Clement’s life was happy, but it never felt complete. She still wanted to become a musician and create music for large crowds. Right now, she was working on strumming while singing in the comfort of her bedroom. The strings of the guitar ran smoothly down her callused fingers. Made of spider aspen silk and shadewood, the acoustic instrument produced a deep, metallic sound with a resonant echo. It was her first purchase when she moved to Axion, and it took a lot of haggling, her shoes, and the rest of her cavern jerky to get. Eventually, she had to play the guitar for the seller to prove she knew how. It was worth every moment it's given her, truly priceless.

A career as a guitarist was not a career, as her parents often reminded her, especially not for a lady. Not for a woman. Her mother tried to encourage her to try dance instead, join the church choir, or even take up a smaller instrument! But Clement never felt drawn to the ballroom; she wanted to be the one who made people dance! She liked to play upbeat melodies that almost sounded unnatural against the deep sounds of the guitar. 

That’s why she noticed Regina. In the cafeteria, Regina would dance in place if the food was good enough, which, for her standards, was quite often. Clement would find herself staring at her from across rooms, not really meaning to be looking at all. She wasn't sure why she wanted to be around her so badly, just that she wanted to talk to her. And be near her.

“Keep them closed; we're almost there,” Regina whispered to Clement. She had blindfolded Clement using a handkerchief and guided her through the fields by hand. She knew where they were by the smell. Emberfruit. A sweet citrus fruit that was a bit sour if they weren't fully ripe, with aromatic spice undertones. Large fruit glowed slightly gold at night, making it look like a star field. They must be near the vines, and it was almost sunset! It was very exciting to be led by someone you love somewhere mysterious. 

“Okay, you can take it off,” Regina said. Clement took off her blindfold to reveal a picnic for two. They were in the same vineyard where they had their first date. It was right at the edge of the forest, by the river, that held the largest emberfruit vineyard on Terra. They could easily get lost in the crisscrossing vines, which they often used to their advantage. “I know it’s not much, but it's what I could afford right now,” She looked at her feet.

Clement simply picked up her chin and kissed her on the lips. 

“It’s more than anyone has ever done for me, thank you,” Clement said with a full heart. 

This all reminded her of the first time they met. Clio and Regina were sitting together at lunch. There was a rumor around the school that the two were dating, or that maybe he was dating Anne. But Clement was new and had no one to sit with, so she asked if she could sit with them anyway. 

“Do you mind?” she asked kindly. Regina looked up from her tray and locked eyes with Clement. There was a click. Clement felt her heart rate quicken. How come? She had never felt like this before. Whatever she was feeling was brand new and instant. She tucked her lower lip in her mouth, a nervous habit. 

“Uh, sure, go ahead…” Clio responded for Regina, looking between the two of them awkwardly. Clement blinked hard and snapped back to reality. She quickly sat down.

“Where are you from?” Regina asked curiously, “Your accent sounds different.”

“North, I'm from Axis,” Clement responded while she opened her juice box. Regina had long black hair that fell straight down the sides of her face. On one side, she had a braid that was clipped up, revealing she had no ears. How odd, she thought. Odd because she'd only seen that mutation on lizard chimeras. Her eyes were a light green. Her nose came to a sharp point; her whole face was rather angular. She looked very… Beautiful. 

“Oh, I'm so sorry,” Clio responded immediately. She nearly forgot he was there. That was the usual response. The conflict between Avion and Axis has been going on for longer than she’s been alive. People who come here who are not from here are often treated with insults, but it is nothing compared to the atrocities she might have faced if she had stayed in her home. Her once-loving community was a scramble, full of nothing but loss. Her family still on the other side.

“Did your parents come with you?” Regina asked, with the same concern a friend of many years might have asked. Clement thought about her parents for a moment and smiled at the thought of them.

“They traded for my passage through the tunnels. There were other ways… But not as safe. Not as expensive. I traveled with a migrant group that smuggled people into the tunnels. I hope one day to see them again,” Clement said hopefully. At least some of it was true; she did miss her parents.

However, she also knew this was a lie. She ran away and traded for passage on her own. She'd rather not tell that story.

Axion was unique in having developed a mutation late in its development. Birds are common here, but in the area where she lived, reptilian traits were much more common. Despite this, people in Axion seem to either not believe or not know this information. It was all heresy, as they had never seen a lizard person. Save only those that return home in one piece from the front, when men rabble on for ages about what they saw and did. Most of their stories are listened to with a kind ear, but taken with a grain of sand. 

“I hope so, too,” Regina replied, “the tunnel, though, that’s dangerous.” 

“Maybe for some,” Clement said with a smile that didn’t meet her eyes. Regina smiled in return, and Clio picked awkwardly at this vegetable medley. 

That was two years ago. They met in her ninth year of education, when she was fifteen.

“I have a gift for you, too,” Clement said. She reached into her backpack and pulled out a shoebox. Regina furrowed her eyebrows when Clement handed it to her. “Sorry, I couldn’t find cute wrapping paper.” 

She smiled and opened it to reveal CD's, six of them. Regina shook her head in confusion and looked at Clement.

“I told you I came here from Axis, but I didn’t tell you everything. I haven’t told anyone everything, but I want you to know my story. I recorded my journey here, and I’ve been meaning to show you, but my camera broke before I got to the end of the tunnel. I don’t have a player to show you otherwise. I had a friend upload them on these before I traded my camera for a meal and bed. Not a great trade, but it had been a long day. They’ve been in my backpack waiting… To give them to you.” Clement said with confidence but a shy smile. She gave a look around the vineyard, ensuring they were alone.

“You said you took the migration path?" Regina asked.

“Well… Yes. The Western migration path, not the East.” She said, “The start is nearly a thousand miles from where I was raised, at the base of the mountains. It took a long time to get there. I was above ground a bit longer than I said.” Regina's eyebrows shot up as she looked back down to the discs, picking one up to examine it, flipping it over and back to the front, looking at the prism of light it produced. They were labeled: three said CH and three said JH, numbered one through six.

“Thank you for trusting me with this. I will guard it with my life… But Clement,” She drifted.

“Yes, anything, ask away,” Clement offered.

“How do I watch this?” Regina asked.

“What? With a CD player. For your TV!”

“For my TV?” She scrunched her eyebrows again. “Clement! You're doing the thing again.”

“What thing?”

“Being vague! What is a CD player? And I don't even have a TV! I can’t afford one. I’m sure Clio has one, but I don’t want to go to his house…” They both looked at each other and nodded.

“I don’t either. I assumed the family I'm with couldn’t afford one either. Maybe the library?”

“I’ve never heard of a CD player before,”

“Do they not exist in Axion? How do you guys watch movies?” 

“In the theater… Usually with you. Clem, you’re confusing me,” Regina said bluntly.

“Okay, you know what, forget the videos for now. There's more, look at the bottom.” Regina rolled her eyes and squatted down to the picnic blanket, pulling out the discs a couple at a time and setting them down next to the box. At the bottom, sitting freely in the corner of the box was a helionite ring. The center of it had a band of dark gray stone. Regina picked it up to read the inscription inside, which read in crude letters: CH + RM.

“It’s a promise ring! Because I promise I’ll marry you one day, Regina. I must be the luckiest girl in the world, and I will love you out loud!” Tears swelled in Regina’s eyes. Clement placed her hand on the back of Regina's neck and stood on her tiptoes to kiss her on the lips. Regina picked her up by the waist and held her there while they kissed. Slowly, they disconnected. They were both smiling and giggling to themselves.

“Let's sit; I did make lunch after all,” Regina said. Clement raised an eyebrow in question.

"Okay, okay, Clio made lunch for us,” she laughed, her voice warm. "But it's the thought that counts, right? Happy anniversary, Clement. You’re not off the hook, though, we’re gonna talk about those videos," Regina said.

“Happy anniversary, Regina,” She said, smiling, but something felt wrong. She grabbed the ring to put on Regina's hand, but she paused, rolling it over in her palm. The air had a mist of citrus, but something else lingered at the edges of her senses—a feeling, a distant hum, a hint that they weren’t alone. Then, a voice broke through the stillness.

“Did they make enough for all of us?” Called a voice from the woods. Just out of sight.

They froze. Skarn in headlights. There they were, hand in hand. Caught. They watched where they heard the voice, hoping that if they didn’t move, they would be okay. But dread crept in where confidence should be.

“Run! Regina!” Clement whispered to her, but she didn't budge. Clement grabbed her face roughly and turned her head to look at her. 

“Regina, I love you, run!” Clement whispered, already scanning for cover. The tree line was too far. The ground is too open. She was desperate. She saw something click behind her eyes, and she began to sprint with Clement close at her heels. 

Clement was faster, taller, and more athletic, but somehow Regina outpaced her. Her feet pounded against the earth, her breath coming in ragged gasps. A rotten ember crushed underfoot, causing a slick spot that took Clement's foot with her. She couldn’t see; something was blocking her vision. She tried to wipe her face, but her arm felt heavy as it dragged along the ground. Wait, she thought, I'm being moved. She doesn’t remember fighting or screaming, but she remembers thinking she could only hear one set of footsteps. That Regina must be dragging her to safety.