<< Back to Ch. 1 --- Continue to Ch. 3 >>
2: The Inn-Keeper
Morning had finally come. After a long night spent in a dank cave, the crown prince of Gamilon had not slept well. The constant dripping of water both inside and outside the natural refuge had kept him awake. Masterson had volunteered to stay up and keep watch for any of Deun's forces that might have followed them from the palace, but Desslok had told him not to bother. His elder twin Deun might have been a conniving traitor, but his creativity was sometimes limited when it came to common sense.
Poisoning their father, usurping the throne, enlisting the Guardiana followers so that he could gain their shêd*-summoning power – this was Deun's "ingenious" plan. He was inventive when it came to making Desslok's life difficult, that he would readily admit.
Deun's poisoning of their father had resulted in him being disinherited and Desslok being appointed the next heir in his stead. This of course made Deun supremely angry and even more determined to have the throne. The news never left the palace. Deun had silenced anyone who might betray the fact that he was no long the legitimate heir. If Masterson had not come three nights ago to warn Desslok of Deun's plans to kill him, he might not be alive right now.
As for the Guardiana followers, Desslok knew that his brother had no idea what he was dealing with. The zealots sought only their own well-being and the furtherance of their strange cult. What Deun didn't know was that the former leader of the cult was their own grandmother, Aurelia Guardiana – known to many as the most recent "Queen Guardiana."
Their mother Queen Talonka, before her death, had left Desslok a chronicle of their family's history, detailing for him how the cult began almost two thousand years before and how things had come to be so dire in Rapha'owr, the planet's capitol. The past seven years had been hard for all of them. The loss of his mother had thrown his father into a depression that had only been aggravated by the fact that Desslok bore the same marking his mother had – a peculiar swath of white skin adorning his left hand, setting the two white outside fingers and half of the middle one in contrast against the rest of his normally-colored, blue skin.
That marking had come to mean something much more than it used to after he had seen the history his mother had left for him. It's entire meaning was still unclear, but he knew that he should be careful who he revealed this particular secret to.
He got up, glanced over at the still-sleeping Masterson, made sure there was no one around, then stepped out of the cave and into the rain-wet forest. He looked down again at the hand that had given him so much trouble over the years. It was ungloved now, the pale section of skin seeming to glow in the soft light of the morning. He clenched and unclenched his fist, as he had done innumerable times ever since the day he understood that the mark he bore made him somehow inferior in the eyes of his father.
The other thing that had so reminded his father of Talonka was his twin sons' hair color. Both sons shared their mother's red-gold hair – which in truth was very odd. There was a very long story behind it, but the short version of it was that the descendant of Queen Guardiana that was to succeed her would be marked by some shade of red hair. The thing that puzzled the prince was that the other requirement for succession was that the heir be female.
His grandmother, Aurelia had had Talonka, his mother, to pass the position of Queen Guardiana on to, but his mother's conversion to Christianity had kept that from happening. The next logical step for Aurelia to take would be to give the position to Talonka's daughter... but Deun and Desslok, to their knowledge, had no sister.
But the plight of the Guardiana followers was not his to resolve. He had other problems to deal with at the moment – such as finding a dry place to stay.
The torrential rains that had come these past two days had started to flood the low-lying areas of the country-side. He and Masterson had been fortunate to even find this place – disagreeably damp as it was – in this area.
"Sir?" Masterson Talan's voice interrupted the prince's thoughts – as he did frequently. "We should be moving on now. They will have sent Mossad* after us."
"Talan, have you not learned yet that sometimes my brother doesn't do what makes sense?" the prince smirked. "And I hope you realize that your fellow agents are not the only ones who can time-delve.*"
Masterson gave the prince a side-long look. "I should have known. I take it you were inspired by your grandmother's exploits."
"Why waste good inspiration?" the prince replied. "I discovered how she did it – changed the readings those agents got when they investigated the murder. We need not worry about Mossad. They won't even know we've been here."
"You erased our tracks back at the palace too then?"
"Of course." said the prince matter-of-factly.
"It is still best that we continue, Sir." Masterson said.
The prince nodded. "I know, Talan. Let's be off then, before we end up under water."
Masterson fished some miscellaneous device out of his pocket and turned it on with a gesture. "Radar's showing more storm activity heading this way. We have a window of a few hours. That should be long enough to get us to the foothills."
Silence fell between them for a few moments. The local wildlife made their voices heard during the lull.
"Where do we go from here, Masterson?" the prince asked absently.
"North, Sir." replied Masterson.
"I was not strictly referring to direction."
Masterson looked at his ruler, his friend, and said, "I don't know, Sir..."
With that admission from Talan, Desslok breathed a heavy sigh. "North we shall go then... until something better shows its face to us."
With that the two went back into the small cave, retrieved what provisions they had brought with them and struck out again, heading North.
The next few hours were spent slogging through a marshy area of the woods, avoiding quicksand and the native swamp creatures.
When they finally reached dry ground again, the sky was clouding up, threatening to soak them through. The threat was carried out when, a half hour and no shelter later, the rain began to fall in thick sheets.
"This way!" Masterson shouted over the roar of the rain. "I see something that could be a building!"
The only response he received from the drenched prince was a half-hearted grunt which he could barely hear above the din of the storm.
Masterson continued on towards the shape he could just make out through the pouring rain, looking back every so often to make sure he hadn't lost the prince he had dedicated his life to protecting.
Just as Masterson thought, the shape he had seen was indeed a building – an inn. They had stumbled across a small town settled into the base of the foothills. It was surrounded by several patches of forest, hiding it from the immediate view of travelers.
The two young men ducked under the overhang outside the door, finally getting out of the cold, stinging rain.
Masterson looked at the prince's hair. Satisfied that the brown coloring was still in place, covering Desslok's red hair, he opened the door and stepped inside, the prince two steps behind him.
"Shalom aleichem,* travelers" said a friendly male voice. "What brings you out here on such an unpleasant day as today?"
Masterson looked around to find the owner of the voice.
Standing behind a low counter was the oddest looking inn-keeper Masterson had ever seen. He looked to be eight to ten years older than he and the prince - close to twenty-five. He was a giant of a man, towering over them at a height of six and a half feet. He was barrel-chested and burly, looking like he had been lifting small houses for a living instead of guest's luggage. He kept his dark brown hair shaved close to his head, and he looked at the two newcomers with eyes that suggested years of experience with all kinds of people, and yet something in them still remained trusting – loyal.
"We are in need of someplace to wait out this storm, sir." Masterson said. "Do you have a vacant room?"
"Indeed." the man replied, a bit downcast. "These days we have room and to spare. Not many come this way anymore. In fact, you're the first visitors we've had in over a month. Those zealots have driven our business away."
"They come this far outside Rapha'owr?" Masterson asked casually, fishing for more information.
"They used to. Not so much anymore. There's no one left to terrorize – no one who will put up with them, that is."
"So there are still people who live around here." Masterson said, clarifying.
"Oh yes, a good number to tell the truth, just not very many visitors." the man bemoaned. "Are you sure you only want one room? Your friend there was making faces at me when you asked for 'a' room."
Masterson looked thoughtfully at the inn-keeper, then considered the funds they had hastily packed. Before he got a chance to answer the man said, "I'll give you the second one for half-price."
"Very well. Two rooms then." Masterson relented, trying not to smirk at the pleased expression he knew would be on the prince's face.
Masterson paid the inn-keeper.
"Will, since you're my guests now, I suppose introductions are in order. I am Dommel Lysis. I run this place with my wife Elisa and my younger brother David."
Masterson froze for a moment, something about the man's name nudging his memory. Then he realized that their host now expected to receive their names in return. Giving his own real first name would be no trouble, but the surname would need some adjustment. He was not well-known to anyone inside or outside the palace aside from Desslok and potentially the former Leader Deun, the prince's father. His own father, Admiral Raymond Talan had gained some fame through the years though and the name "Talan" might be too familiar to risk using.
The prince's name however... that would need a complete overhaul – a very quick overhaul.
He forged on, trusting that Desslok had thought far enough ahead and had something ready in the event of such a question.
"You can call me Masterson Turov." he said with no hint of anxiety.
Lysis nodded, accepting the name without question.
Masterson started to breathe a silent sigh of relief, but one look at Desslok stopped him. The prince was just staring at Lysis strangely, for no obvious reason.
Masterson looked at the inn-keeper, slightly put off by the prince's strange behavior and said, "Perhaps we could finish our introductions later, sir. We seem to be leaving watermarks all over your floor."
The man shrugged. "Very well. My brother will see you to your rooms."
From out of nowhere there appeared a man who looked to be a few years younger than the inn-keeper. He had light brown hair and brown eyes that, though plain, looked as though they held a hundred stories, waiting to be told.
The inn-keeper keyed something into the inn's computer then looked up and told his brother, "Fourteen and sixteen,"
The younger man nodded to Dommel and turned to their guests.
"David Lysis." the younger man declared, nodding to each of the teenagers. "This way." he motioned for the two teenagers to follow him down a clean, but dimly-lit hallway and up to the doors of two connecting rooms with the numbers 14 and 16 displayed prominently on them.
"Thank you." Masterson nodded to the younger Lysis. The man smiled and returned to wherever he had appeared from to begin with.
Masterson looked at the door curiously. There was a computer screen anchored to the wall. As he looked at it, the screen blinked to life and the outline of a hand appeared on the display. Masterson placed his hand in the indicated area.
"Voice recognition required for initial entrance." said a small voice.
Masterson provided his adjusted name, hoping that the computer was not going by the records back in the database at the capitol. He waited for the computer to say something about "voice/identity mismatch" or something otherwise detrimental. But despite his fears, the door opened, just as it should, allowing both young men to enter.
The door closed quickly behind them.
One thing could be said for this place - it was certainly clean. Everything was in its place. There wasn't even any dust to speak of.
Almost immediately, Desslok pulled out the crystal he had downloaded his artificial intelligence named Mintra'el* onto before their flight from the palace. He plugged it into something resembling a holographic projector – one of his recent inventions, no doubt – and held it out at arms' length.
"Masterson, something doesn't make sense about this place – about this 'Dommel Lysis.'"
"I concur." Masterson offered.
The prince spoke to the device he held, "Mintra'el, find and jam all surveillance devices in this area."
"Yes, Sir." the disembodied female voice replied. A second or two later it said, "No surveillance equipment detected. The room is clean."
"None at all?" the prince asked, skeptical.
"Correct, Sir."
"Do the same for the rooms on either side of this one." the prince said.
"They are clean as well." the computer replied.
The prince's eyes narrowed, "Is the room to the left of this one occupied?"
"No, Sir. In addition to the two of you, there are only four other occupants of this building: three male, one female."
"Three male?" Masterson asked.
"Correct" replied the computer.
There was a moment of silence before Masterson said, "Sir, I know the name 'Lysis.' I cannot remember where, but I know I've heard it before."
"Mintra'el, check the records in the planetary database. See if any of them mention a Dommel Lysis. Check all variant spellings."
"Yes, Sir."
Desslok and Masterson stood in the middle of the rented room in silence for a moment before the A.I. returned their requested results.
"There is no such person listed in the information-network. It appears that he does not exist."
"What do you mean, it 'appears?'" Desslok queried.
"His file may have been purged at some point in the past." came the reply.
"Are there any documents that mention him, his brother David Lysis, or his wife, Elisa?"
Another moment of silence ensued.
"No, Sir. They all seem to be absent from any records, documentation, or licenses."
"What about this town? Does it have a local data center you can connect with?" the prince asked.
"Indeed." replied the A.I. "Ah, yes, there is a business license here signed by a 'Dommel Lysis' and cosigned by both 'David Lysis' and 'Elisa Trefus Lysis.'"
"Mintra'el, reconnect with the planetary network and search for 'Elisa Trefus.'"
"Already doing so, Sir." said Mintra'el. "There is one document – a marriage record including the name 'Elisa Trefus,' but the rest of the document has been corrupted. It does not list the name of the man she was married to."
"Convenient..." Desslok mumbled.
"Wait!" Masterson said in a loud whisper, "I know where I've heard it before."
The prince raised an eyebrow at Talan.
"I remember my father talking about one of the men under his command – a man named Treinel Lysis. When he fought alongside my father he was a lieutenant, but he quickly showed himself capable of leadership and was given a command post on one of the ships during the days of the Bolar incursions. He had two sons. The older one joined the GRN* when he turned seventeen – which would have been around the time..."
"That my mother was murdered on that last mission – the final thrust to the Bolar homeworld." the prince supplied. "Whoever this 'Lysis' is, we must tread carefully from now on. If he was involved in that last mission, he might know something about what really happened that day, which would make him a prime candidate for zealots to come after. If he is indeed an enemy of the Guardiana followers, we may have found ourselves an ally."
"But if he isn't and all of this is proved empty conjecture...?" Masterson asked.
"Then we'll be dead soon." the prince replied flatly. "There are only three reasons a man disappears: first, he is dead and has no family; second, he is running from planetary security; or third, he knows too much about something. It is obvious he is not dead, and no man in his right mind running from security agents signs a business license or puts down roots the way this man has. The only logical conclusion is that he knows something he shouldn't."
"Why does he still use his real name then?" asked Masterson.
"Perhaps he does not know that his knowledge is so valuable. If he never realizes the import of what he knows, he cannot purposefully sell it to the enemy of whoever made him disappear in the first place." Desslok replied.
"And you reasoned all of that out in the past three minutes?"
"Of course not, Talan. It was five minutes at the least."
Masterson shook his head. "Sir, I will never know how you do that."
"Logic, Talan. Learn it. It will save your life one day."
"Yes, Sir. But, there remains an unanswered question." Masterson folded his arms across his chest, looking thoughtful, "Who is the other person in the inn? Only three are accounted for – the inn-keeper, his brother, and his wife."
"Mintra'el. Are you sure there is another person here?" the prince queried the A.I. again.
"Yes, Sir. There are undoubtedly one female and three male entities present."
"This third male," Masterson addressed the computer, "does he have a name that you can find."
"He has no name." the A.I. replied.
"Is he an animal?" Masterson continued.
"There is one animal life-sign just outside the building, but no, the entity in question is a person."
"Can you give us an approximate age for him?" the prince asked this time.
"I am unable to determine that information from this distance."
"Can you tell us his location then?" Masterson asked.
"He is with the inn-keeper's wife, Elisa. They are in the room off to the right of the door you used to enter the building. I believe it is a foyer area."
With that Desslok turned off the device he was holding and slipped the crystal and his invention back into the pockets from which they had been produced.
"Let's find out exactly who this unknown fourth person is." Desslok said as he pulled out his faithful handgun and with one quick motion tucked it away from sight.
Masterson nodded and followed the prince out the door. The two turned to their right and walked back down the dim hall, out towards the entrance. They half-way expected the inn-keeper's younger brother to appear, but he did not. When they reached the desk they had checked in at, there was no one there, but voices – one male, one female – could be heard coming from the foyer off to the left that Mintra'el had mentioned.
Carefully, quietly, the two crept towards the voices. The closer they came, the more puzzled they got. The male voice sounded just like the inn-keeper's. Could the device the prince had conjured have gotten a bit too much moisture in its circuits during the swamp trek and the walk through the rain? Had it caused the A.I. to mis-read the life-signs present in the area?
They finally reached the wide, doorless opening that led into the foyer.
Masterson peeked around the corner as unobtrusively as possible. From his vantage point all he could see was the back of a man's head. Whoever it was, his body almost completely blocked Masterson's view of the woman who sat across from him.
Talan moved his hand through the doorway, starting to lean in for a little bit of a better view of the two people.
A strange chirping noise made him freeze.
"What is it, Juji?" the woman asked as a large black bird with a scarlet v-shaped marking snaking around the base of its long, thin neck alighted on the floor directly in front of Masterson. The animal's beak opened vertically – not horizontally as other birds' beaks would and it let out a loud squawk.
"Juji!" the woman scolded from the other side of the room.
The bird squawked again.
"Juji – " this time the man turned to see what the animal's problem was and saw the young man standing there. "Oh, Masterson Turov." It was the inn-keeper. "Don't be afraid of him, he makes a lot of noise, but he isn't dangerous."
Now that the inn-keeper's head was out of the way, Masterson could see the woman's face. Blonde hair and mirthful light green eyes highlighted an apple-shaped face. Her skin was a lighter blue than Masterson's – which was to be expected if she had been spending most of her time inside. All-in-all, she was beautiful in a delicate way. Her greyish-blue dress – at least, the portion of it that he could see – was decorated by light blue markings along the sleeves and down the front. Black trim peeked out over the top of her high collar.
"Please, come in." the woman motioned for him to enter.
"Your friend who doesn't have a name can come in too, by the way. Juji really doesn't mind." the man said.
Masterson glanced over his shoulder and saw Desslok standing behind him, glaring at the bird.
"Sir?" Masterson whispered.
"What?" Desslok answered in kind, though in a more annoyed tone.
"We might as well go in."
The prince nodded, still glaring at the bird as they walked past him cautiously.
Juji waddled along behind them, chirping at the pair as they walked towards his keepers, looking warily about the room as they went.
Now Masterson had a clear view of both the inn-keeper and the blonde woman.
"My wife, Elisa." Dommel said, looking at the woman with obvious love, "And my son whom we expect to arrive within the next month."
Masterson wanted to smack himself in the face for his own stupidity.
Their mysterious extra person was now accounted for.
* shêd – pronounced "shade" - means "demon" or "devil"
* Mossad – secret service, special operations unit
* time-delve – the ability to use a device called a time-spoor which allows the user to track what happened in a particular area during the hours prior to the investigation
* Shalom aleichem – Greeting; means, "Peace be upon you"
* Mintra'el – Desslok's A.I. which he programmed himself; she is always a willing "partner in crime" for him
* GRN – Gamilon Royal Navy