Winter 2045 ~ Underworld
LUCAS Gray
LUCAS had eaten as much as he possibly could fit into his stomach—it was a jubilant feeling being able to eat—and especially to share a meal with Laven who had particularly found the face he made when he had eaten too much to be rather humorous. He could tell there was going to be some level of bonding over the fact he could now share a meal with her, but that was an abstract that was so far from his mind now—it seemed like it would exist in another life entirely. Now, he only desired to eat.
“You look like you feel miserable,” she said in-between her chuckles.
“I’ve never seen someone as scrawny as you pack away so much food,” the larger man to her right had said. “I’m honestly kind of impressed.”
During their separation Laven had been processed through the Kingdom’s introductory session faster than LUCAS had, so she had met with the small gathering they now sat with. Everyone was brought to the mess hall once they get the basics down, but other than that they seemed to be left to their own devices. It didn’t seem like they were apt to wander around the castle, however. It wasn’t specifically said, but nobody desired to be the first one caught and locked up for going to possibly restricted areas.
Before LUCAS had begun eating she had taken the moment to introduce them to him. LUCAS smiled at the fact that she introduced LUCAS as her boyfriend. Amidst his intense feelings of hunger, a very sharp and warm feeling took over in his chest. He smiled at the feeling and listened as she introduced them.
First was Roderick Kinder. He was the man who looked like he could lift and press the entire table who sat at her immediate right. His hair was cut short and looked to be dyed a crimson red. His face was soft at contrast to the rest of his physique, but LUCAS felt it was to his benefit. He was the only one at the table who was eating at the same pace LUCAS had been, he had looked up with a mouthful and smiled wryly.
“And what’s your name?” LUCAS turned to his left.
The person to Roderick’s left met his gaze and answered in sign language. They had darker skin and their hair seemed even shorter cut than Roderick’s, but it was clear with how confident and comfortable they were with sign language that they were probably mute.
“Their name is Tabula Rasa,” Laven said. “They’re deaf-mute, and use they/them.”
LUCAS looked from Laven to Tabula, who was looking at him affirmatively. “Okay, thank you,” he said to Laven. “It’s nice to meet you.”
Laven was able to translate easily enough back to her—he was able to understand it fine enough but performing it back was something he wasn’t able to do offhand unless he got his databases back. He felt bad that such a critical skill was now lost to him, and he doubted he would be able to learn himself in this new environment without heavy help from Tabula herself—which LUCAS felt was improper to place that onus on them.
“The name was their choice,” Laven said. “It’s Latin.”
“Clean slate,” LUCAS said, looking to Tabula, and she nodded. It’s good they can read lips. He would have to try to make sure he was enunciating clearly.
“Ah, right, forgot you had everything loaded up in there,” Laven pointed at her own head.
“Actually...that’s the thing,” LUCAS trailed off.
She looked at him in confusion and then her eyes went wide. “Oh...I didn’t even notice. You did look the slightest bit different but I couldn’t place a finger at what it was.”
“What is it?” Roderick asked.
“You guys know what an android is?” LUCAS asked. Both Roderick and Tabula nodded, but he could see the shift in gaze they gave to one another.
“LUCAS is one...er, was, one. Is that right?” She looked to him for confirmation. “Oh, duh...that’s how you could eat...how did that not even register to me.”
“It’s okay,” LUCAS said. “I would have probably missed it too if the shoes were swapped.” Tabula seemed confused at this idiom, but LUCAS continued on. “Yeah...as soon as I woke up here I was flesh and blood. I was cut off from the network I used to rely on...it honestly scared me for the moment—like, how was I going to protect myself...or you? But then as that moment of fear was swept away it felt...good. Like I wasn’t limited...like I could get stronger.”
“Well, I’m glad you’re feeling more confident, but it definitely does stink a bit not having access to all your information, right?” Laven asked.
“A little,” LUCAS said. “But I figure there’s no point feeling too upset about it. More likely I should try and find you and then figure out what our next step should be.”
“Yeah, I’m honestly not too sure about that,” Laven said. “I was going to try and find you once I ate up and do much of the same.”
“Did you guys hear what they’re planning on having us do?” Roderick asked. “I know the opening process told of the short history lesson, but I think I overheard some of those posh guys arguing about some of it before I came in here. It sounds like they want to send us out as soldiers or something.”
LUCAS nodded. “I spoke with one of them about that...not as much as I would have liked to on recollection, but such is the matter of it. I was also...involved. I’ll say it at one of their round table meetings.”
This seemed to drag the attention of those around him, even one of the people he hadn’t known that seemed to just listen in. He hunched in closer and told them about the events at the meeting and the argument he had had with Tidmas.
“Going out as soldiers...how do you feel about that?” Laven asked. “It sounds like they’re willing to kill us off as easy as they take us in.”
“I thought poorly of it at first, but it really seems like they don’t have any clue on how to send us back—lest they’d just toss us the way we came, you know? So I think the best course of action would be to find someone out there who might know how to get back...and in that case why not do so with the banner of black at our backs?”
“You mean for us to play along with being sheep to a slaughter?” Tabula signed.
“I think if we formed some sort of unified unit like they seem to want us to do we would stand the highest chance at not being led to the slaughter.” LUCAS said. “I don’t think our time here is long—probably so long as to ensure we have some sort of goal instated then I think we’ll be pushed out to accomplish whatever task they deem. Whether or not we’re ready for it I think we’ll be outside these castle walls for long. If we can take advantage of the situation we can put ourselves in the best chances of getting back home, and I think that is together with at least a veil of support.”
“It makes a sort of sense.” Tabula signed. “I simply despise acting like they’re some benevolent saviors. It makes me feel like I’m in some dystopian children’s novel.”
“Yeah, that part makes my skin crawl. It reminds me of my father—his accords were very similar,” Laven said. “I can’t even imagine being under his iron fist again...and these feelings are bringing back familiar fears.”
“I’m not saying we have to bend over and bow to their king,” LUCAS said. “Simply, we take advantage of them as they very clearly are of us. This doesn’t need to be so wholly one sided.”
“That makes some sense,” Roderick said, rubbing his chin and then leaning back in his chair. “Man, all this just sucks. I just wish I was back already.”
“Where’d you come from?” LUCAS asked, then thought to rephrase his question. “Sorry, where were you back there?”
“Bannes. Large fishing town on the east coast and I had a nice comfy job helping some of the fishmongers out when they went on their voyages. Played nicely into my strengths,” he motioned to himself. “Helped them heave larger fish on board and prepare them—sometimes even take down the ones that still breathed on land.”
“That sounds...unpleasant,” LUCAS said.
“Well that’s probably because you were a robot, eh? Short circuit near water?”
“Android,” LUCAS corrected. Slight difference, and no water wasn’t so detrimental to my well-being. At least, not short exposures to it.”
“So, like a human then,” Tabula signed. “At least, that’s what it sounds like.”
LUCAS thought a minute on the meaning and then nodded. “Yeah, I remember feeling more human than not—and only in specific situations my inhuman nature was at conflict with my design...such as eating.”
“I couldn’t even imagine not eating,” Roderick said “Explains how you were going tit for tat with me at the lunch table.”
“Yeah, I haven’t felt hungry before myself, although I knew of the feeling. Getting to experience it for yourself is something else entirely.” He then turned back to Tabula. “What about you? What have you gotten up to in the other world?”
“I’d rather not say. Lot of it is very personal and not to be any kind of way, but I just do not know you all enough to open up that far, yet. Consider me a traveler far and wide,” she signed.
LUCAS thought to ask more on the topic, but figured they must have had their reasons and let it go. At the end of the day, it was responsible of her to not give her whole hand to people she doesn’t reasonably know. He could appreciate this mindset and “I guess you could say the same for the both of us. We…” Wait. He stopped as he realized that he had forgotten perhaps the most important point of all—they had come through by that strange black ink that seeped in their home. He had figured that it was simply something that had been happening with the town itself that caused this seeping over, but to hear that Roderick had been in a different town entirely…he then thought back to what Tomorrow had explained.
Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
“You come from a world that exists on the back of ours, and we yours. Our greatest scholars have been able to see the connecting bonds for some time now...we used to be fully unaware of your existence until recently. There was...a rift. Some sort of force out in the deep reaches of where we can see—yet the dragons felt its touch—the passing and crossing of our worlds. And from them we found channels like veins running through a body where we spilled into you…”
So, there were many veins that stretched out between worlds—many points of intersection. Just what had caused the two worlds to spill into one another...and could it be stopped? Too many questions flooded his mind and he was dragged out of his thoughts as the central door opened and a few more lost looking souls entered the hall—along with several of the robed plansmen—Tomorrow following in wake.
“Listen up, everybody!” It was the harsh and commanding voice of Tidmas that stirred everyone’s attention. His voice seemed amplified—so loud that even among the chatter that had still taken place outside their small group it was heard loud and clear.
LUCAS looked out of the corner of his eye and saw Laven readying to translate for Tabula. The fact that she knew sign language was a bit of a surprise to him—he figured there was a story there he would ask her about when he got the chance.
“So, I hope you all have been enjoying our food and space,” Tidmas could not have sounded anymore spiteful at the words. He saw that the man had eyed directly at LUCAS himself with a look of disgust and restraint. “But here in Blackwell things do not come freely. We have been discussing the price at which our services would be—and considering the state of your situations we take pride in enlisting you to assist in our cause.”
Tomorrow stepped forward, a noticeable spring in his step. “What my colleague here is trying to say is we’re going to need your help—and in doing so we may be able to both benefit. I’ve been given permission to launch a task force of several small squadrons going from alpha to omega. That would consist of you folks and you will be trained in all sorts of areas of particular use. This could be combat, reconnaissance, whatever may be needed of you. Once completed you will be given tasks that which our normal forces cannot—whether due to political conflict or other...various reasons.”
LUCAS could tell the various reasons were most likely due to difficulty of the mission. A fact that he saw as inevitable—no kingdom wished to sacrifice their own lot to the hard stuff if they could avoid it. It didn’t help that smug look that crossed Tidmas’ face.
“Now, I understand this seems scary, and to tell you the truth, I don’t have any platitudes to offer false hope. We’re navigating through an unprecedented situation and believe that there is a method to get you back home and get our families that have been spouted over to your side back here, we must simply find that out. Now, we have reason to believe that this information may lie in more than a few places—and those places will be the center of the missions we task you.”
This interested LUCAS, he leaned in as this seemed like new information.
“Of course, this is based on theory and you may end up exploring leads that lead to nowhere. That is the nature of this process so we hope you can trust the process. Now, since some of these tasks will have you entering borders of other kingdoms. It must be stressed that you cannot and must not do anything to stress the relations that you’ve no doubt seen exist between borders.”
Cherine stepped up—she looked as if she was taking in joy from all the eyes on her. “You will not be wearing our banner on your persons—as such would obviously stoke tensions among those who are not as skilled at the work tasked to them. Your work will be done in secret and you shall make no mention of the squadron to any soul outside this castle. This fact will be enforced with serious consequences.”
Tidmas stepped back up and gave a hearty sigh. “And no-one shall leave the premises of the castle until deemed ready by their given instructor. It may not sound fair to you, but that is the price you pay for safety, training, and hopefully a way out of our world. Any sign that you do not take the work we so graciously gift you seriously and we will not hesitate to throw you to the shades to deal with on your own. You have little chance for mistake. Do not soil your world’s reputation for bitter acts of ego.”
LUCAS could feel the heat coming directly toward him, and he stared back with a look so fierce it concerned Laven.
“Lastly,” Tidmas began. “I would like to see you, personally.” His gaze still sat on LUCAS. “We have a private meeting with the King arranged for your earlier threats.”
All eyes were on LUCAS, and any heat he felt before were turned up to a thousand. He couldn’t help but admit his fire may have been a bit misplaced in his impassioned cry to the council, but he stood and figured now was the time to stand by his ideals.
“I’ll be okay,” LUCAS whispered to Laven. “I’ll be back one way or another.”
“The rest of you, form five lines from front to back and we’ll organize you into subsections,” Tomorrow said, gathering himself to the center of the room. “You will each be assigned an instructor and will begin immediately.”
LUCAS glimpsed toward Laven again who was looking at him firmly, and between them a knowing nod seemed to tell all that needed to be said.
“Give ‘em hell,” she said.
Roderick and Tabula remained staring at him—wondering just what the scrawny looking boy could have said to elicit such a reaction from the head councilor. Laven signed and said that LUCAS could take care of himself and that thought helped the dwindling confidence he had in himself. He swallowed hard and found Tidmas through the crowd as the lines started to form.
“I’m glad you saw reason in your vote,” LUCAS said, not blinking or breaking eye contact.
“Shut it, boy. We move, now. Your passion may as well have earned you the vote you want, but let’s just see if you can live to see it through.” The man spoke with venom and he pushed LUCAS out of the crowd and through the door into the hall.
Once they were separated from the crowd LUCAS dug his heels in and turned on the man. “Listen, you can act like the jerk all you want, but you aren’t going to shove me like I’m some kid. If I’m going to meet your king—and I’ll do so gladly, I’m going to walk on my own two feet.”
The look Tidmas gave him could kill. He held his hands in the air and then let them slowly—mechanically return to his side. He said not a word and then started walking. LUCAS followed behind him and stared with a white hot anger.
“You know what it is about your kind I like the least?” Tidmas asked after a few more moments of silence. “Your utter devoid belief that you have any matter in our world. If it were up to me I would have you all expunged immediately upon entry. No skin off our nose.”
“I know,” LUCAS said. “You make no secret of your thoughts. Good thing you aren’t the only one whose thoughts matter.”
“Your mouth is enough to sign your death, if you so truly wish to hasten it…”
“I’m sure you don’t want to put any extra stress on your soldiers,” LUCAS said. “Considering how thin they’ve been spread. That’s why you voted yes, isn’t it?”
Tidmas bared his teeth—LUCAS saw it out of the corner of his eyes.
“You’re scared I’ll put up more of a fight than you think and then your poor castle will be susceptible to just about any kind of offensive. I’m not stupid. I’ve had entire databases of war strategy larger than any library you could house in my brain alone.”
Tidmas was silent—not in awe or any such feeling. LUCAS could tell for sure it wasn’t so, yet it seemed to be that infamous restraint.
“It is the one thing that keeps your blood running through your veins.”
They eventually arrived at the large central staircase he had been close to stepping up when he had first arrived at the castle. Tidmas raised a hand and muttered something under his breath. His fingertips glowed with a black light that revealed a sort of force field around the entrance of the staircase. It began to dissipate and he turned to LUCAS. “Now’s the time you should think of your final thoughts. You will go up alone and face the man you so callously and recklessly threatened.”
LUCAS looked at Tidmas and the two stared at one another a moment longer.
“If you do not move I have no hesitation about locking you up. You may put up a fight but I am willing to personally seal you away should you present disobedience. I have been given that clearance.”
LUCAS looked him for a moment longer as if to challenge him and then he turned toward the stairs. He could feel the man’s eyes on him all the way as he climbed up and even after a little after he was out of view. The more he climbed the more the adrenaline faded and he felt the totality of his situation come closer. He knew he did not have the strength he used to—a part of him was glad Tidmas had not challenged him further or else he might have gotten himself killed...if he wasn’t already walking to his death now.
He entered into a large room that extended out into darkness—the room looked to be many times larger than the already-large banquet hall downstairs. He took two tentative steps into the fullness of the room before he felt a windchill that should not have existed. Then suddenly his eyes adjusted to the dark at the far end of the room and he saw the totality of the dragon that sat coiled up at the far end of the hall. It was at least twenty times his height, he had to crane his neck to see it in full.
Its golden eyes opened and he saw they illuminated the room in full—its head lifted and in a moment the room seemed to shrink alongside the dragon—it shrank to a form only slightly taller than LUCAS—but he wouldn’t have called it human. The figure was definitely human like—but the face shared more elements with its larger self than that of a human. Its skin was tough with the thick black scales that settled into place...and yet there was an aura about it that seemed...familiar to LUCAS, but he couldn’t place where.
“So, you are the one that Tidmas says would try to kill me. I admit...I was not expecting one so scrawny.”
“Tidmas says a lot of things. We’ve had lots of disagreements in the short time we’ve known each other.”
The figure looked at him for a second and then...laughed.
“I can see why he would despise you. I heard it clear as day in his voice. It was quite humorous, let me tell you.” LUCAS was confused at the shift in tone, he did not know how to respond. “I take it you no longer wish to challenge my authority?”
“I don’t think I specifically ever did,” LUCAS said. “Well, unless the vote wasn’t passed to make the Omegas.”
LUCAS didn’t know why, but being honest with the dragon—who he surmised must have been the king and their legendary dragon in one.
“You speak strong for one of little actual strength. What propels you into what must be uncertain territory?”
“I’m a warrior in my world. I was on a mission that concerned the fate of the world. Tidmas to me seemed nothing more than a playground bully given bigger robes.”
This made the dragon laugh again. LUCAS was sure he didn’t like that laugh...something about him bothered him more than anything else and it bothered him more it escaped his tongue.
“You are a sharp mind. I can sense that. I am sure that your talents are many. I normally would execute someone with your obvious disobedience on the spot…” He stretched and sat down—a shimmering throne appearing behind him to support his descent smoothly. “But there’s something about you that I’m not going to do that. I think you will bear fruit of a lot of interesting developments.” He tapped razor-sharp claws against the throne and crossed a leg over the other. “This is dependent on your willingness to abide by the laws of the kingdom. I take amusement in your disobedience now, but do not be fooled into thinking your fortune is lasting.”
“Am I supposed to thank you, your highness?” LUCAS asked.
“If you want. That is up to you—you may find yourself regretting your decision as you begin your missions.”
LUCAS swallowed hard and suddenly before him the figure changed—his shape stayed the same, but suddenly his skin shifted to a familiar golden mist and his eyes widened.
“When you finish your first mission I would love to get a personal report,” he said. “Maybe then we can talk some more on this mission you held in the other world. I’m sure we’d have lots to talk about—particularly how my sister Sakonna is doing.”
He’s one of them. How...just how could one of the Creatures of the Night end up here? He got a flash in his mind of a golden bird—a dove in his mind that came with the name emblazoned on his brain.
Gardov. His brain racked for his old memories of the Creatures of the Night—but unfortunately that information was lost to him now.
“You may leave,” Gardov shifted back to the scaled form, offering a sharpened smile. “You may tell Tidmas whatever you like when you return down. I’m sure the look on his face when he sees you will be hilarious. I’ll explain the details to him further when he stamps up here...but do make him squirm.”
That was the last LUCAS heard as the room began to grow to the size it was previous—Gardov had begun to grow with it and suddenly the two were on opposite ends of the room once more. LUCAS couldn’t work out how the magic of the room worked—but figured it was just that.
Upon trailing back down the stairs the first thing he saw was the look of sheer disgust on Tidmas’ face. If he could ascribe it a feeling it must have been a black hate and an unflinching staunchness that seemed to drill through his very being.
“Yeah it was very strange,” LUCAS began, scratching the back of his head. “He seemed to refer to you by some rather rude names. I tried my best to defend you but…” he made a sound of exasperation. “...When he gets talking he really gets going, you know what I mean? Just on and on about how small of a—”
“Return to the central hall immediately and not another word,” Tidmas barked and he stamped up the steps pushing past LUCAS. His smile faded as the anxiety over the revelation took back over.
He had to find Laven and tell her fast.