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    Tony ran off the list mentally as he moved along. The number one unit was supposed to be a red dragon according to the files he'd snooped through. He had to wonder what it had been like confronting it when it had been captured. He'd seen pictures that had chilled him as a little boy. Dragons were almost immortal or so they said. So now it was on ice. Two through five were listed as Elven Star Singer, supposedly the mighty mights of elf mages. Once in a while, he knew, the rather creepy Attendants came in here and vanished through one of those gates. They returned many hours later, giving off a vibe that made Tony's skin crawl. And sometimes they brought things back with them, little squirming bundles. Unit six was a unicorn. He had to wonder how humans had once thought unicorns were pure and innocent. This one, the records said, had torn six people apart before the Attendants had managed to capture it and bring it in. The next unit boasted an ogre and the next held a Djini complete with the lamp that had originally been used to capture it. Tony paused as the whispers he inevitably heard became insistent enough to make his skin crawl. Number nine seemed to loom ominously before him, intimidating and foreboding despite the fact that its appearance was no different from any other unit in his section.

    Dammit... what is it about that one?  He rubbed at the sleeves of his jacket. The hairs on his arms were standing up on end. Cut it out, Tony! You're just freaking yourself out! But the whispering seemed louder tonight. They seemed to wrap around his mind like a ghostly chorus of children, crying and muttering in a language he couldn't comprehend.

    As usual, he had to fight the urge to look. While the whispering sounds scared him to the bone, the fact that he'd always been a mythology and occult buff and overly curious made the desire to just stare and see what could be seen was strong. His grandfather had always told him he should be careful about letting people know he had those interests. It was frowned on unless you came out of the Hall of Attendants; born, bred and trained to it and then respected yet shunned by all other men. He was no attendant. He was just a normal guy who had been lucky to pass the civil employment screenings. Even so, he stopped in front of the unit as always. He quickly tapped in the code for all clear and tried to get his feet to carry him on to number ten. As usual they refused to cooperate. And then something that hadn't happened before took place.

    Anthony.

    "What?" He jumped. "Who's here?"

    I am here, Anthony. Look....

    "Huh?" He realized with a shock that the voice was in his head, not in his ears.

    Look at me. Please. It's been so long since anyone has looked at me. Look at me and remind me that I exist and that I am beautiful. The mental voice was soft, sweet as honey, lilting.

    Ok, Tony. Remember what they said. No looking. Ever. They can be tricky. But that curious part of him was screaming at him to take a chance, to look, to learn.

    I don't understand what I did. I was just bathing and the men came and locked me up. I like humans. They didn't give me a chance to tell them. I was trying to help preserve them.

    No, Tony. Don't do it... don't even. The angel and devil were battling it out on his shoulders. Come on... what could it hurt? Just look. One look can't hurt you, can it? He took a deep breath and blinked. They said no.... Another blink. Since when has no stopped you before?

    My name is Megrhianha. I've been trying to communicate since they locked me in here, but none of the other humans could hear me....

     That statement made his head snap up. He'd been looking at his boots the whole time he was fighting the urge to look. "What do you mean?"

    You're different. You hear. But you haven't been able to understand until now. You are special.

    Look. "Special how?" Don't you dare look, Tony!

    We were never gone. We just moved on. But a few stayed and tried to help humans and make them better. It's old blood. And you have it.

     "Yeah, right." He tried to laugh, but the voice in his head was making his head feel oddly fuzzy. Something about what it said made sense. He'd always felt different as far back as he could remember.

    Please, Anthony. If you won't believe me, the least you could do is look at me.

    How would you feel if you were locked up and ignored? It's inhumane isn't it? And if she's telling the truth....

    With a weird mix of excitement and dread, he turned his head and looked at the portal in the gate. There, in the frost shot glass, were a pair of beautiful, soulful, blue eyes. He blinked, thinking he was just imagining things. Without even thinking, he stepped closer for a better look, one gloved hand wiping the glass clean. He had half expected something monstrous and vile to be there.

    There. That wasn't so hard, was it?

    "No. So you're saying not all the ones who came back wanted war?"

    Not all of us. Some of us merely wanted to preserve humans.

    "And you want me to do what?"

    Help me make them understand.

    He scowled. "How do I do that?"

    Well, you can do one of two things. You can tell them and expose yourself for what you are to the Attendants. Or....

    "Or what?"

    Or you can let me out and let me explain it.

    He did laugh that time. "You're crazy. Either way I lose my job!"

    And get a chance to do what you've always dreamed of.

    "Yeah? What's that?"

    You would actually get to meet one of us... interact with one of us.

    That's no lie, Tony. You've dreamed like that as far back as you can remember. All those dreams of riding dragons and dancing with elves....

    If you help me end the conflict, you can have that, Anthony.

    No!  His hand moved to the console beside the gate. A couple of buttons was all it took. He'd seen one of the Attendants do it. But how often do you get a chance to live a dream? You, Mr. Average Guy, could get the chance to get to know one of them and help make peace.

    Yes. Please, Anthony. Help me end this.

    Before he realized what he'd done, his fingers were on the keys and the field dropped with a sort of sparking sound. The thick ice around the gate began to crack and a strange glow made it shine like a star. He was so transfixed that he didn't hear the alarms going off. As the ice fell away, he caught a glimpse of the rest of the face and a hint of nude torso, all as lovely as the eyes.

    "Whoah...."

    Before he say another word, the woman's lips twisted into a smile that made Tony's blood freeze. He noticed with clarity that her eyes were closed. Something shot out of the rolling clouds and wrapped around his waist, pulling him closer.

    "You are too kind, Anthony. I will be sure to pose you nicely."

    And when those beautiful blue eyes opened and fixed on him, Tony screamed. He felt a sudden burning in his limbs and his arms felt like lead as he tried to break free. The woman surged forward, showing him that while her upper body was quite humanoid, the rest was something out of a horror movie, writhing serpents in place of legs.

    Stupid! She lied! "You said...."

    "Oh, but I do plan to end the conflict and preserve humans... as statuary." Her smile was vile and sweet at the same moment. "And you will have nothing but your dreams to keep you company. I think I'll put you in a place of honor, Anthony. You are handsome for a human...."