The End is Near

Chapter 12

July 14th - Secret Military Base Japan

Mitchell surmised that years of constantly looking at a screen had finally destabilized his mental faculties. There was no other explanation for it.

It had been a regular enough day in the life and times of Mitchell Peters. Scan a facial expression here, look for excitement there, report anomalies to his bosses. Until the weirdo in the trench coat had showed up. What era did he think this was anyway?

Being held by the nape of his neck had made him feel like a very small rodent in the grasp of something wild and primitive, like maybe a wolf. Every cell in his body rebelled against that feeling. It made him simultaneously want to run for cover and to face his attacker head on. Unfortunately, neither was possible.

Then there was that God-awful sense of shifting and tearing inside him that made him feel like he wanted to throw up. It must be the pressure on his neck...

Blessed silence and the scent of jasmine in the air. Why was there a scent of jasmine in his work-area? He waited a couple of heartbeats to make sure that the awful feeling would not return. Then he opened his eyes.

"Well Toto, I guess we're not in Kansas anymore..." Mitchell said. He was still on his knees, but now he was facing the Japanese inventor and his lovely assistant.

The stranger straightened and stepped away after giving him a strange look. He then placed himself in a position where he could look at all three of them at once.

"My humble apologies for the manner of my appearance," the stranger addressed his comments to the inventor, "but I felt I had no choice and little time."

Mitchell frowned, "How come they get an apology and I get left kneeling on the floor in a room I didn't ask to be in?"

The shades swung to meet his. Although he could not see eyes, he felt the piercing force of the gaze. Mitchell was sure that they all heard his audible gulp.

The stranger merely inclined his head and said softly, "I apologize for the manner of my appearance to you also but that regret is negated by the fact that you were spying on these two without their knowledge..."

Mitchell guessed he had a point there.

The inventor and his assistant had not moved since they appeared. There was a mixture of surprise and fear in the inventor's gaze, which Mitchell expected. However, there was also something that looked like hope.

What could the inventor be hoping for from this strange new arrival?

"To understand my quest and my purpose you must first know who I am..."

Mitchell's eyes turned back to the stranger who held his arms out at his sides. He looked on as the stranger bent his head slightly and the air around him shimmered. Shades, hat and cape disappeared.

The creature that stood before them was most definitely not human. There was the split second when his mind said 'costume' and his trained eye said 'no way'.

Is he an Elf? I must be hallucinating for sure now!

"I am Mickael de Blade, commanded by the Rulers of the Wood and the Deeps to serve and in so doing sent here by ancient powers to unite our peoples through a creation of yours." His piercing green eyes were on the inventor alone and the timbre of his voice had changed. It no longer sounded quite human, carrying with it the hint of something deep and unknowable.

"I am Shio Yokahani," the inventor bowed, "it seems we have much to discuss." He turned to his assistant, "Laila, would you see to the comfort of our other guest while ensuring he has no contact with the outside? You can ask him about this spying business. In the meantime, would like to hear what Mickael de Blade has to say."