It didn’t take much effort from Saggar and Nabar to rescue Sheila in the laboratory since they had already disposed off most of the security in the compound. The few security guards left were easily taken down by Nabar’s powerful kicks and punches. The doctors and scientists ran away and huddled together in fear in a corner after Saggar and Nabar  blasted through the doors of the laboratory. Saggar then put all of them to sleep with his blue mist.

They found Sheila inside a glass tank filled with water. She remained unconscious. Both her arms and legs were restrained by metal clamps. The scientists knew that because of the changes happening in Sheila’s body, she would soon be able to breath under water. Numerous wires and tubes were also attached to her body that monitored her vital signs. Saggar observed that scales have already appeared on her legs.

Before Saggar could move, Nabar had already jumped into the water tank. He quickly destroyed the metal clamps on Sheila’s hands and feet. He then took her out of the water tank. After gently laying her on the floor, Nabar carefully took out the tubes and wires from Sheila’s body.

Saggar knelt before Sheila and touched her forehead. Her eyelids fluttered as she slowly regained consciousness. Her dark brown eyes stared at Saggar.

Saggar quickly explained her situation.

“Your body is changing, Sheila. Because of that, you were kidnapped and experimented by these people,” he pointed at the unconscious scientists and security guards. “But you are now safe from them. I won’t let them harm you again. But your body is continuing to change and the only way to halt that is if you would go to Alfheimr. Our healer, Mane can create an antidote for you to stop the venom inside your body. He will help you recuperate.” He pointed at the scales on her legs. “But I cannot guarantee that those scales would disappear.”

Sheila looked at her legs and gasped upon seeing the green scales. She touched the scales to make sure that they were real. She then looked around the laboratory before turning back her attention to Saggar.

“Where is Alfheimr? And what is this venom?”

Saggar pointed at the bandit.

“He is responsible for what is happening to you. His venom that was transmitted to your body through his kiss has the ability to change you into a Sidh.”

“A Sidh?”

“Agree to come to Alfheimr and all your questions will be answered. I also promise you that after you have been healed, I will personally return you to your home. Trust my words, Sheila Baker. You must decide right now or else, you will cease being human.”

Sheila stared hard at Nabar who remained quiet before turning toward Saggar.

“Men have always made a fool of me. What if this is some kind of prank?”

Saggar knew he couldn’t waste any more time. He opened a portal to Alfheimr. Mane was already waiting at the other end. He walked out of the portal when he signaled him.

Sheila’s eyes widened with shock.

“This is our healer, Mane. And the land that you see in the portal is Alfheimr. If you want to remain human, you must go through that portal with Mane.”

Sheila stared at the land of Alfheimr for several seconds.

“It’s a very beautiful place,” she commented. She turned again to Saggar. “I will go to Alfheimr to be healed.”

Saggar nodded and looked at Mane.

“Take Sheila with you,” he instructed the healer.

Mane’s light blue eyes stared hard at him.

“Have you forgotten that I am a healer? And yet you want me to take the woman from the hands of one of the best warriors of Alfheimr?” he said sarcastically.

Saggar turned to Nabar.

“Give Sheila to Mane, Nabar. He will take care of her injuries.”

He saw Nabar’s hesitation.

“We still need to do a lot of things here. I give you my word that you will be able to see and talk to the three women.”

Saggar thought Nabar was going to defy and fight him. But his jaws only clenched before he handed Sheila to Mane.

“Make sure to take care of her,” Nabar told Mane.

Saggar immediately closed the portal after Sheila and Mane reached Alfheimr. He turned to Nabar who continued staring at where the portal used to be.

“We need to destroy this place, specially the documents and digital records about their tests and experiments performed on those three women.”

“What about the people in this compound?”

“I will wipe away all their memories.”

“Even if we destroy this place and removed their memories, questions will remain as to what really happened here. They must have already  sent the data they have gathered about the three women to their cohorts. There are rich and powerful people behind this facility. They would continue investigating what really happened here even if we destroyed this place.”

“Destroying this facility would also serve as warning to these humans, Nabar. They would know that if they again try to take one of our people, it would have dire consequences.”

“Maybe that would stop them for a time. But humans never learn their lessons. They would once again do these things.”

“Humans will always be curious creatures. That is part of their nature. And because of the continued interactions of those from Alfheimr to this world, we have become part of their myths and legends. As long as they don’t have believable evidences about us, those from Alfheimr will continue to remain a figment of their imagination.”

“I am sure that they had taken pictures and videos of the experiments they did to the three women.”

Saggar smiled.

“Have you forgotten that nowadays it is quite easy to produce fake pictures and videos? It is very easy to make those pictures and videos appear as fake and hoaxes.”

“Do we really need to continue hiding our existence to these humans? Maybe if they realized how powerful we are, they wouldn’t dare take advantage of any of our kind. They would think twice before they kidnap Sheila and the others.”

“Maybe in the future, we don’t need to keep our existence a secret to them anymore. There might even be trade and cooperation between the two worlds. But not at this time where humans are still very destructive. They have yet to mature.

“But that time is still far into the future since they are still having a hard time to treat each other as equals just because they differ in color, race and gender. And then, there’s us.” Saggar stared hard at Nabar. “We are far stronger and more powerful than them and though we are not destructive or war freaks, we have people who takes advantage of some weak humans.”

“I have no intention of taking advantage of the three women,” Nabar started to explain.

“We will talk later about what your true intentions are and the problems you have caused in the human world. Right now, I need to do my job and you have to help me!” he reminded Nabar.

Several minutes later and Nabar had carried  out every human from the buildings. He had placed the sleeping humans near the high walls of the compound.

“That’s the last batch of them. There’s no one left in the buildings,” Nabar informed Saggar.

Saggar nodded before turning back his attention to the buildings and structures inside the compound. He raised both his arms and opened his hand. Thick blue fog began coming out of his hands. They rolled toward the buildings and structures, permeating through concrete, wood and steel.

The temperature began dropping. The fog transformed into ice and froze the buildings and structures. Saggar smiled before he started whistling. Cracks began to appear on the frozen buildings and structures. As the cracks began to double in numbers and size, pieces of the buildings and structures began falling off. The foundations soon gave way and everything went crushing down to the ground.

Only dust and rubble remained.

Saggar turned to Nabar.

“It’s time we go back to Alfheimr, Nabar.”

“You promised me, King Saggar!” he reminded him.

He nodded.

“And I always keep my word. You will see and talk to the three women. But you will see them during your trial. You have broken the rules of our land after you used your venom to change their nature!” he reminded the Kissing Bandit.

“I did not break the rules of Alfheimr!” blurted Nabar.

“You bent rule number three! It is against our rule to love a human!”

“Technically, they are no longer humans,” Nabar smiled.

“That’s why I said you bent rule number three of our world! You turned those women into Sidhs before… Wait, do you really love those women?”

“I am willing to love and protect them as long as I live!”

Saggar frowned.

“Though you technically didn’t break any rules of Alfheimr, you have also committed a crime, Nabar.”

Nabar looked down.

“I am willing to accept my punishment.”

“And you will be punished accordingly!” promised Saggar before he grabbed one of the arms of the Kissing Bandit. A part of him wanted to know why Nabar chose to wear the costume of Zorro. But that wasn’t really that important.

He again opened a portal to Alfheimr. This time, he dragged Nabar back to their world to face the trial for the crimes he had committed in the human world.