"So you wanted me to start stabilizing that big one we saw last time?"

"Yes, thank you. I really really appreciate all of your help."

Ronan's lips twitched into a small smile, as much as he grumbled about the lack of environmental control in the library, this was an opportunity beyond his wildest imaginings. A forgotten civilization on a distant planet? That was impossible to resist. He nodded as Tempesti spoke. He knew that she knew the meaning of most of his wordless gestures by now, and that she was mercifully comfortable with a silent walk punctuated with occasional observations by either party.

“The ones you’ve worked on already are holding up beautifully, by the way. I even got to show off the bestiary to a friend who came to visit.”

Ronan gave a slight embarrassed grimace at this revelation. The part of him that managed rationality more often than not knew that his work was solid, particularly considering the fact that he was working with alien materials in a language of which he had no understanding. The rest of him, however, couldn’t help but dwell on the ten thousand flaws he might have missed in his excitement. He really should have given it one more once over before telling her it was done. Dammit. Apparently noticing his perturbation, she continued, “It really did look amazing, Ronan.” He nodded, face burning with the embarrassing thought of countless small but glaring errors.

A strange, deep rumbling derailed Ronan’s train of thought and within moments he felt the soft pressure of the back of Tempesti’s arm across his abdomen. Keeping her voice low, the senshi murmured, “I don’t know what that is but it sounds large. Give me a sec, I’ll be right back.” An intense anxiety crept up through Ronan’s body as Tempesti stepped out of sight. Several long minutes passed without a sound beyond the crashing of waves and the grinding growl that had first halted their progress. A few deep breaths carried him to the end of the wall behind which he’d been hiding and steeled his will to peek around the corner.

Are those…crabs?
Giant ******** crabs?

He frantically scanned the area for his senshi friend. None of the crab monsters had any visible blood on them. That was good. They looked too small to swallow someone whole, right? Let’s say yes.

An intense relief flooded him as he spotted a small white-clad figure hurrying toward him.

“Don’t let them see you, her voice came out as a whisper, “I think if we stick to the walkway next to the water we can avoid them…I really thought they weren’t real.”

“Wait, you knew about these things?

“I saw them in art but I thought they were myths or exaggerations or something. I definitely didn’t see any before today.”

Ronan stared at the creatures, torn between awe and abject terror. They were beautiful in a “definitely going to eat him” kind of way. Their carapaces shone like abalone, colors shifting with each change in the light.

“OK, we’re going to head straight for the boathouse. If they spot us, I’ll touch you with my magic and you’ll use that boost to get there as quickly as you can. I don’t think they’ll fit through the doors.”

“But then you-

“Don’t worry about me, worst case scenario I’ll be able to stun them.” With a final reassuring smile, Tempesti began guiding the civilian along the edge of the docks.

Slow, quiet steps across the ancient boards carried the pair toward their goal. At least until the docks decided to show their age. A thunderous crack heralded the unceremonious drop of Ronan’s right leg through the timeworn wood. As Tempesti hastily worked to extract her friend from his predicament, the cancrine group simultaneously turned their attention toward the human interlopers.

The grinding growls increased in volume as the crabs began scuttling toward them.

“Oh s**t. Oh damn.”

Ronan barely heard her words before Tempesti’s hand was on his shoulder and his legs began to lift slightly from the ground. At the sight of her nod, he leapt and ran as quickly as he could with the harpies’ assistance, reaching the boathouse in a matter of seconds and pressing himself against a wall that was hopefully out of the view of the crabs.

“Bitter Blast!”

The crackling of lightning followed by what sounded like too many legs scurrying off allowed Ronan to breathe again.

“You alright? I’m ready to go when you are!”