Who Am I?

by Beth Hoyer

  Chapter Five

  Nikolai paused from telling the tale to frown lost in thought as the monks of the High Council’s order remained seated in the room in their seats and appeared to be staring at him unblinkingly. He frowned till a throat clearing noise was heard in the room obeyed to speak further of the story as if needing to do it.

  “He woke up with confusion running through him finding a male standing over him while he was lying on a hard ground. He eyed the male warily to find he didn't have a face instead only had orbs for the eyes to his confusion.

  He heard voices speaking unsure if it was his ears or mind "I refuse! He's one of them!"

  He frowns as an image flashed in his mind he confused to see as he eyed the male and got up in an acrobatic move as if he had muscle memory.

  He frown hearing the voice sounding male blaring as he continued to hear "Keep the argument out of my head now! Just argue among yourselves and leave me out it!"

  He frowned further finding the voice sounded familiar to focus onto the no faced male to speak blurting to his shock "Hades."

  He felt confusion to the word as he heard "Come with me now."

  He stared at the male that gently took his arm and pulled him into a direction which he followed finding them both in a vast room containing boxes in rectangular shapes to his confusion. He found the boxes had figures in them that were still to his shock as the male led him out of the room to a hallway looking odd to him. He found the male led the way to a small room containing males inside that had small eyes and pointed ears wearing uniforms.

  He blurts "Highlanders."

  He felt confusion hitting him as the male got him inside the small room followed by a bang sound of something blocked the way of the hallway.

  He spoke "Elevator."

  He heard Hmph sounds from the male he dubbed Hades to find the elevator he figured as it was called going up in some floating movement he not surprised to feel. He didn't say a word as Hades kept a hold of his arm and then got him out of the elevator as he heard a familiar sound of a siren sounding faint.

  He found the uniformed males shutting a large door in the wall as he heard "You might want to restore his memories, Tank."

  "Tank's a Meritanian?" He spoke while adding "Merra?"

  He heard the confusion of his voice tone found the male with the odd face holding his wrists together and putting a hand covering his mouth.

  He stiffened as he heard "You'll be screaming once you remember."

  He kept on stiffening from the voice that sounded familiar to him only to grunt as a terrible headache arrived to his head he jerking while in Hades' hand grips from memories spilling within his mind. He recalled his name was Tom aka Mindbender servant of the High Council sent to Shadan's past via travel gate that was fixed up. It was for him to act like Shad the first declared Annoyov Human, First One to serve the group.”

  Nikolai heard gasping sounding within the room to frown pausing from speaking the tale to speak “Who am I besides my name of Nikolai anyway?”

  He heard in response “Just keep on speaking the tale from what you remember now!”

  Nikolai heard the firmness of the voice blaring into his mind obeyed to speak further of the story despite disgusted on not getting an answer to his question.

  “Tom grunted from the memories spilling into his mind with annoyance taking hold as he felt his mind continued to be scanned. He continued to remember fully that he went through the travel gate without any clothes on. Tom recalled grimacing he was found by Lance Richard wearing masked High Council servant wear that called him Shad despite no memory of who he was fully in mind. Tom recalled Lance Richard got him and himself an exchange of clothes followed by taking over the places of two males dubbing themselves Anyan and Shad that were already twins to their appearance. He recalled that both males Anyan and Shad were found in a field with fatal sword wounds on them as there were two horses grazing nearby to indicate both men had a fight to the death duel. Tom continued to recall fully that Lance Richard seemingly acting like he knew who he was and who the males was despite he clueless got them both to wear the clothes of the dead males and buried them into the ground before getting onto the horses and let the gonoids had their head. He kept on recalling Shad's memories with disgust running through him as Hades he saw removed his hand off his mouth and wrists. Tom didn't say a word towards Hades instead felt annoyance take hold.

  He recalled Barry approached him in the barroom "I want you in my quarters for a private talk."

  He obeyed to follow Barry into the male's quarters to find him questioning what he knew of Shad's life.

  Tom stiffened recalling what he said in response to Barry's questions "I and Shad are the same person."

  He recalled the Berserker willed it forwards hearing nothing from Hades as he ran fingers through his long hair feeling himself annoyed with the High Council and their latest mission. He felt disgust take hold didn't say a word as he rubbed his head while yanking onto the strands in tearing moves he feeling his mood bad again.

  Tom felt his mind scanned to recall the names of Tank and Merra to mentally speak "Ramses had a hissy fit after he transported you, Merra off Shadan."

  He felt his mind scanned in response to continue on mentally speaking "Erra and Terra threw a hissy fit against Ramses for that transportation of Merra off Shadan. Something I'm not sure what got them working again this time playing jokes onto the High Council. A servant was roped into helping the High Council into counterattack the Meritanians' jokey behavior."

  He kept his mind blank in response to hear "Interesting. Anything else you're not admitting?"

  He sighed recognizing Tank's familiar voice mentally spoke in response "A Wiser for some reason did some manipulating and got two extra Meritanians to live where the both of you were formerly living in the ocean. Their names are Walls for male-"

  Tom was interrupted "Kiddy for female. Yeah we know who those two are from your mind. Their offsprings of Merra and I our first offsprings actually. The both of them managed to grow enough to live in the ocean hence that Wiser putting them there. Anything else?"

  Tom heard Tank's voice had the edge in his voice tone sounding like the Meritanian wasn't going to fully say his thought. He mentally spoke in response after willing aside the Berserker the exact reason why he was clad in his clothes including mentioning being manipulated by the High Council to go through a travel gate for that.

  He added talking about the memories of what he forgot and added "I don't understand how I could have forgotten myself when I went through. Lance Richard went through and appeared to know who he was fully despite me not."

  Tom frowned to hear in response "Excuse me while I transport you someplace."

  He found himself transported into a metallic hallway while hearing alarms sounding with red lights flashing. It made him yank out his sword out of habit which he put away and put his hands up while hearing multiple ahem sounds behind him. Tom turned around to find Anubis and Falcons facing him that grabbed his arms and without a word pushed and pulled him not resisting further down the hallway. He found the three led him to a room he saw wasn't of the High Council's throne room instead appeared to hold various Highlanders in it working at consoles to notice a High Council member seated in the middle of the room. Tom kept his mouth shut as he was hauled towards the High Council member and forced to kneel in front of the Highlander he assumed was a male. He kept his mouth into a thin line as the Highlander held up a gnarled bony hand making him confused to see and placed it onto his forehead he grimacing from his mind scanned. Tom sensed nothing to indicate the Meritanians fully in his mind as the mind scanning seemed lengthy to his annoyance. He kept the glare while feeling the Falcons' grips onto him remain ironclad. Tom kept his mouth into a thin line as the mind scanning seemed lengthy then quit by the Highlander removing his hand in some hot water move and hearing a gasp sound. He kept the glare as the Highlander resumed placing his hand onto his forehead and kept up the mind scanni
ng. He heard multiple gasping from the Highlander making him annoyed.

  Tom felt annoyance take hold as the Highlander quit his gasping to hear loudly "He came from Shadan from the High Council!"

  He exhaled a breath hearing the Highlander's voice as he continued to hear "Interesting what does the High Council say about Terrania this time?"

  Tom frowned finding the voice sounded different and not of the Highlander this time in a feminine voice. He found the Highlander kept on mind scanning him he kept the glare he hearing Sinister roaring within the back of his mind. He kept the glare as the Highlander removed his hand and made a shooing gesture.

  Tom found Anubis and Falcons hauling him up into a standing position followed by hearing "Orders to do with this assassin?"

  He heard sounded of Anubis's loud whisper to hear loudly "Just bring him to me now!"

  Tom heard the feminine voice sounding alien to him to frown finding Anubis and Falcons got him out of the room to push and pull him further down a maze or corridors meeting no one on the way. He found the three got him into a room that suspiciously reminded him Seventy's room from Rakcara where Seventy was doing was spending time typing to the computer. He got forced to kneel to glare at the projection screen in front of him that showed colors to his annoyance in a mirage of rainbows.

  He kept the glare as the voice he figured was of a Highlander female hooked up was heard again "Interesting that this assassin is dressed inappropriately for meeting me on Terrania. Talk assassin on what's your assassin name by the High Council."

  Tom obeyed to speak firmly "It's Mindbender."

  He heard in response "Computing."

  Tom frowned hearing the voice sounded feminine and electronic tones as there were multiple beeping noises heard followed by hearing "Mindbender found one hundred percent match."

  He kept his mouth into a thin line hearing the voice to glare at the projection to find the Highlander female speaking "Dump this servant onto the Sun Lord to have responsibility for."

  He found Anubis and Falcons released him to find himself kneeling on metallic floor that resembled stone while hearing gun cocking sounds sounding in the room. Tom raised his head while raising his hands in a surrender gesture he finding himself surrounded by Highlanders wearing familiar uniforms of blue colors. He didn't comment a response to his mind scanned abruptly only to find two of the Highlanders in front of him putting away their guns and going up to him one tapping him on the shoulder and making a come gesture. Tom obeyed to follow the Highlanders he noticing a symbol for the United States' flag on the wall to his confusion. He didn't comment a response as the Highlanders got him to follow them into an elevator which he folded his arms and waited as the elevator was felt going down followed by showing the familiar dungeon like area dripping of water from memory of it. Tom kept his mouth shut as the Highlanders led the way to an open doorway he seeing no one inside the room as he walked into it. He heard a bang sound behind him to spin around yanking out his sword out of habit to find the room's door had slammed shut behind him. Tom felt annoyance take hold in response put away the sword and felt his familiar filming sense hitting him to look around the room to spot a camera dome in the ceiling and spotted a small Meritanian sized plant in the corner. He felt compelled to walk to the bare corner of the room and sit down as he eyed the plant warily he figured was one of Merra and Tank's offsprings. He sat down and felt himself urged to shut his eyes he yawned abruptly from the tiredness hitting him. He felt himself passing out unconscious.

  Tom came to hearing a banging sound to jerk open his eyes he finding the door to the room was open and found four Highlanders in the room wearing the familiar uniforms. One saw banging his gun weapon onto the door in loud moves. He got up as the Highlanders thrust their guns aimed at him he kept his arms folded and eyed the middle of them to his shock to see a male figure standing there. Tom found the figure was entirely wearing black clothes that were twin to Jason's clothes but this time had a head cover mask that only showed eye plates of golden eyes seen that appeared to look Human and were narrowed with a glare in them. He kept his mouth shut waiting for the male figure he wasn't sure who he was.

  He frowned as the male looked at a Highlander and heard "Says state your name now stranger."

  Tom exhaled a breath hearing that from the Highlander inhaled and spoke "Mindbender."

  He felt himself annoyed with what he said despite his name was Tom.

  Tom kept the frown while staring at the covered up male to again hear from the Highlander "Says why did the Shonsurrans dump you onto us hmm?"

  He spoke firmly recalling the truth was the best on what he heard and eavesdropped from the Shonsurrans he assumed were the members of the High Council living in Terrania the planetary world he was on.

  Tom kept his mouth into a thin line to hear "Says interesting but what do you know of Terrania and their views towards the High Council in question?"

  He spoke firmly "I get the impression that the High Council is seen in a bad way. I don't care to serve that group on Terrania as long as I return to the world I came from."

  He clamped his mouth shut into a thin line finding the Highlander speaking "This is His Majesty the Sun Lord ruler of Terrania who protects the planetary world with his powers from disaster destruction."

  Tom didn't say a word in response felt a compulsion to get onto one knee and didn't say a word as he obeyed. He eyed the Sun Lord he figured was the male wearing black clothing to find himself urged to bring his other knee onto the ground. Tom frowned as the Sun Lord kneeled abruptly to see a ring of watery green water surround the male as the Highlanders gathered around backed away with nervousness seen. He felt a compulsion to shut his eyes obeyed while willing forwards the Berserker hearing gasps sounds. He ignored the gasping to focus onto machinery's point of view showing a satellite orbiting Terrania. He spotted an asteroid making a collusion course towards the planet he glimpsed was entirely of water with multiple islands. Tom continued to watch via his mind as there were lasers arriving from the planet to hit the asteroid into multiple pieces till nothing but dirt remained. He felt himself exhausted abruptly to open his eyes willing aside the Berserker to find the Sun Lord was standing in the room surrounded by guards. He frowned eyeing the Sun Lord to realize with a start that his mind was altered for him to view a scene from a mind walker he figured was from the Meritanian plant in the room. Tom eyed the Sun Lord who appeared to be studying him by Human golden eyes seen narrowing as if focusing onto his face. He met the Sun Lord's eyes without fear in them despite noticing the Highlanders had fear expressions in their eyes darting from him to the Sun Lord. Tom frowned forming it on his lips as he found the Sun Lord looking away to stare at a Highlander.

  He heard "Says get him out of the brig to the hospital where he can get checked out immediately."

  Tom didn't comment a response as two of the guards walked up towards him and made gestures to come which he obeyed to follow them out of the jail cell into the familiar hallway to the elevator. He found guards inside that appeared to look at him nervously. Tom ignored their nervous expressions to find the guards getting him into the lobby of the building and found Hades there blocking his way of compelled walking towards the door entrance.

  Tom grunted an annoyed sound as Hades thrust a finger onto his chest and spoke "You're not going anywhere Mindbender."

  He removed Hades' finger off his chest to find Hades was again touching him this time fingers onto his neck.

  Tom spoke firmly "I know you're a Drainer that drinks bloody essence in manoids' bodies. Spare bothering my neck with your hand and get this biting over with."

  He gave Hades a glare in response to hear from the Drainer in response "Alright since you said it."

  Tom didn't protest as Hades proceeded to get him into a lock hold and had managed to bite his neck he grimacing from the biting. He kept on grimacing as Hades sucked his blood he hearing an Argh sound followed by the Drainer licking the bite wound clothes and pushing him o
nto the floor. Tom sat on the floor feeling himself dizzy and forced himself to stare at the metallic floor willing aside the dizziness. He kept on staring at the floor as Hades was heard giving off another Argh sound. He heard silence from Hades to find the Drainer was staring at a Highlander he figured was mind scanning the male's mind. He got up once the dizziness spell passed and folded his arms to frown feeling his feet refused to budge from their standing position. He kept his arms folded feeling annoyance take hold. Tom waited as Hades quit the Argh to focus onto him he finding the Berserker side thrown in abruptly.

  Tom heard as the Berserker took control "Why are you displaying that odd side of yours despite me mentally communicating towards you hmm?"

  He mentally willed aside the Berserker and spoke loudly "Mind walkers giving me mind talk will always trigger what I dub Berserker to come out. It doesn't work with plants like Meritanians. I can't say if that would work with the Meritanians' offsprings."

  He clamped his mouth shut into a thin line to hear a growl from Hades to glare at the Drainer as he heard via his ears "Aw get yourself to the hospital and get yourself checked out now."

  Tom spoke firmly "I don't know where that is in this city whatever name it is."

  He clamped his mouth shut to hear a bang sound of a door to find two Drainers giving him teeth baring glares coming into view via entrance to the room marched up to him. Tom frowned as the Drainers grabbed a hold of his arms and pulled and pushed him out of the building into the blaring sunlight he looking around at the city that reminded him of New York City. He found crosswalk lights flashing symbols in vicinity as the Drainers got him down the steps of the building and into the street ignoring the lumbering car vehicles as in getting into the way of them. Tom frown finding stoplights blaring colors to find the traffic of vehicles was controlled by a Highlander standing in the middle of the road making gestures towards vehicles to move and stop. Tom gave up an Hmph sound as the Drainers got him walking through the city he found was twin to New York City from the looks of it. He found multiple manoids that appeared to have Human like appearances but this time had odd hair colors and was wearing odd fashions. Tom frowned as the Drainers got him further into the city he noticing multiple Drainers wandering around that gave him glares when they caught him eyeing them. He frowned as the Drainers got him further down the street to reach a familiar building that resembled a hospital from the looks of it to get inside. He found the Drainers got him into a hallway to forced him to kneel. He kneeled and waited seemingly lengthy as a manoid with sticks jutting from the head perked up seeing him he spotted had black beady eyes and wings of a Gate Keeper aka monarch butterfly sticking out of his back. Tom frowned as the Drainers spoke gibberish towards the Gate Keeper he assumed was the species and didn't protest as they got him to stand. He found himself pushed and pulled to follow the Gate Keeper further into the hospital to notice it resembled a Human's hospital he spotted equipment sitting forlorn and not in use. Tom frowned as the Drainers got him into an elevator that went up seemingly lengthy followed by thrust out. He walked out with the Drainers thrusting him to a door finding the Gate Keeper stepping aside holding a syringe which he found was injected into his neck he feeling himself sleepy felt himself passing out unconscious.

  Tom woke up with memories of Mindbender fully in his mind he feeling confused to why he wasn't clad in his clothes while lying naked on the bed. He felt restraints holding him in place jerked open his eyes once he felt needles sticking into his form giving him pain. Tom found masked Gate Keepers injecting needles all over his front and not sparing his sensitive part to his annoyance. He gave the Gate Keepers a glare in response as he felt a familiar vibration coming from the needles in his skin from the injection site. Tom didn't say a word as he felt compelled to will forwards the Berserker obeyed despite finding the needles remained attached to him. Tom frowned as the vibration seemed lengthy then quit followed by compelled to will aside the Berserker. He obeyed to find himself sleepy shut his eyes only to wake them when he felt an itchy feeling on his neck. Tom found himself lying in bed clad only in a dress that felt like a too short hospital gown as he felt his neck continued to itch. He irritate brought a hand to the area to feel fingers of a Drainer to glare at a familiar female Drainer he recognized from Mindbender's memories was dubbed Mindy. He kept the glare aimed at Mindy as she spoke gibberish as she quit touching his neck. Tom found himself able to translate the gibberish she spoken he recognized as one of the hissing languages of Rakcara spoken in Human's English wording term.

  He found her saying "Anything on this Adam as he calls himself?"

  Tom frowned to recall it was the name he called himself after meeting Mindy despite his name was something else.

  He kept his mouth into a thin line finding a Gate Keeper joining Mindy in view and speaking "Adam is a very unusual for a Human. The size of him indicates his unusual form. He has some kind of alien form hidden within his body that he can at will bring it out. It's oddly triggered by mind walkers mentally speaking to him."

  Tom found the Gate Keeper this time had golden eyes of a Human and not the beady black eyes as he focused onto Mindy as if compelled. He frowned as Mindy forced his eyes shut in response he finding himself passing out unconscious to come to hearing a roaring noise sounding in his ear. He jerked open his eyes finding Mindy gone along with the golden eyed Gate Keeper to find his familiar two Drainer escorts giving him tooth baring glares.

  One of the Drainers spoke "About time you woke up."

  Tom frowned hearing the language was Basic as the Drainers got him out of bed and thrust him his familiar clothes and weapons he put on expertly while noticing them staring at him unblinkingly. Tom ignored the staring as he felt himself relieved to have his weapons and clothes back onto his form as the Drainers grabbed his arms and pulled and pushed him to an elevator. He wound up inside being dropped from the Drainers' hands' holds to fall down in a lengthy time period to his confusion. He felt confusion to why he was dreaming himself as Mindbender and Tom back and forth within his mind as he fell into a pool of water with a loud splash."

  Nikolai cut he off from speaking the tale to give the High Council a glare with annoyance running through him them still balking on answering his question. He felt annoyance take hold as the servants hidden forms were felt grabbing his arms and yanking him out of the room to his disgust.

  He gave up “Who am I anyway?!”

  Nikolai heard nothing in answer to his question as he was led away from the room. He recalled passing out unconscious from meeting Maureen only to wake up clad in nothing clothes wise in the presences of the High Council via their castle room. Nikolai felt annoyance take hold as the hands became rough into their handling him as he tried to pause from walking. He heard twin growling noises that sounded not too human to him and weren’t sounding of Highlander either. Nikolai frowned as the hands roughly got him further out of the room followed by a blindfold placed over his eyes and he lifted up in the air followed by carried in that manner. He felt himself carried in a fast flying speed move going all over the place followed by unceremoniously dumped onto a bed with a pillow and blanket felt. The blindfold remained covering his eyes as he heard a sound of a door slam bang in response as he remained sitting onto the bed. Nikolai yanked off the blindfold finding it was nothing but a strip of black cloth that was tied around his head. He threw aside the blindfold and naked remained seated onto the bed waiting while glancing at the door seemingly lengthy.

  Nikolai found the lights turning themselves off followed by hearing Maureen’s familiar voice “Good night son dear.”

  He eyed the door finding nothing to indicate the lights off to his disgust. Nikolai forced himself to lie down onto the bed as if disgusted and found he unable to sleep. He remained lying onto the bed eyeing the ceiling to find a pink creature of shiny skin that looked oily with antennae head and a face of beady eyes with a beak for a mouth that was waving a clawed hand. He stared at the creature that waved a foot appearing to be b
ooted at him while hearing growling from the thing that sounded threatening. Nikolai rolled over in response and eyed the statuette of the bird goddess of the High Council dubbed Egypt always in a sitting position via feet with a crown on her head always in a bird form. He sighed finding the statuette didn’t seem to be helping him figure out who he was to his mind. Instead Nikolai got up and went to the altar and kneeled in front of it forcing himself to mediate. He found his mediation helped him sleep found himself passing out unconscious to sleep while in a kneeling pose.