Months Later

Two months have gone by since the tournament, I have been given my position and choose to be with Swan as her sixth in command. I was on the cargo ship having a blast even though I was supposed to be resting. I was more or less Swan's personal bodyguard and I was also charged with patrolling the halls. I mostly guarded the bridge most of the time and on my off-hours, I didn't do much but rest.

I loved this job, I got to spend time with Swan and I was able to do what I wanted for training. I got to see other planets and met so many people along with my missions. We had a couple of issues during one of my off times where Swan kissed me in the halls. This went through the ship like a bad virus. I didn't care, but Swan didn't like this so she only kissed me or showed affection during closed doors.

Then the trouble hit, Bradley, Swan, and I was to go to Swan's planet for the ceremony for me to become one of her people. The weather was really bad when we got there, you could see the storm around her city. There was a hurricane around the city and the ship pilots couldn't land safely. In all my years of seeing storms, this one was really bad and made everyone panic.

Swan looked over at me and saw the excitement in my eyes, I loved storms and rain, so this was a very fun site for me. Bradley pushed the pilot out of his chair and took over, Bradley was going to the academy to be a ship pilot and he was at the top of his classes. Bradley landed it and then we went to the temple as fast as we could. I was at the door and I took in the rain for one last time as a normal human.

We went in finally after a moment with me standing getting wet from the rainstorm. We met up with Swan's parents and elders. Swan's father Rex, (I found out his name after Roxian said something to him and called him by his name.) Rex came up to me with a smile on his face, "We all saw your matches from the courtyard at home. In fact, the whole city saw it, we all were very impressed that you took it to the last guy without the enhancements. " He said, slapping me on the back, I was still sore from the tournament and I flinched a bit.

I shrugged it off and smiled as I told him I almost slept for three whole days after that day. "I couldn't do much to that rock guy. I broke my hands for a bit and bruised my ribs really bad, but the doc says I recover faster than a normal human's. My hands barely hurt now with some of the trips I had on Swan's ship. " Rex smiled over to his daughter and then he asked me, "What's next for you my friend? " I looked at my scars on my hands and told him, "Next is my enhancements, then the rest of my life."

We talked for a bit and then We walked into this room with a huge cylinder in the middle of the room. The tube opened and the elders told me what the ceremony was, "Most of our original origins were that we were like humans, lived short lives, and didn't have good health. This tube will change you a bit and bring you to your un-super human self. You will be given a longer life span and be slimmed down a lot. This is designed for Birdian's not human so expect to feel weird at first."

The elder looked over at Bradley and smiled, we will now put you in and start the procedure. I did what they told me to do and I went into the tube. I was cold at first, then the tube started to fill slowly, Then the elders came into the front of the tube for a moment. "Remember this is not the enhancements this is to just make you live the life span of a Birdian. " They left and the tube filled faster with the liquid.

It was hours till I saw Swan or Bradley, the tube was silent and I had nothing to do but feel what the tube was made of. It was a cold metal and the liquid was warm like my body, I felt lighter as time went on and soon I fell asleep. Swan puts her hand on the glass, then she spoke to me, but all I could do is watch her lips move. This is what she said, though, "Jake you are amazing with all you're willing to do for me. I will love you till the end of our journey of life."

All I made out of that was she loved me and I smiled at her for a moment, then she said something that surprised me. " I want to marry you, right after you get your enhancements. " My smile turned into a blush, I wish I could have said something to her at that moment, but with the liquid around me, I couldn't. So I swam close to the glass and pressed my forehead, into her hand, and mouthed, "I love you. " To her and stayed there for a moment.

Around hour four, I was still in the tube and Swan was napping next to the tube waiting for me to get out. With every passing moment, I felt more energized and wanted to run laps. I watched the door for the lab open and an Elder came into the room, "Jacob, you are done with the procedure." He said as they pressed the button and let the water drain. I fell to the cold floor right next to Swan, I had clothes on when I went in and came out completely naked.

Swan woke up and saw me and covered my body before everyone came in to check on me. I felt super light and when I stood up I saw I lost a bunch of weight. The elders told me that most Birdians are skinny and with my body being human that treatment took all my fat. I looked at my body in the mirror, Bradley gave me new clothes and I slowly put them on.

I was told by Swan to take it easy for a while, but when I stepped I felt faster, "Ah with this I may be better than before. " Swan felt up my body checking on all my scars and saw they had not changed. She smiled and hugged me as we started to leave the lab, we were going to dinner with the elders and people from the higher-ups of the planet. This is where I found out Swan was part of the Royal Family and were discussing a change of their laws.

Because of me the had a chance to do that and I was just sitting there surprised by this turn of events. Swan thought my reaction was cute and Bradley wasn't fazed by this since he knew about her Royal status. We headed out right after dinner back to the U-F for my enhancements the next afternoon.