JSC: Chapter 2 – Second Calling

“Counts of the Royal House, do you give your blessing for Count Superior Sisco to assume throne?” Came the booming voice through the vast Hall of Lords. The voice came from Count Durgass, next in line for Count Superior and then the throne. The Counts all raised the cane length scepters to confirm their support for Sisco. Each one had their family crest encased in jewel like bubbles of many different colors. “Then it is settled,” Durgass continued. “By the powers that have been handed down to us from the far reaches of history, we crown you High Casper of the Royal Halls!”

Lucas Sisco knelt on the ornate pillow before him as the High Elder of The Order stepped forward and placed the crown on his head. Lucas now knew it was complete.

“Rise my lord.” The elder confirmed as he inclined his head in a curt bow. He then turned to the crowd and lifted his arms shouting, “Long live Casper Sisco, the Lord of lords!”

The crowd echoed him in unison. Lucas used all of his concentration to control himself. He was scared. He was never meant to be king. He was looking at the crowd trying to control his panic, which he was doing a very good job concealing outwardly. He saw a girl for a split second and everything changed. Was that her? He wondered to himself. He scanned the crowd calmly while smiling warmly, he didn’t want to alarm anyone. His entire focus was on finding that one girl. He tried to see her but he would see a deceiving flash of hair or movement of a short girl in the large crowd.

“We should step along, my lord.” Came the voice of Jarrarde, his guard captain. “Control is concerned about you falling behind on your schedule.”

“Hmmm? Oh yes, yes, very well.” He said as he recovered from his lapse in attention. Lucas then followed Jarrarde off of the platform and into the royal palace.

As he walked through the long corridor, the four guards that were dressed in formal attire swiftly switched with four others in modern guardsman attire. Jarrarde continued to lead the way up to and up the tubes to his private residence. Two of the guardsmen flanked the door and one could be heard quietly reporting to control. Jarrarde made eye contact with the guardsman who remained in the residence to oversee security before turning around and motioning that it was safe to enter.

Lucas made his way to his study where his two other guards too up positions outside the doorway. Jarrarde and the elder entered the room behind him. The guards closed and sealed the door for privacy after the last man was in.

“It went very well, my lord.” Stated the High Elder.

“Like you need to call me that.” Lucas said to him with a laugh.

“I have great respect for my political counterpart.” The elder said with the same tone of reverence that seemed to convince the population minutes before.

Lucas, however, wasn’t sold by tone of voice. “Please leave us Jarrarde.” Lucas asked warmly. He really liked Jarrarde but even he shouldn’t hear this. “I will only be a minute.”

Jarrarde seemed concerned by this turn of events but he was also well aware that they were about to discuss things above his pay grade. He nodded crisply and exited. When the door sealed again Lucas turned on the elder.

“Why was she here?”

“My lord? Who are you asking about?”

“You know who. You also know that I don’t know her name.” Lucas stared at the sagely man intently. After a few seconds he added, “The woman who made me king.” He trailed off at king but there was no stopping the avalanche he had provoked.

“You would do well to forget her, for both our sake.”

“I–”

The rest of Lucas’ words were lost in the explosion. Books accelerated like bullets and shards of paper flew like shrapnel. The study was now a war zone. Four scaly humanoids stepped through the hole in the wall, weapons poised for an attack.

“What is the meaning of this?!” Lucas yelled with all the authority he could muster. He stepped protectively in front of the elder.

“Don’t be stupid boy!” Whispered the elder from behind him, “We have given up too much for you to throw it away in my protection.”

The reptoid tilted its head as if it was listening, “Not to worry old man, he is the one we want. There is nothing you can do to protect him.”

By this time you could hear the guards beating on the door but Lucas was already able to see the shimmer of a force field holding them back. They could disintegrate the door and still not get through. Lucas knew that his reign would be very short if he didn’t take charge of this, and fast.

“What are your demands?” Lucas asked with outstretched palms, “I am sure we can work something out.”

The reptoid ticked its head in the other direction as the guards basted the door with a disruptor. “Simple. Changelings were hired to kill you. So hatchlings will kill you, as a rite of passage.”

The guards had been silent for a few moments as the reptoids moved toward Lucas. He was cornered and running out of space very quickly. He looked around and caught on that the one speaking was larger than the other three. It was also the only one that was unarmed. Lucas noticed a decorative sword on the wall next to him and drew the blade.

“Yesss.” The big reptoid hissed at him. “They will get a spunky target after all. It’s a shame that we can’t let you run. I so wish that they could have a hunt for Kel Nor’rem.”

There was a slight fizz that didn’t even register in Lucas’ brain right away. The next words were hard to miss though because they belonged to a woman. A Casellen woman.

“Shouldn’t have brought the hatchlings to a grown-up party.” Lucas knew that voice better than any other, it was her.

Jane Smith walked through the doorway with a concealable destabilizer in one hand and a extendable battle rod in her off-hand. The rod powered up and purple beams filled all of the ornate grooves on its surface. Both must have been hidden up the long flowing summer sash dress she wore. She flipped the rod around into a backhand position as she moved toward the closest target.

She side-stepped fire from the cumbersome but powerful rifles that the reptoids carried. She swung the rod at the midsection of the closest hatchling and twirled her body to follow through with the attack. She pulled the weapon up as it cut its way up toward the creatures large eyes. When she had hit a third of the way through the twirl she began to fire her ranged weapon at another of the reptoids. Two hits to the chest had his atoms beginning to lose their bonds. Moments later the hatchling turned to dust.

After these kills she paused for a microsecond to take in the scene but was interrupted by an attack from the third hatchling. She deflected an attempt at a blow to the head by twisting in a one-eighty. She blocked its next blow with her gun hand and brought her rod around into a forehand grip.

Lucas was watching this rapid battle in amazement when he realized that even if she were to impale the last hatchling, the adult changeling was going to kill her. Its arm scales had reshaped themselves into sharp blades and it was closing in. Lucas realized that he was still holding the antique sword. He held it up and ran at the reptoid with all the force his body could muster. He raised the sword above his head in a stabbing motion and aimed the sword and his whole body at the neck of the reptoid. The move wasn’t as graceful as a trained soldier and it honestly was a strange hybrid flying tackle stabbing.

Just as Jane had finished the follow through of running the last hatchling through and began to pull the rod out again she saw the Casper slam the carcass of the reptoid to the ground. He had his knees on the back of the creature as he stood up, hands still gripping the hilt of the sword. She took in the room again and then realized what he had just done. He had just saved her life.

Lucas was panting hard and just looking at the creature he had slain. Jane came up beside him and grabbed his hands. She pulled them from the hilt and toward the doorway. The elder was already there and the room was being flooded with guards. They ran through the hole the explosives carved in the wall and moments later shots could be heard. Jarrarde raised his weapon on Jane and that was enough to snap Lucas out of his daze.

“Stand down captain. She’s with me.” He looked up and into Jane’s face for the first time since that day she made him king. They locked eyes and he continued, “This is my new assistant–”

“Jane Smith.” She said still holding Lucas’ gaze. She then turned to face Jarrarde. “Special Envoy of the Order. I will be joining the Casper to assist him in the execution of his duties.”

Jarrarde had lowered his weapon and looked to the elder. The High Elder was not very pleased; however, he nodded his approval of these facts.

It was too late to stop her. She may have been born for one mission but Jane Smith was destined for more.

Second Draft: Updated July 1st, 2012