Legends of Amacia Rise of the Caverias
Chapter 24: Head on the block

At the exact moment Ahriaman began to fondle and assault Selina, Hanna lay sound asleep, and her dreams went from good to bad...very bad. Her link with Selina allowed her to feel and experience everything Selina did during the incident. Hanna found herself in the dream looking out of Selina’s eyes and feeling every feeling of violation and pain inflicted by Ahriaman. She immediately realized that she was dreaming, and that it was because of their link. Hanna became absolutely incensed and enraged at Ahriaman fondling Selina in such an intimate manner, and her anger came out in Selina’s bold comment to Ahriaman when he finished groping her. Then Hanna felt the full fury of Ahriaman’s fists. She jerked and rolled in the bed as Selina was beaten almost senseless by the dark wizard. Finally, with the last comment Selina made to Ahriaman, Hanna felt the full force of the electrocution. She trembled as the electricity tortured her soul mate. In an instant, Hanna uttered a shriek that echoed through the Red Tower as the pain snapped her awake. She could feel the current running through her body in the same places that it did on Selina. In a matter of moments, Nathanael, Electra, Enoch, Kida, and Emma burst in the room to see Hanna trembling violently, her fists clenched and her eyes rolled back in her head. Hanna’s back arched violently backwards as she felt the full force of the electrical attack. They rushed forward with great concern while she shook violently as if she was having a seizure, literally foaming at the mouth. A growling moan escaped her lips as she shook.

Enoch reached out to Hanna to try to steady her. Hanna’s hand snapped out instantly and grasped his arm with such force that it began to hurt the giant. “What is this? She’s acting like she is in agony,” Enoch asked with great concern, thinking that the Emperor had found some way to breech the energy field around Antilla that prevents him from seeing the island.

Nathanael crawled on the bed and Hanna grasped onto his arm with her other hand. Nathanael looked at Hanna closely and declared, “Selina is being hurt. Hanna’s feeling her pain. I can sense it.”

Electra ventured a telepathic peek into Hanna’s mind and cried out as she felt the terrible searing pain surging through Hanna. She immediately broke contact and collapsed into Emma and Kida’s arms.

“Momma, are you all right?” Kida cried out as she and Emma caught her.

“Yes,” Electra wheezed in pain, “But Hanna is in terrible torment. Her link with Selina is causing this pain. Ahriaman has begun his torment of her.”

Enoch was astounded at it and asked, “Hanna is really feeling her pain?”

Nathanael nodded, saying, “I’m afraid so. This has happened before. The last time this happened with this intensity, Hannibal had been gravely wounded and was having the wounds cleaned by the doctor that came with us. Selina was in mortal agony just like this and the only way relief could be gotten was by prayer.” Just then, Hanna’s iron grip on the arms of Nathanael and Enoch relaxed and a groaning sigh of relief issued forth from Hanna. Nathanael and Enoch looked down at Hanna as Electra, Kida, and Emma gathered around the bed. Hanna’s hands fell limp to the bed as she lay there like a dead woman, her eyes wide open staring blankly into eternity. Nathanael quickly noticed that something was amiss so he leaned over Hanna and listened to her chest. Hanna’s heartbeat was erratic and she wasn’t breathing.

A very concerned look came over Nathanael’s face and Emma asked with growing concern, “What is it? Is she all right?”

Nathanael continued to listen and said, “I’m not sure. She’s not breathing and her heart is having a palpitation like she has been electrocuted. Uh-oh, her heart has stopped.” Nathanael bolted upright and immediately began to perform CPR. “We have to get her heart restarted!” he barked urgently.

“What can I do?” Enoch asked softly. Nathanael breathed into Hanna’s mouth and listened for the outflow of air from her lungs, and then did a vigorous chest massage.

“Pray,” Nathanael replied as he leaned over to breathe into Hanna’s mouth again. Kida, Emma, and Electra held hands and began to grieve for Hanna, feeling helpless to do anything. “If you want to help, breathe for her when I tell you,” Nathanael ordered.

“Right,” Enoch replied, “Just like you did just a moment ago?”

“Yes,” Nathanael stated as he pumped Hanna’s chest, “Tilt her head back so her mouth is open. Make a tight seal with your mouth and breathe into her mouth. Then let off and listen for the outflow of air.”

“I understand the concept now,” Enoch declared. He positioned himself and when Nathanael said breathe, Enoch breathed into Hanna’s mouth.

While Nathanael and Enoch tried to revive her, Hanna’s soul floated out of her body and hovered over the bed, watching everything. Immediately, she noticed she was still female and not in her original male form. In an instant, a light brighter than anything she’d ever seen flashed around her, enveloping her and drawing her away from the scene. The light was warm and loving, giving Hanna absolute peace. For what felt like an eternity to her, she floated in the light wanting to stay with it forever. Suddenly, she came to her senses and cried out, “Wait! I can’t go! The job isn’t done! I’m not finished yet.” She looked around and saw nothing but light and felt nothing but love and peace. It was especially strong after she called out. “Lord, you gave me a job to do! It’s not done yet! Please send me back!” she cried out.

A deep rumbling voice suddenly spoke out of the light that penetrated to the very core of her being. She began to shake as the voice spoke. “Is that what you really want, sister?” the voice asked.

Shaking like a leaf, Hanna managed to respond, “No, Father. It’s not what I want. It’s what you told me to do. I’d rather be here with you forever even if I remain a girl for all eternity, but that wouldn’t be what you want. Doing your will is all that matters, Father. I very well can’t do it while I’m dead.”

The light burned even brighter, penetrating into Hanna’s innermost being. “Who said you were dead?” the voice rebutted, the voice rumbling all around and through Hanna.

Hanna was without an answer, so she said humbly, “Only you know, Father.”

Suddenly, out of the light four figures appeared, Gabriel, Michael, Caverias, and Jesus of Nazareth. Hanna fell on her face before them, without any strength left in her soul. She lay completely bare before the Almighty God and his most power angelic hosts. Jesus spoke, saying, “Be not afraid, little sister.” He knelt down, touched Hanna on the shoulder, and raised her to her feet.

Hanna found herself standing in the presence of Jesus himself and bowed her head, saying with the utmost humility and worship, “My Lord and my God.”

Jesus touched her on the chin and raised her head so Hanna could see his face. A beaming smile lit his face. “You have done well, little sister,” he said with great pleasure. “My Father is delighted with you. You have shown great faith in Him and have not let the darkness take you again, even within your mutation.”

Hanna smiled as tears of joy flowed. “Not by my power or ability has this been done,” she said humbly, “...but by the will and power of our Father. I had absolutely nothing to do with it. It’s His power and ability that does this mighty work, not I. The mutation He allowed on me has made me realize just how impotent I am. To be honest, at this point, it makes no difference if I ever return to my original form. I’m finally learning to be content with what our Father has given me. I’ve learned to open my mind and heart because of this mutation, and I’m better off for it. Thank you, Father, for finally showing me a better way. If He wants to leave me this way, I will accept it without condition because I love Him.”

Jesus became so happy that tears began to flow from his eyes. He embraced Hanna warmly, saying, “That’s why you’re such a delight to my Father. You steadfastly refuse to take any credit and give all the glory to Him. Even better, you’re at last taking the lessons my Father has been trying to teach you for a lifetime to heart. Your heart is finally becoming pure. It’s because of these things that Lucifer is furious at you, as is his lieutenant, the Black Prince. Little did they realize that by scourging and mutating you in the way they did they doomed themselves. They created the very weapon that will destroy them. Oh, my sweet Hanna, you are so loved by so many people, yet you do not realize it. You must let your light shine whether you are male or female, and you must accept that love and light from others. It’s our way: the way of love and light determined by my Father. Your light is dispersing the darkness of the Black Prince as I speak. As much as I know you want to stay here forever, you know you can’t and have accepted it. You know your job is not done yet. You have to go back.”

Hanna suddenly became despondent as tears filled her eyes, saying, “Lord, may I ask a question?”

Jesus put an arm round her, letting the love of the Almighty God fill her, saying, “You have done right in all you have endured, even in the darkest hells of the Black Prince’s domain. You’ve repented of your sins and the bloodshed at your hand, even in the vilest, blackest place the Black Prince put you in where every vile, depraved thought is exercised with impunity. Father has forgiven you. You should follow His example and forgive yourself. It’s what He wants. Now go back...finish your work, and show the multiverse that the power of love, life, and light can overcome the darkest evil, depravity, and chaos of the Abyss.” Instantly, Hanna found herself yanked backwards, pulled inexorably back to her body.

Nathanael continued to the vigorous CPR massage Hanna’s chest, desperate to save her. “Come on,” he growled as Enoch gave Hanna some air, “You can’t die, not yet. Wake up, little sister. You have to wake up.” After pumping Hanna’s chest several times, Nathanael suddenly struck Hanna across the face and shouted furiously, “Wake up, damn it! Your job isn’t finished, Hanna! Selina still needs you!”

Hanna suddenly jerked and gasped for breath, coughing uncontrollably. Nathanael settled back on his haunches as Enoch looked up at the ceiling and thanked the Ancient of Days. Electra, Kida, and Emma hugged each other, crying joyously that Hanna was not going to die. Wiping the tears of joy from his eyes, Nathanael sighed deeply, saying, “She’s going be all right.”

Hanna finally stopped coughing and saw Nathanael and Enoch hovering over him. She then moaned and clenched her chest, asking, “What the hell happened? Why do I feel like I was beat up?”

“Do you remember anything?” Nathanael asked as he grasped Hanna’s hand.

“Yes,” Hanna replied weakly, “Selina was attacked by Ahriaman. I felt everything he did to her, even the electrocution. It was in the form of a dream, but I saw it all, at least until she passed out from the electrocution. I don’t remember anything after that.”

“Your cry woke everyone up,” Nathanael said softly, “We rushed in here and saw you looking like you were having a seizure. When Enoch and I came in close enough to see what was happening, you grabbed our arms, and then suddenly let go. I figured you were sharing pain with Selina. Looks like I was right.”

Hanna moaned, asking, “What did you do to me?”

Nathanael looked her in the face and said, “You stopped breathing and your heart stopped, so Enoch and I performed CPR on you. It took nearly ten minutes to get you back. That’s why your chest hurts so.”

“I was dead?” Hanna asked with great surprise.

“It seems so,” Enoch answered, “You were completely unresponsive that whole time. If we hadn’t done what Nathanael called CPR, you would still be dead.”

Hanna looked up at Nathanael and Enoch with a look of intense gratitude. “Oh, man, I must have really been in the shit. Thank you for pulling me out of that, my friends. I owe you both, big time.”

Nathanael smiled and said, “You get Selina back and we’ll call it even, okay?”

Hanna smiled, saying, “Done.” She looked over at Enoch and said, “This is a wake-up call. We have to move and quickly. By the way, what time is it?”

“It’s four in the morning,” Emma stated with great relief that Hanna was speaking.

“Well now, isn’t this a coincidence,” Hanna replied softly.

“What do you mean?” Electra asked.

“Well...as I remember it, it was four in the morning a couple of days after we reached Arionath that the Emperor tried to kill Selina and I in our sleep,” Hanna declared.

“Is that so?” Enoch asked as he sat down on the edge of the bed. Emma, Kida, and Electra did likewise, making a circle around Hanna.

Hanna nodded, saying, “Yes. It wasn’t a pleasant experience, let me tell you.”

“Could you tell us about the dream, please?” Emma pleaded.

Hanna looked around at those around her and said, “All right. The first thing you must know is that occasionally Selina and I will share the same dream at the same time. It’s a side-effect of our telepathic fusion. That particular night was the second time it happened.” At that, she told the dream slowly, describing it in pain-staking detail. When she described the fortress, Enoch’s interest peaked. After she finished telling the dream, Hanna added, “When both of us woke from the dream, we were seriously injured. When we woke, I had a bruise that wrapped all the way around my chest from here to here that looked like a giant hand had grabbed me.” She pointed out the extent of the bruise and the women gasped in horror at the account. “I had four or five broken ribs that morning,” Hanna added, “...ribs that were not broken the night before. Selina, on the other hand had a bruise that covered her entire chest and midsection that made it look like something had stepped on her. She too had broken ribs and I’m sure, other internal injuries. Fortunately, we had some help from the little healing kit we brought from the Temple, you know, the one that has my original DNA recorded in it, and from the people at Arionath. We got over it quickly because of that help. It was shortly after that the Cadre launched a weather attack on Kaal Bek to soften us up before the main assault.”

“A weather attack you say?” Enoch asked.

Hanna nodded, replying, “Argus gave us a heads up just before it hit us. Somehow, he could sense it. The storm was a tempest with six-inch hails driven into a lethal spray by the 150 mile-an-hour wind. We had several thousand people camped out in the square when it hit. The death toll was massive. And it just wasn’t the hail or the wind. Lightning seemed to attack the square and in particular, the keep. Argus took me airborne after the storm and showed me what the storm did. It destroyed half the city. I know it was a weather attack. The thing that bothers me is that if they know where we went, which it is a high likelihood, they may try another attack like that.”

Enoch’s face had become grave with concern. “So that’s what they were doing,” he growled. “This is not a good development, but enough for now. Try and get some sleep.”

Hanna nodded and yawned, saying, “All right. But just for your information, most of my dreams during the night were good ones, until Ahriaman attacked Selina.”

Enoch smiled, saying, “Good. Now get a few more sweet dreams and when you’re ready, we’ll see what we can do to help you.” The adrenaline rush from the crisis was dissipating and a wave of drowsiness that could not be denied swept over Hanna.

“Thank you,” Hanna said sleepily. “I’ll see you in the morning....” She fell off to sleep before she could finish her thought.

Nathanael leaned over Hanna and listened to her heart and breathing and smiled with satisfaction. He looked at Enoch as he sat up saying, “She’s going to be all right. Her heart is beating strong and regular and her breathing is steady. The experience has drained her though. We should leave her alone and let her wake on her own.” Everyone slowly got up from the bed, leaving Hanna on it alone.

Nathanael covered her back up with the blankets as Enoch said, “I believe that is the wisest course for now. Come, let’s leave her be.” At that, they went back to their rooms. Hanna began to snore softly as they left.