User blog comment:The Reptile King/Reptile Kingdom What Do's/@comment-27950421-20161216164811/@comment-28358106-20161220204435

(Ah, what the hell, I'll bite. Haven't done a WWYD in ages. I'll approach it as if it were me, with all the same abilities, but a completely different past, no family, etc.)

Suddenly they stop and look up at me, shocked to see that I'm now an audience to the spectacle. Surprise even crosses the Narga's face for a fraction of a second.

"Listen, you two," I say with a hint of weariness, "If you keep this up, you'll collapse my mine and I'll be out of a livelihood. I'll have to leave, and I won't be happy with either of you.  So cut it out."

The Narga turns to the Brachy. "You see? This is what I was trying to tell you.  I've been keeping others like you away for this very reason.  Now please leave."

"NO!!" The Brachy bristles. "You are just as guilty as I am of causing this mess! You were fighting, too!"

"To try and make you see reason, though it's clearly not going to happen..."

"Wait, wait, wait," I say, waving my hands. "You've been watching me? For how long?" I look to the Narga.

"Since you came to the kingdom," she says. "I couldn't watch you pass through alone. I didn't want you to suffer needlessly, so I warded off the larger predators and didn't interfere with the lesser ones, because I knew you were compassionate and could handle them."

The Brachy points an accusatory claw. "You've been stalking him! YOU CLAIMED HIM AND NEVER EVEN BOTHERED TO SHOW YOURSELF!"

I look to them both. "Listen, do you really want to keep this up? Will it be worth it?  What if you weaken my mine to the point to where it becomes unstable in an undetectable way, and it collapses later with me in it, all because the two of you won't stop fighting?"

The Brachy lowers her fists and fidgets, like a kid who's been caught raiding the cookie jar. "I...well...um...I'll rescue you!" She says with finality.

"I don't doubt that. But what if you weren't around? You want to take that risk?"

"But if I was your wife, I could be by you all the time! You wouldn't have to worry about that!  If you got buried, I'd rescue you!" She says, but doubt creeps into her voice.

"Yeeeees," I continue, "I know you would rescue me, but I'm not going to marry someone just because they can rescue me from a problem they could have prevented in the first place if they had listened to me."

The Brachy opens her mouth, but then slumps, crestfallen. I turn to the Narga.

"And YOU could have picked a better battleground."

The Narga says nothing, but merely shifts in place.

I sigh. "Listen, I appreciate what you both have done for me, but I'm not interested. The truth is, mining is dangerous and not very profitable out here.  I really just wanted a place to conduct my research and make some money so I wouldn't starve, but this whole place isn't very welcoming.  So, I'm leaving anyway." I turn and walk back to my home.

"I-I could help you mine more, and you could make a better living!" The Brachy says.

"No, thanks."

The two of them watch me leave, and as soon as I'm over the ridge and out of sight, the fighting resumes.

Two days later, my meager belongings are packed and I'm on my wagon, trundling through the forest on my way to a port town. Suddenly, the birds stop singing. I halt the wagon and look up.

"...Okay, you can come out, now."

The Narga drops down and lands on her feet in front of the wagon. She stands there, looking at me. I stare back.

"I suppose you're to thank for me getting off scott-free from the attentions of that Brachy?" I ask.

"Of course, and many others you did not see."

"All right. What's your name?"

"Yolis." She continues to regard me with her green eyes.

I pause, thinking. "I suppose you'd better come with me."

"On the contrary, you should come with me. Follow me through the forest, or you'll surely be lost.  Or possibly eaten."

I pat the seat next to me. "Come on."

"I prefer to walk or fly. I do not ride."

I smile. "So you're going to let your husband just ride all by himself, then? Fine.  That'll make for a nice honeymoon story."

As if it was her intention all along, she walks over and climbs in. I snap the reins and the wagon continues. After a moment, she leans on my shoulder. Then, her wing quetly wraps around me, its velvety surface softer than down. For many moments we say nothing, thoughts of our future going through our heads. Then:

"You're taking the wrong road. Go further east."

It was then that I knew we were married...