Chapter III
“Tell me,” Lich started, as he kicked the thongs off his feet, “how you were able to find me.”
“I
told you when we met,”
“Then tell me again.”
“Alright…one day I fall asleep, when I wake up, I’m on the surface, feeling rather…strange. I go home, Mum and Dad have a near-heart attack, tell me where you are, I go to Matango, through the warp, and catch the next plane to Yoshiville, ferry to Yoshibane.”
“How’s about I tell you that between the time you fell asleep and woke up you had already met me, on a different planet altogether.”
“You’re not…serious, are you?” he asked, uncomfortably.
“Yes.”
“Prove it.”
A moment later, Lich had withdrawn, from his Storage, three golden medals wrapped in a piece of paper with handwriting.
“Did
you receive those?”
“Not for my services,” Lich sighed.
“They’re…Koopan…” he started, confusion apparent in his voice, “…they look to be quite special.”
“KBT medals,” Lich answered.
“KBT medals? How?”
“My memory over the past few months has been rather hazy, to say the least. There’s a lot of fuzziness in my mind, as if it were just…planted there. However, take what I can tell you as truth.”
Lich heaved himself further back on the bed, and leaned against the wall.
“One day, as I was up in O– the mountains,” he started, “I had to cross a bridge – rope with planks along it; you know the type. It was in the middle of a thunderstorm. As I was partway along it, lightning snapped the rope at the start of the bridge. I was able to hold on to it as it broke and I sailed into the cliff. I climbed the bridge like a ladder, and on my way up, I came across writing inscribed into the cliff. I…yes, I took a picture of it.”
Lich took the Boomerang from his belt and placed it on the bed in front of him.
“Display,” he commanded in Pandoran.
The ruby at its bend glowed yellow as it projected an image suspended in the air above it – it was a menu. He pushed his finger into the image, and it responded by showing another menu. He pressed another area of it, and it displayed a picture of spidery writing on a cliff, well weathered by the elements.
“What does it
say?”
“It says: ‘Greetings to you with the cyan arc, the six beasts and the ways of water, light and essence.’”
“No way,”
“Yes. It’s in Rhenzin, language of Mana.”
“I never did learn how to speak it…”
“I’ll teach you later, you do it through a spell. Anyway, it goes on to say:
‘Why do I write? I have someone here who longs to see you, apart from myself, of course. In fact, two people, both asking why. They want to meet you. However, you must get to them first. So, I have created a little game for you to play. There are no rules, except one. I say what goes.’
“It goes on a
little bit, then says, ‘Seek the sunken city of
“Dinokan?”
“Yes…so, I scuba dived there, and I went into the library…and from there…well, I assume I ended up…what was its name again…Sharott? Some name like that…anyway, I met up with Ma– an old friend who had much the same fate as I had–“
“Stop,”
“It’s nothing, I assure you. Anyway, Ma– this old friend–“
“No, there’s
something suspicious here that I want to know before you go on, Dy,”
“It’s nothing,” he muttered.
“Seems like an
awful lot of something, if you tell me,”
Lich sighed.
“I guess Mum and Dad didn’t tell you about my friends?”
“No, they didn’t.”
Lich looked
around, and then beckoned
“You must definitely keep this secret,” he whispered. “The KBT know about this, and if they hear me talk about it, they’ll be at me faster than flies to a rotting corpse.”
“Don’t make a fuss when I tell you either.”
Lich took a deep
breath and whispered, “I was in
“Dy,” he said, flabbergasted, “I don’t know what you’ve been smoking, what with this inscription and the great Mar-“
“I tell no lies,” Lich muttered sternly.
“I don’t believe you.”
“You had better.”
“Prove it.”
Lich sighed, and reached forward to touch the projected image of the inscription. It disappeared, and was replaced by the menu. He pressed another area of the image.
The Boomerang began
to show a small movie – the lens was looking up at the ceiling, with Lich’s
head on the right of its screen. On the left was another head, entirely grey
and vaguely transparent, save its white eyes that contained no pupils.
“…the Zerg are like insects – fierce beasts led by the Overmind in an attempt to assimilate powerful races into its fold and control the galaxy with them,” the left head spoke.
“How do you mean, ‘assimilate’, Markior?” Lich asked.
“Well, for example, you have Hydralisks,” Markior replied. “Originally they were large, herbivore caterpillars. The Overmind got to them and gave them scythe-like arms and spines they can shoot.”
“Okay. Sounds like a good guard pet. How much would I have to fork out for you to get me one?”
Markior seemed to be taken aback by Lich’s question before answering, “…Are you insane, Lich? These critters tear things apart. They're bloodthirsty murderers. Besides, think about what you'd need as a chewtoy for one.”
“All the better. Chewtoy? There’s a butcher down the road.”
“... Well, I guess I could disconnect one's mind off of the Swarm. Then it'd be no longer under the influence of the Cerebrates or Kerrigan. One thing though: you will have to train it. If it kills, it'll be taken down like any too violent pet.”
“I’m up to it.”
“Well, it'd be laughing in the face of the Zerg, though. To steal one of their many. Very well then, Lich. I'll capture one on my next mission.”
The scene ended.
Lich looked up at
“And that’s how I got Todd,” he said. “Convinced, now?”
“Wow…Dy…this really–“
“Shh!”
Lich held up a hand as he listened to marching in the square below. He moved to the window in one stride, before standing to one side of it and peering through the gap.
“The G’rekt’s in the square,” he said. “I think they’re taking precautions against invasion.”
“Invasion? That’s a bit…much…”
“The KBT goes by the principle of preparing for the worst. Or, maybe they’re here for backup…that’s more like it, I think.”
Lich listened to
the Koopan being spoken by the commanding officer:
“Request all travellers’ passports. Apprehend those who fail to do so, have
incorrect visas or have the timestamp at Code
There was a stamp of feet in unison as the Koopas fell out of line, and marched to what seemed to be pre-determined positions.
“Code
“What was that–“
“Code
Lich sat down on the bed and withdrew from his Storage a brown book.
“What’s that, Dy?”
“Here we are. 212: Forced checkpoint entry into or exit from Bowser’s Realm.”
“What is it?”
Lich withdrew a pencil and wrote in Pandoran: KBT Codes.
“They know we’re here. Not who we are, fortunately.”
Lich stifled a yawn.
“Just keep watching
the square,” he said. “If you see any Koopas with guns enter the building, wake
me up. I’ll relieve you at
As
To my friend, D'krim, a.k.a. Dyluck von Kippo,
As we promised, I am about to travel to Ulrezaj's lair to rescue your love, Riu.
Although I have seen classified KBT information regarding Ulrezaj,
which should raise my confidence levels, I am frightened. After reading the
files on him, it awoke a fear in me that I cannot conquer. I do not know if I
will return. Coupled in with this is the fear of Vatari,
Garat and Kroko's safety
from the Gr'tokoru family, if I do not.
That is why I ask of you to restore my family to
governance of Ket'nalkok in return. You will find them
at my house: Bauzur Udab'tek
38, B'kirik, Arez'ku
(we had to flee from Ket'nalkok). Take them to either
Yoshiville, or the
Even if I do not make it off this accursed planet, I
know you will, someday at least. I have read of you in KBT information, and to
have actually met you is an honour I will never forget. I put my faith in you,
Guardian of the Cyan Arc.
The shuttle will be ready soon, I cannot write
anymore. Good luck, my friend, I hope you will find your brother someday soon.
Telg B'ralku,
a.k.a. Tob, KBT Agent 49248