After putting on some easier to manage clothes, we followed Amancia around, checking out various points of attack. Each point of attack also has an escape plan in case something goes wrong. If I die or get arrested, it will all be in vain. But honestly, it's all going to come down to what he does while he is here. All of that was three days ago. Malum's ship is due here, any moment, now.

          I knock on the door to Amancia's apartment. I can hear shouting inside, and a few moments later Amancia is opening the door just wide enough to stick her head out.

         "We have a problem." she whispers. "Malum is here, talking with my father. He must have arrived earlier than we planned."

         "What does he want?" I whisper back, taking my cue from her.

          "Apparently, someone betrayed him, and he is here to get permission from daddy to kill that man." she explains quickly.

          "Why does he need permission?" Amlican asks.

          "Because nothing is done here, especially to a Copaie, without daddy's permission. If one were to do what one wanted, and not ask, they would risk an all-out open war with the Copaie."

           "Amancia! Let your guests in and go to your room. We are having a private conversation." a male Copaie voice demands.

            "Yes, sir! Sorry sir!" she says opening the door wide. To us she whispers, "Hurry up. We can spy on them from the hallway."

            We step inside and the first thing I notice is the floor is covered in lush, yellow, grass, making it nice and soft. Orange vines, thicker than my arm, grow up the walls and partially obscure the doorframes. Flowers of assorted sizes and hues grow, everywhere. In one corner, near a small waterfall and pond, is a couch and two recliners. Wow! It looks like a jungle in here. Even smells like one.

            Malum sits on the couch, one leg across the other, arms folded across his chest. In a recliner, across from him, sits a male Copaie, discernable by the lack of hair on his head. This must be Amancia's father, Soltig, the Copaie general. He is relaxed looking in comparison. He is in charge, and he knows it. My first instinct is to attack Malum, here and now, but I decide against it. I don't know what Amancia's father would do.

            We walk towards the pond and as we pass by, I check it out. Small white flowers and large green leaves cover parts of the pond. I can see movement below the surface of the water, but the plants are too thick to make out what it is. Probably some sort of fish fills the pond.

           Suddenly, there is a loud shrieking noise and I look up to see a small, flying, creature, circling above us. Its body is no bigger than my hand and covered in purple skin. It doesn't have any feathers, anywhere. Not even on the wings, they are just stretched skin covering from its body to its wingtip. At the end of the wings, I see three small fingers like appendages, that I'm guessing are used for climbing. The mouth is long, and full of sharp, pointy, teeth. Two, very sharp talons are heading straight for Amancia. Amancia stops and turns her head. Amlican and I stop as well. I am curious to see what will happen. But the only thing that does happen is that the strange creature lands on her shoulder and nuzzles her face. She gently pats its head and shews it, causing it to take flight and head back toward the rocky waterfall. She starts walking, again, and we follow behind, stopping on the other side of the wall. We listen quietly, trying to figure out what is going on and where Malum plans to go, next.

          "Mangone needs to be taken care of. An example needs to be made from him." Malum says.

           "Who is this friend of yours? She must be someone special if you are willing to risk a war between our people." Amancia's father, Soltig, says.

           "I'm not willing to risk a war, yet. But I will not put up with anyone getting in the way of my plans. I need you to get rid of him before I do." Malum says, calmly.

          "Like you did with the traitorous Xerxes captain?" Soltig asks.

            Malum is silent a moment, before answering, "The Xerxes Captain met an... untimely end. I would hate for anyone else to be met with the very same fate."

            "Yes, that would be unfortunate." Soltig pauses. "Very well, you may do whatever you see fit, with Mangone. But, be warned. If that princess of yours shows up here, in Natatilis, she will become a prisoner of the Copaie. I am sorry but we cannot allow peace on Talfar to come so easily."

            "What are you guys doing?" a voice asks from behind us.

            All three of us jump, and we turn around to see an older Copaie female, with a stern look on her face. Uh-oh! Busted!

          "Oh, it's just you, mom. You scared us." Amancia says.

           "You didn't answer me." Amancia's mother says, crossing her arms over her chest.

          "I would like an explanation as well." says a male voice. Soltig comes around and stands beside Amancia's mother.

          "Mom, Dad, this is Astra. She has come to kill Malum. That is why we were spying. We meant no disrespect, but we had to know what he was planning so we can form our plan." she explains.

          "Astra? Like our granddaughter?" Amancia's mother asks.

         "Yes. The very same Astra. Your granddaughter, from the future."

           Amancia's mother studies my face and I shift uncomfortably. "I don't think I'm the same one." I say.

            "Yes, you are." Amancia says, turning to me. "I drugged both yours and Amlican's drinks when you weren't looking. I'm sure you realized something was wrong. Memory blackouts.  I'm sorry but I needed a blood sample. I had to know for myself if you really were my baby. And the test turned out positive. One hundred percent my child."

       "I thought something was off but couldn't figure out what. Why didn't you just ask for a blood sample?"

         "Would you have given me, a complete stranger, some blood?" she asks.

          "Well, no. I guess not."

           "Well, there you go." she says, as if no other explanation is needed.

           "Hmph." Soltig says. "That still doesn't explain why you need to kill him."

            I have to think fast. What explanation would win him over to my side? Saving a Talfarian Queen is not going to work. Maybe if he knows about the extinction of the Copaie.... "Malum released a virus, in the atmosphere of Saltu, that attacked and destroyed only the DNA of Copaie. In my timeline, I am the only Copaie left. The rest are extinct. The virus quickly spread, it was carried by non Copaie as well, but it didn't affect them, they were just carriers." I quickly explain.

           "Then how are you still alive? How do we know that you aren't infected as well?" Soltig demands.

         "Because I was nowhere near Saltu when it was released." I say.

         "Where were you?" he asks.

         I shift uncomfortably a moment, my mind flying through possible excuses, before answering "On Talfar."

          "Why were you there?" he demands, again.

         "For me." Amlican says, coming to my rescue. "We are in love. We met on a space station similar to this one, in the Draczious  Galaxy."

         "What?!" Soltig explodes. "No granddaughter of mine is going to have children with a filthy Talfarian!"

         "Honey, calm down. She is here to get rid of Malum. Let's just focus on that." Amancia's mother says.

         "Alright." he says. He continues to grumble under his breath.

         "Where is he going?" I ask, cautiously.

          "To prepare for the arrival of the future Talfarian Queen." he says.

           "Do we have your permission to get rid of him, then, daddy?" Amancia asks.

          "Yes. Fine. But I don't want to see any show of affection from you two. Understood?" he says looking at me and Amlican.

          "Understood." Amlican and I say at the same time.

           "Good. Get out of here." Soltig says.