"Dude! Nine years?" Ren gasped as he questioned Hutch. "Nine years and you had no idea he was the actual king? None?"
"None. But in my defense, I had no reason to suspect he wasn't who he said he was. I had seen the 'King' hundreds of times. I just had no idea they were decoys," Hutch replied, resting back against the couch, tilting his head at Ren with an expression of utter disappointment. "And really? Not even the slightest bit concerned that he was going to have me executed?"
Ren threw up his hands and shrugged. "Well, you're here, so it obviously didn't happen." He paused narrowing his eyes and leaning in, focusing on Hutch's neck. "Or did it? Maybe you've resurrected. Or maybe a daring escape? Nah, can't see that happening. Oh," he gasped, his eyes widening as he threw his hand forward, stretching out his finger and pointing at Hutch in an accusatory fashion, "you're a clone! No! An alien look alike! A doppelganger of my best bud! Begone foul demon! I see your true nature!"
"You can leave now," Hutch reacted flatly, turning his head back to look at up the ceiling before closing his eyes.
Ren laughed and took up a similar position. "Sorry, couldn't help myself. Tell me what happened. How is it you're still alive when your impending doom sounded so inevitable."
"I was let go."
"What?" Ren questioned, turning to look at him. "That's it? You were just let go?"
"Yep. I mean, it's a bit more complex than that, but essentially, yes. Which was a good thing, since I wasn't exactly going to get out of that situation on my own. So, in a strange turn of events, General Levim, the senior officer I punched, wanted to make an example out of me, and beheading just wasn't example enough. There's this torture method of execution he was incredibly fond of, 'the three sticks,' Cascel called it Tripalium, which now that I know he's human, the Latin sounding name makes a lot more sense. Anyways, you get two planks of wood and a large stake which you shove into the ground. Then you take those two planks, bind them together into an 'X,' and then fasten it to the stake. You want it at a good angle, so the stake forces the head forward at a very uncomfortable position, but leaves the body entirely exposed to the sun. Then you strip down the intended torture victim, stretch them out and fasten their limbs to the two planks, and leave them there. Depending on the country or the crime, oils and saps might be added to help bring in the bugs to certain unmentionable areas, just to make it that much more enjoyable to the onlookers. And if you're thinking that it might all be over, in three days, because of no water, well that is the one thing they make sure you get. Along with a blanket to ensure you don't freeze overnight. Want to make sure you last as long as possible. To Levim, a beheading was far too merciful for someone like me."
"Well, that's sadistic. Thanks, Hutch. I'll be dedicating my nightmares to you from now on," Ren remarked, visibly cringing.
"Yeah, Levim was a fun one. Any who, next thing I know it's the middle of the night, and there's Xig, telling me what Levim wants to do while dragging me out of the stable. Then he hands me a letter, and leaves me with my eranth, Spikey, behind the barn, telling me to get my xalgar and to disappear. I wasn't about to stick around for a better explanation and pushed Spikey to his limits to get us as far away from there as fast as we could go. Ultimately, there were more pressing matters to deal with than chasing me down, but the next few months were the worst months of my life."
"Understandable. You knew one hell of a massive secret. I can't imagine Cascel…"
"Casimir," Hutch corrected him. "Cascel never actually existed."
"Didn't he? You spent nine years with him. Regardless of what he called himself, he wasn't a stranger to you, and I can't imagine he was happy when he found out you were gone."
"That's the fucked-up part, Ren. The letter Xig gave me, it said, 'One last act. Goodbye, Hutch.' And it was signed, Cascel."
"He was the one who let you go?"
"I could hardly believe it myself, and at the time, I could only assume it was because he was afraid that I would start telling the truth to anyone who could hear me, while I withered away for as long as it took to die. Found out years later, he only did it because he thought my execution would be bad for morale. Everything changed after that night though. Ghan'dono, fled with Kahlala and me into the eastern mountains, and across the border into the country of Cheph. Salvador wasn't exactly popular with the people there, and we managed to ebb out a place for ourselves in the foothills by a small village. A year and a bit after we had left, we discovered that after the war, he had sent Levim to the Moahaba to find me, at any cost. The man who informed me of what happened, Ensaso Sar'Basirak, was the leader of the outlaw faction in Cheph. I thought he had tracked me down for the bounty, but instead, he basically recruited me into his faction, and I ousted Casimir, ending his time as Cascel permanently. I felt it was my duty as one of the few remaining Moahaba."
"He wiped out your village?"
Hutch nodded. "General Levim and the third division tried to. On his orders. I saw his signature and seal for myself on the paperwork."
"Damn," Ren replied, rubbing his hand over his head. "It's so weird to think a guy like that could be married to a woman like Celina and be Clara's father."
"I know, right? Doesn't make any sense."
"And she's so freaking beautiful, and smart. But being related to that might just be a dealbreaker. Still though…" Ren waffled, "might be worth the risk in the short term."
"Oh?" Hutch snickered, laying his head back and closing his eyes again. "What happened to Laney Sutton?"
"Rachel."
"Couldn't find the nerve to ask her to the dance then?"
"Nope. I even wasted the money on the tickets. I swear, I was on my way to ask her after our last exam, when out of nowhere pops Rachel. One, about-turn-face later, and that was it. Opportunity gone. But after meeting Clara, I'm thinking it was for the best. Do you think if I went back to the tower and asked Clara, she'd consider going with me?"
"My eyes are closed, and I can still see the red flags waving all over that idea."
Ren hmphed. "She seemed more interested in you anyways."
"Oh, if only she wasn't Casimir's daughter," Hutch remarked sarcastically, clutching his hands together over his heart, "and even half as gorgeous as Lala."
"Bullshit. No way, Kahlala is that much hotter than Clara and still has any interest in you."
Hutch chuckled and lowered his hands. "See, now, that's the funny thing, Ren. When you love someone, the way I love her, the whole world could say, she's ugly, and to me, she's still the most beautiful woman in every galaxy."
"So, it is bullshit. She wasn't pretty after all."
Hutch shook his head. "Oh no. Even if you take away my obvious bias, she was stunning, and the older she got, the more confidence she gained, the more beautiful she grew. But bias aside, comparison, for your sake, I will admit, Clara might be close to on par. At least until I remember that she's the spawn of a genocidal maniac, or super villain, as you put it. So, hard pass. If you still want to risk it though, I can think of dumber things to sacrifice your life for."
"Encouraging. Thanks."
"You're welcome. And I think you were wrong. From where I was sitting, she was way more interested in talking with you. Whatever interest she had in me, was something else entirely. Like the fact that she knows who I am and didn't feel comfortable enough to confirm it."
Ren left not too much later, and the agony of the long, quiet, solitary night began. Restlessly turning in his bed, Hutch wished he'd never shared his near-execution story with Ren. Living through the moment of knowing he was to be beheaded, had haunted him for years, and reliving the memory of that moment, had brought it all back, keeping him uncomfortably alert.
This led to hours of pacing around the house, between attempts to sleep, where he would go back to his bed, lay down, and then toss and turn like a pig on a spit. He had tried to distract himself, only for his mind to wander onto thoughts of the upcoming day and the inevitable phone call that couldn't go unanswered, and that only compounded the problem.
When Hutch managed to wake the next morning, it was hours passed his normal routine. The sun was peeking through his blinds, and he wasn't entirely certain that he'd managed to get any sleep. He felt dreadful. His head ached, his eyes were bloodshot, and he struggled to find the will to live. Glancing at his clock, it was nearing nine, and the countdown in his head began. In two hours, he would once again have to hear Casimir's voice. Only this time, he hoped he would at least get some real answers.