"

Anu ran her hand over his plumage, smoothing it, "They ran away. Well...except for him." She pointed to Boroxle, buried up to his neck.

Traynar sat up painfully but looked, his eyes widened with confusion, "How..."

A loud splash across the lake made them both turn to see Merco towering in the water, his spear thrust down before him. He twisted the spear, putting weight on the backside of it. Then he made a thundering sound of satisfaction and lifted the spear tip out of the water. A gigantic Gold-Scaled Leviathan thrashed its death throes on the end. With marked strides, the giant moved toward the shore, a wave rolling before him.

Traynar gripped Anu's arm, preparing to grab her and flee. However, Anu returned the grip with reassurance, pushing him down, "No. No. It's all right."

He looked to protest when the ground shook followed by a massive thud. There behind them near the shore lay the dead Leviathan, golden scales gleaming in the sunlight. Its monstrous mouth gaped and flicked reflexively. Anu cringed, remembering all too well her experience with such a maw.

Merco retracted the spear from his kill, set it down, and then gripped the huge fish behind its gill flap, lifting it up with seemingly little effort. Anu and Traynar were understandably intimidated and awed. It would take more than one hundred Ansheetan plus pulleys and rope to even drag that fish and Merco lifted it off the ground with one arm.

"Hope you guys like fish." he rumbled from above as he moved away from them.

He set the carcass down, further away from the shore and methodically pulled out his knife to gut his catch.

"What is going on?" Traynar hissed intensely.

Anu carefully explained what happened after he was knocked unconscious. Traynar's expression, while mostly trained on Merco's every move, conveyed disbelief.

"I sent the EFP squad back to Anashee to warn the Council about the Rogashay and get you a medic." Anu finally concluded.

Traynar held his head, partially from pain, partially from stress. He didn't know what to think anymore.

Merco had finished cleaning the fish and was now setting about gathering wood for a fire. It didn't take him long to construct a small tented formation with his burn material. Then, he did something Anu and Traynar both had never seen. The giant alien removed the black glove from his left forearm and revealed the mechanical prosthetic beneath. Then his thumb bent back, and flame sparked from the digit, lighting the kindling.

"He's a machine?" Anu whispered.

Traynar shook his head, but his plumage was up with interest, "No...it's just his arm that's machine."

Their people had some technology in their energy weapons, flying gear, and domestic life, but he'd never seen a limb purely made from mechanical components. Especially one that bent and flexed as a normal flesh and blood appendage could. It was a wonder to behold. Whatever Merco's species, they somehow possessed a technology his people lacked. Now Traynar wanted to know more about this huge stranger to their world.