Legends of Amacia Rise of the Caverias
Chapter 32: Angelic Palaver

Hanna stopped twenty feet from the main entrance and called out, “Come on out! I know you’re in there.”

Hanna paused as she looked into the darkness of the passage when a rumbling growl echoed from the passage. Then a deep alto voice rumbled forth from the darkness, saying, “Now isn’t this a coincidence. I come here for help and help I replace.”

Hanna’s expression became puzzled as she said, “Hold on, I know that voice.”

Caverias whispered in Hanna’s ear, Don’t be afraid. You know him. He’s a friend. Enoch, Kida, Electra, Emma, and Nathanael stood back at the table and watched as Hanna confronted the intruder.

“You certainly should, little sister,” the voice replied as it closed in on the room. “News of your miraculous escape despite your mutation has spread all through the city. The Emperor is furious.” As the voice finished speaking, it became the giant Xenian bear Nemesis once he stepped into the light. The bear held his organic hand up, palm facing Hanna showing a nasty scar from the blood covenant he’d made with Hanna. Nathanael gasped in astonishment at the giant cybernetic bear. Nemesis moved forward like a massive phantom.

Hanna stood before the giant cyborg bear and looked down at her hand. She saw the scar and remembered what had happened in the dungeons during her escape. Enoch watched with great interest as Kida wrapped her arm around him. Nemesis reached Hanna in a matter of seconds and stopped in front of her as Hanna looked at her hand, remembering the oath. “Ah, you remember the covenant,” Nemesis stated as he watched Hanna. “You look very well for someone who should be dead.”

“Yes. I remember, my friend. It has been too long,” Hanna finally replied, clenching her fist and looking up at the cyborg bear’s face. A warm smile crept across Hanna’s face. “Oh, Nemesis, it’s so good to see you again!” She threw herself into Nemesis’ arms, giving him a loving embrace that caught him off-guard.

Nemesis gently returned the embrace with a smile. “I feel the same way, little sister. I’m frankly surprised to see you here, though. I thought for sure the shebat had killed you,” he said bluntly. “Shebats are one of the Emperor’s best and most diabolical weapons. They have never failed to kill once introduced.”

“Well, the reports of my demise are slightly exaggerated,” Hanna replied. “I had help from some very special friends. When the thing tried to kill me, Magnus surgically removed it from me while Amelia used her healing gift to stabilize my condition long enough for Magnus to get that little monster out of me. I owe both of them my life, multiple times.”

“Magnus removed the shebat?” Nemesis asked bluntly in a surprised tone.

“He did,” Hanna stated, “When the thing started moving in my chest, Magnus grabbed it with his cyborg fingers and cut it out of me before it reached my heart and exploded.”

“He’s done well then,” Nemesis stated with a smile as he gently pushed Hanna back. “And you say this Amelia has a healing gift that kept you stable through the operation?”

“Yes,” Hanna stated. “As I said, I owe both of them, and you big time.”

Nemesis’ face lit up with surprise as he asked, “You’re not speaking of Amelia Singh, daughter of Odin, King of Hyperborea are you?”

Hanna nodded and said, “The very same; she has the gift of healing and has used it several time on me personally. She was the one who found me and Magnus in the Blister Fields.”

“How did she remember who she was?” Nemesis queried. “Ahriaman robbed her of her identity. I know because I witnessed that atrocity personally.”

Hanna smiled wryly, saying, “It wasn’t easy, but Selina, Nathanael, Argus and I launched a telepathic attack on the black monolith Ahriaman constructed around her identity while Nicodemus and the Elders prayed. It was obviously done before my capture and has to be one of the most intense telepathic encounters I believe I’ve ever had. But we, together, tore the monolith down, releasing her memories and identity. She knows who she is now thanks to the Almighty Ancient of Days.”

Nemesis put his hands on his hips and looked down at Hanna, saying, “I am impressed. I believed that she had passed on to the next life many cycles ago. Where was she?”

Hanna glanced at Enoch to see what his reaction was and said, “She was in the Cimmerian highlands, wife to the chieftain of the clans, Xavier.”

“She made it all the way to the highlands?” Nemesis asked with amazement.

Hanna nodded and replied, “Yes, apparently. We met her after Argus brought her, Xavier, Carver, and Kahn down from the highlands as allies because of the impending attack on Kaal Bek.”

Nemesis smiled, replying, “Ah, Argus. A faithful friend indeed; his knowledge and experience are always useful.”

“That they are,” Hanna agreed as she looked back over at Enoch and Kida, who had been watching and listening patiently.

Enoch stepped forward and reached out to Nemesis. “It has been many, many cycles since you have graced our humble abode, Nemesis. What brings you here under such dark and foreboding circumstances?”

Nemesis stepped forward and grasped Enoch’s hand, shaking it firmly. “It is these very circumstances that bring me here,” he answered, looking at Hanna. “The situation has gotten much more complicated. Ahriaman removed Selina from the Harem and placed her in the Tower dungeon without my seeing. Four of the Cadre and forty guards guard her. Ahriaman has already begun the process to destroy her identity and make her a fit queen for the Emperor. Moreover, they know where you went. The Emperor has ordered Ahriaman to triple the production of the Xenian and Zarukar soldiers. Kronos is dead because of your escape and the outlander Gulez stands in his place.”

Hanna’s countenance darkened at the mention of Gulez. “Great!” she hissed. “That’s all we need now, that lunatic helping the Emperor.”

“Don’t be so quick to judge. Much has happened since he came to the Black Fortress. He watched the Emperor kill Kronos, seeing what the Emperor really is,” Nemesis explained.

“Really?” Hanna replied coldly. “Did he see the Black Prince manifest physically?”

Nemesis nodded, saying, “Yes. A combination of events led to Kronos’ demise. First and foremost was your daring escape with my help. Then the news that the rebels in Arionath escaped and destroyed half of his invading forces with carite explosives arrived. They blew the fortress.”

Nathanael smirked, saying, “That’s right. We sure did. The Zarukar and Xenians overran the place, and Argus airlifted Doug and me to safety after we got the people through the portal to Acheron. I blew it myself so the Emperor couldn’t gain access to the portal generator or the Archive housed in the fortress.”

Nemesis grinned broadly, saying, “Well, you gave him a major bloody nose with that one little incident. When the news of that hit his ears, he morphed into the Black Prince and ripped Kronos to pieces. The outlander watched it and it literally scared him stupid. He fled the throne room and ran smack into me, begging for me to get him away from the Emperor.” Nemesis looked dead into Hanna’s stony face and said, “He told me everything you said would happen if he followed you has happened. He has rued the day he followed you here to this God-forsaken place. At the time, Selina was still in the Harem and he begged me to tell him where you were so he could warn you about the Emperor. I told him that I didn’t know, but knew who might so I took him to your mate. At first, she refused to tell him anything.”

“And well she should have,” Hanna hissed. “That maniac has a demon that I’m very familiar with.”

Nemesis’ eyebrow rose a bit as he answered, “Really? Then you will replace it interesting that Selina and the rest of the women in the Harem exorcised that demon from him. They prayed and the demon was dispatched while I held onto him.”

Hanna looked closely at Nemesis with sudden and great interest. “Is that so?” she returned. She looked deep into the face of the great Xenian and abruptly saw the angel hiding behind his eyes. Nemesis smirked as Hanna said to the angel, “Ah…so there you are. Very clever you are. So it’s you who’s allowing Nemesis to act and move undetected by the Emperor. I think we should have a meeting of the minds here. Why don’t you show yourself? Uh, you guys had better back up a bit. Nemesis’ guardian is a rather powerful and ancient war angel.” Enoch watched in utter fascination at the interaction, as did everyone else. “Go on, please back up. This is a meeting that hasn’t happened in an age,” Hanna urged and they complied, backing up. “Lord, let them see what I do,” she called out. Hanna and Nemesis stood facing each other as they watched. “Caverias, could you come out please?” Hanna called out politely with authority.

Nathanael watched with his mouth hanging open as Caverias rose up out of Hanna’s body, becoming visible standing a good twelve feet in height. His presence lit up the whole room and caused the others to back away. Caverias stood beside Hanna and placed a friendly hand on her shoulder, strengthening her while his other hand rested on the hilt of his massive angelic blade. He looked around and saw the others cowering in his presence, saying, “Ah, Enoch and Kida; good to see you again, and Emma, Electra, and Nathanael. Please do not be alarmed. We angels seldom appear physically like this. It takes great power to cross over and only when the Lord allows it.”

None of them could speak. The brilliance and holiness of the great warrior angel had them in utter submission. Enoch and Kida watched in utter awe as Caverias turned back to Nemesis. Hanna stood there and said, “Come on out, friend, and show yourself. You’re among friends and allies here.”

Nemesis looked at Caverias and was very impressed. Finally, he said, “All right.” Suddenly, there was a flash and Nemesis’ guardian rose out of him, becoming visible standing next to him.

Enoch finally managed to whisper to those around him, “Surely, this is a sign from the Almighty. Lo, two angelic titans meeting in such a manner must be a sign.”

Hanna looked up at Nemesis’ guardian and was enthralled. His guardian was fourteen feet in height with short white hair and a beard with slightly Asiatic features. He had twin blades on his back and he was armored from head to toe. A great golden helmet sat on his head. A breastplate that looked like electronium sat strapped in his chest. Arm and leg guards covered his limbs and boots covered his feet. A pure white tunic lay underneath his armor. He gave off an intense feeling of power and might. Caverias looked Nemesis’ guardian in the eye and they smiled at each other. Nemesis’ guardian reached out to Caverias who took his hand and shook it eagerly. As they grasped each other’s hands, Nemesis’ guardian pulled Caverias into a mighty bear hug. “Caverias, you old war horse; it is so good to see you!” he crowed happily. “It has been a very long time since we have fought at each other’s side.”

“That it has, Tsang, a long time indeed,” Caverias answered as he patted Tsang on the back. Backing off, he said, “Tsang, meet my charge, Hannibal Smith, or rather Hanna Smith now thanks to the Emperor’s heinous evil and genetic meddling. She’s the legitimate heir to the throne of Amacia.”

Hanna looked up at the giant warrior and said, “Caverias makes too much of my bloodline. I’m just a simple mutated woman caught up in something bigger than herself.”

Tsang looked down at Hanna and smiled, kneeling in front of her. Taking her by the hand and formally kissing her knuckles, he said, “The Lord has chosen well, Caverias. She’s the perfect choice for this mission. Miss Hanna: I am Tsang, guardian to Tsang Chi, king of Atlantis and friend to Thoth and Ariel. Just as Caverias was once their guardian, I was once his. In the days of the Lord’s wrath during man’s 1st Age, Caverias and I stood with Gabriel and Michael against the Black Prince and his unholy hordes. Had the Lord not intervened and destroyed the world himself, the Black Prince would have won, subjugating and possessing every soul on Earth and possibly the galaxy for Lucifer in rebellion against the great and Almighty Ancient of Days. Now he seeks to do it once more with the added distinction of trying to make the Lord a liar by subjugating and destroying all flesh. And once again, the Lord has sent us into the fray to stand just like in the beginning. Together, we stand in the might of the Lord’s power and not ours.”

“Well said, my friend; well said,” Hanna replied, humbled by the mighty angel kneeling and kissing her hand out of respect. “The time is upon us. The end is declared in the beginning. Now we are at the end of all things. Is it true then that Zramicar is sent back to the fires without him telling the Black Prince? Is Gulez truly free of that devil?”

Tsang nodded as he stood, reporting, “I cleaved the devil asunder myself. The only message he was able to take was into the infernal fires of the Abyss. The Black Prince does not know of his failure. In fact, the Emperor believes that he is still after your head. He actually plays the role very well.”

“Well, in that case, I hope he doesn’t mess up. We can use all the help we can get, even his,” Hanna stated.

Just then, two more flashes appeared on the other side of the room, catching the attention of everyone. They all looked over and saw Michael and Gabriel standing there. Michael walked over with a great smile on his face, saying, “Good, good. You have linked up.”

Hanna became weak and started to collapse in Michael and Gabriel’s presence. Caverias put his hand on Hanna’s shoulder and strengthened her. Nemesis had a similar reaction and Tsang did likewise. “What are you doing here, Michael?” Hanna asked as she held on to Caverias’ arm like a child.

“Just making sure everything is going as the Lord said it would, little sister,” Gabriel answered. “And it looks like it is. The Lord has this message for you all. Hanna, the Emperor is moving against Acheron. You must get the people to Srandi for the final stand. There isn’t much time. In addition, you must go to Amacia to replace the means to reverse your mutation and get Selina and the remnant of Amacia immediately. The time is over for talk. Now is the time for action. Nemesis and Tsang will lead your way to the very heart of the Emperor’s domain. Go there and get the people away.”

Hanna’s heart jumped at the news. “You mean that I’m going to be allowed to go back to being Hannibal?” she beamed.

“Yes, little sister,” Michael said with a warm smile. “You still must endure your mutation a while longer, but the answer to your mutation is where you suspected. Josephine performed you mutation, so she can reverse it. Follow your instincts when you return to the Black Fortress. Retrieve her at the same time you retrieve Selina and the remnant. Furthermore, do not worry if you encounter the Emperor. The Lord shall be your shield and buckler, even in your mutated state. Only after you retrieve Josephine will you be able to reverse the mutation.”

“How do I replace her?” Hanna asked, “I have no idea where Josephine’s core is, nor how to gather the people in that place?”

“Don’t worry about such details,” Michael reassured her, “You will be shown the way to Josephine, and the people are already gathered. The Emperor has purged the city of those who resist his rule as God. They’re locked in the dungeons and many die every day you delay. Hell’s Kitchen and the other executions floors are gearing up to annihilate everyone who resists the Emperor. Go get them before the Emperor can destroy them and take their souls. Bring them into the wilderness. The hosts of heaven are pre-deployed and waiting the word to move. The word will come to you, Hanna. At your word, the battle for the soul of the planet and galaxy will begin. Trust the Lord and you will see His Wonders.”

Hanna felt a little disheartened by the words because of the terrible responsibility it put on her. Gabriel noticed it and said, “Why are you downcast, little sister? Surely, the Lord is with you. It is He who will fight this last fight, not you.”

Hanna sighed, saying, “I know, Gabriel. It’s just that my flesh and iniquity so detest what I must do next, but they really have nothing to say about this. They’re dead and must remain so, thanks to this chastising mutation. The Lord has put this in my hands. I will do has He asks even at the cost of my own life. The battle has already begun. Is it true that the Rakshasar have taken Nicodemus?”

Michael nodded solemnly, saying, “Yes. It is true. The battle has been set in array and has only to be joined. Caverias, Tsang...watch over them carefully. The Emperor and Ahriaman will be after them with a vengeance.”

They nodded and Gabriel said, “Get the people to Srandi. One last thing, Hanna: when you get to Acheron, you must go into the citadel and replace Muriel. She can help you with your task, but beware as you tread the halls of the cursed citadel. Old enemies and ancient monsters of old lurk in the darkness along with potentially powerful allies. Trust your instincts as you move in the darkness. They will not fail you. Now go.”

Turning to Enoch, Emma, Electra, Kida, and Nathanael, Gabriel said, “You must also go with Hanna. Elias, Ben, and George must stay here in the Red Tower and protect it. Andrew, Hunter, and Elle will also go with you. This separation will only be temporary. But be warned, all of you. The time of the Rising is upon you. Nibiru is almost in position as is Jupiter, Mars, and Venus. The bombardments from heaven have just begun and Gabriel’s Hammer is waiting in the wings to strike this planet when the alignment is achieved. When the alignment occurs, this entire cursed land will rise again. The Four Winds shall be unleashed and the world will shake as it has never shaken before. When it is over, this whole land will be on the surface and the battle will be on. So prepare yourself.”

“When will this happen?” Nemesis asked.

“Once the planets are aligned, the magnetic barrier over the caverns will break down and the ancient machines will roar to life. When the crown on this tower shines like a beacon throughout the caverns, it will be the time of the Rising. At that time, everyone needs to be under cover. That’s why you must get the people to Srandi. Now enough talk, you have work to do, all of you. Hanna, go and repair the portal generator of this tower. You will need it,” Gabriel ordered. Suddenly, both he and Michael vanished, leaving Caverias and Tsang looking at each other.

“Looks like we have work to do, my brothers and sisters,” Tsang said. “So let’s get to it.” Caverias nodded and in an instant, they vanished, taking up their place inside Nemesis and Hanna respectively.

Nemesis was completely stunned by the fact that not only did Gabriel and Michael appear but also that Hanna was able to speak to them. Hanna sat down, totally drained by the encounter. Nemesis did manage to remain standing. They looked at each other for a few moments, and then Hanna said, “I guess we have a plan now, don’t we?”

Nemesis smiled and said, “Yes. Looks like it. Are you all right over there, Enoch?”

Enoch, Emma, Electra, Nathanael, and Kida finally managed to rise and move over to the table. Enoch looked at Hanna with utter wonder, saying, “It’s true. You’re the One...the Last Caverias. You are literally the sword of the Almighty Ancient of Days. Why else would you be able to command angels and stand in the presence of two archangels. Why else would they come and give instruction to you if you weren’t the very hand of the Ancient of Days in this place?”

Hanna looked at Enoch with a drained look and replied, “It’s a job that I didn’t ask for. I’d much rather sit in the background and live a quiet peaceful life. But I know better than to try and resist what the Lord wants me to do. He has scourged me too many times and too harshly for that. Now I just do as I’m told. I hope I’ll replace the peace I crave eventually, but until then, I walk the path laid before me. Nemesis, do you know where Josephine is?”

“Josephine?” Nemesis asked, “Who’s that? I don’t know of any Josephine inside the Emperor’s domain.”

“Don’t play coy with me, Nemesis,” Hanna snapped. “You know exactly who I’m talking about. She’s the one who controls the torture floors and Hell’s Kitchen! I discovered her name quite by accident after being made into one of those abominable dolls.”

“Oh,” Nemesis replied, “You’re referring to the Emperor’s cyborg pet. I honestly didn’t know its name was Josephine. Yes, I am familiar with the core of the machine that controls the floors. In fact, I’m one of only a handful of beings in Amacia who know where the core is and how to access it. However, all I’ve ever seen is the mechanism. I’ve never seen anything organic in the core. How did you deduce that its name was Josephine?”

“My telepathic prowess isn’t apparently tied to my physical body,” Hanna stated. “It carried over into that clone girl when the Emperor dunked my mind into that body. After being mounted, I saw her telepathically when she was treating me after the mounting process. I saw a woman completely swallowed within the matrix of that machine. She is Josephine Keleb, the wife of the original Emperor. He used her in a cyberization experiment after the Darkness turned him. She’s imprisoned in that hellish mechanism and is just as much a victim as I am. Josephine is at the mercy of the machine’s programming, which makes her do the inhuman things she does, especially when the Emperor is around. He does not see her as a person, only a pet. I’m sure she’s the one who did this fantastic mutation on me. From what I’ve heard, the Cadre don’t ever do a mutation with this level of sophistication or detail. They tend to be much sloppier. You had to have noticed it when you treated me in that secret room in the dungeon.”

“I was wondering about that,” Nemesis stated, “As seriously injured as you were, I could

see the sophistication and detail in your mutation. The Cadre never mutate on such a deep level. They always do a much sloppier job of it, inflicting as much pain as they can as they do it. Do you remember being mutated?”

“No,” Hanna replied. “I remember waking up briefly strapped inside some kind of high-tech machine as a man after the Emperor put my mind back where it belonged. I don’t know how long I stayed awake, but at some point I went to sleep. When I awoke the second time, I was in my present form tied down to a table in some kind of lab. The Emperor took great delight in proving to me that I was a woman for real. I still tremble when I remember what he did to me.”

“So you were not awake when you were mutated,” Enoch stated.

“No, Enoch,” Hanna replied. “I don’t remember a thing about it.”

“Interesting,” Nemesis stated, “That indicates someone or something other than the Cadre had a hand in your mutation. Did something happen when you discovered the machine’s identity after the doll-making?”

“Yeah,” Hanna stated softly, “When I told her what her name was, I think it may have corrupted a portion of her programming matrix. After that, she gained more autonomy and furthermore, she actually talked the Emperor in returning me to my own body. At that time, I had given up hope; that I’d be stuck there for the rest of my life in that body to be a sex slave like those other girls. It really surprised me that Josephine talked him into putting me back into my own body. Moreover, she was able to hide her malfunction from the Emperor too. I distinctly remember hearing her say that if I ever escaped and came back, to come to the core and free her from her mechanized hell. I plan to do that, even if I have to do it as a woman and rip that castle apart brick by brick.”

“And I know you’ll do it,” Nemesis stated, sitting down cross-legged on the floor in front of Hanna. “If there’s anything I can do to assist you, you have it.”

“Thank you,” Hanna replied sincerely.

“In fact, since you have brought this to my attention, I will investigate it when I go back to Amacia,” Nemesis declared. “The Emperor’s pet, Josephine as you call her, is not just in control of the floors. She controls the entire castle. If she’s truly a cyborg like me and is starting to override her programming, she may be very useful to us. I’ll definitely look into it.”

“One thing I intend to do when I go back is destroy the sex floor and the kitchen,” Hanna said severely. “I’m going to get those tortured brothers and sisters out that hell and then demolish it. No one should be treated like that.”

“Josephine may be useful in that area,” Nathanael suggested. “If she is in charge of those areas and you can do something to override her programming, she can help you both save those people and destroy that hell.”

“My feeling precisely,” Hanna stated, “Those places must be destroyed and Josephine must be either extracted from that awful mechanism or destroyed herself. She begged me to free her and I’ll do it. I promised her.”

“Don’t worry,” Nemesis stated, patting Hanna on the shoulder. “We’ll help you fulfill that promise. Maybe by time you’re ready to come get Selina, I’ll have some extra intelligence on Josephine that may be useful.”

“That would be fantastic,” Hanna chimed. “By the way, is there anything else we need to know from Amacia, Nemesis?”

“As I mentioned earlier,” Nemesis stated, “...the outlander Gulez is on our side now. Your wife demanded of him as a penance that he replace out what the Emperor was up to. When they took her to the Tower, I found him looking for me in order to relay the news. He told me how the security arrangements were and that the Emperor had told him to marshal his forces in the Cydonia area of the Plains of Blood. He wanted every piece of his war machine he had there. There they were to wait for the Xenian and Zarukar divisions to come out of Tartarus. When it was all said and done, the Emperor will have amassed the most destructive army to ever cross the face of the Earth. They intend to go to Acheron and make an end of those people and from what I understood the Emperor means to go in person to make sure it’s done right. He’s coming with all of his power. Gulez has been trying to slow things down a bit. When I heard what he told me, I told him to slip away to Acheron when the opportunity came to give them a warning. I believe he will, if he hasn’t already.”

Hanna rubbed her chin and said, “I hope that he’s not followed. Most of my team still believes that he wants their guts for garters. If he reaches them before we do, he may very well encounter a very unpleasant reception.”

“That is very likely,” Nathanael stated as Caverias poked Hanna in the ribs in order to get her moving.

Hanna’s face suddenly steeled like flint as her strength came back. She jumped up and said to everyone. “Come on. We have work to do,” she said as she walked to the table and looked at the crystal cylinders. Nemesis followed her closely. Picking up several cylinders, she said, “First, let’s go to the Teacher and see what these things say.” At that, Nathanael picked up the remaining cylinders and they all went to the Teacher, including Nemesis. They walked up to the console and sat the cylinders on the chair. Hanna took the seat and said, “Now you all stand back.” Everyone backed away as Hanna keyed the console and the Teacher suddenly rumbled and lit up. A small port opened in the panel and a tray slid out. Hanna glanced at Enoch with a smirk and took the first cylinder, sat it into the tray, and it closed up automatically. She keyed the sequence and the machine shined the light into her face. She leaned back in the chair and relaxed as she scanned the cylinder. “Eai matep curia sai hemop eig leai,” she said pleasantly and a hologram abruptly appeared with a massive fortress carved out of the side of the mountain with toppled stone giants positioned around the perimeter out about a half mile. She smiled as they looked at the hologram. “Do any of you recognize this place?” she asked.

Enoch walked around the hologram with Kida and Emma while Nemesis, Nathanael, and Electra watched. Enoch examined it closely. “Yes. It is the fortress of Srandi in the wastes of Azrael,” Enoch returned. “Why have you shown us this?”

Hanna shut off the hologram and the port opened up. She removed the first cylinder and put the second in. The port closed and the Teacher accessed the cylinder, relaying the information to Hanna. As she scanned the information, she said in reply to his question, “Srandi is where the Lord wants us to move the people. I just thought that a look at it would be important. You guys might want to leave for now. It’s going to take me a few minutes to sift through this stuff. I’ll let you know what I replace.” Enoch nodded and they left, leaving Hanna alone with the Teacher to replace her answers.