A Most Unlikely Hero, Vol. 2

by Brandon Varnell

  VOLUME 2

  BRANDON VARNELL

  Illustrations by XuaHanNin

  Contents

  Title Page

  Publishing Info

  Prologue: King Lucifer

  Chapter 1: Striking a New Friendship

  Chapter 2: Kidnapped

  Chapter 3: Hazing for the Sleep Deprived

  Chapter 4: The Puppeteer

  Chapter 5: The Puppet Master

  Chapter 6: The Prince

  Epilogue: King of the Galaxy

  Afterword

  But Wait, There's More

  American Kitsune

  The Executioner Series

  Arcadia's Ignoble Knight

  Social Media

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.

  A Most Unlikely Hero Volume 2

  Copyright (c) 2017 Brandon Varnell

  Illustrations by XuaHanNin

  Kindle formatting: Lia at Free Your Words

  All rights reserved

  Brandon Varnell and Kitsune Incorporated supports the right to free expression and the value of copyright. The purpose of copyright is to encourage writers and artists to produce creative works that enrich our culture.

  The uploading and distribution of this book without permission is a theft of the author's intellectual property. If you would like permission to use the material from the book (other than for review purposes), please contact the publisher. Thank you for your support of the author's rights.

  To see Brandon Varnell's other works, or to ask for permission to use his works, visit him at www.varnell-brandon.com, facebook at www.facebook.com/AmericanKitsune, twitter at www.twitter.com/BrandonbVarnell, and instagram at www.instagram.com/brandonbvarnell.

  PROLOGUE

  KING LUCIFER

  Sitting in his command chair that overlooked the rest of his vessel, Azazel couldn’t help but notice how empty it seemed. Lights from the various consoles and overhead panels lit the interior, revealing how few people were present. Only the five members charged with controlling the ship sat at their stations. Normally, there were at least 20.

  Like any good Angelisian vessel, the ship’s cockpit was designed with the helm and communications array situated up front. The command chair sat in the back on a raised platform that allowed him to observe his subordinates. Situated before the helm was the ship’s main viewport, which allowed everyone a view of the outside without the risk of exposing them to the cold emptiness of space.

  Currently, the world shown was not one of space but of a docking bay, primitive, with dull durasteel walls and grated floors. It was also empty. There wasn’t a single dock worker present. No people were rushing about attaching fuel lines to the ship, checking pressure gauges, or studying the clamping calibrators to ensure that the ship was properly grounded. This docking bay was more silent than the far reaches of space.

  Azazel knew the reason for this. The docking bay was in lockdown. No one aside from himself and the commander of the Interstellar Police Force, Karen Kanzaki, was allowed in or out. The doors and bulkhead had been sealed.

  This wouldn’t have been enough to stop him if he truly wished to escape. His vessel was perfectly capable of destroying that bulkhead, and the Dauntless could outfly anything in this quadrant of the galaxy.

  Humans did not possess the level of technology necessary to keep a ship like his impounded—certainly not these humans. But that wouldn’t help with his situation. Right now, he was exactly where he needed to be: inside of Mars City, the human stronghold where Princess Gabrielle resided with her chosen marriage candidate.

  “Open a line to Angelisia,” Azazel commanded of the soldier working at the communications console. “I have urgent matters that I must speak with King Lucifer about.”

  “Yes, sir!”

  A holographic screen popped up a meter away, hovering in the air. A line of communication soon opened between their ship and Angelisia. The screen showed static for a couple of seconds before the form of his king, the most powerful man in the galaxy, and someone whom Azazel greatly respected, appeared before them in all his splendor.

  “Ah, Azazel,” King Lucifer spoke in a gravelly voice, grating and deep. “It has been a while since I’ve heard from you. Tell me, how goes the search for Gabrielle?”

  Azazel rose from his command chair and snapped off a salute, pounding his right fist against his left breast. “My Lord. The search goes well. I have discovered Princess Gabrielle’s location.”

  “Excellent. I take it that means you will be returning to Angelisia soon?”

  “Unfortunately, My Lord, there are some slight complications at the moment that make bringing Princess Gabrielle back difficult.”

  There was a slight delay in the king’s next words. “Difficult, you say?”

  Azazel tried not to show fear at the change in King Lucifer’s tone, but he couldn’t stop the thrill that traveled down his spine. While not cold, the hint of warning contained within King Lucifer’s voice set him on edge; he could feel the hairs on his neck rising. He knew that from this point forward, he would need to tread carefully. If he said the wrong thing, if he spoke out of turn, it could spell the destruction of this planet, maybe even this solar system.

  “Yes, My Lord, difficult. There is a small problem that is stopping me from returning to Angelisia with Princess Gabrielle.”

  “A problem, you say?”

  “Well, not really a problem. I believe it may be more accurate to say that a new development has arisen, one that has necessitated us staying at our current location,” Azazel amended, trying to determine how best to proceed.

  King Lucifer was well-known for his temper. He’d blown up entire planets before just because someone upset him, and Azazel would be remiss to let the planet that Princess Gabrielle’s chosen marriage candidate lived on be wiped from the face of the galaxy.

  “Go on, Azazel. I am listening.”

  “Just as you commanded, I managed to track down Princess Gabrielle to a planet called Mars. It is a small planet on one of our galaxy’s spiral arms, out toward the edge. Sometime before myself and my men managed to ascertain her location, Princess Gabrielle ended up meeting a young human male named Alexander S. Ryker who, unknowing of Princess Gabrielle’s circumstances, took her into his home.”

  There was a moment of silence. Azazel held his breath. These next few moments would be critical, as they would decide how this meeting was going to develop.

  “Explain,” King Lucifer demanded.

  Azazel nearly breathed a sigh of relieve. The only reason he didn’t was because it would have been seen as a sign of weakness, and those who were weak did not attain his rank. Instead, he straightened his spine and explained the situation to his king.

  “While I am still unsure of all the details, it seems that Alexander found Princess Gabrielle when she was facing dire circumstances. Out of the goodness of his heart, he allowed her to live with him and they have been getting along rather well. At least, that is what I have pieced together from the few times that he and I have spoken.”

  Saying that they had spoken was something of a misnomer. They had only spoken once, and that was during their battle when he had fought with Alexander to see if the boy was worthy of being Princess Gabrielle’s marriage candidate. It had been more like a lecture, though. Alexander had berated him for not thinking about Princess Gabrielle’s feelings.

  Azazel would never forget the passion that Alexander had spoken with, which was why he would do all in his power to help those two with their love.


  “Interesting…”

  Watching King Lucifer idly rub his chin, Azazel could not help but wonder about what was going through the man’s mind. He dared not ask, however, as he feared the result that would come from such a question. Thus, he continued.

  “Sometime during her stay with him, Alexander must have learned about Princess Gabrielle’s circumstances. The first time my men ran into them, Alexander managed to confuse them and escaped. The second time he fought and defeated them with some help from one of Princess Gabrielle’s inventions.”

  That caught King Lucifer’s attention. The king of the galaxy focused more intently on his subordinate. Azazel remained calm under the man’s scrutinizing gaze. He now had the king’s full interest, which could only be a good thing—or so he hoped.

  “A human managed to fight against two Angelisians and won? How intriguing. Tell me, Azazel, has he fought you as well?”

  “He and I have indeed exchanged fists, and I can say without a doubt that he is talented. While I am certain that in a prolonged battle where I am fighting seriously, I would win hands-down, I will not deny that he is a skilled hand-to-hand combatant.”

  “Is that so? That’s very interesting. However, I do not believe you called to inform me about how some human boy managed to fight you to a standstill. There is something else you wished to tell me.”

  Azazel almost winced at the perceived insult. Humans were a relatively new species to the galactic community. There were several other solar systems with human, or near-human, species, aside from this one. Each one had only become capable of space travel within the last two-hundred to five-hundred years.

  Humans were also relatively weak. While there were species that were physically weaker than humans, all of them had a unique trait that gave them an edge. Angelisians were physically powerful and had their aura manifestation, Daemons had inner demons that granted them incredible strength and power at the cost of their sanity, and Athraighs had their Glamour. Humans didn’t have any special abilities like that, not a one.

  “Yes, your majesty. During the battle, Princess Gabrielle stated her desire to marry Alexander.”

  “Ho?” King Lucifer leaned back on his large throne, seemingly contemplating Azazel’s words. “So my eldest has chosen her own candidate for marriage, huh? What an interesting change of heart this is. She has never been very interested in getting married before, no matter how many candidates I had her meet. Is there something special about this Alexander, I wonder?”

  “I am unsure. He seems like a dependable enough person, however, without further investigation into his character, I cannot ascertain whether there is something special about him, or if Princess Gabrielle is simply using him to keep from being married off to someone else. What I can tell you is this: Alexander S. Ryker is strong and has stated that he will not allow Princess Gabrielle to be married off against her will. If nothing else, this has endeared Princess Gabrielle to him, which may be the cause for her desire to marry him.”

  “Hmm…”

  Azazel waited patiently for his king’s reply. He knew better than to interrupt the man while he was thinking. Even though he was one of King Lucifer’s most loyal subordinates, not even he would escape the man’s wrath if he spoke out of turn.

  “It seems that things are getting interesting, Azazel,” King Lucifer said at last, an amused grin spreading across the man’s face. It sent shivers down Azazel’s spine. “A new player has entered the competition for my eldest daughter’s hand, and he’s someone that has been chosen by Gabrielle herself. Yes, things are becoming intriguing.”

  Once again, Azazel said nothing. If his king wished for him to speak, then King Lucifer would have bid him to do so. It was not his place to intrude upon his king’s thoughts. Just then, King Lucifer leaned forward, pinning Azazel with his gleaming red eyes.

  Azazel had often been called fearless. He certainly feared little. Even death could not strike fear into his heart. However, in that moment, pinned by his king’s powerful crimson eyes that gleamed with a maniacal tenacity, Azazel couldn’t keep the fear from freezing his heart cold.

  “Tell me more about this boy, Azazel.”

  Not one to disobey a direct order from his king, Azazel recited everything that he currently knew about Gabrielle’s protector. “Alexander S. Ryker is a sixteen-year-old boy with a younger sister. They both live on Mars.”

  “Sixteen? That would make him the same age as Gabrielle and two years older than Michelle and Ariel.”

  “Indeed, Your Majesty.”

  “Continue, Azazel.”

  “Of course. According to the information that I’ve obtained, Alexander had, at one point, entered the Mars Police Academy, but he was kicked out due to his reckless and destructive tendencies. He supposedly caused a lot of property damage while on his practical assessment tests, and the police forces decided to wash their hands of him.”

  King Lucifer snorted in amusement but didn’t say anything.

  Azazel continued. “I have also gathered that he is a genius with an intellect that may even be on par with Princess Gabrielle. Also, much like the Princess, Alexander appears to be an inventor. From my understanding, most of his inventions have a bad habit of going awry, and are at least half of the reason he leaves so much destruction in his wake. However, those items he creates that do function as intended tend to be very useful.”

  Azazel still remembered the strange whip that Alexander had used when they fought. While it hadn’t been a deciding factor in their battle, it had certainly given the young man an edge at the beginning. Then there was also that strange rubbery substance that Alexander had used on him, which had covered his face and made it impossible for him to see. The boy had a natural aptitude for inventing odd forms of weaponry.

  “So he is like Gabrielle, then? An inventor?”

  “It would appear so. I have witnessed firsthand at least two of the inventions that he’s created and both were impressive, if a bit primitive.”

  “Hmm… is there anything else that you can tell me about him?”

  “Just this: It seems that Alexander’s father was a renowned hero on Mars for actions taken in the past. I do not know what he did, exactly, but I do know that he was responsible for saving a great number of lives during a crisis that happened some twenty-odd years ago. The current commander of the police forces here, Karen Kanzaki, spoke very highly of the man and seems to greatly admire him.”

  Karen Kanzaki was a tough-as-nails woman. She didn’t take crap from anyone, and Azazel knew from experience that she could be downright frightening when the mood struck. Her glares sent chills down his spine, and her commanding presence made even him, a commander of the Angelisian Army, quiver. Anyone who could make that woman admire them must have been someone of incredible strength and fortitude.

  “The son of a hero, eh? Now that is even more interesting. It seems my daughter has chosen a fascinating person to become her husband. Very well, I shall meditate on this matter a little more, Azazel, and I will soon have a message for you to deliver to this Alexander S. Ryker.”

  Azazel pounded his breast plate in a salute. “My Lord!”

  The screen went blank.

  Solitude once more engulfed the Dauntless.

  CHAPTER 1

  STRIKING A NEW FRIENDSHIP

  Alex didn’t want to wake up that morning. His first assumption was that he was just tired, which was logical, given what had happened two days ago.

  Two days ago, Alex had been forced into a fight against Gabrielle’s bodyguard and a commander of the Angelisian Army, Azazel. While he hadn’t died, the injuries he’d sustained had been painful enough to knock him unconscious. After a battle like that, all he really wanted to do was sleep.

  Yet as the seconds ticked by and he slowly gained more alacrity, Alex realized that the real reason he didn’t want to wake up was because he felt so comfortable. Warm. Snug. Content. He must have felt this way because of the person sleeping with him, contently nestled ag
ainst him. Her warm breath caressed his skin, and her bare breasts felt like two soft marshmallows as they pressed into his side. Yes, with her at his side, it was easy to just close his eyes and drift back to sleep…

  … Wait a minute.

  Opening his eyes again, Alex looked down and to his left. Though the covers were draped over her, he could clearly identify the person sleeping in his bed as Gabrielle. Her silver hair was a dead giveaway.

  And that’s when it hit him.

  Gabrielle was sleeping in his bed.

  Gabrielle was in his bed!

  Holy crap!

  Alex barely recognized the loud shriek that escaped from his mouth. Acting on instinct, he tried to leap out of the bed—not that it did much good. Gabrielle’s hold on him was ironclad. The moment he moved, she came with him, which caused Alex to lose his balance as his feet became tangled within the bedsheets.

  With his arms windmilling like a pair of propellers, the world around him tumbled. A harsh crack! preluded the stars that appeared before his vision as his head smacked against the floor. Staring up at the ceiling, Alex needed to blink several times to regain his eyesight as he could see nothing but a painfully blinding light. Just what were those white spots phasing in front of his eyes anyway?

  Gabrielle, who’d somehow miraculously stayed attached to him, moaned and slowly stirred awake. Alex stiffened when the girl lifted her head off his chest, blinking her weary eyes as she stared at him with the incomprehensible gaze of one who was not yet awake. Two bright emerald orbs like viridian forests peered at him from beneath strands of glittering silver.

  “Alex?” she mumbled tiredly. Her long ears, which stuck out of her silver hair, wiggled up and down several times.

  “Ah… G-Gabrielle, this is…”

  Alex tried to explain how they’d ended up in this situation, but Gabrielle just offered him a sleepy smile. “Good morning. Did you sleep well?”

  “Uh…” Alex needed a second to restart his brain. “I slept fine, I guess.”