A Boy's Best Friend
16 May 2020Tharik Otoli
The Adventures of Prince Tharik Otoli: Space PirateFollow this link for the full anthology!
THE GOLD COAST
EMERALD
CEMIESS
As ten-year-old boys go, Janus Otoli was a good-natured and kind boy. He was a very good student, and, despite being somewhat spoiled by his parents, he was a well-behaved young man.
He was aware that there was suffering in the Galaxy. He knew of the plantation slaves even here on Emerald and he had read about the slums of Neo Tokyo and New Manhattan on Sol, the birthplace of humanity, deep within the evil Federation. He himself though was largely insulated from hardship, with the possible exception of having to have moved thrice in the past two years alone due to the misadventures of his father, Prince Tharik Otoli, and his maternal grandfather, Governor Christian Harrison of the Synteini Imperial Society.
In spite of now being privileged to live on the moon of Emerald, one of the core Imperial worlds, and home of the Imperial Princess Aisling Duval, Janus was somewhat out of sorts recently. He missed his father, who was often off on some kind of profitable exploit, and he had yet to make many friends at his new school.
His brothers were busy playing the newest holo-game, and his mother was enjoying a beautification treatment of progenitor cells ensuring she remained youthful and vibrant. In the midst of this, Janus had managed to evade the staff meant to look after him and wandered off the estate proper. It was a nice day and he strolled down the road passing the other large mansions of some of the most privileged members of Imperial society.
Lucius Viridius had spent most of his 30 odd years of life a slave. He had a mother and a father back at Markham Terminal in Hu Jini, but it had been years since he had seen them. He didn’t consider what he did evil, he was just trying to survive in a universe that was not even indifferent, and in this universe his masters had enemies. Since Lucius seemed to have a talent for their dirty work, he did that, and that was better than working in a mine. After all, he reasoned, who cares about this bastard Otoli and his family, they are rich, they are the oppressors!
“That’s fracking him! That’s the kid! He walked right into our hands,” shouted Lucius’s companion from within a parked ground vehicle.
“No fracking way! It can’t be, that was just too easy,” replied Lucius.
“Frack the plan, we move now,” Lucius’s companion slid the door of their ground transport open and rushed into the street running toward Janus.
Lucius wasted no time following his eager companion and then suddenly froze in terror moments later.
“No! Stop! Let go of me,” Janus sobbed as he struggled to free himself from the rogue’s grasp.
The kidnapper shouted back, “easy kid! We won’t hurt you, but you are coming with us!”
Janus’s cried, “No!!! No! Mom!! RUBY!!! Help me RUBY!”
Lucius didn’t see it right away, certainly his companion didn’t. It was strange, it seemed formless at first, somehow camouflaged, or in some way the light danced around it and you couldn’t really make out its shape or it’s color. But once it began to move you could certainly see its teeth and it’s claws.
“Oh shit! Oh god! Run!! It’s a fracking LING LANG,” screamed Lucius, but it was too late. Janus felt the spray of warm liquid across his face as his attacker’s grasp suddenly went limp. With gentle grace and precision, the beast peeled the brute away from the young boy and then went about violently shaking and mangling what was left of the man, who did not even have a chance to scream.
Lucius stared in horror as the flurry of teeth and claws repeatedly smashed the skull of his companion against the pavement. Janus had retreated several steps away from the carnage and while still crying shouted, “Get him Ruby!! Get him!! Good girl!” The man’s skull split open and blood and brains were dashed onto the otherwise pristine street.
Lucius reached down and unholstered his sidearm, he grasped the automatic pistol and a shaky hand raised it and pointed at the swirling mass of teeth.
Janus screamed, “No! Don’t hurt her!! Ruby stop!”
The formless mass seemed to spin, then bounce, and then, in what appeared to be two leaping motions it stopped in front of Janus causing the boy’s form to shimmer and twist.
Lucius wasn’t unfamiliar with his weapon and at this range, under normal circumstances, he could easily place several rounds in a man’s chest, but where was this thing’s chest? He even doubted he could kill the monster before it got to him.
“Call it off kid! Fracking call off that THING! I won’t hurt you ok,” Lucius’s voice was unsteady and his hands were shaking. He pointed his pistol harmlessly into the air and opened his other palm toward Janus and Ruby, “I’m leaving ok? Don’t kill me!”
Janus was still sobbing, “Leave me alone!! Oh, Ruby! Are you ok girl? Did you get scared?”
Lucius saw his opportunity. He turned and ran, his ground transport was just across the street. He sprinted for the door, tearing it open and mashing the controls the instant he was seated, ignoring the restraints. He did not look back. It must have been at least several blocks when he saw the lights and the sirens approaching in the rearview camera.
“Frack,” he whispered.