(no subject)

20.

The troops gathered around the plane as Mickey and his family and friend exited.

The thing was about as unreal as anything the boy had experienced since the lightning had hit him and brought him into this new world.

With his permission Mickey made a Troll invisible, much to the uproarious reaction of his fellows.

“D’ya think you could do it to one of them?” Asked Jeremy, pointing at the dragons.

Mickey tried to think of the impact of an invisible dragon on the battle, and it made him grin. “If I can, we want to save it,” He told his buddy.

As they stood, making plans for any possibility, the thing they expected least happened.

Down the small town street came walking the man whose face they had all come to fear. The Sleepless Knight walked towards them in what could only be called a leisurely manner.

There were no robots, no flying saucers, nothing accompanying him, nothing protecting him.

He walked past the stunned forces and no one raised a hand to stop him.

They were all so shocked that their enemy would come, unarmed into their midst, that no one said a word of protest.

He walked past the dragons and the trolls. He walked past the fairies who buzzed a befuddled cloud as they saw him.

He walked right up to Mickey’s mom and put out his hand. Taking her hand he bowed down and lightly kissed that hand.

“I pay homage to the only hero to ever kill me without dying themselves,” He said.

Benjy seethed, just a bit.

A troll raced towards the enemy, but was stopped by Colonel Stonedragon.

The Colonel said in stern tones, “What, exactly, do you want?”

“I want what I have wanted since before your father’s father’s father was born. The end of this misery. The silencing of the horror that is existence. I just want to stop mankind’s pain,” He said in a voice that might have convinced one that he meant only the best.

“You know,” Maria said, “We cannot allow you to succeed.”

He just smiled.

“We cannot even allow you to leave this spot alive,” Benjy stated.

“You already have,” Vadid Shastan said, as he faded away.

A gasp came from everyone standing there as they realized he was gone.

A second gasp, and a growl of anger, followed the realization that he had not left alone.

Mickey’s mom was gone!

 

© 2005 by C. Wayne Owens