I'm speeding up the story a little now. I'll tell you something about myself... writing - though isn't my primary field - is my passion. I used to dream about seeing my writings published, and seeing my fiction in a book.
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Disclaimer: This fiction eventually leads to homosexual relationships.
The Unveiling Chapter 3
I yawned and turned so that I was on my side just like every other morning. I waited for mum's impossibly loud yell to call me to breakfast. But when it didn't happen, I opened my eyes, and the illusion was shattered. Nothing was normal. Nothing, since the hall incident.
What time was it? I kicked the blankets off me and jumped off the bed. Where's everyone? When I realized that my friends were not anywhere in sight, I became confused. We never slept alone in any room since that day, even if that room belonged to one of us. And Jase had always slept in the same room as me. Taking a quick look around the room, I noticed that I was not in a bedroom. It looked more like an infirmary, and there were no windows - which meant the door was the only exit.
I shuddered and my heart ached with fear. Why was I alone? Without wasting time, I walked to the door, resolved in finding my friends. But when I tried to turn the knob, it wouldn't budge - I was locked in! Shit, were we captured? Well I wasn't going to wait; I backed away from the door and using every leg muscle I had, I jumped into the door on my side, tensing my shoulders. But that I did not get the desired effect; I ended up rubbing my severely aching shoulders, hoping I had not cracked any bones. The door was not even affected. The movies made it look so easy.
Just as I was about to pick up the chair in the room so that I could bash the door with it, the door opened. I whirled around to see who was it - a tall fine-looking man in plain shirt and gray slacks. He seemed familiar...
"Good morning Jason," he greeted. Jason? I am not Jason, I was about to tell him before I caught myself. Jase and I had exchanged wallets at Helen's as our makeshift 'memento' for each other. Was that how he identified me as Jase?
"Who are you?"
The handsome brown-haired man seemed surprised. "This clothing must have made me look different. I prefer the black outfit anytime, only it needed washing."
"Who are you?" I asked again.
He raised his eyebrow this time. There was something irritating about that gesture... "The drugs must have meddled with your head. Surely I am more memorable than that," he extended his hand. "I am Feristel, or just Tel. Never Fer, please."
I hesitated before shaking his hands. He had a strong and warm grip. And a strange name and accent. "Am I supposed to know you?"
"No. But I had been wanting to meet you," he sat on one of the chairs. "How are you? Do you know you've been sleeping for days?"
Days? Why? "Where are my friends?"
"They're not here. You wanted them to go, remember?" he grinned. "You had the heart to be a hero, but not the skills, unfortunately."
"What are you talking about? We'll never se-"
Then it came back to me all at once. We were caught in that alley, and I was captured. My heart fell immediately. At least my friends were safe. Or are they?
"It looks like you remembered," he smiled.
I stepped back from him instinctively. I recognized him now; he was their leader - the one in the black uniform. "What do you want?" I snapped.
He whistled. "You obviously have nothing to offer to those you thought your enemies, other than hate-filled glares and acid-dripped tones."
I chose to not say anything.
"I admired your courage - I always do, ever since you and your friends escaped," he stood up and took a step toward me. "But we cannot have resistance, Jason. We are not your enemy."
I stepped back again and retorted, "I never had a friend who threatens me with guns and forces me to follow him naked."
"That's because we knew you wouldn't understand," he was backing me against the wall. "We only wanted to save all of you." s
Fear began to penetrate my emotional barrier again. "Stop coming closer!" I shouted.
He stopped, only a few feet away. "Sorry, I never thought I was that intimidating." He turned around and walked away. "I need your help, Ja-"
The chair broke apart as it landed on Feristel's head. I did not wait to see if he was out cold, I just ran out of the room into the metallic corridor. There were two soldiers standing outside the door, but I evaded them and ran. I had to escape and find my friends, I had to-
I fell on my face when somebody hit my head from the back. My head rang so bad I wondered if he had used a baseball bat. Still shocked from the attack, I turned around and saw Feristel with a rifle in his hands. So he had used a rifle to hit my head - metal was worse than wood. At least he didn't shoot me instead...
"That hurt you know," he said with a pained look.
"Try getting hit by a rifle," I retorted.
It had not meant to be a joke, but he laughed anyway. Not the evil maniacal laugh, or the belittling pitiful laugh, or the arrogant superior laugh. But one of true mirth, as if I was his friend and he was laughing at a good joke I made.
They had locked me in another room this time - they had to drag me there, of course. They'll not have an easy time with me, that's the least I could do. That, and making an effective escape plan.
When I was finally left alone in the room, I noticed for the first time that I was wearing a white hospital gown, as if I was a patient. Then again, I probably was; that man had said I was out cold for days. After making a quick inspection around the room, I sighed. It looks like my plans of escape wouldn't involve this room in any way - no windows, no vents, doors that were made of steel and a bloody surveillance camera above it.
I jumped at a loud rap at the door. Before I could say anything, the door swung open and a black-haired young man walked in briskly with a bundle in his hands.
"Griffon Feristel wanted you in fresh native clothes," he passed the bundle to my hands and continued. "The Griffon will see you soon, he says."
I stared blankly as he walked out just as briskly and locked the door behind him. Why the hell knock if you're coming in without waiting for my answer? I looked at the bundle and wondered what was the 'native clothes' all about. Curious, I unwrapped the bundle and found a fresh pair of faded-gray jeans and a light blue shirt with black spots on it. It was casual clothing - with more than a touch of good taste.
I was grateful to whoever who chose the shirt and jeans, because I was afraid that the so-called 'native clothes' may be something ugly. Just as I was about to pull my shirt over my head, I remembered the surveillance camera above the door, so I grabbed the clothes and changed underneath the camera, convinced that it was a 'blind spot'.
When I was done I dumped the hospital gown on the bed. Almost right after I did that, someone rapped the door again. By the time I turned around the door was already open and the same young man was on the door. He was dressed in a cool-looking grayish outfit.
"Follow me."
He backed off the door, indicating that I should walk ahead of him. I speculated that he was not a common soldier because he was not wearing the sky- blue uniform that I was too familiar with, but yet he carried a rifle. Deciding that I needed information if I wanted to plan my escape, I decided to be friendly to him.
So I did as he had told without giving him the trouble he deserved. While we were walking down the corridor with his rifle pressed on my back, I took a deep breath and tried to strike up a conversation.
"What's your name?" I wasn't sure how to start. I wasn't outspoken like Jean, or Jay, or Jon. I took the opportunity to memorize the corridors as much as I could.
"Pagahar, but you'll hear my soldiers call me Pegasus Pug," he answered, letting surprise show. Was he surprised because I asked him a question?
Remembering 'Eagle Dirrek', I said, "Pegasus? Is it like a ranking? From Eagle, to Pegasus, then to Griffon?"
"Something like that, except common soldiers don't have a Wing on them. Crow's the lowest, Dragon's the highest."
"Interesting. So where are you guys from?" I said before I could stop myself. I would have kicked myself for being 'subtle' if he wasn't around.
He didn't answer for a while, then he said. "Griffon Feristel will answer that."
"Why?"
"It's complicated."
"Okay."
I didn't want to push it, so I stopped asking and concentrated on memorizing instead. The corridor was no longer metallic, and looked like an apartment's corridor. I suspected that we had just walked to the dormitory section of the building.
Pagahar stopped me in front of a plain door and rapped the door twice. Being on the other side this time, I actually winced at the volume of the rap.
"Come in," said a voice I recognized as Feristel's. Pushing the door open, we stepped in and Pagahar closed the door.
"He's actually not that unfriendly," Pagahar said to Feristel who was relaxing on a bed.
Feristel shot him a strange look. "Are you kidding? If hatred could cut I would have been sliced into a million pieces by now."
The gray-clad man laughed. "He probably just didn't like you. We had a decent conversation on the way here. And he started it."
Feristel scowled at me. "Is that right, Jason? Never mind, don't answer that."
I was surprised by this exchange. This wasn't what I was expecting from our 'invaders'. I thought they would be more... uptight, militaristic and stiff.
Feristel stood up and pointed at the back of his bandaged head. "Look at what you've done to me. They won't allow me to go anywhere now until they realize that I'm not about to drop dead anytime soon."
"Sorry, it was a mistake. It meant to kill you," again I said before I could stop myself. I suddenly found myself wondering why do I get emotionally out of control around that damned man.
He laughed again. "See what I mean? Dangerous, fierce and witty."
Dangerous and fierce? Is that what I am now? Just a week ago I was known to be mild-mannered, commanding an infinite well of patience and had a virtually non-existent anger problem.
"I like you, Jason Lorrence, and I have no wish to be enemies with you. I was hoping we could be friends - like you and Pug - just in case you're unfamiliar with the term 'friends'," he ended with a grin. Suddenly I was sure that every women would fall at his feet and worship him despite his rotting personality. Maybe even some women might find his personality 'charming' when they are under the spell of his looks.
I wasn't sure what to say, then I remembered what Pagahar said when we were about to arrive here. "Where are you people from?" I asked.
"I was about to get to that when you rudely interrupted me with a chair. Well, take a seat - use it properly this time, and what did I forget - oh yes, welcome to my humble abode," he flourished a bow expertly.
He sleeps here? I looked around the room - his bedroom. It was completely ordinary, nothing to say that he's a superior among them. "I'll stand," I told them when I realized they were waiting for me to sit.
"If you prefer that," he said and gave me a hurt look. Then he began, "Most of us were born in Earth. I'm one of them, Pug wasn't."
'Born on Earth'? So the others, like Pug, were aliens? I looked at Pug again - green eyes, short black hair, lean and handsome, maybe a little on the beautiful side, young man, can't be more than twenty-five. What so alien or un- Earthling about him? He even spoke perfect English, with strange accent of course.
"When I was ten, Pug took me to his world - by kidnapping me of course. I still remember trying to punch and kick his groin to get away. But he was always too quick for me," he smiled at that thought. "I stayed there for ten years... there were about ten thousand over there who were from Earth, though not all for the same reason. Some went because they actually wanted to."
This was getting ridiculous. I looked at Pug who nodded. Was I surrounded by lunatics? But I still waited and listened because I wanted to know why they attacked us.
"They had a reason to send us there of course. We were taught about Earth and Thrae, about how 'energy manipulation' and mythical creatures were banished from Earth, so that people from Thrae could migrate to Earth to escape from their own world."
"That's an extremely truncated version of our history, mind," Pug suddenly interrupted.
"Yes, yes, I don't have time to tell everything," he said. "Humans on Earth eventually forgot about the world they were from. There were myths of course, but even not all of them were right anymore. However, that's about to change very soon.
"The banished on Earth does not stay forever banished. The ex-Thraean who moved to Earth knew this of course, and initially they were only planning to stay on Earth temporarily until the Thrae's dark-age was over. It took three centuries before Thrae was restored, but by then nobody wanted to return. The original Thraeans died within the first century - we have the same life span - and the new-generation of Thraeans had called themselves Earthlings. They were born and bred on Earth, and at that time, Earth was a paradise. No war, no 'energy manipulation', plenty of food and water, safe from dangerous mythical creatures and they had a good king.
"So, against their wiser half, they decided to stay until the barrier weakens. Which was millennia later. Eventually, Thrae was forgotten on Earth," he ended with a finish note and looked at me.
I didn't know what to say. I did not believe a word he said, of course. "So why attack us?" I asked instead.
"Because the barrier will break very soon - about a week, I think. When it breaks, everything that was banished will return all at once. Earth was worse than Thrae before the barrier, Jason, you have no idea what it would be like when it happens. Us Earthlings who had been to Thrae had seen these mythical creatures... Krakens and dragons were real you know. Giant spiders, behemoths, and many other mythical creatures were all real, and there were so many of them on Earth. Many, many more than Thrae. Earth will be completely defenseless when it happens. Sure we have guns and bombs, but there will be ten dragons in every state and a kraken in every sea, we will be destroyed even before we know what hit us!
"Some of us who stayed in Thrae returned to Earth about four years ago, and we had been planning ever since. There was no way to get everyone to believe us - or 'anyone'," he looked at me at that. So he knew I had not believed him?
He continued. "The point is, we had four years, and it was a short time. So we started our own organization and got as many people from both Thrae and Earth to join us. Over the four years we managed to convince many Earthling about the inevitable barrier-break, though most had to be sent to Thrae first before they'd even listen. Finally, with enough people with us, we began to 'evacuate' - not attack - the Earthlings to save as many as we could."
I laughed grimly. "By either making us follow you naked or shooting us?"
"We only had three weeks to evacuate the whole world, Jason, and we already know nobody won't cooperate with us. What choice to we have? We can't afford having people bold enough to try to escape; last thing we need was escapees to form resistance groups to stop us."
'Escapees'? Was that what we were?
Then he looked at me. "That's why I need your help, Jason. I want you to convince your friends to join us."
"You're asking me to betray my friends?"
"No, I want you to save them. If they don't join us, we have to stop them with our own way."
I stared at him. "You're going to kill them."
"As I said, we can't afford having people trying to stop us. But we try to save as many as we could."
"They won't try to stop you, dammit! All we wanted was to get away," I said a little louder than I wanted to. I breathed and calmed myself. "Besides, they will never believe a thing you said."
"You don't have to tell them what I said. You were their leader, Jason. They'll believe you as long you tell them what they want to hear."
I glared at him. "So you want me to help you capture my friends with deceit?"
He was silent for a long time. "You don't believe a word I was said, don't you?"
I did not answer. Apparently that was answer enough for him.
He turned to Pug and said. "Pug, please." I was surprised that I had forgotten all about Pug.
Pug nodded and turned to me. "Jason, look at me carefully."
Then he closed his eyes. He looked as if he was listening to his own thoughts. Just as I was getting impatient, a glow appeared in front of him. Startled, I stepped back from him, nearly tripping over nothing. When I looked again, I realized the glow was a ball of fire - not that the revelation made more sense.
"Its real," Pug said suddenly. I looked up and saw that Pug had already opened his eyes. "Come closer, and put your hands near it."
I didn't know what came over me, but I looked at Feristel for assurance. Feristel smiled at me and nodded when he noticed, and I tore my gaze away quickly in embarrassment. After taking a deep breath, I walked towards it; I could feel its warm. When I put my hands near it, I realized that it wasn't very hot, but it was still warm enough to convince me that it was real.
Suddenly, just as it was created, it dissipated into the air. I looked up at Pug in wonder and saw that he was grinning weakly at me. Pug turned and slumped onto Feristel's bed - he looked so weak and weary you would think he had just finished running around Australia.
"That was energy manipulation, Jason. Normally we can't do it on Earth, but Pug is exceptionally powerful," Feristel looked at Pug fondly. "He gets tired from it quickly though. At least he can hold it long enough to show people that it is real."
I was speechless for a while. They gave me time to think, and finally I said. "What I saw was magic, wasn't it?" Feristel nodded. Then I continued. "But that did not prove anything."
It was true. Existence of magic does not prove to me the existence of this 'Thrae', or the so-called disaster which Feristel had called 'barrier- breaking'.
Feristel sighed. "I figured as much. Most people only believed after they've seen Thrae," he exasperated. "And you know what, that's exactly what we'll show you," he grinned.