A Weapon’s Serenade

Hamburg was picked as a stop on the tour not for its historical sights, which Hamburg certainly had too, but for the modern sights. After a guided tour of the container port, the girls had made it to a historic part of the city. The Speicherstadt, literally translating to warehouse city, was the worlds largest warehouse district. These days, it was home to many tourist attractions including several museums, which the three happily visited, and the Miniature Wonderland. This was the world’s largest model railway system and a lovingly made recreation of several beautiful locations from around the world.

Anne crouched down to look at the little model train running past at eye-level. “I love this so much. I always thought that dad was a little dorky for wanting a model train but… you know what? I want a model train now too.”

Melody smiled at her girlfriend’s enthusiasm. “I totally get that, but what’s your reason for wanting a train?”

“I love seeing the little train make its way through what is basically a painting. Someone made this landscape and I want to make a landscape too and enjoy the little people I image might live there, and of course enjoy the little train zoom around and allow the little imaginary people to enjoy the beautiful home I made for them. I guess I just want to make the tiny people who don’t actually exist happy.”

“They might not be real, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t important. If making imaginary people happy makes you happy, then we should get you a model train.”

“Maybe I get my dad a train first and help him with the landscape. If that’s something I enjoy, I might work on my own little world.”

“That sounds like a great plan. We also still need to find a souvenir for Isha.”

“I have an idea about that. We’ll pass by the town where we can get it on the way to Jolene.”

“That’s convenient.”

“All good planning.” Anne grinned. “Oh look. Hello little train.” Another model train passed by.

“You are so adorable.”

“Me? No… These little trains are adorable and look at this tiny boat.”

“That is so cute.”

“This is just amazing.”

“And there is a lot more of it. We literally just got here a few minutes ago.”

“I know!” Anne sounded really giddy.

The next day saw a shorter trip to a smaller city. Wilhelmshaven was home to the navy museum and sat right on the edge of the Wadden Sea, a large area of tidal flats. Sadly, the girls had to wait for the tide to start ebbing. So, they spent their time taking a closer look at the decommissioned military ships that were part of the museum.

“This is remarkably cramped.” Melody ducked through another bulkhead.

“We are used to ships built by a culture that knows no scarcity and can just ignore physics.”

“Fair enough. I’ll take our luxury yacht spaceships over this sort of military vessel any day.”

Kuria chuckled. “Navies in general always seemed surreal to me. A big boat with weapons was just a remarkably difficult thing to do for most of humanity’s existence. No matter how miserable it would be stay on this ship, it is a marvel of human engineering.”

“That it absolutely is.”

Back on deck, Kuria looked up at the large gun above her. “Is it strange that I still feel a sort of kindship to… well… weapons?”

Anne shook her head. “No, I don’t think that’s strange. It’s certainly unique. But it’s not strange in the way that I don’t understand it. I get it.”

“I appreciate that. It’s a bit isolating to feel closer to this gun than to the humans here though.”

“Are you at least feeling closer to the demons than to a gun?”

Kuria took some time to think. “I do, yea. I’m just not used to feeling like I belong…”

“Neither am I. It’s a strange feeling but I love it. Every demon is like meeting a raptor kitten, another potential friend who is so eager to be nice and understanding.”

“That feels like an apt description. I wonder what Nemesis feels though. Does she feel like she belongs with the demons already or does she feel more like the chariot she uses as a host?”

“I suppose it’s just a matter of time. When she gets her own body, she will eventually belong with the demons. We should support her as best we can, so it doesn’t take that long for her to feel at home.”

“Yes, we should. We should also go meet Discordia.”

“Absolutely! I really want to meet more of your kind. It’s so awesome to get the chance to watch them grow.”

“It fills me with pride. They are my sisters and I want them to thrive. And those who are already awake seem to do quite well.”

Anne hugged her girlfriend. “As are you. Right?”

Kuria reciprocated the hug. “I am.”

Anne bowed down to pick up a small shell. The tide was finally ebbing, the water could still be seen receding on the horizon.

“You know, I just realized that this is essentially the ocean floor.”

Melody raised an eyebrow. “I mean, yes. About half of the time, it is.”

“And it’s a part of the seas that the sirens can’t go to. Even when the tide comes in, it is too shallow.”

“Maybe we should bring her something from here too.”

“A nice big shell. No, a small one. Something she could never take as a siren, only as a demon.”

“Good thought.” Melody started looking closer at the mud around her. “And maybe one for each of us.”

“Of course.”

It didn’t take long for Melody to find herself a beautiful and sizable cockle. The girls had skipped out on quite a few lovely shells, all because their owners were still alive. This one had been abandoned, or more correctly, eaten by someone else.

Kuria picked up the shell of a Baltic mussel. Unassuming at first, she turned it around and smiled. The inside was a light red. Whatever had snacked on this mussel had left both halves of its shell in perfect condition. The young demon pulled the other half from the mud and proudly showed her find to her companions.

“This one is mine.”

“It’s really pretty. Good find!” Anne looked suitable impressed.

“Do you have a specific one you are looking for?”

“Not really, but I think I have an idea what we can look for, for Serena and Isha.”

“Oh?”

“Yea. Might be stupid, I mean, blue mussels are pretty common. But I think getting a pair of them would be cute. Like two really nice and shiny mussels.”

“Cute idea, I like it. We also need to find something for you.”

“A razor clam would be awesome. I love those. But anything is fine.”

“I will keep an eye out for one then.”

A nearby patch of mussels proved to be the perfect spot to search for the souvenirs for Isha and Serena.

Melody held up the shells of a mussel, shimmering in a very pretty midnight blue. “What about these?”

“Perfect!”

Kuria teleported the shells to safety. “We should make our way back to the shore, the tide will return soon.”

“You’re right. Good thing we have everything we wanted.”

Melody raised an eyebrow. “We do? You’re missing your razor clam.”

Anne grinned. “I’m not. While you were surveying mussels, Kuria did her own little excursion.”

Kuria nodded. “I might have cheated. There is a searching spell I remembered Umbria talking about when we met up to train my Shadow skills. This was my first time using it, so it wasn’t perfect, but it did find the perfect clam for Anne. On the other side of the bay. So yea, I cheated.”

Melody shook her head and smiled. “Kuria the perfect girlfriend… You are just too awesome.”

“I do my best. Now, we should really head back. Unless my senses betray me, the tide is coming back.”

“You can feel that?”

“Apparently, I can. I didn’t know that until earlier, but it is a strange foreboding feeling. Like something ominous is coming, something powerful and deadly.”

“I wonder if all demons have that.”

“I just know that I had it before. I don’t know why, but were on the chariot, just talking, and there was this feeling of something approaching. After a while it just went away again. Like whatever caused it just passed us by and left.”

“You should ask the other demons about that. It worries me.”

“Me too.” Kuria started walking towards the shore. “We need to leave anyway.”

“Right, yes.”