
TABLE OF CONTENTS

  1. FOREWORD
  2. EPISODE 1: SOLAS
  3. EPISODE 2: DANGEROUS BURDENS
  4. EPISODE 3: THE GOLD OF CAPTAIN HORSEFLY
  5. EPISODE 4: YOU GET SOFT, YOU GET KILLED
  6. FINISH THE STORY
  7. YOU CAN MAKE AN IMPACT
  8. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
  9. LEGAL

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# FOREWORD

The Brothers Locke: An Urban Fantasy Adventure is the first taste into the world of the Dea and the upcoming five part series Dorian Delmontez. A colorful passel of characters will populate this world over the coming years in full length novels. This urban fantasy adventure will give you a glimpse into the expanded world full of action, adventure, epic stories, and fantasy landscapes.

In addition, our websites will further the experience of the Dea through interactive games, applications, videos and much more online. We hope to provide an experience that is both immersive and entertaining for you with a new mythology for those who love coming of age stories, fantasy stories and high adventure series.

So get comfortable, grab a cup of your favorite beverage and enjoy this trip into a reality that is just outside the edge of your own but may be closer than you think.

This is the first in a series of eBooks. To get more along with behind-the-scenes information and more free book offers in the future, please see the page following this story for more details.

\- KC Hunter

# PART 1

This is Part 1 of an epic adventure story. Get Part 2 now or find a link at the end of the book.

# The Brothers Locke

# Episode 1: Solas

Perry hated running. It hurt his feet, it hurt his knees, it hurt his lungs, and most of all it hurt his ankles. So when he got the call that a suspect was heading down to the main floor and he was the only security officer available, he knew when he caught this kid a beat down of historic proportions would follow.

"Stop!" he shouted as he caught sight of the boy.

Of course, the suspect didn't stop, so Perry gave chase. He couldn't imagine something more terrible than this. Not only did running make Perry ache all over, but he didn't look particularly athletic doing it. His arms, which were short for his body size, swung at his sides and he had an upright posture that made it look more like he was running to the bathroom than giving chase.

"I said stop!" he shouted again. "That means your legs don't move anymore!"

The kid clearly heard him but showed no intention of complying. Unlike Perry, the boy was athletic and putting more distance between them with every step. Leaping over crates, running through the food court, weaving between two jewelry kiosks, and hurdling over an incoming shipment of boxes, the boy and Perry provided quite a show for the patrons in the shopping center.

They were in the main lobby now, and with few obstacles to get in their way, it was a clear sprint to the front door. Outside was a large crowd and Perry knew if the boy got there, he'd be impossible to find. However, he was feeling winded. Slowing his stride, Perry couldn't go any farther and stopped to catch his breath. If he was ten years younger, this thief wouldn't have stood a chance.

"There he is!" came a voice from the nearby elevator.

Three other security guards had arrived and immediately gave chase to the boy, allowing Perry to not feel so guilty about letting the kid get away. He bent over and put his hands on his knees, gasping for air and wiping sweat from his brow.

"I wouldn't feel so bad," a heavy set man said nearby. "I wouldn't have chased him at all, given your size."

Perry looked at his midsection, which was admittedly rotund, but then threw his critic a sarcastic glare.

"Oh, I ain't got room to talk," the other man admitted, throwing his hands up in surrender. "I'm just saying, I feel for you."

It wasn't until now that Perry recognized the large man. He immediately regretted his prior glare. "I'm sorry, didn't know it was you, Sim Sam."

"Don't worry about me being offended. I'm not that sensitive," Sim Sam grinned. "Save that for the boss."

They both looked out of the front entrance to the shopping center and saw the boy fleeing through the glass doors and into the crowd. The security officers were in pursuit, pushing people out of their way and shouting instructions.

"The boy's gone," Sim Sam noted as he pushed his square glasses up with his index finger. "When your fellow officers are done trying to find him in that crowd, tell them to come upstairs. I'm sure the boss wants to get clues. You come too."

Perry's face grew ashen, and he stumbled in his response, "Y-yes sir."

"Don't be afraid--"

"I'm not afraid, sir. It's just that... I've never met The Miscellany. I mean--"

"You didn't let me finish."

Perry cocked his head. Perhaps this wasn't a summons for punishment, but something else. Their employer might actually be sympathetic to the issue.

Sim Sam continued, "I meant don't be afraid, yet."

Undeterred by the cryptic warning, Perry took one last deep breath and headed back to the guard's control room. Sim Sam chuckled to himself and returned his attention to the glass doors, wondering if the other guards could possibly catch the thief.

***

"He went down that way!" yelled one of the three guards.

The trio ran down a nearby alley, pushing violently through the crowd of people gathered in the main courtyard who were all more preoccupied with the images on the massive video screens around them than the chase going on in their midst.

This was the main square in Avidity, the largest city in the western part of the Dea. While the neighboring cities and towns were shrouded in darkness, this was a place of glittering skyscrapers and bustling sidewalks. But like any city, it had its secrets and shadows. In the darker corners, away from the hubbub, an entirely different world thrived.

In such a place, it can be fairly easy to disappear. Unfortunately for the guards, it appeared that their thief knew this all too well. The alley appeared empty except for a few dumpsters and crates. Still, they did their job and searched as best they could.

"I saw him go down here," said one of the guards, a man named Taylor. "He has to be here. There's no way out of this alley."

"If you say so," Marc, a smaller guard, sneered. "This could all just be a giant waste of time."

"I don't think so," said Dod, the third guard.

He waved to the other two and pointed behind a nearby dumpster. There, with his back to them, was the thief. He was dressed plainly in jeans, tennis shoes, and a gray hoodie that he had drawn over his head.

"Put your hands up!" Taylor said, drawing his baton.

The thief would not comply.

"I said put your hands up! Now!"

Cautiously, the suspect raised his hands above his head, making sure to keep his face concealed under his hood. At that very moment, another person emerged from behind another dumpster, dressed in an identical outfit.

"Don't move!" the guards all shouted. "You! Put your hands up! Now!"

As the second person put his hands up, the first suspect lowered his. Taylor told him to put his hands back up, and as he did, the second suspect lowered his.

"Do you think this is a game?" Marc asked.

"Guys," Dod nudged his co workers and directed their attention to a third figure, who stood atop a parked truck behind them.

Just like the other two, he wore a gray hoodie, tennis shoes, and jeans. Not knowing which direction to focus their attention, the guards began to panic. They shouted out orders to all three suspects at the same time, telling them all to put their hands up. As one would put his arms up, the other two would drop their hands or cross their arms. It became a chaotic symphony of shouting voices until one of the suspects began to chuckle.

"You, up there on the truck, stop laughing!" Taylor shouted, his temper now getting the best of him. "Take off that hoodie!"

There was no response. All three of the guards now approached the truck, their batons gripped firmly. Once again, they called up to the third suspect on the van while looking back at the other two.

"Take. It. Off."

With one last laugh, the suspect reached up and pulled back his hood. It was a boy, no more than thirteen, with olive skin and wavy black hair. His features were sharp: a long nose and thin eyebrows that sat above almond eyes. His lips were curled in a defiant smirk.

"Who are you?" Marc asked. "Give us your name and get down from there."

The other two boys took off their hoods and revealed the final surprise. The same face, the same olive skin, the same sharp features. All three were almost exactly the same, triplets, except for the second boy who wore a tinted pair of glasses.

"The Triplets!" Marc said in recognition.

"Here's a smart one!" the boy on the truck shouted.

"He thinks he is, at least," said the triplet wearing glasses.

The third, and first suspect caught by the guards, said nothing. Instead, he waved his hands around, making symbols with his fingers. It was sign language and the guards had no clue what he was saying to his brothers.

"Good idea," the brother on the truck said. "Echo, you know what to do. On the count of three, yes?"

"Three, yes!"

Taylor didn't like what he was hearing. "Now wait a minute. Don't do anything. I'm warning you--"

"One!" the brother on the truck shouted.

"I'm telling you one last time--"

"Two!" the brother in glasses continued.

"Get them," said Dod.

The three guards turned to the silent triplet, expecting him to give the sign for "three," but instead they saw him slap his hands together. A blinding light flashed from between his palms, causing the guards to raise their arms to cover their eyes.

"Get them! Just grab them now!" Taylor called out, his vision still a blob of white.

"Do you see them? I can't see anything," said Dod.

By the time their vision cleared, the brothers had disappeared. Taylor let out a curse, slammed his baton into the ground, and kicked the truck, only to injure his foot in the process. While he hobbled around grabbing at his boot, Marc looked down to the ground where the first suspect had been. There was a note left behind, written on a ripped sheet of notebook paper. He read it out loud, his face twisted into a frown.

Do not be mad,

You shouldn't be sad.

Do not pursue,

We're smarter than you.

Please don't sob,

You've only been robbed,

Much to your shock,

By the Brothers Locke.

***

"You know, they say adults are supposed to be smart and all, but I have to tell you... here... not so much," one of the brothers mused.

This was just one of many observations made by Mouth, the most vocal of the triplets, as the three brothers made their way beyond the borders of Avidity and into the open wastelands beyond the city limits.

"Let's not get too ahead of ourselves. It's a long way back to the East and we better hope our ride is still out here. We are running late," said the brother wearing tinted glasses, Echo.

"Echo, come on, we're master thieves! They didn't stand a chance against us. We're too smart. Too quick. Too good--"

"Too arrogant," the third brother, Sharp, signed to his siblings.

"You have a point," Echo replied. "Especially when you're insulting Mouth."

"Really, brothers? Really? This isn't going to work if you don't believe in yourselves."

Echo laughed, "This is the first thing we've actually successfully stolen. I know we want to say we're master thieves and all, but this was more luck than anything else."

"Luck is for losers," Mouth boldly replied.

"Again, I'm just saying that we should wait until we get back across the border to the East before we start patting ourselves on the back."

Sharp came to an immediate stop and motioned for his brothers to do the same. All three lowered themselves to the ground behind a cluster of dried out bushes. It was arid in the plains beyond the city and much darker. The West was always dark, but Avidity was one rare exception. The city's light was artificial and could simulate dawn and dusk, but out here, away from electricity and view screens, it was perpetually sunset.

It made it hard for anyone to see, except for Sharp who, despite being unable to speak, had nearly perfect eyesight and a visual spectrum beyond what most others possessed.

All three Locke Brothers had an ironic (and useful) duality of disabilities and abilities.

Echo Locke was legally blind and without the specially treated glasses he wore, he wouldn't be able to see anything. His hearing, on the other hand, was beyond that of any other living person and if he stretched his abilities hard enough, he could hear everything from radio waves to the communication of animals.

And of course there was Mouth Locke, who was hard of hearing but possessed a voice that could shake buildings if he chose to ever shout. It's an ability he'd only used once in his life, for good reason, although he was best known for being boastful.

Mouth, Echo, and Sharp were names they chose for themselves, as their birth names had been lost to them ages ago. The thirteen-year-old triplets had survived in the Dea with minimal help from others. Orphaned at an early age, they had to figure out very quickly how to survive on their own.

In the years that followed, they tried desperately to fit in with the underground element of traders, pirates, bounty hunters, and thieves, but were mainly seen as scavengers who were good from time to time for small jobs. This was the first time they had been asked to do a major job and now it appeared that the very people who hired them were on their way to collect.

"I see them," Sharp signed. "They're coming down the road over there in a beat up old car. Ten minutes tops."

Mouth looked out over the stretch of land ahead and saw nothing but tumbleweeds, dust, and dead trees. He smiled at his brother and patted him on the back.

"Sharp, one day I'm going to tell you how amazing you are with that whole 'seeing through time and space' thing."

Echo opened the backpack he was carrying and started rummaging inside. Mouth grabbed his hand to stop him.

"What are you doing?"

"Well, I wanted to have a look at the thing before we hand it over to them," answered Echo.

"Look at..." Mouth began to protest, then stopped and sighed at the absurdity of his nearly-blind brother wanting to get a close look at anything. "Okay, let me. We'll be here all night waiting for you to find it."

"Hardy har har," Echo scoffed.

Mouth unzipped the backpack. He reached inside and pulled out the wooden box they had stolen from Avidity. He hesitated only for a second before opening it. His eyes widened as his brain figured out what they actually had stolen. At this moment, Mouth wasn't quite sure he wanted to give this prize over to their employers and motioned for his brothers to come hide with him behind some nearby bushes.

"What is it, Mouth?" Echo asked. "Why are you so quiet?"

"Brothers," he said theatrically, "I think we need to get paid more for this!"

"Too late," Sharp signed to them. "They're here."

Two vehicles stopped just short of the brother's position. The car doors opened and out stepped a group of men in black robes and yellow head wraps. All of them were armed with heavy guns which caused even more suspicion from Mouth as to how well intentioned their buyer was. The brothers recognized one of them, a slender man with a handlebar mustache.

"Well, do we hide or do we give this to them?" Echo whispered.

"I'm not giving this to them without getting paid more. We're getting gypped in this whole thing!" protested Mouth.

"Mouth, this really isn't the time--"

"Heck yeah it's the time! We've got the bloody Key to--"

"They know we're here," Sharp signed. "They're coming this way. We'd better meet them."

"But," Mouth began to say again. His brothers glared at him before he could finish. "Okay, okay. We'll do this, but I'm telling you we're getting robbed."

"The irony," mused Echo.

The triplets carefully moved from their hiding spot behind the bushes  and into the view of the robed men. The slender man approached them with a smile on his face, twirling his mustache between index finger and thumb.

"Von Strauss," Mouth greeted the mustached man.

"The Locke Brothers," Von Strauss growled, his accent heavily German. "You have what we asked for, yes?"

"Of course. Was there any doubt?" Mouth answered.

Von Strauss' expression did not change despite the smile on Mouth's face. That smile quickly went away as Echo and Sharp came forward with the backpack. Before they got too close to Von Strauss, Mouth raised his arm to stop his brothers.

"Before we finish business here, I have a question," said Mouth.

Echo mumbled to his brother under his breath, "Don't do it, Mouth."

Mouth waved his brother off. In his mind, he was the best negotiator of the three. He was, as a matter of fact, the mouth of the group. They had done a job and were not going to be paid what they should for such a momentous prize. What harm would there be in asking for proper compensation?

"I'm just thinking that what we've done for you, in particular, what it is we have stolen for you is worth a bit more than what you're offering. I mean, we're both professionals here right?"

Von Strauss sighed, "You looked in the box, didn't you?"

"Yes, but that's not important. What is important is that--"

"Did I not tell you to not look in the box, boy?"

For a moment, Mouth was silent. A swell of doubt pulled at his stomach and he glanced over at his brothers. Both Echo and Sharp shook their heads, hoping their brother would back down. Instead, Mouth took two steps towards Von Strauss.

"Listen, we're not just some chumps that you can fool into stealing a goldmine and pay us in breadcrumbs. We are The Locke Brothers! Master thieves! There was no one else you could find who could have pulled off what we did. Who were you going to get, huh? The Crimson Corsairs? That's a laugh. Juniper, that troll? No way. Or how about that furry guy, huh? No! None of them can do what we did and escape. We know what this is worth and we want to be paid appropriately."

Von Strauss scoffed and scratched at the side of his face before speaking again. "Are you finished?" he asked.

"No! And another thing, if you think we're scared of you, big guy, you've got another thing coming. There's nothing, and I mean absolutely nothing you can do that will intimidate us!"

With a wave of his hand, Von Strauss signaled for all six of the men in robes to aim their weapons at the brothers. Although Mouth wasn't an expert in weapons, he knew that these were heavy duty assault rifles capable of shredding him to pieces in a matter of seconds.

Mouth sighed in defeat, "Except for that."

***

Icagoro was the second largest metropolis in the West. Unlike Avidity, it was not full of technological wonders and vibrant video screens playing commercials and entertainment at all times of the day. This was a city of poverty and desolation. Buildings were crumbling, the streets were littered with trash, and the sewage system had been in a state of disrepair for decades. Sadly, those were the least of the city's problems.

In the industrial area of Icagoro were many abandoned warehouses, and in the basement of a former cup manufacturing building, a young girl was hard at work at her keyboard. Her eyes darted back and forth between three monitors that illuminated her face in a light-blue tint. Behind her was a giant of a man, nearly seven feet tall and as thick as a bull.

"Are you done yet?" the large man grunted.

"If this was simple, you'd be doing it. But since it isn't, I'm doing it. Now if you want it finished sooner than later, you'll stop asking me every five seconds if it's done, if that's okay with you, Bando," the girl replied.

Displeased with the response he got, Bando attempted to reinforce his authority by putting his enormous hand on the desk with a grunt. Without missing a beat, the girl grabbed his thumb and twisted it, crippling Bando to his knees in extreme pain.

"I said, wait."

Nearly in tears, Bando nodded in agreement. The girl let go of his thumb and went back to her work. A few more minutes passed before she was finished. She took a sip of water, tied her hair back into a ponytail, which exposed the shaved sides of her skull, and removed a clear memory cube from her workstation. She tucked it safely into her pocket left.

"If you're done crying over there, feel free to join me. We're leaving in five," the girl said to Bando as she left the room.

"Yes, Dana. I'll be ready," Bando answered.

***

"Well, do I need to say it, Mouth?" Echo asked his brother. "I mean, really, do I need to say it?"

"Go ahead and get it off your chest, Echo," said Mouth.

"This is entirely your fault."

"That was about as original as the last time you said it to me."

"The fact that I have to keep saying it is even more reason for me to keep saying it. You don't seem to listen."

"That's your trait, brother, not mine. Besides, wouldn't the fact that I don't listen mean you shouldn't waste your breath in saying it over and over and over..."

"This is what I'm talking about," Echo protested.

"...and over and over again."

"Let's not fight," Sharp signed.

"No, Sharp. He's always getting on my case about this kind of stuff."

Echo didn't take kindly to the blame being shifted to him. "Really? Are you trying to change the topic right now? No! We're talking about you and your... mouth, Mouth! Why didn't you just give them the stupid box? We would be counting our money right now instead of sitting in some dingy tent."

Mouth paused before responding. "Well, I can't argue with you there." He looked through the small slit in the tent the let him see outside. "Black Harvester Forest is certainly not on my list of vacation spots."

Von Strauss and his men had taken the Locke Brothers deep within Black Harvester Forest, a place that was well known to be teeming with vicious animals. It was also supposedly haunted. Far from any city, it was a darker part of the West, comprised of extremely tall evergreen trees that let as little light in as possible. Few parts of the Dea were in total darkness, and this was one of them.

Outside the tent, Mouth could see some of the robed men cooking in a pot over an open fire while others cleaned their weapons. Von Strauss was nowhere to be seen, but the brothers knew he hadn't gone far. What they planned on doing with them was a mystery. Even though they were only thirteen-years-old, the Locke Brothers didn't put it past men like this to do unspeakable harm to them. It was the price they paid for running in the circles they did: that of thieves, criminals, and convicts.

"So how are we going to get out of here?" Echo asked.

"I'm working on it," Mouth answered.

It was impossible for them to run out and try to overtake these grown adult men. They were outnumbered and outsized. The only advantage that the brothers had would be to outwit them. Sharp was doing his own assessment of their surroundings, using his enhanced vision. He could see outlines of what was beyond the tent. He never really understood how his abilities worked, but he could make his eyes focus only on the bend of light from the outside. His ability allowed him to make out where the vehicles, men, and other structures were beyond their prison.

Despite all he could see, nothing would help them escape. The tent they were in was nestled against a giant boulder. The only entrance or exit was through the front, a route that would get them caught.

Von Strauss suddenly walked through the tent opening. The tall man smirked as he took a seat in a chair, lit a cigar, and crossed his legs. The Locke Brothers sat on the ground and looked up at him, defiance on all of their faces.

"We should start again, yes?" Von Strauss began. "You wished to... negotiate a new deal, if I understand correctly?"

"Perhaps," Echo answered.

"I see." Von Strauss puffed on his cigar, blowing a cloud of smoke towards Echo. "The three of you did quite well, I must say.  Better than expected. But my employer, well, he doesn't take too kindly to being jerked around, so I don't take too kindly to being jerked around. We agreed on a price..."

"But that price isn't fair," Mouth interrupted.

"...and we agreed you would not look into the box!" Von Strauss ended, raising his voice to show his authority.

To this, the brothers had no response. Von Strauss again smirked. His ego was growing by the second. He uncrossed his legs and leaned forward, staring the brothers down with as much intimidation as he could muster.

"The question now isn't whether or not we're going to renegotiate your deal, but whether or not you're allowed to live."

"Oh stop it," Mouth said. "We're kids! You can't kill us and saying you're thinking about it isn't going to scare us. So, just let us go and we'll take what we originally agreed upon."

Sucking in air through his teeth, Von Strauss did his best to feign regret at what he was going to say next. "If it were only that simple. Let me assure you, little boy, you aren't getting paid anything, you aren't going to remain fearless for long, and if you're thinking for a minute that I wouldn't kill thirteen-year-old boys, you aren't that bright."

The brothers looked at each other and, for the first time, their expressions showed true fear. Von Strauss was not known to bluff and if he intended on killing them, he was going to do so. Mouth was about to protest, but Sharp gave him a signal not to.

Von Strauss whistled and two of his robed associates entered the tent. Their weapons were at the ready and with a nod from their boss, they aimed the business end of their rifles at the triplets.

"Well, any bright ideas now, Mouth?" Echo asked his brother.

Before Von Strauss gave the signal there was an eruption from outside. Forgetting about the brothers, the two robed men rushed to see what had happened. Von Strauss remained in the tent but kept his eyes on the opening. From here he was able to see both of his associates knocked through the air after a flash of light. He turned to Mouth and curled his lip.

"Don't look at me! I didn't do it," Mouth protested.

"It doesn't matter. You're not going to get out of this." Von Strauss drew a small pistol from his coat and pointed it at the brothers.

A hand grabbed his arm and twisted it behind his back. Von Strauss dropped the gun and tried his best to look back at his assailant. All he could see was the end of a nose.

"You don't want to do that," she said.

"It appears you have me at a disadvantage in more ways than one, Ms. ..."

"I'm not giving you my name, moron. I will tell you that you can either leave here or get your arm broken. Your choice."

Von Strauss looked back at the triplets, who wore wide smiles on their faces. He frowned at them before throwing out one final threat.

"You will see me again, brothers. Don't think that you won't. And as for you..."

The girl wasn't prepared for his next move. Von Strauss stomped on her foot and pushed his weight backward, forcing her to release his arm. The two squared off and now Von Strauss got a look at his attacker. He balled his hands into fists and narrowed his eyes, readying himself for a fight.

"Dana," he muttered. "I've heard about you, my dear. We're quite a long way from Icagoro, aren't we?"

"Are you going to fight or are you going to talk?" she said.

"I think I'll leave."

Von Strauss opened up his coat and three orbs dropped from his inside pocket. Immediately they burst open, releasing a gray-blue gas. Dana backed away as Von Strauss exited the tent, leaving her and the triplets to be poisoned.

Dana grabbed Sharp's hand and told him to do the same with his brothers. She drew a blade from her belt and sliced the side of the tent several times. Together, the four of them leaped towards the opening and ripped through the fabric. Once outside, she searched the area for Von Strauss, but he had long since disappeared.

"He got away. I hate it when they get away," Dana said to no one in particular.

Mouth saw his opportunity. "Well, that's bad and all. Tragic really. But I guess it's time for us to be going now. Thanks for everything and I love your hair, by the way. See ya."

The brothers tried to back away from Dana, but the look on her face told them it was best to stay where they were. She took a few steps towards them and snatched away their backpack. There was nothing inside.

"He's got it?" she asked.

"Yeah, he does," answered Mouth.

"Well that complicates things. Okay, you're coming with us."

"Us? Wait a minute. We aren't going anywhere with you. We don't even know who you are or why you did what you just did."

"You're telling me you're not grateful, boys?"

"It's not that. We're kind of a solo act... A solo act of triplets. Whatever. We're The-"

"The Locke Brothers, yes. I know all about you boys."

Mouth smiled, his ego stroked from their apparent fame. Sharp and Echo weren't as pleased. Sharp began to sign something to his brothers thinking Dana wouldn't understand. Unfortunately for him, she did.

"Oh, he doesn't believe me," she said to Echo and Mouth. "Let's see. There's you, the one who can barely see but can hear almost anything, even radio signals. By the way, here ya go." She knelt down and picked up Echo's glasses from the debris near the tent and tossed them to Mouth who gave them to his brother.

"And then you. Sharp, is it? You can see every weapon I have on me, the temperature of the flames over there, and the hair on a worm being swallowed by a bird six miles that way."

"Well, the worm is a bit of an exaggeration," Sharp signed with a grin.

"And of course, the Great Rusher of Fools, Mouth. Hard of hearing  and just as hard-headed. You've never used your full voice in a shout because it would shatter the bark on every tree around us."

"I have done that once," Mouth snapped at her angrily. "It's nothing I want to do ever again."

"I've proven my point. We know who you are. We know what you've done. We know what Von Strauss is up to and what he paid you to get. However, I think we have a better deal for you than he did."

Echo replied, "Considering he was about to kill us, that's not saying much."

"Trust me; you'll want in on this. Now come along, we have to get going."

The brothers looked around at the team Dana had with her. It was a strange collection of people including a giant and a pair of teenagers who were collecting pieces of debris from the ground.

"And just who are you, if I may ask? We're not going anywhere with you until we at least know that," said Mouth.

"We're Solas." A gruff voice came from behind the triplets.

The Locke Brothers turned to see a stout tank of a man with dark skin, a flattop haircut, and one of Von Strauss' cigars gripped between his teeth as he lit it. Taking one deep puff of smoke, he twirled the cigar between his fat fingers and smiled at the astonished young faces before him.

"Before you ask, I'm Bulk Brown and right now, we're the only thing that's going to keep you and a whole mess of other people alive. Y'all have started something here, that's for sure. So for now, say 'thank you for saving our worthless butts,' get whatever you need to get from this rubble, and get in the jeep. We've got work to do."

***

The door on the office read, "Director of Operations," but that title did little to inform anyone of what Sim Sam actually did for The Miscellany. Filled to the brim with antiques, knick-knacks, and just general clutter, the office looked more like a storage shed than a place of work. In the middle of all this was the portly Sim Sam, tinkering away at a gadget with a magnifying glass and tweezers.

"You asked to see me?"

Perry, the security guard who first gave chase to the Locke Brothers, stood beside a large stack of papers and folders while he waited for Sim Sam to notice him.

"Have a seat," Sim Sam said while still keeping his attention on the gadget.

Perry waited for a few minutes, trying his best to not speak out of turn. Sim Sam seemed content to continue working and ignoring Perry. Several awkward moments passed and Perry began to squirm in the chair. Whenever Perry was uncomfortable, he would unknowingly start to whistle. It only took a few notes for him to start to unnerve Sim Sam.

"Don't do that," Sim Sam said sternly.

Deprived of his whistle, Perry started to survey the office and all the collectables gathered there. There was quite possibly every trinket or gadget imaginable here: clocks, batteries, microphones, gears, boxes, wires, open books, closed books, dusty books, drills, screwdrivers, circuit boards, and so on. In a place as posh as the rest of the building was, this hoarder's heaven and its owner were drastically out of place.

"Now, I know you're looking around at all this stuff in here and thinking to yourself, 'This man is a junk-collecting slob.' Am I right?"

Perry didn't know how to respond, so he simply didn't. Sim Sam cracked a smile and started laughing. Seeing him laugh made Perry respond in kind. The tension that was first in the room had disappeared and Perry started to get comfortable in the chair. He raised his hand to his face to cover his teeth while he continued to laugh.

What he hadn't noticed while doing this was that Sim Sam was no longer laughing and had stopped tinkering with his gadget. His beady black eyes were aimed directly at Perry. Once he realized this, Perry's laughter immediately stopped.

"You see right there, son. That shows you've got some sense in your head. Now, I called you in here because the boss said he wanted me to handle your little situation from today instead of doing it himself."

This was of some relief to Perry.

"The Miscellany must be a very busy man. I'm happy to answer any questions you have," he said.

Sim Sam laughed. "You're happy you don't have to see him, that's what your behind is happy about, no doubt. But to be honest with you, I'm not all that concerned with that. The boy who took that box is going to have much more to worry about than whatever you have to say about him. We've got cameras everywhere, so we'll find him. What I want to talk to you about is something simple. You can handle simple, can't you?"

"Simple is my middle name."

"No doubt."

Perry instantly regretted his choice of words. However, it was done, and it wasn't as if Sim Sam had any respect for him to begin with. At this point, he just wanted to know what the man wanted with him so he could get out of this cluttered office and go home for the day.

"On the chair next to you is a folder. That is for you."

Perry looked to his left and saw the folder on the chair. He picked it up and thumbed through the pages inside, coming across a series of photographs and what appeared to be personal records of the individuals in the pictures.

"I'm not sure what this means, sir," admitted Perry.

"I need you to take that up to Icagoro tonight. Take it to this address." Sim Sam handed Perry a folded piece of paper with an address sloppily scribbled on it. "They'll know what to do from that point on."

"Then what?"

"Then go home. Like I said: simple."

"Simple," Perry repeated.

Sim Sam went back to his gadget without as much as another glance at Perry. The security officer took the hint and left the office with folder in hand. It was getting late and it would take some time for him to get to Icagoro and back.

In the world of the Dea, the West half sat in perpetual darkness, from a golden sunset to pitch black night (depending on when and where you were). This wasn't seen as a negative for most who inhabited the West. In fact, many of them resented the bright sun and cool evenings of the East. They despised even more being looked at as the negative half of the Dea. True, there were dark spirits that held domain in places like Shallowhale and the Lake of Drowned Souls, but Avidity was different. It was a beacon of light, commerce, equality, and progressive ideas. Under the dark skies of the West, Avidity shined with electric lights and giant screens that were running at all times. Sometimes the screens would promote the ideals of the city and its leader, other times commercials, but mostly entertainment. These screens were everywhere. Every building, every living unit (there were no homes in Avidity, just towers filled with assigned living units), and every street corner and bus stop was dotted with view screens.

Outside of the city, it was much different. Creatures of all manner roamed the valleys and hills, monsters of such nightmarish legend that most citizens of Avidity didn't dare venture beyond their own borders. The roadways were not safe either. You couldn't travel far without running into a bandit, pirate, thief, or gang of thugs. Three hours on the road to Icagoro was not a pleasant thought, but at least that path was less dangerous than others.

After signing out for the day, Perry grabbed some food from the tower's grocery store, made sure he was armed, and acquired a company car for the trip. There were no direct lines of communication in Avidity (no phones, no electronic mail), so he dispatched one of the many messenger boys to his house so his wife would know he would not be home until early the next morning.

"Simple," he said to himself as he turned the key in the ignition.

***

Traveling through Black Harvester Forest in an oversized jeep was not what the Locke Brothers had in mind when they left with Solas. It was getting late in the day and the already dark forest was becoming darker by the minute. Even though the vehicle had headlights, they only illuminated a few feet ahead, which slowed their progress.

"The sooner we're out of here, the happier I'll be," Echo told his brothers.

The triplets had managed to cram themselves in the back of the jeep. There wasn't enough room for eight people. The five members of Solas fit comfortably in the front and rear seats, but the back of the jeep, which was already filled with equipment, was the only place they could find. Adding to their misery were the hard metal containers they had to squeeze next to. Every time the jeep hit a bump, the brothers would get a bump from one of the containers.

"What other choice did we have?" Sharp signed to his brothers.

"None," Mouth answered.

He took a quick look at the other passengers in the jeep, who were busy with their own conversations. He then leaned in closer to Sharp and Echo and began whispering.

"Pay attention to where they take us. The second we get a chance, we're out of here."

Echo didn't seem too comfortable with this new plan. "And where exactly are we going to go?"

"Far away from them. We don't know these people, but they certainly know us and Von Strauss. No matter what happens, I don't see anything good coming out of staying with them," Mouth said.

"Perhaps."

Echo paused and took a look at the team for himself. The giant was driving the jeep with Bulk Brown in the passenger seat next to him. Dana sat in the seat behind him and was taking her time sharpening a knife and saying something to Bulk Brown about finding a place to camp for the night. The two teenagers, a boy and a girl who looked entirely out of place with the three grizzled mercenaries they were riding with, were involved in their own little world of notes and maps.

"What do you hear?" Mouth asked him.

"They're not saying much. I don't know, Mouth, if they wanted to kill us they could have done it already. Or at the very least left us out here in this forest to die. I don't think they mean us any harm."

Mouth shook his head in disagreement, "Death is not the only bad thing that can happen to us, Echo. We might be going to jail. An Icagoro jail, worse enough. No, I think our best bet is to try to get away as quickly as we can."

It was then that Echo's superior hearing caught something else. He squinted, focusing as hard as he could on whatever sound he heard. Sharp and Mouth became concerned and tried to get Echo to explain to them what he was hearing. He told them to keep quiet as he tried to listen, and after a few seconds, his eyes widened. In a panic, Echo beat on the metal containers in an attempt to get the Solas team's attention.

"Stop the jeep! Stop the jeep!" he yelled.

"What in the world are you doing?" Mouth whispered to his brother.

"There's something out there."

The jeep didn't stop. Instead, Bulk Brown started to yell at the brothers. His voice was deep and intimidating, but this was no time for games. Echo's face told the story of how serious this was.

"What in the world is he babbling about back there?" Bulk asked Dana.

"No idea," she said. "What is it, kid? What's got you so upset?"

"I can hear things, you know," said Echo.

"Yes?"

"And what I'm hearing right now is big. Really big. Underground. And it's moving quickly in our direction. Scratch that. They are moving quickly in our direction."

"And you want us to stop the jeep?" Dana scoffed.

"Well, turn it around, or drive in a different direction. Something! I'm telling you whatever it is - whatever they are - it's not good for us."

Bulk Brown had heard enough. "You three are something, aren't you? Y'all will say anything to try to trick people. Let me tell you something right now, boy, the only way this jeep is stopping is if I say it is. You got that?"

A large eruption came from the right side of the jeep. Dirt and rocks flew into the air and through the shower of debris came a spindly creature of red skin, long limbs, and a deformed head. Its skull was shaped like a funnel, the top of it empty and spilling dirt from the rim while the bottom was a hole for a mouth, lined with six circular rows of fangs. On each side of its deformed skull were white slits for eyes, milky and without pupils.

The creature rammed its coned head into the jeep once again, this time flipping it on its side. It loosed a strained call into the forest air, like the chirping of a bird only deep and scratchy. On cue, its brothers arrived to surround the overturned vehicle. Their open mouths began to salivate at the meal they had acquired, each creature taking deliberate steps on their spidery legs towards the jeep.

"You were saying about this jeep stopping only when?" Mouth couldn't help but needle Bulk Brown on his earlier proclamation.

"Yeah, yeah, shut up and get out of the jeep before we become dinner!" Bulk said.

Amazingly, no one had been seriously hurt. Any one of them could have been violently ejected from the vehicle with such a blow. Once free of the wreckage, the adults in the group grabbed any weapon they could and formed a circle around the young ones.

"Rensom," Dana said, identifying the creatures that were circling them. "Don't let them get any of their saliva on you. It won't be a fun experience, I can guarantee you."

"Ready?" Bulk Brown said to Bando.

The giant cocked his shotgun and exhaled deeply. "Oh yeah!"

"And what are we supposed to do?" Mouth asked.

"Try not to get killed," Dana answered.

The Rensom had stopped advancing out of caution. They weren't dumb animals and knew that their meal was armed. Regardless, they were not going to be denied their dinner, no matter the injury.

"I just want to say one last time, brother," Echo said as he tugged on Mouth's shirt sleeve. "This truly is, without a doubt, all your fault!"

# The Brothers Locke

# Episode 2: Dangerous Burdens

The last thing Solas wanted to see before getting out of Black Harvester Forest was a flock of Rensom attacking them. At over ten feet tall, the creatures towered over the five members of Solas and their guests, the Locke Brothers.

Legends surrounded the origins of the Rensom. Many people in the West believed the creatures had been grown from the seeds of a demon or created in a doomed lab experiment. The true story was somewhere in between. They were actually creations of a long-since extinct race that had inhabited what was now the city of Avidity. The Nek, as they were known, dabbled in dark science and magic. Combining these two practices created the Rensom, creatures formed by merging a natural species of spider with unnatural organic materials altered through rituals. How the Nek went extinct remained a mystery, but the general thought was that the Rensom had overtaken their masters. With giant inverted cones for heads, spindly legs, and poisonous saliva, these distorted animals were some of the most dangerous in the West.

"There's only three," Bulk Brown said to his team.

"Only," Dana said sarcastically. "Have you ever seen a Rensom before?"

"A few times, actually. Aim for the eyes, blind them, and then take out the rest of the body. You have to be accurate. Shooting them in their heads will do nothing but piss them off."

"Good to know."

One of the creatures advanced, screeching as it went for the closest prey. Bando opened fire and did his best to hit the white eyeballs on either side of the creature's head. None of his bullets hit their mark and instead bounced off the hardened skull. With one swipe of its forelimbs, the animal knocked Bando to the ground.

"Well, that didn't go well," Echo said.

"Kale!" the teenage girl called out.

"Give me your hand," Kale said to the girl. "And for heaven's sake keep your head down, Jocelyn."

The two teenagers looked pretty average on the outside. They wore unassuming clothes, were not particularly tall or muscular, and appeared to be ordinary in every way. Kale had short brown hair, pale skin, and dark green eyes. The girl, Jocelyn, was slightly shorter but thicker in build. Her face was round with rosy cheeks, her blondish-brown hair tied in a ponytail. The only unique thing about her was a mole just to the right of her chin.

"Stay behind me," Bando ordered as he got back to his feet.

The Rensom that had hit him backed off. It twitched its head in a disturbing way and then called to its brothers with what sounded like a cackle. The other two Rensom responded in kind and reared up on their hind legs.

"What's going on, brother?" Echo asked.

Mouth looked around at the animals and bit his lip. "I'm not sure. We need to get away from these people before they get us killed."

"Don't move!" Dana snapped at them. "I'm serious. They'll pick you to pieces if you do."

"I'm sorry, was I talking to you?" Mouth shot back.

"Really, this is not the time to be a smart mouth... Mouth," Dana said as she grabbed him by the shoulder and pushed him to the ground before he could do anything else.

"She pushed me!" Mouth complained to Echo.

"Shoot!" Bulk Brown screamed.

The animals rushed the group from all sides. The muzzles of their guns flashed in the darkness of the forest as bullets flew, people screamed, and animals howled. One of the creatures narrowed its circular mouth to the size of a fist and began spitting at them. Dana pushed Jocelyn and Kale, the intended targets, out of the way. The saliva hit the ground where they had stood with a sizzle.

Any attempt to keep the group together ended with that. The two teens ran off into the darkness of the forest, Bando and Bulk Brown focused their fire on the spitting Rensom, and Dana tried her best to avoid the other two attacking monsters.

"It's now or never," Mouth told his brothers.

"That way," Sharp signed and pointed to the east.

There was a path in that direction and although it was just as black as any other direction, it seemed like the easiest route to take. Echo and Sharp nodded and began to run. They made it eight steps before their path was blocked. With a thud, one of the creatures leapt in their path. Its skull showed the signs of battle, black streaks from the ricocheting bullets tattooing its coned head. With another cackle, it charged. The Locke Brothers tried to avoid it, but the Rensom swung its head in both directions, knocking Echo and Sharp out of its way. It was trying to pick them off one at a time, and the one it had singled out was Mouth.

"Crap!" Mouth shouted.

His legs were taken out from under him, the Rensom sweeping them with its forelimb. On the ground, Mouth was all but finished. He put his hands up out of instinct as the animal bared down with the funneled end of its skull, the mouth gaping as it tried to take a bite out of him. It took every bit of strength Mouth had to keep the creature at bay, pushing upwards as hard as he could against each side of the Rensom's toothy maw. The smell escaping the animal was putrid, a mixture of rotten flesh and onions.

Its head violently lurched to the left. Sharp had found a tree branch to attack it with, trying to save his brother. This seemed to only anger the Rensom. It brushed Mouth aside and began to focus its attack on Sharp. For a moment, he stood his ground, branch in hand. As the monster came closer, Sharp realized he was woefully outmatched. He dropped the branch and began to run down the path he had pointed out earlier. The creature gave chase, but Sharp was quick. He leapt over boulders, darted across moss-covered earth, and ducked under low hanging tree limbs with the same dexterity he had used when fleeing security guards in Avidity.

"Sharp! Sharp!" Mouth called out into the darkness.

"Where is he?" Echo cried.

"He ran off! That thing went after him. You stay here, I'm going to--"

"Turn around!" Bulk Brown shouted to the brothers.

Mouth and Echo leapt out of the way as the carcass of a Rensom careened towards them. Its body just missed them both as it slammed into the dirt and skidded a few feet to a dead stop. Echo looked at what remained. Whatever Bulk Brown had done, it was effective; the creature was twitching as the last bits of life dribbled from the wounds in its abdomen.

Another cry rang out as the last Rensom struck out against Bando. This time, the giant wasn't so lucky as the blow sliced open his shirt. He fell back, grabbing at the wound. Bulk Brown immediately fired, his shots precise. They pierced the orbital socket on the left of the creature's head. It screamed in pain as it retreated a few paces from Bulk.

"Nah, nah!" Bulk Brown taunted. "You've messed with the wrong boys tonight!"

The Rensom twisted its head around like a drill, which allowed its healthy eye to see its assailant. To his credit, Bando had gotten back to his feet and aimed his weapon at the animal. The Rensom's one good eye darted back and forth at both of them. This was more trouble than it was worth. It growled at the two men, moving backwards into the brush. Once it was clear of them, it burrowed the pointed end of its coned head into the ground, tearing away at the earth as it began its retreat. Bulk Brown and Bando watched until it had completely dug its tunnel, off to find easier prey.

"Are you alright?" Bulk asked his friend.

"I'll survive," Bando answered, tearing off his shirt and looking at the wound.

The slash across his chest was bleeding but superficial. Bulk looked him over for a second and then, seeing that his companion was indeed okay, went about the process of surveying the camp.

"Jocelyn! Kale! Get your butts out here!" he called out into the darkness.

On cue, the two teens popped up from behind a tree a few feet away. They had been hiding there the entire time. Somewhat shaken, they returned to the clearing. Bulk couldn't help but crack a smile as the teens looked as if they had soiled themselves.

"Come on, you guys had it lucky. Those things didn't even get near you."

Kale was not amused. "You said nothing about Rensom attacks when we took this job!"

"Yeah, because I planned that," Bulk replied sarcastically. "Quit your crying and gather up whatever isn't broken. Bando and I will get this jeep back up and we're out of here in ten minutes."

"Our brother," Echo spoke up. "We can't leave without him."

"Yeah," Mouth added. "We're not going anywhere without Sharp. And I mean it. You'll have to shoot us before we leave here without him."

"Oh, I don't think you'll have to worry too much," Bando said.

The giant was searching through one of the containers that had been in the jeep. He found medical supplies and began tending to his wound.

"Are you crazy?" Mouth said. "I said we're not leaving here without Sharp. We have to go look for him."

"We're already looking for him," Bando said.

Mouth and Echo were puzzled by this until they realized that Dana was nowhere to be seen. She had gone after Sharp. Mouth let out a sigh of relief.

"So, we wait then? She'll get him back, right?"

"She'll try," Bando smirked.

"It's really not funny."

"Calm down, boy. I'll tell ya one thing about that girl. She's tougher than all of us put together, believe that. If anyone can get your brother back, it's her."

Echo wanted assurances. "And if she doesn't?"

Bando looked over to Bulk Brown who in turn gave the Locke Brothers a glare.

"We leave in ten minutes, with or without them. If we have to tie you up, we'll tie you up."

Mouth curled his lip and marched towards Bulk Brown. Even though this man was built like a bull and twice his size, Mouth was not intimidated. This was his brother they were talking about. Sharp was perhaps the best soul of the three and without him, they were nothing. No creature, man, law, or threat would ever separate them and it was high time he let this man know what the score was.

"I'd like to see you try. I really would."

***

It took several hours to travel from Avidity to Icagoro, but the journey was without incident for Perry. Under the orders of his superior, Sim Sam, Perry had been tasked to deliver an envelope to a particular address within the downtrodden city just north of his home in Avidity.

On the way, he passed a number of brigands and road gangs that dominated the desolate roadways between the two cities. None of them bothered to stop him; all were either already preoccupied with victims or didn't see him as anything worth pursuing. As he approached the city in his company vehicle, Perry had a sinking feeling in his gut.

"Simple. Yeah, right."

Avidity had all means of communication, especially electronic. Even though Icagoro had limited and dilapidated resources, they were still capable of sending and receiving electronic messages by various means. So why did he have to hand deliver an envelope? There wasn't anything simple at all about his task, regardless of what Sim Sam had told him earlier in his office.

He entered the city limits and followed a map that was attached to the vehicle's console. It showed him a path through the dirty streets to his destination: 2311 Ota Street. As he got closer, he noticed it was not in a residential part of the city but its industrial area.

Icagoro-proper was dirty, but the industrial area had a cloud of black pollution hanging overhead, towering smokestacks coughing even more fumes into the atmosphere, and so many warehouses in a state of disrepair that it was a wonder any of them actually functioned.

There it was, 2311 Ota Street. The place was the biggest dump of them all. It was only two stories high with barred windows and a rusted metal facade that had seen better days. Perry stepped outside the vehicle and was immediately overwhelmed by the stench of waste coming from the nearby buildings and an even greater scent of rot coming from his destination. He took a minute to compose himself and then headed towards the entrance. He knocked three times before he got an answer.

"Who are you?" a female voice came from the other side.

"I have a delivery here from Sim Sam of Avidity. I was sent to drop it off."

Perry looked around at his surroundings while he waited for an answer. The area was devoid of anything living, just trash and broken machinery left to rust. He hadn't received an answer, but he came up with an idea that might speed up the process.

"Can I leave this here with you? Do you have a mail slot I can slip this in?"

He thought this would get him out of his task, but it didn't work. With a screech and a groan, the metal doors slowly opened, leaving enough of a crack for Perry to walk inside. Perhaps he could just leave the envelope there in the doorway.

"Hello?" he called out to no answer.

Inside he couldn't see much, but the smell of rot came rushing at him with a burst of hot air. He turned and squinted, his eyes stinging from both the scent and the heat. As he went to kneel down to leave the envelope there, he heard the voice again.

"Come down the hall. We are waiting for you, Perry."

His name on the voice of this woman made him more unsettled than the sickening fumes of the factory. He looked in all directions, trying his best to locate the source. To his left was the faintest hint of an amber light some distance away. He thought briefly to turn and leave. After all, he had done his job and delivered the envelope. For a second, his body turned back to the entrance, but then he stalled.

"Simple," he repeated to himself.

With envelope in hand, Perry reluctantly headed down the hallway towards the amber light. The closer he got, the brighter the light became, illuminating the end of the hallway. An open door awaited him and he stepped across the threshold into a storage room that had been converted into a laboratory.

The walls were lined with man-sized glass containers, filled with bubbling liquid and bathed in the amber light he had seen from outside. Most were empty but a few contained organic material he couldn't readily identify. At this point, the stench was overwhelming and Perry had to cover his mouth and nose with his hand.

"I almost forgot how unsettling it must be to outsiders," the female voice came again, referencing the smell.

"I have the envelope," Perry called out, still unable to see the owner of the voice.

"Leave it on the desk beside you, please."

Perry carefully placed the envelope next to a set of empty beakers, a metallic scale, and a few medical tools. He heard the click of footsteps on metal grating from behind him. He turned and looked up to see an elderly woman descending from a spiral staircase, clipboard in hand. Her face was weathered, unnaturally tanned orange, and half covered by a surgical mask. She wore a pair of glasses with thick black frames that she tilted down her nose as she approached Perry.

"So, you are Sim Sam's contribution?" she asked.

"Contribution?"

"I asked for a simple man and he sent you. And you come and hand me this," she picked up the envelope briefly and then let it drop back onto the desk.

Perry had no desire to continue this conversation. "If that's all, I'll be going now--"

"How is he?" she interrupted.

"Sim Sam? He's ... good."

"Still round?"

Perry laughed, "Yeah, still round. Not that I should be commenting myself."

He patted each side of his round belly with his hands. She wasn't amused, but Perry didn't think she was offended either. The elderly lady instead extended her hand to him.

"I'm Doctor Psi. I've known Sim Sam for a few years and he's quite the interesting specimen."

"Specimen," Perry noted. "Your use of words is ..."

"Suspicious? Don't worry, Perry," Dr. Psi said.

Perry's eyes darted to the glass tubes lining the wall. Dr. Psi offered him a mask to cover his mouth so he could remove his hand. Perry put it on and immediately felt relief from the stench of the room.

"You'd like to know what those are?"

Perry nodded reluctantly, his curiosity getting the best of him. The doctor smiled and walked towards the tubes. She slid her hand down the sleek side of one, the cold glass and her skin causing a squeak as she did.

"This is my work. My signature work. What I'm doing here is trying to find the link between technology and magic in the physiology of the living body." Perry was confused and Dr. Psi recognized it. "To speak plainly, I'm trying to merge magic and science in a body to create something ... new."

"Huh," is all Perry responded with.

"You don't approve?"

"Ever hear about the Rensom? I've never seen one, but the word is they were created by similar experiments some generations ago."

"I'm well aware of those creatures and their actual history. So, you believe I am doing the same?"

Perry tried to smile-away his disapproval. "I really don't have much of an opinion. I'm just a security officer, right?"

"Right."

"Sent here just to deliver this envelope. So, I think I can go now that I've done that."

Dr. Psi continued to smile at him without responding. She held the pose as if frozen in time. Perry was becoming unnerved from her look, which went from genuine to frightening, the smile concealed beneath her mask but the curl of her grin just hinted at one each side of it.

"Right?" Perry asked.

The doctor continued smiling. Perry was done with whatever this game was and decided to make his exit. He turned on his heel only to come face-to-face with a pair of brutes. Both were much taller than him, built of solid muscle and covered in tribal tattoos. Their faces were the same shade of orange as Dr. Psi's, but mostly hidden behind long stringy hair. Some patches were on their forehead, others from their check, others beneath their ears.

Without warning, they grabbed both of Perry's arms and hauled him off his feet. Perry began to protest but to no avail. He had clearly been sent here for something other than a package delivery. It was too late to do anything about it, though. As he was carried off, he began screaming to the doctor, asking her why over and over again.

"Why?" she responded just before Perry was carried from the room. "Because you are a simple man--"

Dr. Psi turned back towards the empty tubes along the wall and removed her doctor's mask. This exposed her deformed mouth: three vertical slits just above her chin and two horizontal ones where normal faces would have cheeks. The outer openings curled into a grin while the center ones stretched, awkwardly displaying six rows of grey teeth. Using these slits, she finished her sentence.

"--and a simple man is exactly what I need."

***

Sharp had been running for a few minutes before he realized that he was no longer being chased. Slowing down, he surveyed the area he was in and saw no sign of the Rensom that had seemed so intent on ripping him apart not too long ago. Instead, his enhanced vision outlined cold trees, swaying brush, and small insect life scurrying around the overgrowth of the forest floor. He turned his head upwards to search the treetops. Outside of a few birds, there was nothing above him that would pose a threat.

His biggest concern now was to find his way back to the group. Of the three Locke Brothers, Sharp was by far the most athletic. Despite his inability to talk, he had been a standout competitor in many sports.

But those days were long behind him. Now, he was lost in a forest with little ability to get back to his brothers. A boulder nearby provided a bit of elevation for him to get a better look at the landscape, so he took the opportunity. Once there, Sharp did his best to retrace his steps. Unfortunately, he had gone too far to be able to see where his group was, or they had already moved on.

Being so focused on trying to find his brothers, Sharp wasn't aware of the danger that was creeping up behind him. The Rensom had tracked him down and using as much stealth as it could, the monster was crawling up through the earth in silence, zeroing in on its intended prey. Its funneled mouth began to salivate as it drew closer and closer to the boy. Only a few more inches and its spindly legs would be within reach.

Sharp adjusted his position on top of the rock and as he did, he sensed something was off. He turned quickly to see the encroaching Rensom just before it attacked. He wasn't fast enough, though, to avoid its swipe. One quick flick of its legs and it managed to jerk Sharp off the boulder into the overgrowth below.

With stealth no longer needed, the giant pulled the rest of its loathsome body up from the dirt and continued its attack. Another swipe, this one managed to cut Sharp's leg. He grimaced as he grabbed at the wound and watched in terror as the monster drew its blood-coated limb to its mouth, sucking the juice from it like it was honey. There was no escape now. Sharp had a pile of boulders behind him and the creature blocking any escape route.

He wouldn't need it, though. Dana appeared out of the darkness and charged the monster. All she managed to do was distract it, but it was enough for Sharp to get out of its reach. While he scampered, Dana taunted the Rensom to follow her back into a cluster of trees. The monster went to swipe at her but the thickness of the forest caused its attacks to be blocked by tree trunks and branches. With each miss, Dana took her own swipes at its limbs. After a few attempts, the animal became frustrated, spitting its acidic saliva at the girl.

"Sharp, can you walk?" Dana called out to the boy as she continued to do her dance-of-avoidance with the animal.

She had forgotten that he couldn't speak, so when she got no response she feared the worse. Between avoiding swipes, Dana continued to scan the area for the boy. He had vanished from her sight.

"Fair enough," she thought. Now she could focus on the monster.

That would be easier said than done. While the density of the forest was working to keep her from being attacked, it was also limiting her ability to get a clear shot at the creature. The Rensom was getting better at taking its swipes, waiting for Dana to get in an area where it wouldn't be impeded by tree trunks. This was its chance. The Rensom charged Dana, squeezing through four trees to get at her, but that would be the animal's undoing. It had to turn its coned head to fit in between, and when it did, Dana stabbed its left eye socket. The Rensom howled in pain and immediately began to retreat. With another grunt, the Rensom burrowed back into the earth, whimpering as it retreated.

"Sharp!" Dana called out again.

The best place to start looking for him was the boulder where she had found him. There was no sign of him. For a moment, she feared he had run off again. It was then that an acorn fell on her shoulder. She brushed it off dismissively and continued her search for the boy. Another one fell, and again she brushed it off. The third acorn hit her with a bit of force, as if it had been thrown. She rubbed the back of her head where it had hit and turned around to see who was throwing them. A rustling could be heard from the canopy above and Dana looked up to see the waving hand of Sharp. He had climbed into the thick foliage of the evergreens and found himself a nice seat in the crook of a large branch.

"There you are," she said.

He began signing to her. From this distance, she couldn't read what he was saying. Instead of protesting, she just decided to climb the tree and join him. It had been years since she had climbed a tree. The feeling of crumbling bark beneath her fingertips, the sweet smell of fresh pine filling her nose, the rough texture of the trunk against her stomach as she climbed all reminded her of her youth. To be a kid again and just climb a tree! But the past was the past, and there was no time to enjoy such things in her life now.

"I forgot you can't talk," she said as she reached his spot in the canopy. "Are you hurt?"

Sharp didn't answer but just gave Dana a downcast look. He then removed a thatch of leaves and twigs from his leg to reveal the cut he had suffered from the Rensom. It wasn't deep, but it was clearly infected. An orange puss had begun to form around the jagged edges of flesh and the bleeding had not stopped.

"Looks painful," Dana said to him. "I've got something for it. I have to warn you, this is going to sting. You're not a little boy I hope."

"You mean 'Am I going to cry like a girl?'" Sharp signed.

"I can read sign language, you know. No, I mean like a little boy. Girls, at least girls like me, don't cry over stuff like this. Now hold your leg straight and take it like a woman!"

A wide smile crossed Sharp's face as he braced himself for the sting. He liked her moxie. Dana was not like most females Sharp had encountered, and the one's he had were few and far between. The Locke Brothers were raised by more domestic women, always providing meals and comfort. They lacked any interest in things like climbing trees or tending to wounds.

"Just one more second," Dana warned him as she took a bottle from her bag and slowly poured a few drops of its contents onto the wound.

Sting wasn't quite the word for it. Burn was more appropriate. His leg was on fire and the sensation lasted for more than an instant. He began blowing on his leg, hoping it would provide some relief.

"I said don't act like a little boy!" Dana playfully snapped at him.

Again, Sharp tried to smile through clenched teeth. After a few more seconds the pain was receding. Now it was just a matter of covering the wound. Dana had two rags in her jacket. They were clean but not quite big enough to cover the entire cut, but it would have to do. Neither of them had any string, but the more pliable vines from the tree would work just the same. They managed to get his leg bandaged and, afterwards, took a moment to rest.

"So now what?" Sharp signed.

"Now? We wait. You're not going anywhere with that leg the way it is now, it'll start burning again if you walk. Give the medicine some time to work and we can get out of this tree and find the others."

"You want to stay here in Black Harvester Forest?"'

"What other choice do we have? Let's just hope that the monsters have other things on their mind tonight."

***

A few miles away, the remainder of the Solas crew and the other two Locke Brothers were packing up the last few items that were not destroyed or lost in the melee earlier. Although the Rensom had not returned, it didn't mean they or other forces would not eventually see this stranded group as a meal or worse. Bando watched the perimeter while Jocelyn and Kale did their best to check off what supplies they still had. Mouth and Bulk Brown had come to an agreement to not discuss the matter of Sharp any further. However, this didn't mean that Mouth was okay with the situation.

"Mouth, you talk a good game and all," Echo said to his brother as they loaded containers into the repaired jeep, "but that's a grown man who is three times your size. I wouldn't push it too far."

"What do you want to do, Echo? Leave Sharp out there?"

"That Dana girl has probably found him by now. I wouldn't worry."

"Yeah, but what if she does and they can't find us? This ape doesn't seem too concerned with it."

"Ape? That was a rather lazy insult. More like... buffalo butt."

"Neanderthal."

"Blunt skull."

"Knuckle dragging nutter."

"Bad breath bulky boo boo!"

"What are you two blabbering on about?" came Bulk's heavy voice from behind them.

The brothers turned to him with grins on their faces. He hadn't heard what they said, but he suspected whatever it was, it wasn't too kind. Bulk's forehead wrinkled and his hairline shifted downward as he grunted at the boys.

"Y'all really trying my patience, ya know? We're out of here as soon as Kale and Jocelyn are finished. Bando! Get this jeep started. We're leaving," Bulk ordered.

Mouth's grin turned to a frown, "You know we can't do that."

"I say we're leaving and we're leaving. Got it?"

"Okay, let's just think about this. You are missing someone just like we are. Wouldn't it make sense for us to wait here so they both can come back?" Echo tried to reason, standing between Bulk Brown and his increasingly agitated brother.

"Actually, no. There's more going on than you know. We have to get moving. Just get in the jeep. You don't have to worry about your brother."

"That's not good enough!" Mouth shouted. "He could be hurt."

"And Dana will take care of him. Trust me. We need to go. She knows what to do."

With that, Bulk waved to Bando who had given him a thumbs-up on the vehicle. He turned the key and the jeep started up, coughing out a cloud of black smoke as it did. Kale and Jocelyn brought the last pieces of salvage to the jeep and carefully placed them inside. Mouth and Echo just stood there in defiance. They were not going to leave. There was no way.

"He's really not that bad a guy," Kale said to the brothers.

"Yeah, he's just leaking kindness," scoffed Mouth.

Jocelyn added, "If you get to know him, he really isn't that bad. Bulk is rough around the edges and grumpy at the best of times, but he's got a good soul."

"You really think we're leaving our brother out here in Black Harvester Forest?" protested Echo.

"Bulk knows what he's doing, guys. Believe me, we know that first hand," said Kale.

The two teenagers entered the jeep and strapped themselves into their seats. Mouth and Echo stared at each other, each one wondering what the other thought. Should they trust these people, a group named Solas that they had never heard of before and so far hadn't shown any great reason to trust them? Sure, they had saved them from Von Strauss but that didn't mean they had the their best interests in mind.

"Are you two getting in or are we going to have to force you?" Bulk called out from the passenger's seat.

"I don't like this, Echo," said Mouth.

"We don't have a choice. And I don't feel like getting tied to this jeep, so let's just go with them and hope these kids are telling the truth about this Bulk Brown guy."

Mouth twisted his lip and chewed on the idea. His gut told him it wasn't right to leave his brother out here. But perhaps these people could be trusted with this at least. Besides, a part of him wanted to see what this was really all about and there was only one way to find out.

"Twelve hours," Mouth said to Echo. "If they haven't done anything in twelve hours, I don't care what that ape says--"

"Bad breath bulky," Echo chimed in.

"--we're going to find Sharp on our own."

Mouth and Echo entered the jeep but not without Mouth giving Bulk Brown the most serious of glares. At that moment, Bulk gained a small measure of respect for the boys.

***

About twenty minutes after being patched up, the pain in Sharp's leg was beginning to abate. Dana had a few sticks of a granola snack in her pack and gave one to Sharp, but it wasn't nearly enough for him to be satiated. He hadn't eaten in nearly twenty-four hours and after all the running, explosions, confrontations, and confusion, he was famished. Still, some food is better than no food.

Dana was not eating. She had her eyes trained on the perimeter of their tree perch. Although she wasn't expecting any danger, it was still best to keep an eye open. This forest was dangerous and there were unseen threats everywhere.

"If I didn't know that this place was so perilous I would think it was peaceful," Dana commented. "It's dark. It's quiet. I like that."

"You like dark and quiet?" Sharp signed.

"Sometimes. No one can see you, right? Some people think it's scary because they can't see and all they can do is hear. For me, it means they can't see me. It can be an advantage."

Sharp shrugged his shoulders and looked off in another direction. Forms were moving off in the distance and even though he could see what most of them were with his enhanced vision, there were a couple forms that were odd to him. Some were shrouded in darkness so they appeared as oily shadows moving across the ground. Others were blinking in and out of his vision, like they were whole one moment and dissipated the next.

"You know we're not the bad guys here, Sharp?" Dana asked him out of the blue.

He turned back to her. She was focused on a piece of bark that had broken off from her climb up. She twirled it between her fingers like a souvenir.

"The Dea is a cold place sometimes. And not just here in the West. The East isn't the bastion of truth and happiness that they try to make it seem. I never really bought the whole 'the West is evil, the East is good' thing. There are quite a few horrific people I've met from the East. Don't get me wrong, the fact that there are actual demons in the West and that big disgusting cesspool of corruption called Avidity certainly gives the West an advantage in the scumbag department, but things aren't so black and white."

Dana reached into her jacket and pulled out folded map. She carefully unfolded it and Sharp could see why. The thing was tattered and worn; its edges curled and its surface dotted with stains and smudges. It looked like it would fly out of her hands if a strong enough breeze came along.

"They make it seem like it is when you look at this though," Dana said.

Sharp moved a bit closer to Dana to see the map. He hadn't seen a full map of the Dea in a long time and there were so many places he had never seen. The Locke Brothers had been to both sides of this map but had only seen a select few places in their travels. The world was so expansive he doubted if anyone had actually visited every spot on the map.

The creative hand that had penned this map made it in brilliant colors: the West surrounded by the night sky and a quarter moon while the East sat on a background of fluffy clouds and a brilliant sun. All of the famed locations Sharp had heard about growing up were represented here, from Odim's Spire, a giant diamond pyramid dead-center in the snowy north, to the towering skyscrapers of Avidity, to more joyful spots like the carnival city Cirque De Babel and the candy-filled Confection Fields. There were other places he didn't recognize, like the empty abyss that hung off the bottom edge of the West and the dolphin fin shaped structure in the northwest that he swore had a smile drawn on it. But there, split into two halves by the Lake of Drowned Souls, was their location: Black Harvester Forest.

"It's beautiful when you look at it as a whole. But see that dividing line of clouds snaking through the middle? That's supposed to represent the division between the light and the dark. What this map doesn't tell you, though, is that the position of those clouds changes often. Visually it's nice, but that's not reality."

"Have you been there?" Sharp asked.

"Along the borders? Many times. I've seen more of the Dea than anyone could imagine. If there's one thing I can tell you for certain, it's even more wondrous than it seems on this piece of paper. It's our world and even though it's not perfect, it is worth saving."

"Saving?" Sharp signed.

Dana let her words linger with him. So there was more to this than Sharp knew, but saving the world? That seemed a bit of a stretch. Avidity was into corruption and power and money, not world destruction. He didn't want to protest any further as Dana seemed disinterested in giving him any more information. Frankly, it scared him a little.

"You sound doubtful and hopeful at the same time," Sharp signed to Dana.

"You could say that. I've seen some pretty horrible things. Maybe it makes me jaded."

"What horrible things?"

Dana tried to smile away his question but Sharp's piercing almond eyes wouldn't let her shy away from his question. She paused before answering.

"I'll tell you this, when people have expectations of you because of things other people told them or what they want to believe you are, it's a burden. A dangerous burden. Some people look to you and see someone who can fix all their problems, and that's a bad thing. Others look at you and see someone who is a threat."

She pushed the sleeve of her jacket down to expose her left shoulder. Sharp saw the scars there, jagged and ugly. "I've had to learn that other people just want to use you ultimately, especially if they think you're special. It's not all it's cracked up to be. I'm sure you and your brothers know that. I imagine you've been used more times than you can count."

Sharp nodded in agreement. He began to think about what he and his brothers had endured since they were very young. Even with all the uniqueness the Dea offered, being triplets with the ironic abilities and disabilities they possessed made them targets for ridicule and abuse. The only time they felt in control of themselves was when they were trying to be thieves or running with mercenaries that used them for their unique talents. Was either better in the long run?

"Just know that even though Solas needs you, we have no intention to use you like expendable fodder. You'll find out more when we join up with the team again."

Sharp pushed Dana back against the bark of the tree, keeping them both out of the limited light from the moon above. Dana began to protest when Sharp put his index finger to his lips and then pointed down to the ground below. She turned her head to see what he was pointing to and realized why he had moved so suddenly.

"I never thought I'd see them," signed Sharp.

A stream of blue-black light flowed across the moss covered ground beneath Dana and Sharp. A river of luminescence was pouring through the foliage, brilliantly bright blues and greens glowing in the blackness of the forest with a darker substance at its core. As the stream progressed, larger forms could be seen within, motes darting up from and down into the glowing current like fireflies dancing over a lake. Later, full apparitions appeared, shining even brighter in the dark of the forest, bathing every bark and branch in the same haunting cerulean.

"It's the dead, heading back to the Lake of Drowned Souls," Dana commented. "It's a first for me. Be glad we're up here and they can't see us. To be caught in the Stream of the Dead is to join them in the journey, they say."

After a minute, the stream ended. All that was left behind was the fading illumination on the nearby trees and the smell of jasmine lingering in the air. A peculiar scent, Sharp thought. It reinforced the experience as being both terrifying and beautiful.

"We've got about an hour until your leg should be feeling better," said Dana. "We will be on our way then."

"On our way where?" asked Sharp.

"To meet the others. They took the jeep to our next stop, if Bulk followed the plan, which I'm sure he did. We are going to take a different route."

She paused for a moment to observe Sharp's surprised expression.

"Did you think we were just going to stay here? No, I know where they're going. The plan was supposed to be that I separate from the group and meet them there afterwards, as backup in case something went wrong. Bulk has to get there by tomorrow morning though. He's carrying something too important to wait."

***

Dawn, or what passed for dawn in the West, was creeping up on the Solas crew as they emerged from the forest and into the plains beyond. They were heading north to a destination still not revealed to Echo and Mouth, but the brothers would not stop trying to find an advantage, a chance, an opportunity of some kind to get out of their present situation.

Even though they doubted that Solas had malicious intentions for them, they still were not too keen on leaving their brother behind with a stranger. They were also suspicious of why they were needed. No one would talk and the uneasiness of having no answers to their questions was grinding away at their minds like a toothpick being slowly pressed into a skull.

"We're running low on fuel," Bando said to Bulk. "How much farther?"

"Not far?" Bulk answered, a map in one hand and a cigar in the other. "I know you didn't want to be back in the field, but I appreciate it. Believe me, wrangling all these youngin's by myself would have been torture."

"Well us oldheads need to stay together, right?"

"Hey, you remember back about two years ago? We were locked up in the East because of some crap job we did for the Council."

Bando laughed, "Yeah, yeah, I remember that run. You left me to do all the hard work myself."

"Oh no no no no, brother," Bulk sarcastically replied. "I did what's called in higher and more learned circles 'self-preservation'."

Bulk snickered to himself as he twirled his cigar between his fingers. Bando couldn't help but laugh. The two had history, although sporadic. For some eight years, they had been paired up under one banner or another doing odd jobs for powerful men and women. They'd do a job for a few weeks and afterwards would not see one another for years. In the last year, Bulk had taken up a new job in the East that was very cushy, but he refused to tell Bando exactly what it was.

"That's all before you became soft," Bando said. "And soft for you is bad for me. It means I'll be doing double the work on this job."

"Please!" Bulk protested. "Remember who took down those Rensom a few hours ago while you were crying on the ground over a scratch."

"I wasn't crying."

"I saw a tear."

"Then you need to get your eyes checked. I wasn't crying."

"No, I saw a tear, I'm sure."

"And you took down one Rensom, it's not like they're smart or anything."

"Smart enough to knock your big behind on the ground..."

"That's not how it went."

"... crying ..."

"Not at all."

"... asking for your mommy."

Bando gave Bulk a playful, but powerful, jab to the shoulder. Bulk immediately protested and grabbed at his arm with a wince.

"Man, stop playing around with your big ol' hands... hitting me in the shoulder, you must be crazy... just because you're mad."

Bando smirked, "Is that a tear I see?"

The two went quiet for a second and then started laughing. Bulk took another puff of his cigar and threw what remained out the window. His arm was still a bit sore from the giant's playful punch but it was all in good fun.

"Old people," Echo muttered to himself.

"Keep it quiet back there," Bulk admonished him. "This is grown folks talk."

"If you say so," Echo responded.

"What did they say? I couldn't hear," Mouth asked his brother whose hearing was many times stronger than his own.

"Nothing important. Just old men trying to be funny."

"I cannot wait to get this over with," Bulk said. "You two have done nothing but cry since we picked you up. And 'you're welcome,' by the way, for saving you from Von Strauss."

"Oh, we're appreciative," Mouth responded. "We'd be more appreciative if you told us where we're going."

"We're here," Bando said with perfect timing.

The jeep had pulled up to a dusty outpost surrounded by barren land and tumbleweeds. The wind had picked up and was pushing swirls of sand into the air. Echo and Mouth got out of the jeep first and looked around to see if they recognized anything here. There was nothing but golden-brown dirt and the red sky of the West, darkened by the grey clouds that hung overhead.

Before them was a lone building, its sides reinforced with rusted metal and its windows boarded up with lazily nailed wooden planks. The strong winds pushed against the little shack, causing its windmill to spin and the metal to creak and moan. Bulk and Bando calmly walked towards the structure with curiosity and caution. Jocelyn and Kale went about the business of removing equipment from the jeep.

"You two stay out here," Bulk said to the teens. "This kind of thing ain't for you."

Echo noted the warning, "And what about us? We can stay out here too?"

"Yeah, your summer home is looking a bit raggedy there, Bulk," Mouth added.

"You two are the reason we're here in the first place. You wanted to know where we were going. This is it."

One of the metal sides of the building fell off and skittered across the ground. Mouth watched it blow away and crossed his arms.

"You have got to be kidding," he said.

"Yeah, it's time for you to level with us. What is this?" Echo said.

Bulk and Bando glared at each other for a moment. With a huff, Bulk walked towards the brothers and reached into his pocket. Startled at his sudden move, Echo and Mouth backed away from him. He raised his hand to assure them that he wasn't going to harm them and then pulled an object from his pocket.

"This," he said as he showed them a clear memory cube.

"And what's on that?" Mouth asked.

"Information about what you stole from Avidity. We had hoped to have both to give to these guys but we'll have to negotiate since you lost the box."

Echo saw fit to argue. "Uh, we didn't lose it. We were almost killed for it."

"We got double-crossed," Mouth added. "They tried to pay us scraps for what it's worth."

Bulk raised his eyebrows. It took a second for Mouth to recognize the expression on Bulk's face and then realized that he knew more about what they had stolen than Solas did.

"You don't know?" he said, half in realization and half out of joy.

"Wait, you saw what it was?" Bulk asked.

"Yes, he looked in the box," Echo explained. "Only him. He still hasn't told me or Sharp what's in the thing."

"You looked in the box?" Bulk repeated.

The smile on Mouth's face quickly turned to a look of concern. As childishly gleeful as he had been for having something finally to hang over Bulk Brown's head, it appeared that his knowledge might be more trouble than it was worth.

"Well, yeah. I wanted to know if we were getting shafted, and we were! So I took a peek."

"Mouth, come out with it," Echo told his brother. "What was in the box? What did Von Strauss take with him?"

Everyone had now gathered around Mouth, their eyes fixed on him waiting for an answer. Echo was impatient while Bulk and Bando seemed to be more concerned than angry.

"The Key of the Spire," he finally said.

"The Key of the Spire?" Kale repeated. "What's that?"

"Boy, didn't you go to school?" Bulk said. "The Spire! You know, that giant diamond way up north that no one has ever known why it's there or what it's for?"

"Oh," Kale said. "That Key of the Spire."

"Are you sure that's what it was?" Bando asked Mouth.

"As sure as you are ugly."

Bando ignored the insult. "You know what this means, Bulk?"

"Yeah, I know what it means." Bulk put the memory cube into his pocket as if he had no intention now of giving it to whoever was in the shack. "We've got to play this smart. Bando, keep your head on a swivel. You know how we do this. Mouth and Echo, say absolutely nothing. I want to see what they know before we get any further into this."

"I still opt for the 'stay out here with Kale and Jocelyn' plan," Echo said.

Bando grabbed him by the arm and pushed him towards the door. Mouth and Echo started to walk towards the shack, their anxiety over the situation growing with each step they took over sand and rock.

Echo began to whisper to his brother, "The Key of the Spire? The Key of the Spire! Really, Mouth? And you didn't think to tell us?"

"We've been a little busy," Mouth said. "Plus, you and Sharp didn't seem to want to know."

"Well, that's true. I didn't want to know because I didn't want to get in any deeper than we already were."

"There you go, then."

Echo pulled his brother closer to him as they continued to inch towards the shack. "But you're talking about something that is near mythological. Actually, it is mythological. Every powerful creature in the West and the East would give their first, second, and third born children for that thing and you mean to tell me that's what we stole from The Miscellany?"

"Yes, and what Solas seems to know about it, or doesn't know, makes me uneasy going in here."

"What was The Miscellany doing with it?" Echo puzzled to himself.

"Let's go, you two," Bando nudged them towards the shack.

Bulk cautiously opened the doors and entered. The brothers and Bando followed him slowly. The interior of the shack was as rundown as the outside. The walls were not much more than cinder block and broken windows. Debris littered the floor, water stains sadly coated the ceiling from the substandard plumbing, and the entire place looked as if it hadn't been used in years. The wind outside was kicking up again and whistled through the cracks in the dusty windows. The rattle of rocks and pebbles pelting the metal exterior surrounded them in the dimly lit shack.

"Yeah, not creepy at all," Mouth commented.

"We're here, you can stop hiding!" Bulk bellowed. "Come on and talk to us."

No response came. They all looked around the room, waiting for something or someone to move. But nothing did. Four light bulbs overhead buzzed as they tried desperately to stay alive. For a brief moment they shined brightly, bathing the filthy room in their golden glow.

Something shifted in the corners during that moment. Bulk saw it out of the corner of his eye and stepped forward to the center of the room. The others followed as he raised his hand, palm outward, to the corner.

"Come on now, let's get this done," he said.

From out of the four corners of the room emerged winged figures, their bodies a sickly green, heads small and narrow, and eyes blacker than oil. As abnormal as they appeared, even more frightening was what they carried in their veiny hands. Each had a dagger, dirty but lethal. Before they knew it, Bulk and his companions were surrounded on all sides, the point of each dagger aimed at them. Mouth and Echo wilted at the creatures as they stretched their leathery wings to form a barrier around them.

"We thank you for this offering," a familiar voice came from the shadows of the room. Von Strauss casually strolled behind the wall of winged creatures, his posture that of a man in complete control. "Give us the cube and one may live, or refuse and all will die!"

# The Brothers Locke

# Episode 3: The Gold of Captain Horsefly

Kale and Jocelyn didn't understand why they had been made to wait outside the shack while Bulk Brown, Bando and the Locke Brothers were having their mysterious meeting. There was nothing but sand, dust, tumbleweed, and the darkened sky of the West to keep them entertained. Instead of just sitting around wondering what was going on, they decided to play a game of cards.

"It's your move," said Jocelyn who had the winning hand.

"I'm thinking, don't rush me Joc," responded Kale who was doing his best to try and not look as if he was outmatched.

Jocelyn rarely lost a card game to Kale. If he was honest about it, Kale would admit that he had a unique talent for losing card games. It was one of the last things that he wanted to do right now but unfortunately it was all they had brought with them to pass the time. Jocelyn on the other hand was gleeful at having the chance to beat her friend at cards.

"Your smirking isn't making me want to play any faster."

"I'm not smirking," Jocelyn protested. "I'd say it's more of a grin."

"Grin. Smirk. They're the same thing."

"Actually, no. A grin is a display of pleasure. A smirk is a sign of arrogance."

"Okay, so you're doing both."

Jocelyn briefly attempted to hide her face but couldn't help but burst into a full smile. Kale didn't notice at first. He was deep in thought, but once he looked up, he huffed disgustedly and threw his cards down.

"I can't play cards with you," he grunted.

"You can't play cards at all Kale."

"That's probably right. But that's not the point. We're supposed to be passing the time."

Kale opened the door to the jeep and stepped outside. Jocelyn followed him after gathering the cards. There had been no movement or noise from the shack since their companions had entered. Ten minutes had passed and Kale was beginning to worry. What if the others were dead? How would they get home? The jeep was low on gas and they had no knowledge of any nearby fueling stations.

"I hope they're okay," Jocelyn said as she shuffled the cards.

"I hope they're alive. Otherwise, we're screwed out here."

Von Strauss' ego was on full display for his newly acquired prisoners. He had a captive audience -- Bulk Brown, Bando and the two Locke Brothers -- trapped by a circle of winged creatures holding sharp blades in their hands and scowls on their faces.

"Marvelous creatures they are," Von Strauss pontificated, his German accent thick.  "Bascelics may be terrifying. I think it's the eyes ... so sullen and emotionless."

"I think the knives in their hands are what's bothering me right now," Mouth muttered.

"You have to look deeper though," Von Strauss continued, ignoring Mouth's comment. "These wings for example. Elegant in design and yet simplistic. A perfect hybrid of wild animal and natural man."

"So these are creations of yours?" Bulk Brown asked.

"No, not mine. As much as I admire the abilities that go into making such creatures I do not have the background to do it. This is a creation of a more seasoned mind. Magic and technology, one in the same sometimes, no?"

While Von Strauss continued on with his speech, Mouth and Echo kept their eyes on the Bascelics. Each of the creatures stood like statues, their posture erect and their muscles frozen in a threatening pose. Every so often their wings would twitch involuntarily, which only added to their eldritch appearance. Bando and Bulk Brown were more concerned with Von Strauss as he was clearly in charge. At this moment, he could order the monsters to strike and there would be little they could do about it.

"We were supposed to meet up with another party here," Bulk Brown said. "What did you do with them?"

"They've been taken care of," Von Strauss replied cryptically.

"So you just thought you'd take their place huh? And you really thought we'd just hand this over to you?"

"I was thinking more like I would take it from you."

"With these playthings you brought with you. No, no, no man. That's not how this plays out."

Bando cleared his throat before speaking, "Why do you need the cube anyway? What does this have to do with you?"

Von Strauss grunted in acknowledgment of Bando's question.

"If you're trying to get me to explain what my 'master plan' is you're wasting your breath Mr. Bando. My reasons for getting the cube are none of your concern."

Bulk wasn't happy with the answer, "Come off it man! You know what's on the cube so stop with all the theatrics and get on with it."

"Let's just say it is necessary for my employer. As I'm sure it is for yours. Unfortunately, there can only be one winner in all of this."

"Winner?" laughed Mouth. "You're a joke Von Strauss."

Bulk Brown glared at him. Mouth noticed the look but ignored it. He was done letting these adults control this situation. It had brought nothing but problems since the start. His brother was missing and now he and Echo were stuck in the middle of a game between a bunch of mercenaries. He was going to let Von Strauss know what he thought about him if it was the last thing in his life he'd do.

"Whatever you two are debating doesn't matter to me. There's still the matter of payment. We did a job for you and you kidnapped us and threatened us. Now you're doing it again. I mean, talk about unprofessional!"

"Mouth, I really don't think this is the time to list your grievances with our former client," Echo interrupted.

"I said keep your mouth shut!" Bulk whispered to Mouth.

"No, this has to be said. You're a filthy crook Von Strauss! Whoever it is you are working for you're probably planning on backstabbing them as well. Now, I'm just a kid and I know I'm not supposed to know what's going on, but there used to be a code that we all followed."

"Shut it Mouth!" Bulk said, louder this time through his clenched teeth.

With a tap of the shoulder, Von Strauss made one of the Bascelics lower its weapon and back away from the circle. Von Strauss took the creature's spot, as close to Mouth as he could. There was no fear in Mouth, almost foolishly so. He didn't wither from Von Strauss and stared harshly back at his captor.

"We hired you and your brothers because we thought you'd be little trouble to deal with. Clearly, I was wrong about that. You have become quite a pain lately."

"That's one of my gifts," Mouth said with a smirk.

"No matter. Even though you're a pain you're not a threat. In fact, you are of such little consequence to this whole thing I might even let you go just to amuse myself."

"Little consequence?" Mouth repeated Von Strauss' words, the insult clear on his voice. "Let me tell you something ..."

"Not one more word Mouth!" Bulk said.

"... I know a lot more than you think I do. You think you've got some master plan? You think we're just some dumb kids who don't know anything? You think you can just rob us blind?"

"Oh no," Bulk sighed.

"I know what the Key of the Spire is. And you thought you could just pay us nothing for it? Then just take it? You clearly don't know who you're messing with."

Bulk turned to Echo. "Does he ever shut up?"

"No, not really," Echo replied.

"Change of plans." Von Strauss ordered the Bascelics to lowered their knives and back away from the captives. "We're taking the cube and the boy."

"Excuse me?" said Mouth.

"Not only have you talked too much, but now you've seen too much. But we can fix that. Grab the boy."

"Hey!" Mouth protested as the Bascelics took hold of both of his arms.

The creatures were stronger than they looked, their grip like vices around his wrists. Mouth could do very little to resist without causing himself more pain. Bulk and Bando made a motion towards them but the Bascelics hissed at them.

"They will rip the boy apart if you don't back off and hand over the cube. I'd much rather question him alive but there are ways to do that if he's dead too. Hand it over Bulk!"

"Did you hear that?" Kale asked Jocelyn.

"Hear what?"

"Over there. Behind the shed."

Jocelyn turned her head and looked in the direction Kale was pointing. The sand had kicked up again but through the golden haze she could make out a figure coming down the sandy hill. Her eyes widened as she put away her cards.

"Well, I guess it's time to go to work."

"Time's ticking away Bulk. Hand over the cube," Von Strauss demanded again, his minions tightening their grip on Mouth's wrists. "Or, should I have these beautiful creations rip this boy into two pieces?"

All eyes were on Bulk now. Mouth and Echo had a panicked look on their faces. They were trying to figure out whether or not Bulk valued the information on the cube more than Mouth's life. So far, they hadn't thought of him as callous but then again he had never been put to the test like this. Bando was more concerned with the Bascelics who had now formed a wall between them and the door. Whatever they were going to do, they'd have to do it quick because there was little chance of them fighting their way out of the shed at this point.

"Fine then," Von Strauss said suddenly.

A scratching could be heard from the far wall. It was growing louder and louder, commanding the attention of everyone in the shed. Von Strauss motioned to one of the creatures to investigate. It did slowly, dragging its body towards the sound's origin. It made a few inquisitive sounds before lowering down on its haunches and pressing its pointed ear against the wall.

The second its skin made contact with the surface the wall erupted in a shower of fire, mortar, dust and metal. This was their cue. Bando and Bulk tackled the Bascelics who were holding Mouth and immediately shouted for the brothers to leave. They didn't have to say it twice. Echo grabbed his brother and both exited the building. Kale and Jocelyn were waiting outside with the jeep ready to go.

Inside, the scene had turned into chaos. A cloud of smoke and falling debris filled the small shed. Through the newly created opening came a familiar face.

"That's my girl!" Bulk Brown laughed.

Dana marched through the opening with a look on her face so deadly it even made her friends take a step backwards. Von Strauss didn't know how she had managed it but that didn't matter. The girl was talented, that was for certain. The Bascelics were disoriented, howling at the ceiling in pain. The building's integrity had been compromised and the walls were beginning to buckle under the weight of the roof. Von Strauss knew he had lost this round and without another word, followed Dana through the opening.

He didn't get very far as the roof collapsed just as he touched the jagged edges of the hole. Dana turned and watched as the entire shed imploded into a plume of dust and smoke. She then retrieved a case sitting a few yards from the shed and headed back to the jeep.

"Let's go!" Bando shouted as he took his seat behind the wheel.

Mouth and Echo had made it to the van and were pleasantly surprised at who was already sitting inside. Sharp was there waiting for them, his expression a mix of concern and joy as his eyes locked with that of his siblings. They hugged briefly before Dana hopped into the jeep, shoving the large case she carried with her into the back.

"Finally found a use for those explosives," she said. "I don't know what those things were but I don't think we want to wait around and find out."

"We're out of here," Bando said.

The oversized jeep kicked up more dust into the air as it sped away from the scene. They left behind them a demolished outpost and hopefully, for their sake, the remains of Von Strauss and his mutated henchmen.

***

Sim Sam hadn't traveled outside of Avidity for a few years. In the past, others who worked directly for the city's leader -- The Miscellany -- would often go beyond the city's borders to broker deals, spread word about their utopia of technology, or other less-than-honorable reasons.

Times were different now. There was a change in the Dea, especially in the West, that required a more hands-on approach from Sim Sam. With a few bodyguards at his side, he headed north from the sparkling city of technology and lights to the more desolate, industrialized metropolis of Icagoro. His contact there, a female scientist, had been sent a new test subject and Sim Sam was eager to see the results of her work.

He entered the seemingly abandoned warehouse, doing his best to ignore the dilapidated conditions in which the woman lived and worked. The place was essentially a rusted dump with corrosion and decay teeming from every inch of the building. Deep inside was her lab and it was here that he waited patiently for her.

"I hope I didn't keep you waiting too long," Doctor Psi apologized as she entered the room, her hands gloved and covered in red stains. "It's been a day of breakthroughs."

"Your work is important, that's why I'm here. I can afford to wait a few minutes," Sim Sam replied.

Doctor Psi took off the gloves and disposed of them but kept her mask on, hiding a unique row of vertical slits that made up her mouth. She motioned for Sim Sam to come closer to her desk where piles of papers littered the surface. He peered over the documents and tried to decipher what he could from the many notes and calculations. It was a foreign language to him so he thought it best to let the scientist break it down into words he could understand.

"So," she said with a hint of glee in her voice, "the first few experiments, as you know, didn't go so well. All the patients responded negatively to the treatment. Most of them didn't survive the first series of tests. This last one, the security guard you sent ..."

"Perry," Sim Sam said, recalling the man's name.

"... yes him. By the Dea, Sim Sam, he worked out extraordinarily well!"

"What made him so special?"

"Size and will. I'd suspect the will had more to do with it, but his size allowed him to take on more material than previous subjects. His body didn't reject them. After a while it absorbed the new material. As for his will, well I think that has a lot to do with him being a family man. Most of the others were vagrants and castoffs that had no one in the world. But Perry, he has a wife. He has children. He wanted to go back to them so badly, you should have heard the screams! Such passion! But after the first few hours he settled and accepted. Once that happened, the rest was easy."

The woman had no compassion clearly, and even though Sim Sam was a man who put business above all else, he couldn't help but be unnerved to a small degree by the complete lack of care Doctor Psi had for Perry. Then again, he also understood she couldn't have any for him. This was a science experiment to her, nothing more. To look at Perry's status as a family man with any human emotion -- instead of as a variable in an equation -- would make her work impossible.

"Well then, let's see what you've managed to cook up my dear," Sim Sam said.

Behind her mask he could see that Doctor Psi was smiling. Her array of slits curled causing the corners of her chin to wrinkle in an unusual manner. To Sim Sam, Doctor Psi had a charm all her own and her unique face only added to his adoration for her. She held his hand gently as she led him further into her laboratory, leaving his guards behind.

Through a set of metal doors was another chamber near the back of the lab. The orange glow of the lights in the main lab were snuffed out here. The only light came from a few dimly lit computer monitors. Doctor Psi pushed gently back against Sim Sam, asking him to wait while she walked further into the darkness. After a few moments she emerged with another person at her side.

It was the security officer, Perry, but he was changed. The sheer work of Doctor Psi, and her demented artistry, was evident in the creature that slumped its way towards Sim Sam. His skin was ashen and the texture of dried dirt; cracked and withered. All that covered him was a loose tunic made of stitched together rags. His pronounced belly was even larger now as if filled to bursting with materials of various geometric shapes, poking against his flesh as if demanding to be released. His legs were covered in insect hair that twitched as he walked, his arms surgically altered and adorned with small horns of some wild animal. His shoulders were a mountain range of muscles that were so overgrown they pushed against the bottom of his ears. The most remarkable transformation was his head which had apparently been destroyed and reformed. It was now a patchwork of scars, stitches and staples that decorated his bald head.

"Amazing isn't he?" Doctor Psi sighed with pride.

Sim Sam was impressed with her work but his face belied the concerns he held. He walked around the creature, no longer a man and not quite an animal, as it labored to breathe.

"Can it even move?" he asked. "No offense meant to your technique, not at all. What you've done here is a masterful work, no doubt. But he doesn't look too agile. I mean, I'm a big boy and I think I can outrun this guy from the looks of things."

"Believe me, he's faster than he looks. Mongrel is the most lethal hybrid I've ever made."

"Mongrel," Sim Sam chewed on the name.

The hybrid grunted to itself and raised its right hand into the air, stretching and contracting it from fist to palm and back again. It marveled at its limb, entranced by either it's rough composition or the sensation of flexing its tendons. With another huff, Mongrel lowered its right arm back to its side and remained eerily still.

"It suits him," Sim Sam exclaimed. "I trust that more tests need to be run Doctor?"

"Oh yes, there is so much more to be done before he can be ... released."

"Then I'll let you get back to work. The Miscellany will be more than happy to compensate you for your efforts here."

"He's just happy I keep my work outside of his precious city," the doctor scoffed.

"Not a fan of my city?" Sim Sam asked.

Doctor Psi paused before answering, choosing her words wisely to not offend a man who she did hold admiration for. "It's not the city itself, it's what it represents. It's not really part of the West. It doesn't look like part of the West."

"Things aren't always what they seem now are they?"

Sim Sam's words lingered between the two. While Doctor Psi could not disagree with Sim Sam's assertion that Avidity was not everything it seemed: a shimmering city of glass and technology based on an evolved social view, she also could not deny that it's very presence in the West was a contradiction. Icagoro had the dirt, the grime, the dystopian atmosphere that she thrived on for inspiration and isolation. Avidity was a contrast to all of that. However, they were funding this project, and she was not about to bite the hand that feeds.

"No, they are not," she finally answered.

***

"I'm hungry," Mouth complained to the rest of the passengers in the jeep. "I haven't eaten in hours. I'm dirty. I'm tired. Really, a bath wouldn't be unwelcome at this point either."

"Or a shower," Echo added.

'Both,' Sharp finished.

"We won't be doing anything if we don't find a gas depot or something out here," Bulk Brown said, his finger tapping the gas meter which was hovering below empty. "We've got maybe another mile."

"Where are we?" Echo asked.

"Well, we're trying to get to The Great Manacle. Maybe we can pick up some fuel on the way there."

The brothers looked at the landscape around them. The horizon showed nothing but desert. At best, it would be miles before they came across any fuel station, and a quick glance at the gas gauge in the jeep assured that they'd run out of gas before they got anywhere near The Great Manacle.

"I have an idea we're not going to make it," Mouth whispered to his brothers.

As if on cue, the jeep began to sputter and jerk until it crawled to a complete stop. Bando protested that they should have at least enough gas to get further down the road but no one else was really buying it.

"I'm telling you, this jeep isn't empty. It's something else," he continued to argue.

"Yeah, right," Mouth scoffed as he exited the vehicle.

The rest of the occupants followed. To their surprise, they weren't alone. Just a few yards down the road was another vehicle on the side of the road with two young men surrounding it. They had seen the stalled jeep and were on their way towards Solas and the brothers.

"Hey! Hey!" one of the two men called out.

"Should we talk to them?" Dana asked Bulk.

He peered at the two men and scratched his temple before answering, "I don't think we have much of a choice. Keep your eyes open though."

"Gotcha."

Bulk walked towards the two men to meet them some distance from both stalled vehicles. The young men were in their early twenties, their skin tanned and rough, their arms covered in tattoos. Each had gold rings through their eyebrows and embedded in their chins.

"I'm Shindar and this is Munlar, nice to meet you," the taller of the two said, extending his hand to Bulk.

His gesture wasn't reciprocated.

"This is where you tell us who you are," Shindar said.

"Not likely. Where are you two headed?" Bulk asked.

"Why should we tell you?" Munlar spoke up.

"Well, this is going well," Dana commented.

Bulk took two steps closer to the men. He was going to put his considerable size to work to their advantage here. As rough around the edges as these boys were, they weren't so tough that Bulk didn't intimidate them.

"You're Crimson Corsairs, aren't you?" said Bulk.

Shindar and Munlar looked at each other, each wondering whether or not they should admit to their identities. Shindar, the clearly more pliable of the two, thought to confess.

"How do you know?" he asked.

"The tats and the rings, all of Horsefly's boys wear those."

Jocelyn quietly asked Mouth, "What's a Horsefly boy?"

"Captain Horsefly, he's the leader of the Crimson Corsairs," Mouth answered.

Echo added, "Sky pirates. And the Crimson Corsairs are the worst of the bunch. Specialize in kidnapping kids it's been said."

"Kids?"

Shindar's voice rose over their whispering, "Well, we could use some help and not an interrogation. We have no problem with you man. And from the looks of things, you're not all that squeaky clean yourself."

Shindar's gaze focused on the brothers. They noticed instantly.

"You got a problem?" Mouth asked.

Munlar stepped past Bulk and Dana. As he approached the Locke Brothers they responded in kind by lining up side by side as if they were anticipating a fight.

"Relax brothers, relax," Munlar said. "You're known to us. The Locke Brothers! Master Thieves! Is that right or am I being too sensationalistic?"

Mouth nodded in agreement, half flattered and half cautious. Echo on the other hand instantly became preoccupied by something else. He cocked his head slightly to the side so his right ear could focus on a distant sound. There was not much in that direction besides a few dunes, at least to those with sight. Echo however could perceive something more beyond the sand and the dirt. There was a clicking, low but certainly there and absolutely in a pattern that suggested a machine.

"You know Bando, I'm beginning to believe you now." Mouth took a step back from Munlar as his distrust of the young man grew. "We didn't run out of gas did we? And I'm sure whatever it is my brother is hearing right now confirms it."

"Electromagnetic device probably," Echo confirmed.

"Yeah, that'd do it," Kale added. "The jeep would sputter to a stop with all electronics disabled. How did you get one out here? Where is it?"

"Over there, to the left, behind the dunes," Echo answered before the strangers could offer another lie.

Bulk Brown got even closer to Shindar now, almost nose to nose, his size making the younger man shrink. The fact that his team had been sabotaged out here in the middle of nowhere was distressing. Even more important though was that the Crimson Corsairs knew where they were and knew how to get to them.

"So what do you want with us boy?" Bulk Brown grunted, his breath hot on Shindar's forehead.

"It's not what I want, it's what our boss wants. And what he wants is them," Shindar replied, his confidence growing as he continued to speak.

"How did you find us?" Bulk asked.

"We have eyes everywhere, that's part of what makes The Crimson Corsairs different from the rest of the so-called pirates in the Dea."

Munlar continued, "So you can either come with us or stay here and rot in the desert. It's your choice."

Echo's ears picked up on another sound as the clicking he heard before suddenly ceased. This new sound came from the sky some distance away. Sharp's eyes verified what Echo's ears heard. A brigand ship was approaching from the north at considerable speed. It was a growing dot in the sky that came closer with each passing moment. When it became clear that there were no other options here, Bulk Brown huffed and bumped into Shindar before returning to his team.

"This is strictly business then?" he asked. "Captain Horsefly wants to work with Solas then, you understand that?"

"Your little group doesn't concern us," Munlar answered. "You'll be compensated. We know you have your own agenda with the triplets. We just need their skills for a job, savvy? Then, you can be on your way and do what you wish, but this matter needs to be addressed immediately."

"And what matter needs our skills?" asked Mouth.

"Gold my boy! Solid gold!"

***

Captain Horsefly's fleet of airships were known throughout the Dea as being the largest and most advanced of all Air Brigands. No one knew exactly how many ships made up the fleet, some claimed it to be a hundred, others claimed the ships numbered in the thousands. The mythos itself was enough to earn Horsefly's group, The Crimson Corsairs, the dubious reputation of being the most dangerous fleet of pirates in the skies of the Dea.

Images of the infamous captain were everywhere, from the largest cities to the smallest backwater towns. His face could be seen inside newspapers and magazines just as much as it was sketched in alleys and alongside roadways. It wasn't just his standing as the most famous of all Air Brigands, but his unique appearance that made him a folk legend.

From the orange cone that he wore as a hat, to the long silk robe adorned with feathers at the wrist and collar, to his curled mustache and sprouting patch of red hair, Captain Horsefly was a sight to be seen. He was a large man, a behemoth with bulging arms and broad shoulders. His most recognized trait however was his lower lip that was pierced with a series of gold rings that jingled when he spoke.

"So, you're Captain Horsefly," Bulk Brown said as he entered the airship.

As big as Bulk Brown was, Horsefly easily eclipsed him. The brigand showed little concern for the leaders of Solas and instead focused his eyes on the triplets that were doing their best to be inconspicuous behind Bulk.

"And these are the master thieves," Horsefly mused. "Boys! Are you impressed?"

The crew of Crimson Corsairs that crowded the interior of the airship responded to their captain's bellow with laughter and gawking. The lower level of the ship was dark and smelled of body odor and mold. The Locke Brothers and Solas stood in the middle of the room surrounded by the sweaty, red-clad brigands, all of whom were males from the age of six to sixty. Never before had The Locke Brothers seen so many unsavory characters gathered in one place, one just as intimidating as the next.

"Boys like you usually wind up being sold, you know. We could get a good bit of change for triplets, especially ones who are famous as you three are," said Horsefly.

The man smelled of sardines, alcohol and jasmine, a mixture that puzzled the senses as much as it offended. He approached the brothers with slow, deliberate steps that hit the boards of the vessel with a thud.

"We've been threatened by worse," Mouth replied. "You have us here. What is it that you want us to do?"

"I need something stolen, of course. Actually, I need something retrieved, as it was mine to begin with. It's gold. My gold. Now, seeing as you three are master thieves, I figured you'd be capable of doing this job for us."

"Why not just do it yourself?" Bulk Brown interrupted. "You've got an entire fleet of ships. You've got all these men under your command. How hard would it be for you to get back one shipment of gold?"

"Yes, that's where things get a bit complicated. You are rather rude though aren't you? Please don't interrupt me again."

Bulk Brown's eyes narrowed as he huffed at the pirate. For a brief moment, the two stared angrily at one another, each warning the other with a glare. Horsefly continued to talk, although for the rest of the conversation he would be keeping his eyes on Bulk Brown just in case the man felt compelled to do something more than speak out of turn.

"We are at this very moment traveling to a little warehouse called Egen Station. That's where they're keeping it. The thieves stashed it there. And yes, we'd get it back ourselves but Egen Station is owned by an associate of mine and I don't really think he'd appreciate it if I broke into his warehouse."

Bulk realized what the conflict was. "Egen Station is of course owned by The Miscellany. So that's the problem: you can't bite the hand that feeds."

"Wait," Mouth said, "we just stole from him once in Avidity. We're lucky we got out of there the first time. Now you want us to steal from The Miscellany again? Two times in as many days?"

"Why do you think we picked you? Not many people get away with breaking through The Miscellany's security so we figured you'd be the right choice, seeing as you've already done it. Savvy? Besides, this isn't going into Avidity and breaking into one of the big buildings. This is a warehouse. It should be an easy job."

"And if we're caught?" Echo asked.

"Then my hands are clean. It's really that simple."

Horsefly took a large dusty bottle from one of his crewmen and began drinking from it, the excess dribbling down his ratty beard.

"Why don't you just ask The Miscellany to give you back your gold?" Echo questioned. "If you're an associate of his, I'm sure he'd help you out."

"You're confusing associate with friend boy. The Miscellany would likely try to charge me a hefty fee for it. That's what he does. He negotiates. He politics. He looks for advantages to gain over you. No, I'm not letting my gold go. It's mine and I want it back."

"So we're not getting paid for this either," Mouth grumbled, crossing his arms.

"I believe being able to keep your life is payment enough," Horsefly replied.

"They're not doing it," Dana said loudly.

Everyone went silent. The cargo hold full of sweaty men all turned their eyes towards Dana, who had wisely kept silent during most of this exchange. She did not want to call attention to herself in this situation, but this deal was too much for her to keep quiet about.

If Bulk Brown's interruption had annoyed Captain Horsefly, Dana's had infuriated him. How dare she, this girl on his ship, dictate what could and could not happen? Either she was insanely brave or simply just insane to challenge him in such a way. He stomped towards her with his eyes wide and his chest out. Dana didn't flinch, and if that was what he expected of her, he was going to be disappointed as well as infuriated.

"I don't take too kindly to females on my ship to begin with," Captain Horsefly scolded her, his voice so low and deep that barely anyone else besides Dana could hear him. "So girl, I suggest that you keep those pretty little lips of yours together. Don't make the mistake of thinking that I am, in any way, a gentleman if you know what I mean."

Were this another place, Dana would have no trouble having a go at the smelly captain of this airship. She was not intimidated by him in the least and wanted greatly to rip every single ring from his lower lip.

It was then that something most unexpected happened. Sharp stepped between her and Captain Horsefly, the look on his face even more hostile than hers. The room of Air Brigands chuckled at his show of chivalry and Captain Horsefly himself started to laugh at the boy.

"What have we here? Your boyfriend I assume? A little young for you don't you think?"

Dana had an answer for him. "This boy is more man than you could ever be, Horsefly. It's easy to throw your weight around when you have six dozen men backing you up. It takes real ... guts to stand up against the same six dozen."

The grunts in the cargo hold continued to chuckle at the scene but Captain Horsefly did not. One thing he did respect was bravery. He had to admit that what Dana had said was true. This kid did show amazing guts to do what he just did, and out of respect for that display of courage, he backed away from both of them, wagging his finger as he did.

"Well seeing as we don't have much of a choice, how long do we have to get them ready?" Bulk Brown asked.

"Parmele!" Horsefly shouted to his helmsman. "How long until we're at the warehouse?"

"Not long sir! Ten minutes or so sir!"

Horsefly turned to Bulk with an unsettling smile. "You heard him. Ten minutes to get them ready. We'll leave you to it, yes? And Bulk ... do not think of trying to concoct some way out of this. The Locke Brothers should know that if anything goes wrong: if they flee, if they take the gold for themselves, if they sabotage this in anyway, it's your team that will suffer for it."

"You overestimate their loyalty to us," Bulk said. "We just picked these kids up. We're not friends, we're just working together."

"I know the arrangement you have with them," Horsefly countered. He glanced again at Sharp and Dana as they were in their own private conversation. "I don't think loyalty is an issue you'll have with them now."

***

So much of the West was comprised of dusty wastelands and dilapidated buildings that Egen Station could have easily been missed. There was nothing remarkable about the structure. It was a simple two-story building surrounded by a cyclone fence, giant containers and utility vehicles. Security was not a priority here, at least from the outside, as two men patrolled the area. Two rather lazy men, at that. One was sleeping in a shadowed area near the back of the building while the other appeared to be more concerned with a magazine than guarding the facility.

What a quick and simple job this would be. Make sure one guard remained distracted while the other sleeps, enter the facility, bypass some minimal safeguards and acquire the gold. Not a problem for even a beginner thief. While the Locke Brothers hadn't been thieves for a long time, they were clearly not beginners and this wouldn't be difficult.

Which is exactly what made all three of them concerned.

The Crimson Corsairs had dropped the triplets a good distance from Egen Station. They were far enough to not be seen but not so far that it would be difficult for them to reach it. Even though they were not in the custody of the air brigands anymore, they were not totally free of them. Horsefly's men had attached a device on each of their collars; crude looking pieces of technology, but clearly made to track the whereabouts of the wearer. If that wasn't enough, there was still the issue of Solas all being aboard Captain Horsefly's airship. The pirate made it extremely clear that the fate of Bulk Brown, Dana, Bando and the teens was entirely based on the brothers retrieving the gold.

"It's too easy," Echo said to his brothers as they approached the building.

"You mean it looks too easy," Mouth corrected.

"Ha ha," Echo sarcastically laughed, noting his brother's slight jab at Echo's poor eyesight. "I mean this feels funny. Why would some random thieves stash this gold here, in a place owned by The Miscellany?"

'What are you trying to say?' signed Sharp.

"It feels funny, that's all I'm saying. Plus, how are we supposed to make off with a stash of gold coins? Gold tends to be heavy you know."

"We'll cross that bridge when we get there," Mouth said as he pointed towards the building.

The guard who was engrossed in his magazine began to sit up and stretch. He rolled the magazine up and placed it under his arm as he walked out of sight. This was the best chance the brothers would have to enter the facility.

"Ready?" Mouth asked.

"As much as I can be," Echo answered.

Sharp nodded in agreement and with that they slowly approached the building. Huddled close together the brothers could barely be seen in the low light of Egen Station's perimeter which itself was already cast in the darkness of the West's evening sky. Tonight the moon was a sliver, struggling to throw its silver light through the murk of clouds above.

The mission was easy at this point. Each brother would utilize their special skill to gain entry into the station and disable any security measures that were in place. It was a routine they had practiced dozens of times in their careers as burglars.

Echo took care of any electronics attached to the doors. They were easy enough to disable through a series of circuit breakers just to the left of where the guard had been. Sharp used his vision to see any hidden traps or cameras that normal eyes would not notice. There were none.

It then came down to Mouth as he fiddled with a series of small, needle-like tools in an attempt to open the door. His task was taking longer than expected.

"The longer we're out here, the more likely we'll get caught," Echo muttered to his brother.

'The other guard is turning around and heading back this way,' signed Sharp.

"Any time now, Mouth."

Mouth stopped his work on the door momentarily and let out a sigh of frustration. "If the two of you would stop bellyaching I could do this a bit faster," he said to them.

"Right," said Echo with a smile.

"I'm serious. You guys have the easy stuff to do. Cutting wires and keeping an eye out. I have to do the real stuff."

'Enough,' Sharp signed to Mouth after tapping his shoulder. 'The guard is coming back.'

"I got it. I got it."

The lock on the door clicked and with the tiniest of groans the door crept open. The triplets slid inside and closed the door behind them, engaging the locking mechanism again so no one would notice the door had been compromised.

"Well, that wasn't too hard," Echo whispered.

"That has to be the gold. There's nothing in here but that box," said Mouth.

It was now clear why the station was so lightly guarded. The only thing within this large chamber was a single container made of weathered wood and stained iron. The brothers cautiously approached the box. This all seemed a bit too easy and an ambush of any kind could happen.

Sharp looked around to every corner of the empty square room but no cameras and no sensors were visible to his enhanced vision. Echo heard no electrical currents running through the floor or within the walls outside of the ones that powered the harsh white lights above them.

"Let's make this quick then," Mouth said as he laid a tentative hand on the top of the container.

The wood felt splintered and rough against his palm. This was indeed the treasure box of the Crimson Corsairs, their emblem etched on either side of the box. Two gold rings joined side-by-side with three vertical slits beneath them -- which gave the appearance of an artistically drawn skull -- had been hand carved into the wood.

"Make sure it's in there," Echo said to his brother.

Mouth took a deep breath, placed his left arm over his face in case something unexpected were to leap out from the box. With his right hand he unhooked the latch and slowly pushed the lid of the box open. A stale metallic smell rushed from the container as he did but inside he saw what Captain Horsefly was so eager to retrieve, but it was far less than what Mouth had anticipated.

"That's it?" Mouth exclaimed as he lifted a single gold coin, no larger than a dime, from the inside of the box. "He sent us in here to get one stinking coin?"

"There has to be more inside. Look closer brother," Echo said.

"There's nothing else in here. The sides aren't thick enough to hide anything else. Just one gold coin."

'Perhaps there are other boxes?' signed Sharp.

"Look around," Mouth protested, "there's nothing else in this room. This is it! One stinking, useless, worthless coin!"

"Well don't take it out on the coin Mouth," Echo said with a smirk.

Mouth pocketed the coin and closed the lid of the container. Sharp was already about the business of finding an exit. On the far side of the room was another door hidden in the shadows of the room. He marched over to it and pressed against its side. Easy enough, he thought. The door opened and they were back outside the compound.

Once they had cleared the giant spotlights of Egen Station the triplets headed south to the rendezvous point where the Corsairs would be waiting for them. It would be a half hour journey through the dark to get there. Just enough time for Mouth to have second thoughts.

"You know what I think?" Mouth started.

'No,' signed Sharp.

"Sharp's right. No more bright ideas from you Mouth. We got the coin, let's give it back and get the heck away from these brigands." Echo was done with trying to rob robbers, it had caused them nothing but trouble.

"This is different brothers," said Mouth. "One gold coin? There's something that ratty beard pirate isn't telling us. This coin is special."

"Even if it is," Echo countered, "what do we care? I mean, really! We've had enough mystical trinkets for one week. I don't need another McGuffin in my life, Mouth."

'I agree,' signed Sharp.

"You really think he's going to let us go if we give it back to him? This is our bargaining chip." Mouth took the coin from his pocket and waved it at his brothers to emphasize his point. "No, we hold on to the coin and give it to him after he lets us go. Maybe we can even get those knuckleheads from Solas set free too."

'I thought you didn't care about Bulk and the others,' Sharp signed.

"They've grown on me."

Echo found a fault in his brother's logic. "Even if we try to bargain with the coin, what's to say he and his fifty thugs won't just take it from you."

'Or kill you?'

"Or kill you and then take it from you?"

"All right, just relax there you two. Let me worry about how to bargain with this goon. I'm the mouth of the group, remember?"

The three walked in silence for a moment as Sharp and Echo considered their brother's idea. He did have a point. Crimson Corsairs weren't really known for their word. What they were known for is being murderers. Perhaps Mouth was right this time.

"Stop," Mouth said, causing his brothers freeze. "I think they'll be coming our way soon to meet up with us. Let me do all the talking."

"Why is my confidence in this plan already wilting?" Echo said sarcastically.

"Trust me Echo. An idea just hit me on how to handle Captain Horsefly and his little gold coin here."

# The Brothers Locke

# Episode 4: You Get Soft, You Get Killed

Bulk Brown had found himself in worse situations before. This also wasn't the first time he had dealt with Air Brigands. This was however the first time he had dealt with The Crimson Corsairs. They weren't as disorganized as they appeared nor were they to be taken lightly.

What he hadn't anticipated though was being tied up. The entire group was tied to the wall of the cargo hold under the watchful eye of the younger brigands. They sneered at their captives, hurling insults every so often to build up their confidence and swagger, each boy trying to outdo the other.

Dana was not impressed.

"How much longer do we have to take this?" she complained between clenched teeth to Bulk Brown.

"Just relax. We'll be out of here before you know it."

"You just hope we're out of here before I slam one of these little jerks into the side of this ship!"

"I know girl, I know."

"Did anyone say ya's could talk?" one of the slimmer brigands shouted wildly at Dana and Bulk.

Dana threw another look to Bulk as if to ask 'Can I please feed this obnoxious boy a fist to the mouth?'. He shook his head to keep her from doing so which didn't please Dana one bit. She sighed and rolled her eyes as the young brigand kept mouthing off.

"I'll say one thing," she started. "When we get free, you're the first one I'm going to knock out."

***

Captain Horsefly wanted to oversee the hand-off of the gold personally but he wasn't a fool. If the brothers decided they wanted to make off with the gold themselves or pull some sort of trick he would be prepared. As his airship descended to the ground he could see from the upper deck the three young boys walking towards the meeting location.

"Keep your eyes open," he said as the plank lowered to the earth. "Especially on the five in the cargo hold."

Six of his men responded simply by nodding and headed back to the cargo hold with weapons in hand. Shindar and Mundlar, the two pirates that originally set the trap for the brothers and Solas in the desert, followed their leader off the plank and into a stripped down vehicle that was a cross between a van and a tank, adorned with the same symbol the Locke Brothers had seen on the container holding the gold. Two golden circles with three black vertical slash marks just beneath them that resembled an odd skull had been painted on either side of the transport. The three men entered the vehicle and made off at a quick speed over the rocky terrain towards the meeting place.

Three silhouettes could be seen coming over a nearby hill and Captain Horsefly stopped the vehicle. The three of them got out and on foot walked towards the brothers. In the middle of this plot of land was a large boulder that was dotted with patches of light-green moss and a series of twigs growing from its peak.

"Fine work boys," Captain Horsefly greeted the triplets. "Fine work indeed. You are living up to your reputation."

"I think that's a compliment," Mouth muttered.

"Now, hand over the coin," Horsefly said with his arm outstretched and his hand open.

Shindar and Mundlar simultaneously aimed their weapons at the brothers. The threat did not cause the Locke Brothers to raise their hands but it did stop them from advancing any closer. They kept the boulder between them and the Crimson Corsairs just in case they needed cover.

"Here we go," Echo whispered to his brothers.

Mouth didn't hear his brother but knew it was now time to perform. They had worked out a rough plan on how to free themselves and their friends in Solas from the Crimson Corsairs. This entire string of events was one disaster after another, each time with the Locke Brothers being a pawn or tool or surrogate for someone else's ambition. Not this time. Captain Horsefly was certainly not going to let them go free after they delivered the coin -- he is a pirate after all -- and the brothers had no intention on being slaves or worse.

"What are you talking about?" Mouth responded to the pirate. "What coin?"

"Not a time for games little boy. I am pressed for time so hand it over so we can be on our way, and you can be on yours."

Mouth turned to his brothers and shrugged his shoulders, "Do you two have any idea what he's talking about?"

"Not the foggiest," Echo said.

Sharp shook his head coyly. Mouth then turned back to the pirates and with as much false sincerity as he could muster, offered up another lie to Horsefly.

"I think you have a few things confused sir," he finally said.

Horsefly had a brief moment of anger, his face flushed with blood from a flash of rage the surged through him. He was quickly able to quell the emotion, taking in a deep breath and smiling as best he could.

"Okay, fun game boys. Fun game. You three have heart, there's no doubt about that. But now, seriously, give me the coin." He paused to see if there was any capitulation from the brothers, but when none could be found, his anger returned. "Or perhaps I can have these weapons unloaded in your faces and just search your corpses for the coin before we bury you out here in this wasteland."

"Ah, that wouldn't be a good idea!" Mouth shot back quickly. "We're very important people you see."

"Very important," added Echo.

'Big time,' signed Sharp.

"And we have a very important meeting, right brothers?" continued Mouth.

"Of utmost importance sir!" said Echo.

'Big time!' again signed Sharp.

"I mean, I know the Crimson Corsairs are supposed to be the most notorious pirates in the Dea or whatever, but honestly, this is a pretty raggedy operation you've got running here Captain." Mouth waved his arms towards the airship in the distance that had seen better days, and then pointed at the makeshift vehicle the brigands had arrived in. "So I said to my brothers: 'Brothers ..."

"'Yes Mouth?', that's what we said back to him," Echo said, who was not able to hold his grin back any longer.

"'... what are we going to do with this coin? Because I know this big, fat, smelly, ratty-beard, low rent, sardine breathed, sick, sad, sorry, so-and-so of a brigand did not send us in here for one stinking gold coin!'"

'Small time!,' Sharp signed, his face also cracking a smile.

"Oh, I see," Captain Horsefly grunted as he took another step towards the brothers. "You want to be shot in the face."

"Not particularly," Mouth replied. "But if you shoot us in the face, then you'll never find the coin."

"You don't think we'd actually bring it with us here did you?" Echo added.

Captain Horsefly motioned for his brigands to lower their weapons. For the moment, the brothers had the upper hand. Seeing this, Mouth smiled slyly and then moved from behind the protection of the boulder.

"Where is it?" Horsefly asked, his voice hinting at the massive amount of anger that was welling up within him.

"Not so fast big boy. First, we have a few things we want."

Horsefly crossed his arms and waited for Mouth to continue. It was clear by the quivering of his lips -- which made the rings that pierced his lower lip clang together -- that he was in no mood to barter but also had no choice. Mouth could see that he'd have to tread carefully and not go too far. While the pirates wanted the coin, he also had heard of Horsefly's penchant for reckless violence when angry.

"Seeing as the coin is worth so much to you, we want to be paid for getting it back for you. Secondly, we want the vehicle. It's miles until the next outpost or town and we're not walking. And third ... what was number three Echo?"

"Our friends," Echo answered mockingly.

"Right! Yes! You have to let Solas go. Once you do all that, then we'll tell you where the coin is."

While the brothers were quite proud of themselves for their negotiating tactics, it apparently hadn't swayed Captain Horsefly in the least. He stood still with his arms crossed and his lower lip still quivering. When they realized he wasn't responding, Mouth's wide smile turned into a concerned scowl.

"Is that all?" Captain Horsefly asked.

"Yeah, that's it," Echo said nervously.

"Good. Glad that's over now. Boys!" Shindar and Mundlar raised their weapons again and aimed them squarely at the Locke Brothers who no longer had the protection of the boulder between them and the rifles. It seemed that Captain Horsefly had actually outwitted them by allowing them to gloat so much they gave up the only protection they had.

'Great plan Mouth,' signed Sharp to his brother. 'He actually played us!'

"I don't need you to tell me where the coin is. There's only so much land between here and the station, we can certainly take the time to locate it behind whatever rock you stashed it under. And since you've become way more of a pain than you're worth I have no real use for you anymore or your smart mouths." Horsefly turned and began to walk back to the vehicle but gave one last command as he went. "Shoot them and bury the bodies."

"Crap!" Echo said to his brothers. "Now what?"

"You know I hate to do this, but it seems we don't have another choice," Mouth said to Echo.

Sharp and Echo knew what he was planning. Mouth had not used his full voice in years. The toll it took on his vocal chords was so great he wouldn't be able to speak for two days, and for weeks afterwards he'd barely be able to get above a whisper. Not being able to talk for someone like Mouth was torture in itself. But it certainly beat being dead.

He sucked in as much air as he could, closed his mouth, and prepared to let loose a scream so loud and powerful it would knock Horsefly and his brigands off their feet and literally shatter the weapons they held in their hands. He'd have to measure it though. Too much and he'd kill them, too little and it wouldn't be effective enough to keep them from being shot to death. Sharp and Echo closed their ears and began to back away from their brother, knowing the Death Scream, as they had called it, would hurt their ears as well. Echo was especially concerned as his heightened sense of hearing would be most affected. It would be painful but again he knew it was the last, most desperate card they had left to play.

As Mouth prepared to open his mouth and use his gift he paused for a split second as he saw what Horsefly's men were about to do. Shindar and Mundlar gave him the slightest of nods and in an instant turned the business end of their firearms towards Captain Horsefly.

Taken aback by the sudden realization that he had been betrayed, Horsefly balled his fist and huffed defiantly. He made the slightest of moves towards Mundlar who grinned at the prospect of letting loose a bullet at the pirate.

"Oh please do," he said. "I have cleaned that nasty bathroom in the bottom of that nasty ship for three nasty years just waiting for this moment. So please give me a reason to pull this trigger right now. Please!"

"Hands up Captain," Shindar ordered.

"What is going on?" Echo asked.

"It seems that Bulk Brown is smarter than we realized," his brother Mouth answered after gently letting out the air he had built up.

"Get in the vehicle Locke Brothers. We've got to go pick up your friends," Shindar said.

The brothers started towards the car but after a few steps Mouth quickly turned and ran back to the other side of the boulder. He disappeared for a few seconds and then returned in a huff with something clenched in his right fist. Horsefly knew what it was immediately.

"The coin I'm guessing," Captain Horsefly said as Mouth passed by him.

"Hey, it was short notice. Anyway, fun doing business with you. Enjoy the walk home!" Mouth smirked as he passed by the pirate, patting him on the shoulder with one hand while flipping the coin in the air with the other.

The pirate's face had turned so red with anger it nearly matched his clothes. He was seething, clenching his teeth together and tightening his forehead so much that his black eyes turned into slits.

Shindar and Munldar backed away from him, their weapons still aimed, and slowly entered the vehicle. Shindar kept his sights on Horsefly as Mundlar operated the vehicle, turning over the engine and began backing it away. Once they were at a safe distance, he spun the transport around and headed towards the airship which suddenly shook from an explosion on the starboard side of the upper deck. Sharp watched out the back window of the vehicle as Horsefly stood with his arms still raised above his head and his lower lip still trembling in fury.

***

"Nice to see you held up your end and got that coin," Bulk Brown said as the brothers exited the truck.

Solas had managed to free themselves from the cargo hold in the airship and were already walking away from the ship as it continued to burst with explosions from all sides. Mundlar and Shindar had been busy over the last few days planting explosives throughout the vessel in preparation for this day.

"Nice that you told us you had two moles inside the Crimson Corsairs," Echo said.

"So this was all a setup from the beginning when we met them on the road?" Mouth asked.

"Smart kid," Shindar answered. "Yes, it was. We were supposed to meet up in that shed so we had to improvise with that electromagnetic whatchamacallit."

'Why didn't they tell us?' Sharp signed to his brothers.

"Good question Sharp. Why didn't you tell us this was the plan? Why the whole elaborate hoax?" Mouth asked.

Bulk Brown sighed as the rest of his team began entering the truck. He placed his large, heavy hand on Mouth's shoulder and smiled at the boy.

"Honestly, I still don't totally trust you boys. You are thieves after all. But there are a lot of things you just don't have the credentials to know. And it won't be the last time."

Echo scoffed while Mouth rolled his eyes. If this was the game Bulk Brown was playing they'd have to keep an eye on him more closely. For now, he was on their side. That could all change at the drop of a hat. While they were thankful for the orchestrated escape from the Crimson Corsairs, they were also reminded at this moment that Solas -- no matter how much time they had spent together -- were not their friends. This was still, first and foremost, a business arrangement, and Mouth and Echo would make it a point to find out finally what Solas really wanted from them in the first place.

Mouth turned the coin over the back of his knuckles like some sort of magician about the perform a magic trick. "And what about this? Is this the whole reason you went through all of this to get us out here, to steal this coin?"

"Well now, someone's putting on his big brain pants today! Yes, that's part of it. But we don't have the time to talk now. The Crimson Corsairs aren't smart but they are ruthless. After they get those fires out and Horsefly makes his way back here, they'll be out for blood. Let's get going."

Mouth thought to protest but Echo grabbed his arm to keep him from speaking. Some of the now homeless brigands were taking notice of their truck and looked to be organizing an attack. The subject would once again have to wait until later.

"Don't be so upset. We didn't know either," Kale told the brothers as they entered the truck.

"That's what happens when you're at the bottom of the food chain I guess," Jocelyn added.

The teenagers were covered in soot and pieces of charred wood but did not appear to have been harmed in the escape. Sharp and Mouth ended the conversation there but Echo was much more intrigued by something the teens were saying but only he could hear. Their hearts were racing so fast that he could feel the pounding in his own chest. While Kale and Jocelyn had perfected the art of appearing cool and calm on the outside, Echo's enhanced hearing certainly knew it to be a lie.

"Are you okay?" Dana's voice came from the front of the truck as she looked back at Sharp.

'Fine. How about you?' He signed back to her.

"I'm okay. My ears are ringing a bit from those explosions but I'm good. By the way, thanks for standing up for me back there. That's not something people often do for me."

Sharp was frozen for a second before he smiled and nodded geekily. Mouth and Echo couldn't help but notice their brother's unabashed crush on Dana and how she had just made him blush for the first time in his life. He waved them off, afraid that whatever cache he had with her in this moment would be tainted by their juvenile taunting. Dana didn't see, her attention was with Bando as they were looking over the few weapons they managed to procure from the airship.

"Get some sleep," Bulk said to everyone in the van. "We're going to drop off Mundlar and Shindar where they need to go and then it's off to The Great Manacle. Should take us about a day if we don't get delayed."

Mouth's eye widened. "The Great Manacle? You mean we're leaving the West?"

"Exactly."

"Where are we going?"

"Don't worry Mouth. It's what you want: an end to this whole thing."

***

Sim Sam was nothing if not efficient in covering his tracks, even from his own boss. The Miscellany had his hands in so many operations throughout the entire Dea -- both the East and West -- that it was inevitable that things would fall through the cracks. This was an advantage to Sim Sam who was able to run his own operations with a healthy cache of wealth and resources at his disposal.

Avidity, a city of technology and wealth, stuck out like a sore thumb in the East among the collapsing cesspools, crime riddled small towns and dilapidated cities that were crumbling under their own corruption from the inside out. Not to mention the areas that held more supernatural properties veering towards the dark and macabre. It provided a refuge for someone with Sim Sam's skills. He could hide as an underling to The Miscellany and even at times use his employer's reputation to get his own personal goals achieved.

He was a smart man however and would not bite the hand the fed him. His loyalty was to The Miscellany and that would not change in the foreseeable future. No one else could provide Sim Sam with the resources he had in Avidity and there was no reason to look elsewhere.

His most recent project had provided its fair share of complications however. His business relationship with Doctor Psi came at a considerable cost for her research and her experiments. Fudging the numbers was not easy but he was making due. The results of this investment were promising as the latest specimen she had created had more than impressed him during his last visit to the doctor's private laboratory.

"If I was a gambling man, which I am not, I'd be inclined to take you on your word right now. But seeing as you are holding all the cards in this situation, I'm going to need a bit more information out of you son," Sim Sam said as quiet, yet as forcefully as he could while looking down at a newspaper.

A younger man sat at a table behind him, his back turned to Sim Sam, and answered the question while going about his meal. "Isn't the point though that Doctor --"

"She," Sim Sam corrected him.

"Sorry. My apologies. Isn't the point though that she not leave any traces? I mean, we are talking here out in the open anyway, in this cafe, with families and everyone's grandmother running around shopping at your stores."

"If you weren't aware, this is Avidity. It's hard to have a conversation in this city without someone's eyes and ears on you."

"Almost everywhere, except here I assume."

"You'd assume correctly. The Miscellany made a few areas off limits to surveillance, so you are now the beneficiary of that knowledge through me. There are no microphones here but eyes ... eyes are still everywhere."

"Understood," the young man said before shoving a large helping of scrambled eggs into his mouth. "My name is No One."

The name brought a smile to Sim Sam's face. "Understood."

"She says the trials are done and your product is ready."

"How successful?"

"Passed all tests. Exceeded actually."

"Now there you see, that's something you've said finally that I want to hear."

"You have the payment though? She will need more to finalize the product."

"Outside this food court there's a balcony that looks out over the lake. Go up there and stand by the trash can in ten minutes. You'll be taken care of."

No One paused before saying anything else. A few children were heading in their direction to sit at a nearby table. They were full of smiles until they saw him. He clearly did not look like he was from the city. His clothes were tattered and worn in, his face rough and dirty, and his dark hair greasy but pushed down flat in some attempt to make himself presentable. No One was from Icagoro and it showed all over. While the citizens of Avidity had very few cares and had every want and need provided for them by The Miscellany, Icagoro's citizens were still suffering from poverty and crime.

He didn't take offense to the children turning their noses up at him and scurrying off. He instead smiled at them, showing his rotten teeth, which accelerated their departure from the area.

"One more thing," he said, now peering back down at his plate of food. "She wants to know when you want to deploy."

"Tomorrow," Sim Sam stated before folding up his newspaper and putting it down on the table. "If you wouldn't mind son, please have a look at this article in the paper after I'm gone. It'll be of interest to you."

Not waiting for an answer Sim Sam pulled his considerable bulk from the cafe table and made his exit. No One waited a few moments before finishing his meal and then gathered his tray to leave. He turned and saw the newspaper sitting on the table where Sim Sam had been and discretely snatched it to take with him. While following the fat man's instructions to find the trash can on the balcony, he opened the paper and began looking at the news articles.

Avidity had three newspapers and all were essentially propaganda pieces for The Miscellany and the way of life in the city. Articles giving opinions about the East were often "us against them" diatribes by angry columnists, peppered between quality of life stories that supported The Miscellany's idea of social justice that Avidity was supposedly founded on.

It was all lies and spin, and No One couldn't care less about these stories. He was from a city that in many ways suffered because of Avidity's strong arm tactics but politics was not for him. What was of interest was what Sim Sam had written in bold letters at the bottom of page six. It was a location and a time. No One knew the location but had to read it twice because he couldn't imagine the deployment of this secret project would be set for such a place. He tore out that section of newspaper, tucked it safely in the inner pocket of his jacket, and waited by the nearby trash can. Seconds after he arrived a small child ran past him, dropping a backpack on the ground, and continued running without looking at No One.

At first, No One was concerned that the nearby shoppers would notice what had happened. He then realized that they were so entranced by the numerous video screens running advertisements and propaganda videos about The Miscellany that they hadn't noticed a thing. Smirking, he picked up the bag and casually made his way out of the shopping center to his next destination.

***

In the twenty-four hours since Solas and The Locke Brothers successfully escaped The Crimson Corsairs, they had traveled more miles and seen more landmarks of the West than the brothers had seen during their entire lives. The journey had swept them past places they had only heard of and others they had never heard of.

Two small cities rose and fell along the horizon as they traveled towards the East. The Locke Brothers had never known they were there but both seemed to be run down dystopian areas that polluted the sky with black clouds of smoke. A few villages also served as scenery on their trek, the inhabitants going about their everyday lives and barely noticing the truck speeding past them on the dirt road just outside their homes. There were few animals that could be spotted along the roadside and even less vegetation. One forest was close enough to see as the truck climbed up a steep hill. Off to the right the dense canopy of these woods filled the ground below. It sat still in the valley, showing no signs of life beneath the withered evergreens.

As they neared their destination, the air grew thick with dust. A wicked wind picked up around them and Bulk Brown instructed everyone inside the vehicle to roll up their windows. Only moments later the wind whipped around them, covering the truck in a thick layer of dirt and debris while threatening to knock the vehicle on its side. The tapping of rock and branches hitting the metal shell of the truck continued for a half hour until it finally subsided.

"There we are," Bulk Brown said to no one in particular as they emerged from the dust storm.

Through the dust and clouds ahead broke through a massive wall that reached high into the multi-colored sky above. Made of stone slabs that were eight times the size of a man, The Great Manacle loomed above the desolate landscape as a dividing line between the West and the East.

The wall was not intact however. Many generations prior, one of the many wars between the East and West had resulted in the barrier's demise. It once stretched from the farthest northern point of the Dea down to the coastlines of the southern oceans. Now it was all but non-existent except for a few crumbling remnants like this, a symbol now of the Dea's past captured in stone and mortar.

The Great Manacle did serve a purpose though. While much of the dividing line between the West and East were now clear of any such obstruction, it was even more impossible to cross where the barrier did not exist. The natural division between the two sides of the Dea was in the clouds above that swirled and stormed inconsistently. One minute would see horrendous hail storms while the next would show a purple and orange sky, swirling its colors in the air above like oil mixed with water. The energies around this natural division were too great for any person to pass through (although the Air Brigands had found ways to do so in ways only known to them). The Great Manacle provided a means to travel from the East to West, a buffer against the Dea's inherent energies to prevent anything living from doing so.

"I didn't know it was so big," Kale commented as he and the others exited the vehicle. "The top of it is in the clouds, isn't it? How did anyone ever build such a thing with all that going on up there?"

He pointed to a spot directly above the wall where a swirl of blackness mixed with a pale blue. The collision sent forks of lightning crashing in all directions. It was as if the sky itself was an oily soup being constantly stirred above their heads.

"We leave the vehicle," Bulk Brown instructed. "On the other side we have friends waiting to take us to Pharracrop."

'They're taking us to Pharracrop?' Sharp signed to Mouth.

"Just who do you work for anyway, Bulk? You haven't said."

"Does it matter?" the large man grunted.

"Well, if you're taking us to Pharracrop, the capital of the East, this whole thing is much bigger than we thought."

"Huge," Echo added.

'Scary huge,' signed Sharp to emphasize their concern.

"Look, nothing is going to happen to you there. I figured knowing you were going there would make you less concerned. Pharracrop is a far safer place than any we've seen," explained Bulk Brown, his voice sounding slightly disappointed when detailing how safe Pharracrop was.

***

After the wastelands they had seen throughout the West, passing through the misty veil of The Great Manacle revealed a world that looked, smelled and felt entirely different. Just on the other side were lush fields of green, a paved road, a strikingly blue sky, and the scent of mint carried on a light breeze that cleared the mist from their view.

The Locke Brothers hadn't been in the East for some time and their memories of the place didn't do justice to this experience. It was a literal paradise compared to where they had spent the last few years.

Mouth looked at his brothers and the filthy state of their appearance. All three were still wearing the same clothes from days ago, now covered in dirt, sweat stains and a few splashes of mud and blood. He brushed his hoodie with his hands, trying to knock off as much dirt as he could but soon realized it was of no use.

"Don't worry about that," Jocelyn said as she passed by him. "When we get to Pharracrop, there will be showers and we'll make sure we get you guys some clothes."

Jocelyn and Kale were dragging a few boxes of equipment behind them which looked heavy. Bulk Brown and Bando were talking to a security guard at a small station off to the left. They were showing papers and exchanging names that Echo was quick to pick up on. Although he didn't recognize any of the people Bulk was referencing, he knew it might be important to remember them later on.

"Okay, we're good to go. Just up ahead there," instructed Bando as he pointed to a massive building to the right of them.

"We're in Shades Run?" asked Echo who struggled to see the distant buildings. "I hear dirigibles."

"You'd be right my brother," Mouth confirmed. "Looks like we're going to get a ride on one of those big balloons. Now I feel even more underdressed."

"They're really not that concerned about appearances, you think?" asked Echo.

"Who cares?" Sharp signed. "I'm tired and look forward to sleeping in the air!"

"Speak for yourself Sharp! We can see the whole Dea from up there! I'm not going to waste a chance like that sleeping because of laziness. You two have to learn to toughen up."

Dana covered Mouth with a light blanket as he laid across two seats on the dirigible, his limbs extended in all directions and his mouth wide open. His snores were so loud that he had to sleep in his own compartment on the ship.

"How is he?" asked Echo as he heard Dana close the door to his brother's cabin.

"Knocked out. I'm honestly surprised you're still awake. You all must be very tired."

"I'm getting there," Echo said.

Right now he was more preoccupied by what was beyond the glass of his window seat. The dirigible had taken them high into the clouds but not so high as they couldn't observe the ground below. Bulk Brown had managed to secure them a private section on the ship where they wouldn't be disturbed. It also had the largest windows of any other part of the ship and Echo and Sharp were taking full advantage of it.

"What do you see?" Dana asked Echo.

"Shapes, colors mostly."

"Oh, that's right."

"I'm not offended. Most people forget I'm legally blind. I'm listening more than I am seeing."

Dana took a seat across from Echo. "So I guess the question is what do you hear?"

"Everything. Nothing. I've never been up this high before. It's like I can hear the faint hum of everything happening below us on the ground as much as I hear the air gliding across the sides of this ship. It's just really weird, ya know? We're passing by so many people, so many things moving and shifting down below. They come in a split second and are gone just as fast, so I can't focus on anything. It's throwing me off a bit but I'm trying to figure out how to manage it."

"I can't imagine."

"Trust me, it's better than focusing on Mouth's snoring."

"Point taken."

Dana started to stand but sat back down quickly. She had something she felt compelled to say.

"You're the mature one, you know."

Echo laughed briefly, "That's what everyone says. I guess it's because I'm not loud like Mouth or always jumping into danger like Sharp."

"Well, there is that and the fact that you have so much on your mind it seems. I mean even just now, all that you just said about listening to everything and how you're trying to focus ... it's a bit more mature than most thirteen-year-olds I've ever met."

"I guess you're right. Maybe it's because I'm not burdened with all that visual noise, or that I'm useless in a fight, or maybe it's just how I was wired. Who knows? I do think I'm able to handle things better than my brothers, that's for certain."

Echo paused and turned away from the window, his attention now directed to Sharp who was on the other side of the cabin sleeping peacefully in his chair.

"My brothers are easily hurt," he said deliberately, letting the words hang on the air.

Dana threw a glance at Sharp, realized what Echo was implying, and nervously turned back to him with a half smile.

"Duly noted. Just know Echo, I think of your brother as a good friend. I'm sure he realizes that's what it is, and all it really can be. If he happens to get any ideas beyond that, I'll handle it the best way I know how."

Without waiting for a response Dana left her seat and walked to another part of the cabin. It was clear the subject was uncomfortable for her but she wanted to deal with it and move on as quickly as possible. Echo turned his attention back to the window.

"That's what I'm afraid of."

In another part of the cabin Dana, Bando and Bulk Brown isolated themselves from the rest of the team, even their teenage tech team, to have a private discussion. It was rather obvious to everyone else that this was something they didn't want anyone to know about but there wasn't much of a choice in the matter. The cabins, although large, were in one single row so everyone could see what was happening in the other cabins through the glass doors.

"Everything cool back there?" Bulk Brown asked Dana as she slid the door closed behind her.

"So far. Two of them are sleeping and the other one is just deep in thought. So what's our next play here Bulk? Do we tell them or not?"

"I vote not," said Bando who was picking at his healing wounds along his chest.

"Not surprised there," Dana commented.

"The less they know about why they're here the better. It can do nothing but upset them."

"Some might say they have a right to know."

"Dana, we passed the stage of worrying about rights the moment you made that data cube."

There wasn't much of a comeback that Dana had for Bando's comment. She was as much a catalyst for this entire situation as either Bando or Bulk Brown were. They were mercenaries, hired to do a job for people who expected results and their ability to get those results.

Bulk noticed the tension building here and decided to exert his authority as the leader of Solas. "We all signed up for this. We all agreed to this when we took the job. Our only job was to get them and what they had back over to the East."

"Exactly," Bando said.

"However, I do have a bit of a problem keeping these kids in the dark. They are in fact kids. Thirteen-years-old. I know they act tough and Mouth has been five seconds from me putting a boot in his behind on more than one occasion, but they're just kids."

"So what are you saying Bulk? You want us to tell them what's really going on here? That we knew they had been hired to steal a Key of the Spire from The Miscellany? That we set up that whole thing with the Crimson Corsairs--"

"To be honest, they already know that," Dana corrected.

"All I'm saying is that it's not our job to babysit them. We were just supposed to deliver them. I don't know if you realize this but those big shots that pay us don't want there to be a connection between them and the Locke Brothers. That's part of the gig. It's probably not a good idea to clue them in because of hurt feelings--"

He then shot a look towards Dana, "Or growing feelings."

She clenched her fists.

"You seriously think I have feelings for a thirteen-year-old boy?"

"Not in that way," Bando answered. "But let's be honest. You're getting soft because of them. You know it Dana. In our line of work, you get soft, you get killed. Or even worse, you get them killed."

"Roll it back Bando," Bulk interjected. "Dana is a professional. We're all professionals here. Let me worry about telling them what's going on."

"Well we certainly can't leave it up to Bando here. He'd just as soon as throw them out the window of this ship right now if he felt like it," Dana said.

"Don't tempt me Dana."

"Enough!" Bulk bellowed, his voice deep but powerful enough for his two partners to know he meant business. He also noticed that their voices were carrying to passengers in the next compartment of the ship as heads were turning and eyes were glaring.

"I already said I'd handle it. This is my call. I don't want to hear anything else about it until I make a decision."

Dana and Bando reluctantly accepted his instructions with sighs and grunts. Dana couldn't stand to be in her partner's company any longer and abruptly left the compartment. Bando watched her go with another grunt of disapproval.

"Don't mess with her like that Bando."

The giant smirked, "Don't you get soft on her either Bulk."

The next compartment was sparsely occupied with high society types, all of them somewhat put off by Dana's rough appearance. She got a few glares as she made her way to an empty seat as far away from Bulk and Bando as she could find.

As much as she hated to admit it, Bando may have a point. She did have a soft spot for the Locke Brothers, especially Sharp who had shown her something she hadn't experienced in recent memory: concern for her. Not her as an asset, or as a business partner, or as an object, but as a person. It was charming and sweetly innocent, but at the same time she knew it could become messy if he ever took his obvious feelings for her seriously. It was a situation she knew sooner or later she had to deal with.

In our line of work, you get soft, you get killed.

It annoyed her that he was right. At the same time, she was convinced he was dead wrong about not telling the Locke Brothers that they were expendable pieces in a much larger game. In many respects, their initial thoughts about Solas were right from the very moment they saved the triplets from Von Strauss. They weren't much better than Von Strauss. Perhaps, she thought, they were worse.

"I checked on your package sir. It seems to be secure in our storage compartment," one of the ship's staff said to a passenger a few feet away from Dana.

"That's good to know. Thank you for checking. You can never be too careful these days with travel. You've heard about all the chaos going on in the West haven't you," the patron replied.

"Well, no worries here. We're in the East. Not too much goes on over here like it does in the West."

The words sounded so pretentious that it made Dana visibly curl her upper lip. Yes, the East was the better half of the Dea in many ways, but the downside of the lack of danger was the arrogance of some in the East. She looked over at the young boy who was talking to the patron, a skinny kid who hadn't tucked his shirt in the back and was clearly uncomfortable in his uniform. His first real job, she thought. The patron was not what she expected either in this cabin of high society folks. While he wore the same expensive clothes as the other passengers here, they didn't seem to suit him. Something about the way he sat, the way he twisted at the cufflinks as if he had never worn them before, the way his sports coat looked to be brand new -- all of it didn't match.

"Would you be needing anything else mister ..." the ship worker asked the patron.

The passenger patted down his oily black hair against his scalp and cleared his throat before answering in a near whisper, "No One. You can call me No One."

# FINISH THE STORY

Get the complete story via our website AOE Studios.com. * available in paperback and eBook format *

# ENJOYED THIS STORY? YOU CAN MAKE AN IMPACT

Getting reviews for any work of fiction greatly help stories that you enjoy reach more people. While many could overwhelm people with giant billboards and full page ads in magazines and newspapers telling others "This is the next big thing", I find that people who actually like the stories telling other people about them has much more impact.

As I continue to grow my community of readers, and the collaboration with you guys is what I look forward to the most as we go on these adventures together, I want you to know that YOU are the most important part of my writing career. Without you obviously there is no community.

Honest reviews help other people feel comfortable with reading series they aren't familiar with. Seeing people share their genuine likes and even dislikes lets them know that people are actually engaged in the story and not trying to sell them something, which is the last thing I want to do (follow me online and you'll know my disdain for "salesmanship").

If you enjoyed The Brothers Locke and look to continue to read this series I would appreciate you taking a minute or so to let your opinions be known by leaving a review online.

Thank you very much and I hope to hear from you soon!

# ABOUT THE AUTHOR

KC Hunter has been a storyteller since he was twelve-years-old, and through various media during his life, been telling them ever since. He won a National Young Writers Award in 1994 and had several poems published in his teen years.

You can find him online and on social media through your favorite platforms:

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  * Email: thekchunter@gmail.com

# LEGAL

Reproducing this book without permission from the author or the publisher is an infringement of its copyright. This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author's imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to any actual events or persons, living or dead, actual events, locale or organizations is entirely coincidental.

Copyright 2016 AOE Studios

All rights reserved.

Edited by Mallory Greene

Cover Design KC Hunter

No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

AOE Studios publication: December 2016

www.AOEStudios.com 
