Chapter 3: Discovery

Later that night they were in bed, Trazu snuggled comfortingly against Tzosha, who had her arms wrapped around him. This was one of the things he enjoyed the most regarding his relationship: be able to be this close to another and sharing each other's body heat. He also subconsciously enjoyed the security he felt while like this, as it reminded him of his younger days when he and other young Trandoshan males his age would sleep in packs: it was an age old instinct to help protect them from predators.

Safe and warm… He thought idly, his mind now in-between being awake and asleep.

Someone in the past you fight hard to remember… the faint voice of the strange female echoed in his head. The past will return to you.

Safe….warm…

Someone in the past…

It was a time where darkness and warmth was all he knew, all he wanted to know. He was in his own private little world, dark yet comforting, protecting.

Then came a call. An urge to see what was beyond this private world and he lashed out at the boundary of that world. The faint cries of others like him urging him on.

But his world wanted to forever contain him, for it would not yield to his blows no matter how hard he fought it. Eventually, he grew tired and a new call, a new urge replaced the first: that of the Great Sleep.

Then came brightness. A hole had been ripped into the boundary of his world. His strength and will renewed, he pushed his way out.

This new world was so much brighter, his new eyes taking a moment to focus so the new world would become clear to him. He found so many different colors in this new world, but the one he focused on first once his vision became clear was what he would soon learn was red.

That color belonged to the scales of another hatchling like him. A much larger, stronger hatchling that held a scrap of what was his shell in its mouth. At first he felt fear, his instincts knowing that since he was not the first to free himself of his shell, this one would kill him.

But a strange thing happened when their eyes locked. The hard, cold green eyes of the sibling softened in their look and instead of attacking, the sibling started licking him clean. He no longer felt afraid, for he now knew this one would protect him always…

Trazu bolted awake and sat up sharply, awaking Tzosha in the process. Staring at his hands, his body trembling from shock, he recalled the dream. No. It was memory of his earliest moments. The pieces fell into place one after the other and Trazu felt both relief and acceleration.

"Trazu what's wrong?" Tzosha said groggily.

"I…I know who she is now…" He said, his voice shaky. Then hard determination gripped him: he had so many questions he wanted to ask, answers to gain, and he wanted it now. "I must go speak to her…"

"What?" Tzosha said, alarmed as Trazu jumped out of bed and started pulling on his pants. "Wait…who is she?"

"No time…" Trazu said, his mind completely focused on what he wanted at that moment. He didn't even comprehend his wife's now angry protest as he ran out the door…

It became painfully clear that he had no idea where he was going a few minutes later and that he was running blind: he didn't even think to grab his sword. Plus the night was chilly and he forgot his jacket.

Trazu you idiot… He chided himself when logic regained control and he realized for the first time he was lost. Running out of the house like that…Tzosha is going to be pissed. Man how am I going to smooth this over when I get back? If I ever make it back… He rubbed his arms, trying to keep them warm and hoping to find some sort of shelter before he started suffering from hypothermia.

Luck was with him, for he saw a camp fire a short distance away. A quick jog and a few stumbles later due to unseen obstacles, he reached the edge of the camp, only to be surprised at who owned the camp.

It was her, her rust colored scale and green eyes were unmistakable. She wasn't wearing a robe this time: instead she was wearing a black vest with a cream colored undershirt and black pantaloons, with white sports tape wrapped around her forearms. Her expression when she noticed him was one of genuine surprise.

"This is a lot sooner then I thought it would be." She remarked, gesturing for him to take a seat by the fire. "Looks like you left the house in a hurry. I don't even see your sword on you: guess you can't run me through now eh?"

"I was caught up in the excitement…" Trazu said quietly as he sat by the fire, eagerly soaking up it's warmth to chase away the chill that started to seep into his body.

"I gathered. So what brings you to me?"

"I…" Trazu found it hard to speak suddenly due to anxiety. "I know who you are now…"

"Oh? Enlighten me then." She inquired, sounding playful.

"You're…" He looked up at her and forced that hard lump down this throat so he could speak the words he could hardly believe. "You're my sister…"