An Untitled Novel

With a look of panic Cicero rushed over and began to check the girl for wounds. Basil, trying to remember the steps of triaging, checked her pulse. Slow, but still beating. Next, he checked for breathing, which she appeared to be doing. She was stable, at least she appeared stable, but how badly was she hurt? He began to check her for wounds as well, and though she was covered in blood, the only blood that appeared to be hers was a small amount on her forehead from some sort of impact.

“Where’s Locklan?” Cicero asked frantically. Basil remained silent for a moment, trying to think of what to say, but after a long pause “Sorry” was all he could come up with. A grievous expression washed over Cicero’s face, though it changed quickly when the injured girl began to move. Basil held out his arms to shoo away everyone now standing over her. “Give her some space” he said, aiming for a tone that would both avoid startling her while also trying to be authoritative enough to get the small crowd to give her enough space to sit up.

“What happened?” The girl asked in a weak voice, mind hazy from the crash. Basil, having an unusual appearance and being covered in blood, was her first focal point. “Who are you?” she asked, a certain degree of confusion and panic in her voice. Before Basil could answer the burning craft became the next focus of her observation. “What happened?” she asked next, voice growing more frantic. Several voices began to answer at once, which only seemed to startle her more. As a cacophony of voices confused her, Grey came into view, causing Basil and the burning ship being put out by soldiers to cease being the center of her attention. The girl screamed, and as she attempted to crawl backward away from the alien being the Lizard King embracing his son came into view. “Kill them!” she screamed.

The soldiers putting out the fire ceased following Basil’s directives and instead drew their weapons. Despite everything they had all been through, it appeared they were willing to follow the orders of the last of the royal family without question. Basil, having dropped the shotgun when he sprinted off to save the same girl who had just ordered his death - at least as interpreted by soldiers to mean that - drew his handgun as an uncanny surge of energy rushed over him. “Well, I was just officially ordained as an unofficial Orbital, so that’ll be a little difficult.” The soldiers seemed unconvinced, but Basil stepped in front of Grey to shield her from potential fire - from weapons Basil himself had given the soldiers. Grey looked at Basil and seemed to disapprove of his actions, though he did not know if it was his threat of using the (object) or just the potential of violence. “Stop this!” Cicero shouted at the soldiers before Basil followed up with “Put that thing out before it kills us all; we have no idea what the fire is releasing or could trigger.” The soldiers seemed frozen like deer in headlights, but resumed firefighting when General Edwards shouted “Now!” in the most aggressive tone the General had ever given an order in; at least in front of Basil.

The girl went to speak, but Cicero spoke to her softly. “These people saved you, and me as well. I know seeing everything is scary, and it is to me too, but they’re good people.” All authority from the girl’s voice vanished, and she asked Cicero a question in almost a whisper. “Where’s Locklan?” Cicero’s expression turned to grief as he spoke. “I’m sorry, he didn’t make it. They will pay for it; we will make them pay the most brutal price.” At that moment, Basil got the feeling Cicero was likely not just an advisor to the late Redcap King, but likely a close friend and something of a secondary father figure to his children. A knot built up in his stomach at the thought of what Cicero had likely gone through in the recent days, and twisted to unfathomable levels at what he knew he was about to say.

“Casio, please accompany Matilda” Cicero requested in a soft voice, and Casio put his arm on the shoulder of the now crying girl and began to lead her away. Once they were out of earshot Cicero barked out an order. “Seize those three and prepare them for their executions.” The Wizard, who had wisely not displayed the weapon he had, drew it. Several Redcap soldiers leveled guns towards the three, but Cicero rebuked them. “Do not fire; a bullet is too painless of an execution for the tyrant and his people.” The Wizard stepped in front of the Lizard King, who looked Basil directly in the eyes, telegraphing the final request he made to Basil before their fight. The Lizard King’s son began to cry.

Basil spoke. “I’m sorry Cicero, but I can’t let you execute a kid who hasn’t committed any crimes.” The soldiers looked as if they were ready to train their weapons on Basil again, but kept them pointed at the three prisoners for the moment. However, if they did switch targets, he knew they would not be called off by the same people who had last time. Basil had last seen Cicero’s face in sadness moments ago, but as he turned to Basil, it only held rage. Cicero went to speak, but Basil continued, feeling the knot in his stomach somehow get worse. “And we need the Lizard King and the Wizard. They know the Elthrice, and have an army about to knock down your gate.” Cicero did not seem open to debate, “If you interfere I will have you executed as well.” Basil re-raised his handgun, prompting some of the soldiers to point their weapons at Basil again, but the standoff was halted by a messenger who warned of the Lizard King’s army moving into the city.

The group seemed to grow more chaotic. The soldiers began to talk between themselves, and Cicero and General Edwards appeared to be debating something. While their attention was busy, Basil approached the three prisoners and whispered “I’m sorry kid, but we need to go now.” The Lizard King’s son looked at his father and the Wizard. The Wizard glared angrily at Basil, but his father only looked at him with a melancholy face and nodded. The kid began to follow Basil and Grey as they walked towards the jet, and Basil passed Spiro in their first few steps. “We’re leaving, things are going to go badly here, you can come if you want” Basil said, whispering quickly as he walked by. “Hey!” Spiro shouted in reply, placing his hand on Basil’s arm and speaking loud enough to get the attention of the entire group turned to the three slinking towards the jet.

Basil felt what he could only describe as a vision of himself tearing off Spiro’s arm and head, feeling the tear of tendons and the snap of bones. It was so strong that he thought he had done so until he realized his arms were extended. In a moment of hesitation, he lowered his empty hand and re-pointed his handgun in the vague direction of the group standing around him. Everybody’s attention was first on Spiro, then Basil leading the kid away. “Kill them!” Cicero shouted.

As the soldiers pointed their weapons at Basil in synchronicity, an army of drones flew out of the jet. Everybody froze, and very noticeably, several went into the castle. ACE spoke over the speakers of one. “They are leaving. If any of you would like to try to stop them everyone inside these walls dies, including the last of your ‘Royal’ bloodline.” Despite his monotone synthetic voice, ACE put a very human emphasis on ‘Royal’ in a mocking tone; portraying his sudden disdain for the group very well. Basil said what he believed to be his parting words to Spiro, “Fuck. You.” before beginning to walk backward towards the jet, pistol still pointed vaguely at the group.

Spiro seemed like he was going to reply to Basil, but addressed the entire group instead. “You are all going to engineer each other’s deaths! And after you will leave the corpse of your nations to be raped by the Elthrice!” Spiro seemed to be shouting his words as loudly as he could while still having an oxymoronic air of calm and authority. “They must pay for their crimes!” yelled Cicero back, all energy gone, leaving his words feeling as if they were from a man who had begun to break down. Basil, catching a glimpse of Cicero’s face again, saw his eyes were misty. Edwards spoke up as well. “The backward Tyrant killed the Elthrice except that one” he stated while gesturing to Gray, who seemed troubled by that statement. “I don’t see why they matter.” Spiro answered the question in a tone as if he was talking to a child. “He killed a pirate and his haram; from the sounds of it, real Elthrice could take out this whole continent. You know, the ones Gray mentioned hearing were in the area.”

Edwards spoke again, “Then we get information from them and then we kill them.” Spiro had an answer formulated for that as well. “And what of the army that’s about to come through that gate? What will they do to you when they see their dead king?” Cicero began to speak again, seeming to have regained some composure. “There is no justice in the world if-” Spiro cut Cicero off with a laugh. “You speak of justice? You were going to murder the Lizard King in his sleep after vowing for peace!”

Basil felt a shiver run down his spine as the realization set in that unless Spiro was lying now he had lied about everything that got Basil involved in the war. A rage built up in him, more potent than he thought possible, and being unable to express it in words he just abandoned his slow backward walk to the jet and angrily glared at Spiro. Spiro returned the gaze for just a moment, his calm expression being transiently overruled with a look of terror as if he had somehow telepathically read Basil’s rage. Spiro turned away from Basil when Cicero shouted, energy seemingly renewed. “He called it off! We came to blows over it, we were not the ones who broke the peace and deserve justice.

Spiro shook his head, a rebuke stronger than any combination of words. “And the moment you left the room he recanted the cancellation, which was why I advised the Lizard King to evacuate.” Cicero fell to the ground, head in his hands, seeming to have lost his last bit of fortitude. The Lizard King smiled his melancholy smile and nodded, which Basil interpreted as confirming the events. The entire group stood in silence for what felt like an eternity, each unable to speak, until gunshots were heard in the distance. “What do you propose we do?” General Edwards asked Spiro, defeat in his voice. “Stop the war.” Spiro replied, and General Edwards spoke again, “But what-” but Spiro cut him off with urgency. “No, just stop it now. I can proceed over formal negotiations later, but agree to stop this now and allow the Lizard King and the Wizard to go to their army and call off the attack. Have Basil hold the Lizard King’s son for safety and leverage, and allow Basil and Grey to leave freely.”

“Okay” was all that General Edwards could squeak out. “ACE, recall the drones” Spiro demanded, although the drones remained in place. “Please” Basil added with a certain degree of uncertainty in his voice, and the drones began to recede into the jet. Everyone turned to the Lizard King, who said “I will be back” in a rushed voice before turning to his son and adding “I trust Basil will keep you safe; everything will be alright.” Before anybody could say anything more, the Lizard King and the Wizard sprinted towards the gate, General Edwards following closely behind to prevent Redcap soldiers from firing on the enemy king.