Legends of Amacia Heart of Darkness

Deep in the dark forbidding Sea of Calui on the island of Antilla, a lone humanoid figure looked out over the sea from the top of a solitary tower of red granite on the southeastern point of the island. The tower covered nearly eight hundred acres and rose precipitously to a height of nearly a mile. The tower’s main access point stood on the west side through a hundred foot gate. Everywhere else, precipitous cliffs that dropped some two thousand feet to the sea below surrounded the tower. The sea churned and washed over the jagged rocks at the cliff’s base. With very few windows and completely smooth sides, the tower rose from its base of black andesitic granite. The top of the tower resembled an ornate crown with ten individual curved spires nearly fifty feet in diameter rising another two hundred feet with crystal capstones on the pinnacles. The evenly spaced spires circled the perimeter of the tower and in its the center soared a single pillar of red granite two hundred feet across, rising some three hundred feet, topping the spires by a least a hundred feet. On top of the pillar sat a tremendous crystal pyramid that was just a little smaller than the pillar, leaving a ten-foot ledge around the pyramid. The entire top of the tower resembled a strange parabolic satellite dish with the orientation of the spires and central pillar.

The figure stood on the edge of the ledge looking to the northeast. This being was as mysterious as he was impressive. Standing nearly ten feet in height and cloaked in a woolen shroud that completely covered everything about him, he looked out over the sea, seeing great pteronadons and pterodactyls soaring over the water. In the sea below him, the giant flying dinosaurs fished...plucking all manner of fish, both modern and prehistoric, out of the water. Plesiosaurs, pliosaurs, ichthyosaurs, megalodons, and other prehistoric sea creatures stalked the waters hunting anything they could get their jaws on, including the pteronadons and pterodactyls that came too close to the water. He stood there like a statue with his arms crossed in front of him, hands hidden in the folds of the cloak’s sleeves. From deep in the shadows of the hood that covered his head, two great ice-blue eyes burning like lamps scanned the horizon intensely. A commotion in the sea below abruptly attracted the figure’s attention. A liopleurodon pliosaur nearly eighty feet long breeched the sea’s surface with a sixty-foot megalodon shark in its mouth. “Nice catch, Sea Rex,” the figure murmured as the liopleurodon disappeared back into the sea with its catch. “That should sate your appetite for a while.” With a sigh, he resumed scanning the horizon as a cool wind blew from the east.

After several moments, the mysterious man focused to the northeast and growled in a low guttural manner, “The time has come. Come to me, Beowulf. Come to me.” Suddenly from the east in the direction of Tartarus, a dark cloud distracted him. He turned toward cloud and growled viciously as he saw a pitch-black cloud over toward the city of Kartoom. The cloud glowed red near the base and lightning flashed through the cloud in an eerie manner. “Up to no good again, eh Ahriaman,” he hissed. “You’re too late. He’s beyond your reach. The Ancient of Days has him.” Turning back to the northeast, he looked out as if he could see all the way to Acheron. “Beowulf...Beowulf!” he called out, voice echoing almost supernaturally through the air. “Come to me, Beowulf.” The being’s voice seemed to float through the air over leagues of sea, plains, mountains, and deserts until it landed in Acheron.

Hanna, who now slept a bit more restfully two days after the terrible nightmare, stirred as the strange voice began to echo in her head. She lifted out of her body in a dream state, hovering briefly over her body. She noticed the plain sleeveless gray nightgown with shoulder straps on her body that covered her bandaged torso. The straps ran across her bandaged shoulders and were tied with a bow, leaving her shoulders and arms bare, save for the bandages that wrapped them and the splint immobilizing her right arm. She also noticed the splints on both legs. In the next moment, she realized her avatar was clothed in the same nightgown and bandages without any splints.

The strange voice beckoned to Hanna, drawing her away in her dream state. She flew out of Acheron like a bird, following the haunting, echoing voice calling to her on the wind. Her nightgown flapped in the breeze as she flew to the southwest, moving at incredible speed over the lands of Tauria and Zaraphath, following the strange voice. At first, she was afraid, but after entering the land of Calui and approaching the sea, her fear abated somewhat, being replaced with curiosity as to what was going on. Hanna wondered what strange power was drawing her to the sea. She both feared and longed for it. Being so torn by the power, when she reached the shoreline, she stopped resisting the drawing power of the voice. It echoed in her skull, emanating terrible ancient power, but not seemingly malevolent toward her in particular. Furthermore, the voice seemed incredibly familiar. She crossed over the water on a southwesterly heading. In moments, the shore vanished and in the distance, a strange-looking cloud slowly appeared. What is going on? Hanna thought as the voice continued to call to her regularly.

As Hanna approached the cloud, fear began to rise in her and the voice said smoothly, “Do not fear, Beowulf. Come to me. Come through the mists.” Hanna plunged into the mists and cloud, immediately sensing something strange about it, which caused some unease. For an unknown period of time, she flew through the cloud and could not see the sky, the ground, or anything else around her. It was as if a grey, wet void had engulfed her. “Almost there, Beowulf; don’t be afraid,” the voice called softly to her. Suddenly, Hanna emerged from the cloud and an island stood in the sea off in the distance. It was emerald-green around the perimeter of the island with ruins near the center of the island that were barren of any life. She immediately saw the flying dinosaurs and wondered where she was going. Then on the southeastern point of the island as she neared the island, she saw the colossal monolith of red granite. Her mouth fell open as Hanna closed on the tower, realizing that it was her destination. She gawked at the sheer size of the tower.

Just then, the voice stopped calling and Hanna landed hard on the ledge around the pyramid on the center pillar of the tower’s cap. Rolling and tumbling against the pyramid, she came to a sudden stop. Shaking her head as she rose, Hanna murmured, “Whoa; rough landing.” Her back crackled painfully as she stood, drawing tears of pain. “Damn,” she moaned. “Why’s my back hurting so much, and why are my legs shaking like Jell-O?” After a few moments of leaning on the side of the pyramid, her back pain calmed down and her legs began to strengthen. Once her legs stabilized, she looked around in wonder. “Lord God of heaven,” she exclaimed as she looked around. “Where am I this time? What strange and wondrous place have I been spirited off to now?” Hanna limped slowly around the pyramid, leaning on it for support while looking out into the sea, seeing all manner of living things flying and swimming. When she turned a corner and looked inland, she saw a large volcano in the center of the island. Steam and wisps of smoke and ash rose from its crater. Near the base of the mountain to the west stood the ruins of a massive city that covered the western end of the island. She stopped and looked at the ruins with her mouth hanging open in awe, immediately noticing the concentric circle layout of the city with strange circular canals incorporated into its structure. Once the awe of the sight subsided, she began to search for a way off the tower. After a couple of circuits of the pyramid and not finding any way down, she called out, “Okay; what am I doing here? Why am I here? I was drawn here by something. If you’re here, show yourself.”

Suddenly, a booming voice echoed around the tower, “Welcome, Beowulf. Welcome. We have waited a long time for you.”

Hanna looked around wildly for the source of the voice, her hair snapping around as she moved her head. “Do not be afraid. I didn’t bring you here to hurt you like the Emperor has already done with his mutation and torture of you,” the voice declared sincerely in a tone reflecting its masculine gender. At that moment, an enormous cloaked humanoid creature stepped around the corner as Hanna turned toward it. Immediate fear rose in her as the giant seemingly floated toward her, gliding like a phantom. Hanna began backing away in fear. The giant held out its hands in a wait gesture. “Please, don’t be afraid,” the figure pleaded gently in a deep alto voice as Hanna looked at its hand. Its hands were enormous and apparently human, fitting of someone ten to twelve feet in height as this being was.

Hanna paused as she looked up at the shrouded figure. The hood concealed the face completely in darkness and the image of the hooded angel that had saved her on repeated occasions came to mind. “Who are you? Why have you brought me here?” Hanna demanded.

The giant chuckled, lowering its hands, saying, “Direct and to the point; very good; I like that.”

Hanna repeated her demand, asking, “Who are you?”

The giant reached up and uncovered his head, revealing the head of a giant of a man with ice-blue eyes and shortly cropped snow-white beard and hair. Hanna looked up in the giant’s face, becoming astonished as she realized that this being was not only a giant human man, but also an exact copy of Hannibal before being mutated into Hanna, except for the hair color and size. The facial structure was the same as Hannibal and Hanna’s to a T. The giant smiled warmly as Hanna gawked at him, as if she’d seen a ghost. “Yes, Beowulf, or should I say Hannibal Smith; and now because of the Emperor’s inconceivable evil, Miss Hanna Smith,” the giant said pleasantly. “I am flesh of your flesh, blood of your blood. We are kin, my friend. We have the same ancestor: Thoth Caverias, but forgive me for being so rude. Allow me introduce myself. I am Enoch Caverias: descendant of Thoth and Ariel Caverias, who were the rightful king and queen of Amacia.”

Hanna shook her head in disbelief. “You’re my brother?” she asked. “How can this be? How can you know that we have the same genetic material?”

Enoch extended his hand, saying, “There’s much to discuss, which is why you were brought here.”

Hanna looked at the hand, and then slowly grasped it, steadfastly looking Enoch in the eye as she did. “You still doubt me,” Enoch said in a mild retort at her attitude. “If I wanted to kill you, I would have already done it. Trust me, sister.”

Hanna shook the giant’s hand, saying, “It’s very hard, Enoch. Since I’ve come to this cursed land, I have had nothing but violence and bloodshed at my hand, and even been mutated into a woman and tortured in ways you can’t comprehend by cosmic beings of ruthless unimaginable power. Just a little while ago, the Emperor tried to destroy me in my sleep again with the Old Ones. I find it extremely difficult to trust anyone now.”

Enoch nodded, saying, “I understand exactly how you feel.”

“How can you possibly understand how I feel?” Hanna railed, her anger boiling over in an instant. “I came in peace to this land as an explorer and for my efforts a megalomaniac uses advanced ancient technology from the 1st Age to surgically and genetically turn me into my female counterpart! I’ve had my mind ripped from my body and dumped into a clone woman that the Emperor took great delight in torturing almost to death in the most heinous ways imaginable! No man should ever have to experience the horrors and pain I have! How can you possibly comprehend being forcibly turned into a woman and ravished to the point of death; to the point where I begged for the Reaper to take me? You can’t! Now, I can’t even be a husband to my beloved wife, who languishes in the Emperor’s Harem!” Hanna dropped to her knees in despair, tears dripping. “Just as the Emperor promised, I live as a woman and am powerless to get Selina back, much less stop him from turning the world into a fucking graveyard. Even now, I lie somewhere between life and death, not even knowing if I’ll ever wake up again. Oh, god; why does this shit always happen to me?”

Enoch knelt down and put one hand on Hanna’s shoulder. With a compassionate look, he said softly, “You’re right, Hanna. I can’t comprehend the horrors that you continue to experience because of the Emperor. Forgive me. The terrors you endured in the cursed city are beyond my ability to fathom. But you must understand, your mutation was foretold, and it was also foretold that you would find the means to reverse it. So your female status is not permanent unless you wish it to be so.”

“I don’t want to be a woman for the rest of my life,” Hanna sobbed softly. “I was born a man, and would like to die a man. I want to hold my precious Selina in my arms and be able to make sweet love to her as I was meant to as a man, not as a woman. I want to be the man she always wanted me to be, not some freakish mutated woman.”

“Listen to me, Hanna,” Enoch said softly, “The Ancient of Days hasn’t abandoned you. I don’t pretend to understand why He allowed this to happen to you, but I do know He will restore you to your proper station when the time is right. All we need to do that is for you to have access to the proper technology. The Emperor isn’t the only one in this great cursed underground that has access to the ancient machines and technology, you know. You’ll find the key that’ll restore your body to its proper form, but until then, you should not reject this form. It’ll help you to awaken to your true self and put an end to the Emperor’s evil forever.”

“You really think so?” Hanna asked...her emotions calming with Enoch’s gentle tone and persuasion.

“I know so,” Enoch replied sincerely, “...with all my heart. You’re my sister and brother...the promised seed of the Caverias line who will reclaim our heritage and restore balance to the universe. All of this that you have told me I have expected. It’s why we called you: to give you some understanding and hope. You’re not alone in this. You don’t have to bear this heinous burden alone. Now, before I say anything else, will you trust me and come inside? I have someone I want you to meet.”

When Enoch offered his hand to Hanna, she saw the sincerity in his eye. Taking his hand, she murmured, “Okay Enoch, let’s go inside. Besides, it’s kind of cold out here. Since you dragged me here, I might as well pick your brain since you seem willing to share.”

“Excellent,” Enoch chimed with a smile as he drew Hanna to her feet, “Your telepathic gift is developing faster than expected because of this mutation. The Emperor didn’t expect this development. This is good news. The Ancient of Days seems to be pleased with you. Come sister, follow me.”

At that, Hanna followed Enoch around the corner to an opening in the ledge she hadn’t seen before. It went right down into the main part of the pillar under the pyramid. In minutes, Enoch led Hanna into the bowels of the tower to a large room that was furnished rather plainly with a couple of chairs, dressers, and a large bed.

“Please; have a seat, sister. Would you like something to drink?” Enoch offered.

Hanna careful sat in one of the large chairs and replied, “I guess so. I am a little parched.”

Enoch smiled, saying, “I’ll be right back.” He left her alone in the room, giving her a chance to look around.

The room was very Spartan in nature, but one thing did arouse Hanna’s interest: a very large painting hanging on the wall. She got out of the chair and walked over to it, looking up at the picture. Her memory suddenly opened up and she muttered, “My God! I’ve seen this before. It’s....”

Just then, Enoch returned with two large mugs of what appeared to be milk. He saw Hanna staring at the picture and declared, “That’s the only physical portrait left of Thoth Caverias and Ariel, our ancestors. Can’t you see the close family resemblance?”

Hanna looked at Enoch and nodded, saying, “It’s uncanny and if I can be so bold, a little unnerving.”

“It’s all right, sister,” Enoch replied. “Come...sit, and drink. We seldom have visitors. I like for them to feel welcome in my home.” They walked back to the chairs and sat down, Hanna taking a mug from the hand of Enoch.

“You live here?” Hanna asked.

Enoch sipped his drink, replying as he leaned back in his chair “Yes; All my life. I and my wife live on this island.”

Hanna sniffed the strange beverage, and then tasted it as she began to relax a little about being in such a strange place. The taste of the drink was similar to milk sweetened with honey. Hanna found it very tasty and calming. She drank a little more, and then said, “What is this? It’s pretty good.”

Enoch smiled after taking another swallow from his mug, saying, “It’s bison milk and honey. We have a herd of them on the other side of the island.”

“Really?” Hanna replied after taking another gulp of the tasty drink. “How do you feed them?”

Enoch chuckled, saying, “They graze on the other side of the island. This island is in fact very fertile. It produces enough food for us and the animals that are here. The Ancient of Days has blessed us that way.”

Hanna nodded as she drank some more, and then asked, “What is this place?”

Enoch sipped on his mug, replying afterwards, “This is the Island of Antilla and this tower is....” At that moment, he heard a noise in the doorway. Looking over at the door, he motioned, saying, “Come in, beloved. Don’t be afraid of our guest. Come. Hanna is just as anxious as you because of what’s happened to her.”

Hanna looked over at the door. Out of the shadows of the door came an enormous Lynxian that was a dead ringer for both Ariel and Selina. She walked in slowly, sizing up Hanna as she looked at the Lynxian with utter stupefaction, who stood about eight and a half feet in height and was wearing a plain woolen dress made of the same material as Enoch’s cloak. She had deep bluish-green eyes, bright reddish-brown hair, and a silvery gray fur covering her perfectly proportioned figure. The Lynxian woman could have easily passed for a sibling of Selina. Hanna blinked, sat her mug of milk down, and then rubbed her eyes in disbelief. Looking again as the Lynxian woman stopped just a few feet in front of them, Hanna choked with emotion, saying, “Lord have mercy; Selina!” Hanna’s heart broke within her because she knew this beautiful Lynxian standing before her wasn’t Selina. Before she or Enoch could speak, Hanna said with tears flowing, “Forgive me. I know that you’re not my precious Selina. But you look almost exactly like her.”

The Lynxian woman looked at Enoch and he nodded. She knelt down in front of Hanna and reached out, taking her hand. “It’s all right, sister. It’ll be all right,” she cooed to Hanna.

Hanna couldn’t help herself. She broke emotionally and cried for her lost Selina. She pulled the Lynxian’s hand to her cheek and held it there. “What am I going to do? I’m nothing without her,” she sobbed deeply. “That bastard has her and means to make her his queen. I’m powerless to stop it! Even if I got her back, I could never be her husband like before, not like this! It’s so terribly unfair!”

Enoch motioned to his wife and she pulled Hanna out of the chair, sitting her in her lap. She wrapped her arms around Hanna just as Selina would have done and began to purr for her. “Shhh; it’ll be all right, little sister,” the Lynxian purred. “It’ll be all right. Trust us. You don’t have to bear this burden alone any longer. We’re here to help.”

Hanna cried on her arm, clinging to it like a child who was weeping for a lost parent. “I don’t know what to do,” she sobbed. “I’m completely lost as a woman who was once a man. I don’t know who I am or what to do anymore. The world has turned upside down and I no longer trust even myself.”

Enoch knelt down beside his wife and Hanna, and stroked Hanna’s hair, saying, “Go on; let it out. You need to purge this despair from your soul. It’s okay to let it go.”

The Lynxian’s purr finally began to calm Hanna. Once she calmed down to the point she could speak, Hanna looked up at the beautiful cat and said tearfully, “Thank you. You seemed to know just what I needed, just like Selina. What is your name, my beautiful feline angel of mercy?”

The Lynxian smiled pleasantly at Hanna, saying, “I’m Kida...Enoch’s wife. You love her very much, don’t you?”

Hanna nodded her head as Kida and Enoch sat her back in the chair. Enoch pulled his chair over close to Hanna while Kida remained kneeling on the floor in front of Hanna. “Yes, more than my own life and soul; our minds and souls are knit together at their core,” Hanna said softly.

“Your minds were fused together by the teaching machine before your mutation, weren’t they?” Enoch asked, already knowing what the answer would be.

Hanna sighed, replying, “Yes. We have been fused for a little over two months, but we have been soul mates for since the foundations of the universe. The Lord God Himself chose her to be my mate. I tried to keep from accepting it, but it was meant to be. However, at the moment I cannot sense her at all and it’s causing me great pain and grief. I have grown accustomed to sharing with her because of the fusion, and when I was mutated, that bond grew exponentially somehow to a level that’s even astounds me. It bothers me greatly that the Emperor may find out about it and try to find a way to use it against me.”

Enoch and Kida looked at each other, and then at Hanna. “We know exactly what you are speaking of,” Kida stated, “Enoch and I too are bound in such a way, but fear not, little sister. We drew you here to offer our assistance. We can help you. But you must come to us physically before we can truly be of assistance.”

Hanna suddenly realized what was happening. “What? You mean this is just a dream?” she asked.

Enoch nodded, saying, “Yes, little sister. It’s a psychic dream we instigated on your behalf. Your battered, broken, and mutated body still lies asleep in Acheron. We’re well aware of your difficulties with the Emperor, including your mutation, as well as Selina’s difficulties. If you wish to get her before the Cadre destroys her totally to make her a fit queen for the Emperor, you must come for us. Together, we can restore you to your proper form and rescue her and the people of Amacia from the Emperor’s iron boot. Now, my sister, go back and be revived. A word of warning though: keep away from the citadel in Acheron until you have come for us. The evil within the citadel is not to be trifled with. You’re not ready to deal with the terrors of that place yet.”

Hanna suddenly became sleepy and she fought it. “Wait! How do I get here? What do I need to bring?” she asked desperately as the fog of slumber rapidly filled her brain.

Enoch, Kida, and the room inside the tower slowly faded away as Enoch said in a hauntingly cryptic way, “You’ll know what to do, sister. Trust your God, and your instincts as you always have. We’ll be waiting to assist you.” Enoch’s words slowly faded away with his face.

Yet, as everything faded into darkness, Kida and Selina’s images seemed to hang in Hanna’s mind. As the darkness descended, Hanna began to feel like she was falling. She tried to reach out for them and was unable to reach them. “Don’t forget us,” Kida’s voice called out as her image and Selina’s image vanished into the darkness.

Hanna cried out as her descent increased with speed. For what seemed an eternity, she fell. Then below her, the darkness grew lighter and within moments, she saw her body asleep in her bed as she plummeted toward them. As the bed and the floor approached rapidly, she cried out, thinking that she was going to die. The instant she touched the bed and her body, she woke up screaming, literally jumping up out of the bed despite her broken bones. She ended up in a corner of the room, trembling and crying like a baby, unsure of whether she was awake or not. The scream was heard all over the building. Nathanael, Harry, Amelia, Nicodemus, and Joshua ran in to see what was wrong for they were nearby.

Nathanael entered first, followed by Amelia, and then Harry, Nicodemus, and Joshua. When Nathanael entered, he immediately saw that the bed was empty, and then heard Hanna sobbing in the corner. She was sitting on the floor with her face buried in her hands, whimpering. She was wearing her bandages, splints, and the nightgown she’d seen when she first floated out of her body in the dream state. Nathanael and Amelia rushed over with Amelia kneeling beside Hanna as Nathanael squatted down in front of her. Nicodemus approached as Amelia reached out, asking, “Hanna. Hanna, are you all right?”

Nathanael reached out, touching Hanna on the shoulder. Upon his touch, Hanna jerked in surprise, startled by the contact before looking up at everyone. Slowly, she managed to compose herself. “Another fucked up crazy dream,” she said, choking with emotion as Nathanael and Amelia sat either side of her on the floor. “I was dreaming again. Am I still dreaming? Are you guys for real; is this for real? Oh, heavenly God, I just don’t know anymore!”

Nathanael shook Hanna gently, saying, “Snap out of it, Hanna. You’re awake. We’re as real as it gets. Calm down and try to relax.”

Nicodemus stepped forward and motioned for Amelia to move aside, which she did. Taking her place at Hanna’s side, he put an arm around Hanna, saying, “It’s all right, sister. Take it easy. You’re safe. We’re here for you.”

Hanna looked at Nicodemus with a troubled look and replied as she realized that she was indeed awake, “Not safe. None of us are safe, not until the Emperor is destroyed.”

Nicodemus looked deep into her troubled face and asked, “You want to talk about the dreams?”

“Could I have some water first?” she asked. “I’m terribly thirsty. How long have I been out?”

Joshua left the room in search of water as Amelia squatted in front of Hanna to look her in the face. “It has been a solid fourteen days,” Amelia declared.

Hanna rubbed the side of her face as Nathanael added, “You have been in and out for the last week. Most of the time when you would come out of it you would be screaming and crying like a child frightened out of her mind. About time you would calm down enough tell us what was wrong, you’d pass out again. The last time you did that was about two days ago. You kept saying that it was time to face the evil down.”

Joshua came back in with a glass of water and handed it to Hanna, saying, “Here you are: some cold water. Maybe it will help calm your nerves.”

Hanna accepted it, but couldn’t hold on to the glass. It slipped through her fingers as Joshua released it. With catlike reflexes, Amelia caught the glass before it spilled. “Damn, I have no strength in my hands,” Hanna complained, “...and my legs hardly have any feeling in them at all. How did I get way over here? Why am I wearing splints on my legs and arm? Why do I feel something on my back?”

“It’s to be expected,” Harry called out. “No one’s expected to have any strength in their mitts or legs after being out of commission for fourteen days.”

“You also broke your back, right arm, and both legs in the Arena,” Nathanael declared. “That’s why you have these splints and the back brace on. We didn’t want you to re-break them if something like this happened.” Hanna half-ignored Nathanael’s comments as she calmed down and her thirst won out.

“Let me help you with the glass,” Amelia said softly, holding the glass up for Hanna. Hanna put her left hand around the glass and with Amelia’s help, lifted it to her lips. She drained almost half the glass before taking a breath. After catching her breath, Hanna said, “Thank you for the water, Joshua. That really hits the spot, and thank you for helping me hold this glass, Amelia. I can’t believe my hands are so weak.”

“You’re welcome, Hanna,” Joshua replied with a smile. “I’m just glad you finally woke up. We were beginning to think you’d never come out of it.”

Hanna cast a questioning look at Amelia and she nodded. “Yeah,” Amelia agreed. “You’ve been so sick from your wounds that we didn’t think you were going to make it there for a while. I’m truly happy you pulled through. It shows your strength and tenacity.” She kissed Hanna on the cheek in a motherly fashion.

“Yeah,” Harry chimed. “How many lives does it make this time, Hanna?”

“I may have lost at least three, maybe four with this one,” Hanna replied with a weak chuckle.

“You’ve got to stop doing that, Hanna,” Harry chided. “You’re going to run out of lives one day if you keep getting your ass in trouble like this.”

“No arguments there bud,” Hanna replied, taking another swallow of water with Amelia’s assistance.

Nicodemus nudged her, asking, “Are you sure you’re all right, sister? You know we all have been praying for you constantly since you left us for Cush.”

Hanna looked Nicodemus in the face and saw the concern. Still greatly troubled, she nodded, saying, “I think so. But I have seen and experienced things that no man or woman should have to ever see or encounter.” She choked up again as Nicodemus rocked her in a fatherly manner.

“You want to talk about it?” Nicodemus asked.

Hanna managed to calm herself and said softly, “This last dream was different. Not like the ones with the Emperor in them. A voice called to me from far away. I felt myself lift out of my body and was drawn far to the southwest by this voice. It called me to come and I couldn’t help myself; I had to obey. I soared over lands and sea following this voice. Then I entered a strange cloudbank on the open sea and when I emerged from the cloud, I saw an emerald-green island with a great red tower on it. I met two people at the tower that appeared to be giant versions of me when I was a man, and of Selina. They called the island Antilla. The man was almost as big as the Emperor. He called himself Enoch Caverias, a descendant of Thoth Caverias and Ariel. He claimed that I was his kin, with a bloodline back to Thoth. His wife is called Kida and believe it or not, she is a Lynxian that’s taller than you, Nathanael, and looks like she could pass for Selina’s twin sister.” This revelation caused Nathanael’s countenance to rise with great interest.

“Indeed, you say,” Nathanael replied with a raised eyebrow. “Please continue, Hanna.”

“Needless to say, you guess how I reacted when I saw Kida, being the spitting image of Selina,” Hanna continued. “They told me that I was dreaming and they wanted to help reverse the Emperor’s mutation of me and to help me get Selina back as well as the remnant inside of Amacia. They also warned me not to let anyone go in the citadel here in Acheron before coming to get them. They want me to come for them, but I just don’t know. Everything is so fucking crazy right now. Anyway, they told me to go back and when they did, everything went dark and I started to fall. I fell in absolute darkness until I saw my bed and body.”

Nicodemus sat there with utter amazement. Amelia was totally without words as was everyone else. Finally, Amelia stood and asked with great wonder, “You saw Antilla and Enoch and Kida Caverias?”

Hanna nodded, saying, “Yup, but it was just a dream, wasn’t it?”

Nicodemus shook his head, saying, “Antilla is an island fabled to exist in the deadly Sea of Calui far to the southwest of here. Enoch and Kida are myths. No one has ever seen them. You say a voice called to you and drew you to the island where you met them?”

Hanna nodded once again, saying, “Yes. It was as if I was compelled to go. I was literally drawn there like a moth to flame. I couldn’t stop myself.”

“Is there anything about the island that stood out to you?” Nathanael asked.

“Well, yes,” Hanna replied. “The Tower seemed to be the defining structure on there, built of red granite. It stood on the southeast point of the island and was almost a third of a league high topped with spires and a crystal pyramid. I got the distinct impression that the Tower was some kind of great machine, much like Tiamat is. Enoch and Kida lived in the Tower. I also got the distinct impression while there that the island is the only place in all of this underground that the Emperor doesn’t have any influence. They said the island was extremely fertile and provided all their food needs, a paradise in a way. The only thing, though, is I saw only the two of them.”

“You saw the Red Tower in your dream?” Amelia asked again.

Hanna nodded and Amelia looked at Nicodemus, saying, “This is a tremendous sign, Nicodemus. I remember the stories about the Isle of Antilla and the Red Tower. It was a fabled land far to the southwest lost in the Sea of Death. Many searched in vain for it. It was supposed to be a paradise where everything lived in peace and harmony. The fields were lush and green. Great herds of animals roamed the lands. Fruit and grain were abundant, growing without any need of human cultivation, and most importantly, Antilla was a place where the Emperor’s influence could not reach. However, there was a dark side to this fabled paradise. Fearsome creatures and beings of ruthless power guarded it. These beings were very protective of their lands, slaying any who managed to survive the perilous journey across the Sea of Death. No one who ever went to find the land has ever returned. It was said that these beings guarded a terrible secret that would only be revealed when the end of humanity was nigh. That’s as much as I remember of the myths.”

Hanna sighed as she looked at the floor. “Dreams and nightmares have been the bane of my existence since I was born,” she stated glumly. “It has been particularly so these days. I’m a solitary boat driven before a tempest. I find that I know things that I shouldn’t. I find myself in a position I never wanted, quite literally. I find myself doing things that I cannot explain, and also find that nearly every time I have a dream, it shortly becomes reality. I’m driven and know not where or by what power. I can only say this though, whatever I have become and wherever I’m driven, the Lord’s will be done. I’m weary of the nightmares and portents of disaster that have been my constant companion since I was a child.”

Nathanael hugged Hanna with one arm, replying, “Do not let this get you down, Hanna. Don’t weary with doing good because, despite what you think is happening, the Lord is performing His will in you. I know that you cannot see the way out right now. Just be patient and trust in our God. He’ll reveal all things in His time and good pleasure. Whether you like it or not, you have been chosen for this great task. You have been given gifts and abilities like no man or woman has ever been given by our God. These dreams are for a purpose, just as your mutation is. Trust Him and you will know the meanings in time.”

Hanna grabbed Nathanael’s hand and looked into his face, saying gratefully, “Thank you, my friend. You’re right. I must not despair and trust our God, but there is something hauntingly familiar with the dream. Enoch called to me and I responded as if I knew him. He wants me to come for him. He says we must stand together to face the Emperor. Only together can we defeat him. I must find this Antilla. I must go to them. I must, but I know not how I’m going to do it.”

Nicodemus nodded knowingly, saying, “The Almighty drives you like no other. If you must find the fabled land of Antilla, then we will assist you in any way that we can. But first, rest, recuperate. Then you can begin your search.”

Hanna sighed, replying, “Thank you, Nicodemus. You’re right, as usual. I’m exhausted physically and mentally. I’m also hungry. I don’t remember the last time I ate something.”

“Of course you don’t remember,” Harry stated, “You’ve been in a coma for the last two weeks.”

“We’ll fetch you some food and drink,” Nicodemus stated. “We’ll also get Arabella and Drew to check your wounds as well. Just lie back and relax. Sleep if you must.”

Hanna shook her head, saying, “I’ve had enough of sleep. It seems that every time I fall asleep, something bad happens. I’ll try to relax, but first, can someone help me back on the bed. I have absolutely no strength in my legs or arms.”

“I got you,” Nathanael replied warmly, scooping up Hanna and depositing her on the bed. “There, is that better?”

“Yes,” Hanna murmured as she clumsily found a comfortable position. “It’s much more comfortable than that floor I was sitting on. How the hell did I get over there in my condition wearing these splints?”

“Adrenaline can make the body do amazing things,” Nicodemus said. “Sounds like you were so upset from the dream that your body move of its own accord, like a reflex.”

Hanna sighed, saying, “May be; stranger things than that have happened to me before. Thanks for being here for me, Nicodemus.”

Nicodemus nodded. “You’re welcome,” he replied warmly. “Now, everyone out; I’ll send for Arabella, Drew, Magus, Rebecca, and Naomi. We will bring some food for you in a few minutes.”

Everyone rose and filed out with Nathanael being the last one to leave. As he headed for the door, Hanna called out, “Nathanael, please stay. I don’t want to be alone right now.”

Nathanael turned and closed the door, going back to Hanna, saying, “All right.” He walked back to the bed and pulled up a chair as Hanna again tried to shift her position to sit up straighter. Frustration filled her face as she could not get her arms or legs to work properly. Nathanael saw her trouble and said, “Let me help you there.”

“Thanks, Nathanael,” Hanna replied with anger as she gave up, lying on her side. “I just can’t get these stupid limbs to move properly.”

Nathanael piled up the pillows against the head of the bed. “Don’t fret it, Hanna,” he said softly while scooping her up. “It’s not surprising that your limbs aren’t cooperating. You have a bit of muscle atrophy because of the time you were in the coma.” Sitting Hanna down so the pillows propped her up, he added, “We couldn’t work your limbs because of the broken bones you had, which is why you’re wearing those braces. But you have already beaten the odds by waking up. You’ll be back on your feet before you know it.” He covered Hanna’s legs with the blanket.

Hanna looked into Nathanael’s eyes for a moment as a surge of grief and pain filled her. Tears began dripping from her eyes and Nathanael sensed her crushing grief. He shifted position, sitting beside her. Wrapping his arm around Hanna, he pulled her in and purred, “It’s okay, Hanna. You don’t have to bear this grief and pain alone. I’m here.”

Sobs bubbled up from Hanna as she turned her face to Nathanael’s broad chest. Wrapping her arms around him the best she could, she wept in a soulful release of grief and pain as he stroked her back gently. “Let it out,” he purred. “That’s right; release this poisonous grief and hate. It’s your only chance to get peace.”

After five minutes of sobbing, Hanna quieted down and looked up into Nathanael’s eyes. “I love you, Nathanael,” she whimpered. “You’re the father I lost all those years ago. Thank you for being there for me.”

Nathanael sat her back against the pillows and wiped her tears away. “You’re very welcome, Hanna. I’ll always be there for you regardless of what happens. It’s what family does for one another. And I swear on the throne of the Lord, we will get Selina back and restore you to your proper form.”

“I know,” Hanna said with a trembling smile as she grasped Nathanael’s hand weakly. “It’s just I’m feeling so alone and lost right now. Everything has turned upside down for me. I don’t have the faintest clue as to what it means to be a woman or how to live as a woman. I spent fifty years as a man and now it’s all gone in a flash. It’s like I never existed as a man. I’m just a little girl now who has lost her way.”

“Don’t let these feelings distract you, Hanna,” Nathanael instructed. “I’m not the telepath that Selina is, but I can feel your angst and helplessness at your mutation. You’ll always be Hannibal no matter what form your body takes. Being a woman is no different than being a man.” Hanna cast a questioning look at Nathanael and he clarified, “Of course there are obvious differences, physiological differences that you’ll adapt to, but your soul remains the same. You must trust the Lord and His plan and not doubt or forget who you really are. You are Hannibal Smith, and apparently, you had sense enough to create a new persona when you were mutated in order to keep from losing yourself to this form. I can see that and it’s a marvelously ingenious way to preserve your identity. This mutation is only temporary, as Nicodemus pointed out. You must have patience and draw on your male side for strength to deal with this dilemma. I have faith in you, Hanna, and so does everyone else who looks up to you. Heh...you did the impossible. You survived a direct encounter with the Emperor and escaped from him. Furthermore, you beat the odds and survived a set of wounds that would have killed any normal person as soon as they received them. If that doesn’t say the Lord does not have his hand on you, then nothing does.”

Hanna smiled, seeing Nathanael’s flawless logic and gentle tone as he reproved her. “You remind me of Enoch in the dream, Nathanael,” she murmured. “He basically told me the same thing.”

“This Enoch sounds like a smart man,” Nathanael stated, “I’d like to meet him if he is for real.”

Hanna sighed. “Me too,” she said before falling silent as her mind went to Selina again. Staring at the opposite wall with her head hanging slightly, tears rose again in her eyes.

“Is there something else you want to talk about?” Nathanael asked in a fatherly way, noticing the tears as he kept his arm around Hanna. For a moment, Hanna didn’t reply. Her face became troubled deeply as she stared at the wall. “Ahem. I see,” Nathanael said softly. “You’re deeply worried about Selina’s well-being, aren’t you?”

Hanna looked slowly at Nathanael as tears drained down her cheeks. “I’m helpless to help her,” Hanna moaned. “He means to make her his queen. Do you understand what I’m saying? My greatest enemy means to take my most treasured possession for himself and rub my nose in it.”

Nathanael thought on it for just a moment, and then looked down at Hanna. “Yes, I do,” he replied. “I understand it clearly. But you must not despair in getting her back.”

“But I cannot clearly sense her like before,” Hanna retorted. “It like a fog has descended between us. I can hardly sense that she’s even alive. I’ve grown so accustomed to our minds being fused that I can hardly even think straight without her. I....” Hanna began to sob softly.

Nathanael gave Hanna a gentle squeeze with the arm he had around her. “I know, Hanna,” he declared. “Believe me; I know what you’re going through. Selina’s mother and I were the same way until she disappeared.”

His words stopped Hanna’s crying and she looked into the great cat’s face with puzzlement. “I thought she was dead. What do you mean she disappeared?” Hanna asked. “You told Selina that she died.”

Nathanael shook his head as he remembered the disappearance. “I have never told this to another living soul, not even Selina,” he began. “Selina’s mother and her sister were working in the palace museum when Selina was little. They were cataloging some of our recent finds and storing them when there was a terrible accident. There was an unexplained explosion in the warehouse and by time I got there, both were gone and no trace of them was ever found. Some of their colleagues said that Selina’s mother and sister were away from the explosion when it went off, but the resulting fire kept anyone from getting to them right away. They were sealed in a collapsed section of the warehouse and by time the fire was put out and someone was able to get in there, they were gone without a trace. As a matter of fact, they weren’t the only ones to disappear during that incident. Three Lynxian men were there helping them. They too vanished. When I was able to get to the place where they were trapped, all of them were gone; vanished. Not even a hair was found of any of them. I was telepathically bonded to her mother in a similar manner to what you and Selina share. When she vanished, for a while it was as if I could still sense her but couldn’t tell where. Slowly, our link seemed to fade away like she had never existed.”

He sighed, becoming troubled by the memory, and then replied, “I lost my wife and little girl that day: gone without a trace. We searched the planet and the universe for them and never found them. Even now, I can’t help but wonder what really happened that day. My brother did and provided everything he could to help me find them. We never did. That was two hundred and forty of your years ago, so when I say that I know what you’re going through, I do. However, you can still sense her, which is good. That means she can still be found, unlike what happened to my wife and daughter, so buck up. There’s still hope.”

“I didn’t know,” Hanna said softly, having completely forgotten about her own grief. “How did you survive?”

Nathanael patted her on the shoulder and said, “I grieved, but never gave up hope that someday I’d find them again. I delved into my work to push the pain out of my mind. But it didn’t work. I still loved them and wanted them back. I still do, but when our planet perished in the supernova and you came into our lives, I had to face reality that they were gone forever. That’s why I treasure Selina so. I’m just as torn up about her as you. However, I learned to cope with it and so will you. It’s not going to be easy, but you’ll manage. You’re absolutely the toughest human being I’ve ever seen. You just refuse to die, even as a woman.”

Hanna chuckled softly, saying, “You’re right. Sometimes, I wish I could die and go to be with the Lord, but He just won’t let me. By all that is holy, this last incident should have slain me outright, but I’m still here. Thank you for sharing that with me, Nathanael. It makes me feel a little better. What were your wife and daughter’s names?”

“My wife was called Electra and my daughter was named Kida. She was the sweetest little girl, always inquisitive and in a way, nosy. She tended to get in the way sometimes,” Nathanael replied.

“Was she telepathic like Selina?” Hanna asked.

“Yes. Both her and Selina were telepathic from the moment they came out of their mother,” Nathanael replied.

Hanna couldn’t help but ask, “Were they twins?”

Nathanael’s eyebrow rose and he said, “Yes, they were. But Selina was the first to be born... coming a couple of minutes before Kida.” Nathanael chuckled as he remembered the happy day.

“What?” Hanna asked.

“I’m just remembering,” Nathanael replied with a smile. “Selina came out first and from the moment I held her in my arms, we had a reporé. Then Kida came and when she was given to me, I looked down into her tiny face and marveled at her sparkling eyes and reddish brown hair. Ah, they were both angels, so pure and innocent. I loved both of them deeply, but Kida tended to gravitate to her mother while Selina tended to want to be with me.” He sighed deeply, and then said, “It was about the hardest thing I’ve ever had to deal with...losing them and not knowing whatever became of them.”

“Reddish-brown hair, you say?” Hanna asked, getting very interested in Kida’s physical features.

“Yes; and the deepest, prettiest bluish-green eyes you’d ever lay eyes on. She had eyes that you could literally get lost in, just like Selina’s,” Nathanael stated.

“Is that so?” Hanna replied with great interest. “Vanished without a trace?”

Nathanael nodded.

“I don’t know. This is a tremendous coincidence that this Kida Caverias I met in the dream resembles your Kida to a T. Is it possible that...?” Hanna said, trailing off.

Nathanael could see Hanna’s weakened mind churning and whirling in her face. Shaking his head, Nathanael said with just a flicker of hope beginning to rise in his heart, “I don’t know, my friend, but stranger things have been. This Enoch and Kida call to you, do they not?”

Hanna nodded, saying, “I know they’re real. They are there. I have to go to them, but I haven’t a clue as to how to get there.”

“Well, if you’re going, then so am I,” Nathanael replied stoutly. “The people are safe here for the time being. Besides, if this is truly the Lord’s will, we need to see it done. Moreover, you’re going to need a bodyguard until you heal up, little sister.”

Hanna heard the tease and looked up in the face of the great cat. She saw something for the first time that she hadn’t seen since rescuing him and Selina from the burning starship as Hannibal: hope. It shined in Nathanael’s eyes. “Yes. Come with me. Together we’ll unravel this mystery,” Hanna declared, taking a pure leap of faith onto a path that would reveal the truth of her existence and set into motion the fate of countless lives everywhere.