"No problem. I have learned to trust my judgment and instinct. Some things Command just does not need to know. Plus they would commandeer it and put it in a lab somewhere trying to figure how it works. A plan I figured you would not agree with. So when do you leave?"
"I'm leaving in the morning. The sooner I get back to normal, the sooner I can start to figure out everything that's happened"
"Keep in touch. You have my personal comm number. If I find out anything new I will get the info to you. With those orders, I won't be breaking any rules doing so.
"First Tessia and Serona and now Command. What is it everyone thinks I can bring to the fight that makes me so special?"
"I don't know, but you know what? Bring it!"
With that he started laughing with me soon joining in.
We spent another couple of hours drinking and discussing future possibilities on the unknown war that was coming. Finally we shook hands and I said my goodbye. I was back in my cottage for a while when there was a knock on the door. Opening it I found Sessa standing there wearing a different but equally alluring gown smiling at me wickedly.
"You're back. I thought all of you had been confined to Muraii for healing"
"We are. You did not think I was going to let that stop me from seeing you before you left, did you? Aren't you going to invite me in?"
"Oh, excuse me" I said stepping aside.
I closed the door as she entered. She stopped turned back to me and dropped her gown. Again I almost dropped to the floor with it. She unleashed her Eurola on me full blast. To say that was the last coherent thought I had that night would be the truth.
It was very late when I got back home. A lot of questions and speculations were still running through my mind. Now that the case was closed, or more accurately, the
monsters killed, I had time to fully try to come to grips with all that had happened, and all I had been told and learned. The reality of it all was still outrageous to believe, but believe it I must for I had just lived through it and in the end I had killed a monster and it's sister. Again to put it more accurately, I had just killed two monsters. How was I going to write this up in my case files? More importantly, how about the knowledge that my father was the king of monsters, and had tricked my mother into letting him impregnate her with me for some devilish reason. I do not know why he did it, but I do know that I will find out and find him, and when I do, I will kill him for what he is and what he has done, especially to my mother. Thinking of her I knew mom and I was going to have to sit down soon and talk. I will also continue my search for my uncle. The problem now is how do I just go back to my life as it was knowing there were other monsters out there. What about the next time I encountered some monsters? There are incredible monsters out there, and a group of Sakquain Warriors out there hunting them down, and according to them they are losing the battle through sheer attrition. How would I hunt them down? If I found them, could I kill them. I had been extremely lucky on this case, especially since I wasn't prepared for what I was going up against. If it hadn't been for the Ladies help and this unbelievable weapon graciously and mysteriously given to me by Tessia, I would be dead, as well as a whole lot of women. Yes I had a lot to think about. But importantly I had to have the mace examined by a specialist. I needed to know more about it. It’s capabilities, limits, etc and exactly what it was doing to me. I could still feel some weird effects that I instinctively knew was being caused by the mace, but they were getting less and less. Yes my list of things to do was long, but now I was going to take a nice long hot shower, drink a few beers while I relax, and hit the sack for at least twelve hours of sleep. I had already left Yolanda instructions not to wake me for anything, and after what I had just been through, I could depend on her not to wake me. I had just gotten up to my loft, after dropping all my equipment and weapons in the equipment room. I had cleaned all of my equipment and weapons before I had left the village but other repairs were needed, which I would attend to later. I had only turned on the lights for the stairway, and the front part of the loft. My living area was in a special low lighting which Yolanda had assured me would help relieve the stress of my most recent case and speed my relaxation and if needed, my injury recovery. Personally I thought it made a very good mood light when I had female company. Ahh, the female company. After Sessa could I go back to my wandering ways with other women. Only time would tell, since Sessa and I both knew and agreed a permanent relationship between us was not feasible at this time considering the line of work we both were in. As I turned to walk towards my living quarters, I suddenly knew I wasn't alone. More importantly, I knew whoever it was, or whatever it was, it couldn't be human. Don't ask me how I knew, I just knew it on an instinctive level. Since I had just dropped all of my weapons off at the equipment room I continued walking towards my living area as if everything was normal. I had a Stoker Combat Mini-Shotgun in my nightstand that would do a lot of damage to whoever or whatever I shot. The question running through my mind after the last few days was, would it do the necessary amount of damage to whatever was in my home and would I reach it in time.
Just as I got halfway to my living area, a man stepped from my right. Three things I realized immediately. First, there was enough light that I should have seen him right off. Second, he was unbelievably handsome. So much so that I knew my initial reaction to him not being human was correct. He didn’t have the features of the Muraiins but he still looked inhumanly handsome which brought back flashes of Carol and her unusual human looking beauty. This guy would not have any problems with the ladies, except for maybe fighting them off. Third, he stood stock still, hands at his sides, palms open towards me to show he had no weapons, and his manner was non-threatening. He was tall, about seven and a half feet high, nicely muscled, deep in the chest, but slim. He had a deep rich golden tan but it didn’t look quite right. He had the traditional square jaw, but leaner. His lips was full, nose lean and straight. His hair was a deeper shade of golden. It was also long and wavy, down to his shoulders. His eyes were also a deep shade of golden brown, but very unnerving. I got the feeling that to look directly into them would not be a good idea. So I kept my eyes on him but I was very careful to avoid looking directly into his eyes. Which by the way was a difficult thing for me to do. Judging when a assailant might attack was based mostly on watching their eyes. Their eyes always gave away their intentions. With this guy, I was going to have to be very watchful of everything else he did, which meant I was winging it. I stopped moving and we both sized each other up for a couple of seconds.
"Okay, I'll bite. Who are you, or should I say what are you? Secondly, how the hell did you get into my home?"
My home was outfitted with the latest in anti-intrusion equipment, which Yolanda had told me was the same as some top-secret military installations used. She had added some very important enhancements. The results were that it should have been next to impossible to break into my home or office without setting off some serious alarms and intrusion counter-measures. Yet here a complete stranger stood in the middle of my home, and apparently unharmed.
"If we were in Hell, trust me I wouldn’t be here. I do apologize for the unexpected intrusion into your home though, but it was of the utmost importance that I talk to you right away, especially after your last assignment. By the way, you did an outstanding job taking out the Bond Beast. We truly did not know if it could be defeated"
"How do you know about the Bond Beast?"
“The Muraiins are our friends in this battle against evil. Not much goes on with them that we do not know about. The sister was a witch of almost unbelievable power. We did not even detect her power until it was almost too late. By the time we did the beast had grown in power from her bonding to an immense degree. Fortunately Serona made the correct choice in getting you to take it out."
"Wait, hold off a minute. Again who are you?, who are the We you keep referring to?,
and how do you know of Serona?"
"We, are a group of …con
cerned individuals who know of the threat posed by The Xantu. We cannot get directly involved in stopping them, but we can on occasions provide guidance and information to those who do battle in the cause of good. As for Serona, she and her people have been friends to us for a very long time, and has spoken very highly of you, which is why I am here. We want you to find and destroy the minions of The Xantu as quickly as you can for the ultimate battle is coming, and the fewer beasts of The Xantu that's out there when that happens the better”
"Hold it. What ultimate battle?"
"For millennia The Xantu has awoken in one’s and two’s, doing their destruction and then going back to sleep. That is changing. The time is approaching when The Xantu will awaken all at once. When that day comes, the fate of all mankind will be decided."
"Serona never told me about The Xantu awakening all at once. "How is it that you figure they will?"
"That knowledge was not hers to share. We are in a battle of our own and from that the knowledge was obtained about The Xantu eventual awakening. You have shown both the Sakquains and us your ability in dealing with the monsters out there. You have also shown us that you have control of the power of your father within you. All of us are convinced that you can be a very valuable asset in the upcoming battle against the monsters. Please, wait. Serona has already informed us that your first hand reaction to this will be denial and rejection. I only ask that you think of this as you rest." Saying that, he turned towards the door to my personal entrance and proceeded to leave.
"Wait, you can't drop something like this on me and then leave. I have a whole lot of questions. One of them still is who or what the hell are you? Are you part of the Muraii, or for that matter do you even have a name?"
"Your questions will be answered in due time. Until then, rest”
With that he turned and went to the door of my personal entrance which was unlocked, and proceeded down the steps to the exit door at the bottom. Amazingly that door was also unlocked and he let himself out to the street. I stood at the top of the steps, mouth open, wondering how in hell did he get my doors unlocked. I had made sure they were always locked, and the intrusion system turned on. Yet here he was leaving as if I had no locks or intrusion system at all. As he exited out the door, he stopped and half turned back towards me. Looking up at me he said,
"By the way, my name is Michael” With that he turned and left. Running down the steps to check my doors and alarms, I couldn't have been but a couple of seconds behind him. When I looked outside for him he was gone.
THE END ... For Now
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Acknowledgement
I want to thank my loving wife for all her loving support over the years it took me to write this book. There were many times I hit a wall in my writing as well as many other obstacles. Throughout all of that, she has steadfastly inspired me to continue to pursue my dreams and never let go of them. For that I am eternally grateful. In her honor I finished the last chapter in this book on her birthday.
To my Wife, I love you, thank you and Happy Birthday
To All My Readers: I want to thank all you in advance for your patronage in buying my ebook. I sincerely hope you all enjoy the experience of adventure, excitement, fear, and wonder I have strived to impart in the story line.
If you liked this ebook, please remember to leave a review for my book at your favorite online retailer.
Book #2, of The Manhunter Chronicles:
"Manhunter Realizations"...Coming Soon
Manhunter Revelations Page 24