An Untitled Novel

“What is going on with the Redcaps? Why did Cicero send his family to the Arkepello?”

Sitting in his truck at the back of the Redcap keep, Basil stared at Tobias’s message with confusion. “What? This is news to me. There’s word of an attack, but I was told they were already rounding up the attackers. I’m at their capitol now.”

“You didn’t know? They came through your wormhole device.”

“Never met them so wouldn’t recognize them. Redcaps use the system all the time, ACE doesn’t usually request too many details. But it’s probably just him being overcautious. I’ll know more about what’s going on soon, they asked me to stay overnight.”

Basil tried to brush off the sudden unease. Cicero was probably just being overcautious, or maybe there was a direct threat against his family. As he stepped out of his truck, bundle of weapons in hand, however, he began to feel more unease seep through. The keep walls felt suspiciously empty, guards standing stiff and at attention, all other staff seemingly scurrying about as if trying to avoid being seen. Making his way through the halls and up a large staircase he passed Brayden. “Hey, I’ve got a few spare weapons in the back of my truck parked outside. Make sure they get to your best guys.” Brayden nodded and quickly continued descending the steps, Basil finally reaching the top and stepping into a large empty room with others standing on the attached balcony.

He was suddenly hit with a sense of whiplash, realizing that balcony was the same balcony he was looking at when everything went to shit nearly two years ago. Enemies had become friends, friends had become enemies - then became friends again. All said and done, he stood here today to protect people who had - in a brief and chaotic moment - once ordered his execution. Spiro stepped in from the balcony and Basil realized he had been standing there motionless for longer than he realized. Looking out towards the balcony while Spiro walked his way he could see Cicero, Casio and General Edwards. To his surprise, however, Lamb was also among the crowd.

“Hey” Spiro said, seeming unsure of what to make of things. “What’s she doing here?” Basil asked, afterwards hoping he didn’t sound confrontational as opposed to curious. “That weapon smuggling that we talked about forever ago, well, it seems to have been ramped up. Seizing those shipments might have saved our asses, but I’m afraid of what their intentions are. She’s been helping me uncover who’s behind them.” Basil nodded. “And you trust her?” Spiro returned the nod. “Pretty much. I mean she’d turn on me if the Ministry laid on the heat, and no guarantees she won’t try to double cross me on the smuggling, but she’s not going to stab us in the back while we’re here. Besides, she’s not bad to look at.”

“If you don’t fully trust her, why bring her here?” Spiro’s expertise in people was unmatched - at least when compared to his own aloofness - but he felt concerned about having somebody potentially untrustworthy here. Spiro responded with a quiet chuckle. “Trust me, nobody’s going to stab us in the back with you around. At least nobody that’s seen you in action. Honestly, you need to realize how fucking terrifying you can be with that voice thing and start using it to your advantage. That alone could probably go toe to toe with an army.”

Basil tried to smile as if he found it amusing, but he felt more conflict than he intended to portray, and Spiro seemed to notice it. He went to turn and walk towards the balcony, but a realization sank in and he turned back. “Hold on, you think Amigoso could be behind what’s going on here?” Spiro shook his head to imply a confident no, but his words didn’t convey the same certainty. “No. Well, definitely not officially. I’m still pretty sure it’s just illegal weapon sales, but there’s a small chance that there’s somebody looking to do some sort of power play without the endorsement of Amigoso proper. Whatever it is, I’m going to make sure it’s stopped before it can do any damage.”

Basil and Spiro re-emerged onto the balcony, greeted by an unexpected solemn silence from those standing there. As Basil pulled out a flask, however, Edwards broke the silence. “Royal Police Captain Weston Brayden and Head of Royal Guards Mollie Brayden have their most loyal men stationed in the keep, while the rest of their crew is looking for agitators. The Queen will be in this room.” Edwards gestured to a door attached to the room that led to the balcony. “This room is only accessible through here; we six can take two shifts tonight to stand guard. Basil, I would like to request that when you sleep, you do so in this room by this door, so if there is a disturbance you will be ready immediately.” Basil nodded, but before he could reply ACE spoke.

“May we speak with the defector?” General Edwards shook his head towards the radio. “No, unfortunately, he expired during interrogation.” ACE carried on with questions. “What is your communication situation with your subordinates?” General Edwards seemed slightly ashamed as he answered. “Our set of Amigosian radios fell into disrepair; we only have the radios you provided. We distributed them amongst our forces at major checkpoints.” ACE replied with a request that surprised Edwards. “Please tell your soldiers to accept orders from me. I will not supplant your authority, but in a chaotic event, my ability to organize en masse would be unparalleled.” Edwards remained silent for a long time, but as he began to relay to his soldiers ACE had his proxy, Basil began returning to his truck to grab some camping gear he had brought along.

Footsteps awoke Basil, the cold and damp stone floor reminding him where he was. He did a double take as he looked out the window, a dark red sky indicating he had slept way longer than he was supposed to. He quickly sat up and grabbed his watch, which indicated his eyes were correct, it was early morning on Domum. He quickly rushed out to the balcony to see Spiro pacing while recounting the tail end of a story about a young Ministry of Information recruit. Lamb seemed to think it was funny.

“Hey, sorry I” Basil began, but Spiro cut him off with a gesture of his hands. “It’s all good, I asked Edwards not to wake you. I figured that since you’re used to a different time you’d have not gotten any sleep, and if something did go wrong we could always wake you up. Besides, I got to raid the snacks you brought. Speaking of which, coffee?” Basil replied with a nod and a “Thanks” as Spiro gestured to coffee heated by a butane stove. “I don’t know how you two drink that” Lamb said, shaking her head. Basil shrugged, Spiro replying “Trust me, the energy is worth choking it down.”

Basil looked over the railing. The sun was still underneath the horizon, but blues had already become reds as the sun rose. The courtyard below had a few sentries standing still, but the only movement was the light breeze moving throughout the city. Basil decided to break the silence. “So, what’s it like in Loquail?” Lamb seemed hesitant, so he followed it up with “If you don’t mind me asking, just curious. Never been there myself, and before you I’ve only talked to a couple of sailors who claimed to have docked there.” Lamb shrugged. “One half is a lot colder, one half is a lot drier. More people, shittier weapons. You some sort of scholar?”

Basil returned the shrug. “Was one once, depending on your definition, but that was a long time ago. The curiosity seemingly never left though.” Lamb took on an expression Basil couldn’t read, pivoting the conversation. “How exactly does one become Elthrice? I asked your tall friend, but she didn’t want to talk about it.” Basil’s friendlier tone became monotone. “There was a war. I died but was brought back by something that seemed to think I was useful. The Elthrice seem to think that makes me Elthrice.” Lamb had a momentary look of disbelief on her face, but seemed to take Basil’s sudden change in demeanor and the look of discomfort on Spiro’s face as enough evidence; or at least a sign to change the topic.

“So you’re a shapeshifter though?” Basil was both surprised and confused. “What?” Lamb asked again, this time with more detail. “He” Lamb gestured to Spiro “Said you can change your face. So you’re some sort of shapeshifter?” Basil shook his head. “No, what I can do is a combination of using Elthrice tools and the thing that brought me back. I’ve seen one before, but what I can do is very different.” Lamb nodded. “I heard somebody say that you had killed one before.” Basil replied with an apathetic gesture.

“Yeah, the Redcaps asked me to come along to check out reports of one. It attacked me when it saw me, and well, guess it didn’t know what a (Regected-Death) was capable of. Woulda’ preferred to take it alive to find out what the hell it actually was. An autopsy didn’t find anything unusual, but maybe experimenting on a living one would give some more concrete results. A little gruesome, maybe, but I’d say getting chopped up in a lab is justice when you’ve eaten people alive.” Lamb shuttered, remaining quiet for an oddly long time.

“What are they like? Aside from them trying to kill you.” Basil shrugged again. “Dunno, only saw the one and it didn’t live too long. Heard being one messes with your head, so maybe it’s a good thing they’re about extinct. Then again this (object) messes with mine, so guess I got an open mind to weird shit. But most people think they’re just myths, and had I not had a video I don’t think Spiro here would have believed me, so there’s not much really known about them.”

“You ever see one?” Basil asked. Lamb shook her head. “No, I thought they were a myth, too, until Spiro said you killed one.” She looked as if she was about to continue, but the conversation was interrupted by another voice behind them. “I’m scared” the Redcap Queen said, voice quivering. The three turned around in surprise, and Basil could suddenly see the scared kid he pulled out of a burning craft some time ago. “What’s going on, where’s Cicero?” Basil asked, knowing that Cicero was going to accompany her and worried something had happened. “I waited until he and Casio fell asleep. He keeps telling me we’re not in danger, but I know he’s lying.” Basil tried to use the most calming voice he could, although when he heard his voice he knew it wasn’t ideal for the situation. “Trust me, nobody’s getting past us.”

“That’s what Bennett said moments before he and my father were killed in this room” the upset Queen shouted frantically. Basil vaguely recalled somebody mentioning a Bennet in the past, before realizing that was likely the former head of the royal guards who had died defending the former Redcap King. Recollections were halted, however, as the now distraught Queen picked up Basil’s rifle, shouting “I won’t let them take me again” while flagging the group in one sweeping motion. “What the fuck” Basil shouted, grabbing the barrel of the rifle and forcefully pointing it away from the group.

The moment he took his eyes off the barrel of the rifle he realized the girl was looking up at him, frozen in terror. Though an inch or two shy of average on earth, he was still tall for a Domum crowd, who themselves stood a head above the girl in front of him. Stature aside, he was also the once dead alien, and he had just wrenched a rifle out of her hands hard enough to nearly knock her off balance. He set the rifle down before taking a few steps back and made a non threataning hand gesture. “Hey, sorry. It’s okay, you just need to be really careful with that. I can teach you how to use them once this is all over, but for now please leave it alone.”

She remained frozen, and guilt began to rise in Basil’s stomach. Out of nowhere, however, Lamb put her hand gently on the young Queen’s shoulder and began to lead her back into the room where Cicero and Casio were. Lamb spoke in a calming voice as they left. “Let me tell you about this awful drink those two idiots drink.” Basil quietly commented on the event once the two were out of earshot. “Guess it’s good Lamb was here, I’ve got no clue how to handle anything like that. You?” Spiro shook his head. “Maybe.” Suddenly, Spiro’s confident voice took on an unexpectedly somber tone. “I was once with somebody who could have melted away anything like in an instant, but, well, she’s been gone for a long while.” Basil had just a second to process what Spiro had revealed before they were interrupted by a commotion at the courtyard’s gate.