Legends of Amacia Attack on Tartarus
Chapter 18: Leila and the King

Hannibal gave Rachel a gently squeeze, saying, “I want you to stay close to Kida and Electra today, all right?”

Rachel really didn’t quite understand what was going on. “Can I play with my friends?” she asked.

Hannibal hesitated briefly, saying, “Well, all right. But don’t leave the Tower, all right?”

Rachel was a little dismayed at the restriction, but said, “All right. Can we play in the gym or at the pool?”

Hannibal nodded, saying, “Yes. That will be all right. You ready to put your arm and legs on now?” Rachel nodded and Hannibal went to get the prosthesis limbs out of the chair and helped her put them on. Leila and Selina watched him help Rachel put on her prosthesis attachments.

“God, he is so like Thoth,” Leila said softly to Selina. “Right down to his mannerism, and look how he loves her as his own. I’m beginning to see that he is really Thoth reborn.”

Selina patted Leila on the shoulder, saying, “Not quite, but close. He has Thoth and Ariel’s guardian angel protecting and helping him. That may be why you see such similarities between him and Thoth.”

“No,” Leila replied in disbelief.

“Yes. Absolutely,” Selina returned. “I’ve seen him with my own eyes: a great angelic warrior roughly twelve feet tall in golden armor with a pure white tunic that’s so white it would blind you along with a massive angelic sword. He has saved Hannibal and I several times. You may not know this, but Hannibal can command angels. God has given him that much authority.”

Leila didn’t know what to say as she watched Hannibal finish strapping Rachel’s arm on after finishing with her legs a few moments before. “There you go, sweetie,” he told Rachel after snugging the harness that kept her prosthesis attached. “Now run along and get dressed. Then you can go get some breakfast and play.”

Rachel hugged him, saying, “Thanks, daddy.”

Hannibal nodded to bathroom, saying, “Off you go now.” Rachel retrieved some clothes and then walked into the bathroom without any hesitation as if she had never lost her legs before. “Ah, such a sweet girl to have been so brutalized,” Hannibal stated as he rose, heading toward Leila and Selina.

By this time, Leila was satisfied that Hannibal was the heir to the Caverias throne. She didn’t need to see proof of it at this point, but she remained extremely curious. “You really love that girl, don’t you?” Leila commented.

“Yes,” Hannibal stated with a sigh. “She has no one. She was the sole survivor of her family, as I was. It’s a miracle that she survived at all.” He sat down beside Selina and put a loving hand on her shoulder, saying, “At some point, I hope we can have children but that cannot be right now.”

“Why not?” Leila asked in a mystified tone. “Aren’t you married?”

Hannibal nodded, saying, “Yes. We are. But we had our wedding rings confiscated when we were captured by the Emperor while saving Corso’s people from the Emperor’s Seventh Division in Cushar.” Leila was still puzzled by his answer and he knew it so he clarified, saying, “I might as well tell you. The Almighty Himself ordained our marriage.” With that, he briefed Leila on his marriage, including the vows and conditions of the marriage as Selina laid her head on his shoulder, wrapping her arms around him. By now, Rachel had come out and was listening very intently, sitting quietly on Hannibal and Selina’s bed wearing a beautiful gray dress decorated with colorful flower-prints.

Leila began to understand as Hannibal explained his marriage to Selina, especially the part about not mating until Hannibal’s job was finished. “So what is your job here?” Leila asked bluntly.

Hannibal looked her square in the eye, saying, “The end of time is upon us. In the not too distant future, our God will set up His kingdom on this Earth and rule in righteousness and holiness for a thousand years. He has his people in every nation, tribe, tongue, and creed. My primary function here is to gather His remnant of this people in this land and preserve them till He comes again to set everything right once again, restoring the Earth to its former glory like it was in the Garden in the beginning. I am here to replace and keep those people alive until He comes. But in order to do that, I have had to swallow some very bitter pills. When I first came to this land, I didn’t expect to replace anyone, and in a way, I hoped I wouldn’t. I came as an explorer searching for the truth of what the world was like before the great cataclysm of the Deluge...to prove humanity had a high level of civilization and technology before the cataclysm. But that wasn’t what the Almighty had in store for me. I never wanted to lead anyone or be responsible for anyone except myself. In a way, that was a very selfish way to think. However, I loved the Lord and submitted. I came here and quickly discovered why there were legends and stories about an ancient unnamable evil cursing the land where we found the entrance to these caverns. In the mysterious Circle of Hammunaptra just the other side of Skull Pass, I encountered the first evidence of the Caverias prophecies in a most dramatic way.”

Leila’s eyes grew wide. “You’ve seen the great Circle of Hammunaptra?” she asked with wonder. “It was a legend even in my time, like Tiamat and the South Wind. Only a handful of people even knew of its existence.”

“Not just seen it,” Hannibal said bluntly, “I’ve been in at its core where I was forced to undergo the Trials of Hammunaptra to prove I was the Caverias. At the time, I had no idea who I was. Still, I passed the tests, slaying a Jagara, befriending a Yeti named Sukar just before he succumbed to the injuries he received at the hands of that same Jagara. That’s something I must shortly attend to. I promised him I would go to his clan and tell them of his end. According to Aeolus, the Yetis know I’m here and are waiting for me to come to them. It appears they have a prophecy about me too. What do you remember of the Circle of Hammunaptra?”

“I’m not sure,” Leila stated, “But I do remember it was a legendary old place that’s always existed on this planet. Legends say it was a place of tremendous power connected with the Elder Gods somehow. I wish I could tell you more, but I just can’t seem to remember. I wish I could be of more help.”

“It’s quite all right,” Hannibal replied soberly. “I’m sure you’ll remember in time. What I saw at that place was the first major clue I was on the right path. The savage Zinzera tribe had taken to protecting the ancient road to Amacia along with that temple with a fanatical obsession. Their oral history apparently goes back to the Calamity when the Almighty buried Amacia. It seems after the Calamity, the Kragonar as the people of this place call it, the surviving Caverias allies told them to prevent anyone from entering Amacia by any means necessary. They told the Zinzera that in the end of days, the heir would come to the road with eleven companions, two of which would be what they called cat gods...cat gods that bear a remarkable resemblance to Lynxians. When this man came, they were bidden to bring him to the Circle try him with the Trials. One of these trials is a trial of blood.”

Leila listened raptly to Hannibal’s account, taking in every word as he paused. “What was this trial of blood?” she asked.

“Around the inner circle of Hammunaptra are a series of giant statues that are more than just statues,” Hannibal explained. “They were machines of such high technology I still can’t fathom how they worked. Anyway, one of the statues represented the Caverias.” He paused, letting his words sink in before continuing. “Leila,” he stated bluntly, “The Caverias statue machine looks exactly like I do with the same armor you saw my twin wearing during the fall of Caveria. He had a large sword that looks remarkably like the Caverias sword sitting point down on the pedestal with his hands wrapped around the handles. Here, let me show you the pose.” Hannibal rose, retrieved and unsheathed the Caverias sword. Sitting it point down in front of him, he held it by the handle in the same pose he saw from the statue.

A gasp escaped Leila’s lips. “I’ve seen both Thoth and Beowulf stand in that position,” she declared. “How is it there is a statue like that in Hammunaptra?”

Sheathing and returning the Caverias sword to the rack, Hannibal stated, “I wish I knew. Can you imagine my shock seeing a twenty-seven cubit tall statue of me in a place of that antiquity? But it gets better. In this circle of giant statues, I saw two statues of Lynxians...a male and a female. Both of them have uncanny resemblances to Selina and Nathanael. Then there’s the statue of the giant cyborg bear that looks just like Nemesis. That statue was apparently an enforcer because it killed the old chief when he tried to kill me after the machines identified me as the Caverias. But I’m getting ahead of myself. The trial of blood required that I put my hand and arm in a hole in the base of the Caverias statue. When put my hand in the hole, something grabbed me and took a sample of my genetic material. It was rather painful too. At that point, I realized the statues were more than just statues. The Caverias statue machine was apparently programmed to search for the Caverias gene sequence, which I obvious have. It seems Selina has it too, for when it confirmed my genetic identity, the statue shot a scanning beam from its eyes, scanning Selina who was tied to a grate waiting to be roasted alive if I failed the test. The machine found the Caverias gene sequence in her too and declared together Selina and I were the Caverias. The machine then scanned me, seeing wounds from earlier battles during the Trials, and healed them before releasing me. When that happened, the shaman Okoto ordered our release. However, the old chief, who had been contaminated by the Emperor and enslaved when he went into Amacia without permission, tried to kill me. The bear statue machine vaporized him and apparently sent out some kind of pulse that killed all of the old chief’s followers. Only when that happened did Okoto and the Zinzera allow us to continue up to Skull Pass and then into Amacia.”

“That’s something I want you to show me from your memories,” Leila stated. “I saw the Circle of Hammunaptra only once when I was a little girl long before Bolthor turned against Thoth.”

“I can do that,” Hannibal said resolutely, sitting down in the chair by the bed, “I can show you everything you wish, except maybe for what the Emperor did to me in the Black Fortress. I think we should put that off a while because it’s so diabolically heinous it may scar you for life. I don’t want to put that burden on you so soon after your awakening. However, most everything else I can show you when you wish.”

“I appreciate that,” Leila replied gratefully. “But as much as I would like for you to sit here and tell me your story from the beginning, I think you should go. Your friends need you to lead them against the Emperor. Are you really going to sabotage Kartoom?”

“That’s the plan,” Hannibal stated. “But if things go well, we’ll do more than sabotage it. We’ll blow it off the map. Kartoom is the Emperor’s right arm. We stop it from building his army, we may yet even the odds.” Turning to Rachel, he said, “You should go get some breakfast, sweetie. We’ll come down after I get ready.”

“Okay, dad,” Rachel stated, getting up and heading for the door. Stopping briefly, she gave Hannibal a hug, which he reciprocated. “I love you, dad,” she declared. “Don’t be long.”

“I love you too, Rachel,” Hannibal replied warmly. “Now go and get something to eat. Breakfast is one of the most important meals of the day. It gives you the fuel to do what you want. Besides, I’m sure Electra and Kida have something good cooking. They always do this time of morning.” Rachel smiled warmly, leaving the room after donning her sandals that sat beside the door. “She’s adapting very well to those prosthetic limbs,” Hannibal commented, noticing how she walked almost as if the prosthetic legs were real. “I’m impressed at how good she’s gotten with them in such a short time.”

“She’s been using them every waking hour,” Selina reported. “The only time she removes them is in the evening before going to bed or when she wants to go swimming. And even then, she waits until she gets to the pool. Furthermore, she’s getting better at putting them on too. She doesn’t need as much help as she did when she first got those limbs.”

“I don’t know the little girl like you do,” Leila stated, “But I can clearly see she’s very good with those artificial limbs. Though, she does move very deliberately showing she’s still learning to use them.”

“You can see that?” Hannibal asked.

“I can,” Leila stated. “Trust me; I’ve seen my share of those maimed using artificial limbs during the war. Your little girl has adapted very well to that reality. I suspect your love for her has given her the desire to master those limbs.”

“That’s a very astute observation,” Hannibal stated. “I’m impressed, Leila. After this sordid business with Kartoom, I hope to have a long talk with you, provided we survive it. You deserve to know my story from the beginning, and I have things I’d like to ask you about myself. But it needs to wait. We have a demon’s arm to pull off by the roots.” With that, Hannibal rose from his seat and headed to the bathroom after retrieving some clothes from his dresser.

“What does he mean?” Leila asked Selina, puzzled at Hannibal’s comment.

“It’s just a reference to his favorite story...the epic of Beowulf,” Selina replied, looking towards the bathroom.

“I sense a very strange tale here,” Leila admitted, raising her left eyebrow. “What is this epic of Beowulf? Does it have anything to do with the Beowulf I knew?”

“I honestly can’t answer that,” Selina stated. “But I can give you a brief of the story, which was written over a thousand cycles ago on the surface in a place called Britain. Some people, including Hannibal, believe the story may have much deeper roots in antiquity, but there’s no way to know for sure.” With that, Selina briefed Leila on the old Anglo-Saxon epic of Beowulf. She explained how Beowulf came to help the Danes overcome a terrible evil: the hell-spawn half-breed Grendel and his sea-hag mother.

When Selina pointed out that Beowulf ripped off Grendel’s arm in the last battle with the beast, Leila immediately realized the significance of Hannibal’s statement. “Ah, I get it now,” she said softly. “Hannibal sees the Emperor as this Grendel and he’s Beowulf.”

“You could say that,” Selina replied. “But you’re missing something. Hannibal is Beowulf. He used the name of Beowulf for decades, and his enemies still call him Beowulf. Even the Emperor calls him Beowulf. In addition to that, the Hellion recognizes him as Beowulf. Leila, Hannibal is the Beowulf spoken of in the prophecies. He is the Last Caverias.”

Leila’s eyes grew wide as she heard Selina’s intensity and belief in Hannibal as the Beowulf. “You really believe in him, don’t you?” she asked.

“With all my heart,” Selina stated. “He’s the One the prophecies speak of. Soon, you will see the warrior king that will be the end of the Emperor and his dark empire.”

Just then, Hannibal appeared from the bathroom fully dressed in a t-shirt, trousers, and socks. He had an intense air about him has he went to the closet without a word and pulled out the platinum-colored plate and chain-mail armor he’d used retrieving Leila. He laid it out and began to put it on starting with the shimmering mail shirt and chain mail coat that reached down to his thighs. Next came the breast and back plates, shoulder and upper arm pauldrons, followed by the clasp-on leg armor greaves, and his armored boots. After making sure the armor fit snugly, but not too tightly, Hannibal walked to the weapon’s rack, retrieving the Draken Gauntlets.

Leila’s eyes grew wide as she recognized the Draken Gauntlets as Hannibal put them on. “By the Elder Gods!” she breathed. “Are those Ryu-Fudo’s Draken Gauntlets?”

Hannibal snapped his arms down, opening the Gauntlets. “That’s right, Leila,” he stated while grabbing ammunition and loading the weapons with their heavy plasma rounds. “The Red Tower’s armory is a treasure trove of powerful, ancient weapons. It seems this pair of Draken Gauntlets was meant for Cleo, but she never received them because she married Noah’s son, Japheth. Thoth apparently had them stored here in the Red Tower for safe keeping.” Hannibal glanced up at Leila after placing the last round in the Gauntlets. A wry smile crossed his face as he closed the weapons with a flick of his hands, manually cocking the slide on the weapons. Seconds later, the Gauntlets collapsed into its smaller vambrace/bracelet-like form. “These Gauntlets were the first weapons I found in the armory,” he stated, “They called to me, just as the Hellion and Grimm’s Bane did. However, these gauntlets are not alien make like the Hellion or the Bane. It’s recorded in the archives that Gordo made a pair of these amazing weapons for each of Thoth’s children. I think the fact this pair belonged to Cleo, who is my link to the Caverias line, is what called to me. It’s an amazing weapons system, excellent for close hand-to-hand combat.”

“I remember them,” Leila stated. “They’re indeed a powerful weapons system, capable of doing great damage in the right hands.”

“I can’t argue that,” Hannibal agreed as he buckled an armored belt around his waist. On the right side behind his curved dagger sat the ammo pouch for the Draken Gauntlets. In seconds, he filled the pouch with ammunition from a box sitting on a small table next to the weapons rack. “I used these in battle for the first time when we rescued Corso’s people from Hreidmar’s Bastion as the Hunter Battalions of the 7th Division were about to overrun them. These things proved very useful in that rescue.”

“Were you successful?” Leila asked.

“Of course,” Hannibal replied with a sober smile. “But it wasn’t easy and we barely escaped. A very violent electromagnetic storm of colossal proportions broke out while we were there. It destroyed everything in that valley, including the fortress itself. It turned the entire valley into a lava lake. I’ll tell you about it later when I have time. It’s one heck of a tale.”

“I’m sure it is,” Leila answered with great interest. “I’d like to hear that tale.”

“I’m sure you would,” Hannibal stated. “If you want, talk to Master Kusanagi. He’s the Sage of Cushar and was there. I’m sure he’d be happy to tell you about it when he replaces out who you are.”

“I think I will,” Leila replied, smiling soberly.

“Good,” Hannibal said soberly, picking up the Caverias sword off the weapons rack. “You will not be disappointed.” Grabbing the Caverias sword by the handle and sheath, he pulled it in a flash with such speed it amazed both Leila and Selina. Pointing the blade towards the bathroom, Hannibal examined the blade first on the flat, and then on the edge, making sure it was not damaged. Finding the ancient blade in pristine condition despite the battles it had already been in, he sheathed it and slung the ancient sword of Thoth over his shoulder. Scanning the weapons rack, he spotted the Scepter of Shadizar Kahn and picked it up.

“Hannibal, you know you shouldn’t handle the Scepter without gloves,” Selina reminded him.

Hannibal turned to Selina and Leila with a wry smile. He lifted his free hand, showing the Draken Gauntlets forming a glove around his hand. “It’s okay, princess,” he answered, “The Gauntlets are also armored gloves, see. They’re providing more than enough protection for me to handle the Scepter. But thanks for reminding me. I appreciate it. Sometimes I forget things like that.”

“I know,” Selina purred in relief. “That’s why I warned you. You often don’t pay close enough attention to the details.”

Hannibal chuckled. “Guilty as charged,” he admitted warmly. “It’s something I still need to work on.” A deep sigh escaped his lips as his demeanor changed before their eyes. The warm, pleasant expression he wore moments before melted into that of a hardened warrior preparing to go into battle. “Now comes the part I hate the most,” he stated grimly, his eyes steeling as he looked at Selina and Leila.

“What part is that?” Leila asked softly with obvious hesitation.

“It’s the part where I must go to war, to shed blood to protect us,” Hannibal growled with obvious distaste. “I despise it, but I cannot be selfish any longer and do my own thing. Our very survival is a stake. I must do what is necessary to protect us and the rest of the world from the Emperor.”

Leila marveled at the immense change in Hannibal’s attitude and demeanor since he armed himself. Now he was a man of war with an attitude to match. But he was more than a man of war. His face was set and stern, full of cares and worries for others. He was...she finally saw it and Leila covered her mouth in astonishment. Yes, he was the King and she knew it without a doubt.

Selina saw Leila’s reaction and said softly, “Yes, Leila, behold my husband, the King, the Last Caverias prophesied to come to end the Emperor’s madness.” Hannibal’s deep set, silvery ice-blue eyes were blazing intensely. His jaw was set like stone as he stood there holding the Scepter with its pummel end on the floor.

“It’s him. It’s Thoth,” Leila breathed in utter amazement. “That’s the same look he had the last time I saw him.”

Hannibal noticed Leila’s reaction and smiled soberly without saying a word. He tapped the scepter once as a demonstration to her of his ability. The scepter flashed in response, the crystal turning a brilliant silvery ice blue that matched his eyes as a small charge crackled over it.

“So it begins,” Hannibal said in a cold gruff voice that was full of authority. “Take care of Leila till I return, my queen.”

Selina bowed her head to him, saying, “I will, my king. Please come back to us.”

Hannibal’s eyes showed power, great power and ability. “I will,” he replied sincerely, “Today, we no longer hide on this island. We take our fight to the Emperor. Leila, I will see a wheelchair is brought for your use until you regain the use of your legs. You need a means of getting around without needing someone to carry you everywhere.”

Leila bowed her head humbly, saying, “Thank you, my lord king. You’re very kind to offer me this wheelchair.”

Hannibal’s countenance softened just a bit to show her that he was still a man. “Leila. Don’t let this hard cold exterior deceive you,” he urged softly. “I am still just a man with all the loves and fears a man could have. You do not have to bow to me or call me lord. In fact, you needn’t bow to anyone, especially me. I am but a young snot nose compared to your lifespan. Tell me before I go: how old were you when you fell that terrible day long ago?”

Leila paused for a moment, then, said, “I was thirty-five cycles Kaitian as was Ariel.”

Hannibal smiled as he did some quick math converting her Kaitian years to Earth time, saying, “Thirty-five, the number of hope, which calculates to two hundred and seventy three approximately in Earth time. Technically, you aren’t much older than Selina. She’s thirty-two in Kaitian time, almost thirty-three; right honey?”

Selina nodded, impressed that he remembered that her birthday was nearing, saying, “That’s right. In fact, I’ll be thirty-three in just three days from now.”

Hannibal smiled, saying, “Well, we must have a party then. I’ve always liked birthday parties. I must replace something special for you then.” Something struck his funny bone and be began to chuckle, saying, “Shoot. Why not make it a double party. My birthday is three days away too. I’d almost forgotten about it, dag gone it. Now how do you like that coincidence?”

“Coincidence indeed,” Leila replied warmly, not feeling quite as intimidated of Hannibal as she did a few moments earlier. “Seems to me a higher power was involved there.”

Hannibal’s eyes sparkled as he replied, “You’re starting to catch on, Leila. You’re pretty sharp for someone who has been out of commission for over twelve thousand cycles. I like that. Oh well, I’ve got to go now. Duty calls. See you girls later.” He waved pleasantly as his demeanor hardened again while he focused on what he was fixing to do: make war with the Emperor. They waved back as he walked out of the room.