The Shuttles

  "Whoa! Hey! What the hell?" Fenfeld hollers out, spinning in a frantic circle in the middle of Shuttle 3's tiny cargo bay. "How the hell did we get back here? One second...We're running for our lives. The next second, zoom...Zap...Back in the shuttle. How the heck did that freaking happen? Are we dead? Eh, Nyraxi? Please tell me we aren't dead. I can't be dead. I was supposed to get married next month. I'm gonna be a father again. Please, I can't be dead."

  "You're not dead!" Zifawid Lilchta says, calmly stepping towards Fenfeld.

  Fenfeld whirls to stare at the unfamiliar stranger. He looks Lilchta over from head to toe. One of Fenfeld's six hands scratches his head in confusion. One hand goes to his left hip, and yet another hand points angrily at Zifawid Lilchta.

  "Okay. So who the hell are you?" Fenfeld growls, his sharp canines becoming visible as the simian's lips pull back into a mean snarl.

  "I'm Lilchta...Of the House of Yoth. I think."

  "You think?" Fenfeld scoffs. You mean...You don't know who you are? That's rich. Hey guys...We got a guy here who thinks he knows who he is. But he's not entirely sure. Wow. Never heard that one before. Well...Maybe once. When I was slap-punch drunk on kahooka kutu. Man...The women there. I almost wished I could forget who I was...So I could start clean over. Especially, Ladolua. What a beauty. Now, there's someone I'd forget everything for. Had a--"

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  "Fenfeld...Shut up!" Captain Hilyard roars. "No one wants to hear about your exploits. What Zifawid Lilchta means...Is that many years ago, the robotic spiders...Er, Girgoghs...Kidnapped him and brought him here. As far as I can tell, he belongs to the house of Mr. Yoth."

  Aurelia turns slowly in Lilchta's direction, tears threatening to pour from her eyes. The memory of her last conversation with Mr. Yoth continues to push at the folds of her mind. The Cthulhu leader's gentle touch as he raised her chin, the streaks of white energy coursing through his tentacles, and the embarrassment he'd shown at her very forward questions. All of it makes sense now. But there is nothing to be done. Already, there is another love growing inside her heart.

  "I'm even more certain...That you are the long lost son of Cthulhu Yoth. The son he has mourned since even before the Cthulhu Accords were put in place. The son he rarely speaks of...But often grieves. I have seen him. And my heart aches for him. No longer will your father grieve. You are not just Zifawid Lilchta. You are Cthulhu Lilchta of the House of Yoth. As Mr. Yoth's heir...You, too, are a Yoth. The next in line to carry the proud name. You need not call yourself Zifawid Lilchta anymore. The Girgoghs are as good as dead. When we reach the Nebulus I intend to turn this planet's surface to ash...As retribution for the lives lost in my father's time. Your masters will cease to exist. Welcome home, Cthulhu Lilchta."

  So far, everyone on the shuttle has remained quiet. However, once the Captain's speech is over, cheers go up and hands clap. Nyraxi ambles over to Lilchta, inspecting him and patting him tenderly on the shoulder. Jemblevre, sensing a new rival, folds both arms over his barrel chest and scowls. Keltikin Jinn floats over and assesses Lilchta's life force output. He offers Lilchta his hand in greeting, finding the energy coming off of Lilchta too enticing to pass up. If only a small taste. Fenfeld crosses all six of his simian arms over his chest.

  "I don't get it! What the hell is a girgogh? And what the hell is a Zifawid? Long lost son of Cthulhu Yoth? That slimy bastard has a son? Will somebody please tell me what the hell is going on here?"