Legends of Amacia The Caverias Rebellion
Chapter 16: Preparing for Battle

“Hanna, Muriel,” Kida called out. “Are you up?”

“Yes,” Hanna called out. “Come in. We’re up.”

The door slid open and Kida, Electra, and Emma entered carrying clothes and new armor for Hanna. All three women wore thigh-length dresses with trousers. The door slid shut after they entered. “Enoch and Nathanael were going to bring your things, but I reminded them of what we did when we brought you back here, Hanna,” Kida declared.

“Oh, so you’re the one responsible for this hot teddy I’m wearing,” Hanna chided with a smile.

“Guilty as charged,” Kida admitted, “We cleaned you up and changed your clothes after you passed out.”

“From your spiked milk that is,” Hanna reminded her pointedly.

“Yes,” Kida said, “I didn’t expect my special blend to have such a drastic effect on you. It was only supposed to relax you, not knock you out. I’ll have to be sure to alter the blend a little the next time so it doesn’t do that to you.”

“Please do,” Hanna stated, “I don’t like being drugged without knowing it. That’s the type of shit the Emperor did to me.”

“I’m sorry,” Kida apologized.

Hanna smiled and said, “I know, Kida; no harm done. I was just jerking your chain a little.”

“That’s mean,” Emma commented.

“But deserved,” Kida admitted. “Now, how do you feel, Hanna?”

“Pretty damned good actually,” Hanna admitted, “and this teddy makes me feel so sexy.” She rubbed her teddy and pranced around seductively, singing, “…so sexy. I’m so sexy. I’m so sexy and know it.”

Electra laughed as Muriel stared in puzzled wonder at Hanna’s actions as she flaunted her sexuality to everyone present. Hanna suddenly latched on to Muriel and pulled her into the dance saying “Come on, Muriel…enjoy the moment. Dance with me and sing. We’re so sexy and know it! Come on, let it out. Let that goddess within you out. I know she’s there. Sing with me.”

Kida, Electra, and Emma began stomping their feet in unison, singing, “She’s so sexy!”

Hanna fell into the groove and rhythm, dancing in a seductive, but not vulgar manner, chanting, “We’re so sexy, aren’t we? So sexy it hurts!” Hanna writhed and gyrated, thrusting her hips and chest as she cast sultry looks at everyone, trying to draw out Muriel. “So sexy, right down to my little tushie,” Hanna sang, grabbing her butt with her hands and rolling her hips. “Oh, yeah; come on, Muriel, let your inner spirit sing. Let it tell you how sexy you are! How sexy we are.”

The pounding of feet and the chanting of the women started seeping into Muriel and she started to let go of her inhibitions. She began to dance the sultry seductive dance Hanna did, chanting softly in her native tongue. “That’s it,” Hanna crowed. “Let that little girl out of her cage. Let her flower into the beautiful woman we know she is! Isn’t she so sexy, so sexy?”

“Yes, she’s so sexy, sexy,” Kida, Electra, and Emma chanted, clapping and stomping their feet as they did their own dance.

When Muriel became fully engaged in her dance, having let go of the blocks that held her back, Hanna danced over to her and stroked Muriel gently on the sides and hips, singing, “So, sexy, so sexy it hurts, right down to your little tushie.”

Muriel mirrored Hanna’s actions as they danced, stroking Hanna’s sides and hips as well as they chanted in faster and faster. Suddenly, Hanna bear-hugged Muriel, letting out a, “Woooo!” as Muriel scooped her up swinging her around like a little girl, laughing hysterically with Hanna.

The chanting and singing stopped as Muriel set Hanna down on her feet. Hanna patted Muriel on the cheek, saying, “Well done, sister; you finally let your guard down and had some fun. God, that was so fun!”

“Thank you,” Muriel replied, kissing Hanna on the cheek.

“You’re welcome,” Hanna crowed. “You see; sometimes you just have to let go and have some fun, otherwise life isn’t worth living.”

“What came over you, Hanna?” Kida asked with a huge smile on her face. “I’ve never seen you dance so seductively and be so happy doing it. It was so spontaneous too. You really were enjoying yourself, weren’t you? It’s like you didn’t have a care in the world.”

Hanna chuckled. “I honestly don’t know what came over me,” she murmured, panting a little as she calmed down. “Something just clicked and I felt like dancing like that. And you’re right. I didn’t have a care in the world except for Selina. I kept seeing her in my mind as I danced, wishing she were right here dancing with me. I don’t think I’ve ever had that much fun before. Just being able to flaunt myself like that was a rush, though I’d never have done that in front of just anyone.”

“You don’t see us as just anyone, do you?” Electra asked.

“No,” Hanna replied, bubbling with joy. “You’re family; my sisters and I knew you’d understand. At last, I understand the power of the female form, and what a potent form it is. I felt so powerful, seductive, and happy as I danced. I know what it means to be one of you now. It’s such a wonderful feeling! I’m one with my body now and I love it. I finally let go and just followed my instincts. I felt so alive while doing it and I wanted Muriel to share in that feeling. That’s why I dragged her into the dance. God, I feel so alive! I hope I keep this feeling when I reverse this mutation. I’m living, Kida. I’m alive and really living! It’s great!” Hanna threw her arms around Kida, embracing her tightly. “I’m so full of love and life right now I feel like I’m about to burst! I love you, Kida.”

Hanna’s words astounded Kida. She returned the embrace, saying, “I love you too, Hanna. It’s such a pleasure to see you so happy.”

“Why are you so happy, little sister?” Emma asked.

“She’s happy because she knows it time to go get Selina,” Electra stated. “Hanna’s become so at ease with herself now that she finally allowed herself to let go and express her true feelings for Selina. That dance wasn’t for Muriel or for us. It was for Selina, wasn’t it Hanna? You used your dance to express your love and joy towards her, sending it through your link with her.”

A gasp escaped Hanna’s lips. “Oh, my god,” she whispered, “That’s it! That’s why I danced like that! I was dancing not just to please myself, but Selina too. I felt her feeling so isolated and alone, so I danced for her, letting her feel my sheer love of life and for her to lift her spirit.” Hanna paused, so awed by the revelation that it shook her to her core. “I danced for her and enjoyed how it made me feel,” she murmured, “I sent my love, life, and joy to her with my dance in a way I never thought possible. Even now, I can feel her response to it as it lifted her spirits.”

“Is it also possible that you did that because of what you know must come next?” Emma asked. “You know that you’re about to plunge headlong back into the deadly world of the Emperor and maybe wanted to enjoy one last moment of carefree life, joy and peace before you’re forced back into the darkness.”

Hanna sighed, her face becoming sober. “That may be part of it too,” Hanna stated. “But it’s not the main reason. There’s something about the dance I just did that I felt was special. I don’t know what it was, but I felt it was special because it was directed specifically toward Selina.”

“Hanna,” Electra said, putting her hand on Hanna’s shoulder, “Lynxian women and men dance special dances for their mates that allow them to connect at a deep level with them. I believe we may have just seen your special dance for Selina. The seductiveness, animation of it, and the way you lost yourself in it tells me that this may be the mating dance between you and Selina. I have a special dance I do for Nathanael and Kida has one she does for Enoch. Each dance is unique and especially suited to the couple. It seems this may be yours. Treasure it because I never had the chance to teach Selina about the dances.”

“A mating dance?” Hanna queried, “That’s an interesting idea. I do know that Selina responded strongly to it, despite her weakened condition. I pray it strengthens her enough to help her hold out until I come for her. Which reminds me, is it time?”

“It is,” Kida replied. “We brought clothes for you and Muriel since I’m sure you don’t want to parade around in that skimpy thing.”

“I appreciate that,” Hanna replied. “But as I said, this skimpy thing is not that bad and is very sexy. Furthermore, it’s more than twice what the women in the Harem had to wear. Still, I can’t go get Selina in a teddy. Let’s take a look at what I had left when I came back from Acheron.” She walked over to the chair where her old clothes, weapons and burnt armor sat as Emma gave Muriel a beautiful gray dress. As Muriel donned her dress, Hanna looked at the remains of her outfit, seeing that her boots were charred and melted along with the leather coat and armor. “Man, I really was in the furnace,” she muttered as she looked at the armor. It was burned and melted slightly, but intact…especially the special mail shirt. It showed evidence of great heat, being discolored, but was still malleable and useful. The clasp-on armor and breastplate were likewise in a similar manner. The coat was, however, much more damaged as were her shoes. The shoes were beyond use, but the coat had enough integrity to get one more use out of it.

“I would say so,” Electra replied. “When you got back here, you looked like you’d been on the losing end of a fight with a blast furnace.”

“That’s true,” Hanna admitted. “Baal is a Belrock: a fire demon prince from the Abyss. His body emanates a temperature similar to that of molten metal. It’s a miracle I survived his intense body heat long enough to kill him.”

“That is a miracle,” Emma stated. “Most of your clothes were burned beyond recognition. That’s why only these items remain. The rest we had to dispose of.”

“And that’s why we brought you these clothes,” Kida added, “We brought you everything you needed to go into the pits of Amacia, including new armor. We sat them in the chairs there next to your scorched armor.”

“Thanks,” Hanna replied as she looked at her new clothes: a pair of trousers and a thigh-length blouse...both made of supple tan leather lined with fur, a belt, thigh-high stockings, knee-length leather boots with low heels, a four-inch wide leather belt with a draken buckle, and another hair-piece to replace the one she lost in the fight with Baal. “These look good. Is everything my size?”

“Perfectly fitted to your build, Hanna,” Electra declared. “I would have given you a dress, but a dress is not something you can war in very well.”

“I agree,” Hanna stated as she moved the new armor off the chair, sitting down. “I guess it’s time to get dressed.” She picked up the stockings and slipped them on. “Oooh,” Hanna cooed, “These are comfy.” Next, she stood up and put on the trousers, replaceing the fit perfect: snug enough to stay up, but not too tight. The trousers formed to her butt and legs well. “Nice fit. It shows off my assets well, don’t it,” she commented, patting her butt as Muriel giggled. Kida handed Hanna the blouse, helping her get it on. Hanna pulled her hair free of the blouse and then situated the garment, pushing it down and buckling the built-in belt it had at her waist. As she buckled the belt, Hanna noticed her breasts once again and sighed.

“What’s wrong, sister?” Emma asked, noticing the sigh.

“It’s nothing, Emma,” Hanna replied.

“No, it isn’t,” Muriel intruded. “Tell us. You can trust us.”

“I just looked down at my chest and wondered if I’d miss my breasts when I reverse my mutation,” Hanna murmured. “I’ve come to love them. They make me feel alive, more so than anything else. It makes me question whether I truly want to return to my old life as a man.”

“You don’t have to return to your old life as a man,” Kida said, “But you do need to return to being a man. These feelings of being alive are not because of your breasts, but because you have learned to open up and truly live as a person. It’s something that is coming from within you, not because you have beautiful breasts. Besides, if you don’t return to being a man, how can you be husband to Selina? She needs you as a man and you know it.”

“True,” Hanna admitted as she pulled on her boots. “But I can’t help but to think I’m going to miss the pleasures of being a woman.”

“But you will have the pleasures being a man can only bestow,” Electra declared, “and the pleasure of being my daughter’s husband. There are only pleasures a man can bestow unto a woman, pleasures that cannot be replaced by any toy or device. You love Selina with every ounce of your being. You would not deny her the joy of your true self, would you?”

“Once again, your logic is flawless, Electra,” Hanna said, sitting up after tying her boots. “You see past the surface to what is truly important to me, just like Selina. Thank you for reminding me of what is important. Yes, I will miss the pleasures of being a woman, but I love Selina more than the pleasures of womanhood. I’d gladly resume my status as a man and her husband because I love her.”

“That’s what I want to hear,” Electra crowed with a smile. “Now let’s get the armor on you.” She picked up the new armor shirt and offered it to Hanna.

Hanna looked at it and said, “Not that armor, Electra. I mean to go back to the Emperor wearing this armor.” She pointed to the scorched, partially melted armor from Acheron.

“Why do you want to wear that?” Emma asked.

“To instill fear in her adversaries,” Muriel declared, “When Hanna came to me in the basilisk’s grotto, she wore this same armor and looked like a demon from the underworld. When the Emperor sees her wearing the armor she slew three Old Ones in, it’s going to strike fear into his heart. I know it because it struck fear into my heart when I first saw her in that ghoulish garb.”

“That is so right,” Hanna agreed. “I must be able to strike fear into the Emperor when he sees me, whether I am man or woman. This will help me do that. If I can make him afraid of me, then I have the upper hand and not him.”

“Excellent strategy,” Kida crowed, “Let’s turn you back into the demon you were when you came back from Acheron. I’d love to see the Emperor’s face when he sees you in this outfit. It’ll be priceless.” She handed Hanna the burnt armor shirt.

“I’m sure it will,” Hanna replied with a wry smile. “I’m going to teach him that it’s not nice to treat people like dolls and playthings. He will regret having ever crossed paths with me.”

“I know you will,” Emma declared as she, Kida, Muriel, and Electra helped Hanna finish donning her hellish armor along with a fresh pair of armored leather gloves.

As Hanna donned the armored gauntlets, she noticed something was missing. “Where’s the Seal of Khitia I had on when I went into the Citadel?” she asked bluntly. “I know I didn’t lose it.”

Kida reached into her pocket, pulling out the Griffin Seal of Khitia, presenting it to Hanna. “We removed it when we brought you in from Ezra’s Watchtower. The chain showed signs of great heat like your armor did, but the amulet itself seemed to not have been affected by the heat of the giant Baal you killed. It’s very strange.”

Hanna accepted the Griffin Seal and looked at it closely. “You’re right,” she stated. “The Seal itself doesn’t appear to have been affected at all by my fight with Baal.” She paused and thought about the confrontation with the fiery demon lord. A gasp escaped her lips as Hanna had an epiphany about the event.

“What is it?” Muriel asked.

“I think this amulet is why Baal’s fire didn’t incinerate me,” Hanna declared. “I remember feeling like I was inside a bubble of cold while fighting Baal that seemed to prevent his fire from burning me to death. It didn’t keep him from burning me, but it did prevent his fire from overwhelming me. I can’t explain it. We literally grappled in hand-to-hand combat in that plunge into the Chasm of Acheron. As I said, Baal’s physical temperature as a fire lord is that of molten steel. I should have burned to death, but I didn’t. Something cooled his body enough for me to get close enough to kill him. I can’t think of any other reason I survived. The Lord used this strange amulet of Khitia to shield me against Baal’s fire. He used a relic of the 1st Age to protect me from one of my worst enemies. It’s humbling.”

“Stranger things have been,” Electra stated. “I was the one who removed it from you. I could feel a strange energy about the amulet, not to mention that it was still somewhat cold when I took it. There’s a mystery surrounding that amulet, one that seems to have saved your life in Acheron. I’m sure you’ll eventually figure it out.”

“I hope so,” Hanna stated as she hung the Seal of Khitia around her neck again, storing it beneath her armor and shirt. “The ghost guardian I encountered in the Painted Cave where I found it said it would be a light in dark places when all other lights go out. Well, the pit of Acheron was about as dark as it comes. I can only hope it will continue to protect me.”

Muriel patted Hanna on the arm, saying, “I’m sure it will, sister. It seems your God has placed this mighty relic of the 1st Age in your hand to protect you. It will not fail you.”

Hanna smiled and nodded as Kida put the hairpiece on her. Once it was in place and Hanna’s burnt and tangled hair tamed somewhat, Kida announced, “Now, you are the demon queen ready to make war with the king of devils.”

“Not quite,” Hanna retorted. “Something is missing. Is there a mirror around here?”

“Over here,” Kida answered, pointing to a tall narrow mirror near the entrance to the healing chamber. “What could be missing? You look like a demon wearing that armor.”

Hanna walked to the mirror and examined her reflection, seeing the burned armor framing her clean face. “What’s missing?” she asked. “Why the war paint, of course. When I came out of the pit of Acheron, I was burned and bloody, covered with soot from Baal’s infernal fire. I need to reproduce that.” She removed her gauntlets and rubbed her fingers across the burned armor, replaceing a fine layer of reddish soot still on it. Seeing it, she grunted, saying, “This will do.” At that, Hanna applied the soot to her face in tiger stripes, enhancing her ghoulish appearance. “Yes...yes, this will do very well,” she chimed, painting her face with the soot from her charred armor and coat. Once finished with her face, she painted her arms and legs in the same striped manner where the armor didn’t cover them. Kida, Electra, Emma, and Muriel watched Hanna apply her sooty war paint as if were second nature.

When Hanna finished putting on her war paint, she put the gauntlets back on, slung the Caverias sword and hung the dagger on her belt. She closed her eyes for a moment and centered herself for the task ahead of her. Hanna’s demeanor became stern and serious as the warrior within stepped out into view: a warrior ready to do whatever necessary, even kill, to accomplish her goals. Kida, Electra, Emma, and Muriel saw the transformation as it occurred. Hanna turned from a bubbling, lively, fun woman to a stone-cold warrior queen ready to destroy her enemies at a whim. The sooty red war paint enhanced her ghoulish appearance, making her even more fearsome. When Hanna opened her eyes filled with cold determination and focus, Kida, Emma, Electra, and Muriel gasped in astonishment. A cold, fearful chill raced down their spines.

“To be honest, I like you the other way, Hanna. This look makes me afraid of you,” Emma admitted softly. “That soot really makes you look extremely dangerous.”

Hanna sighed and nodded. “I know,” she said, “But this is the side of me that I must unchain to make war with the Emperor. He made me what I am. Now, I’m going to throw it back into his face ten-fold. He will rue the day he messed with us. Just because I’m a woman now doesn’t mean I don’t remember how to wage war. Plus, now I know how to fight dirty.”

“You won’t kill indiscriminately, will you?” Emma asked.

Hanna softened her warrior’s attitude and said, “Of course not. I only kill when I must in defense of myself, and those I care about. I will not kill out of spite like the Emperor. Anyone who doesn’t resist our mission is to be spared and is welcome to leave with us.”

“Hanna will do right,” Electra declared, “She may be wild and unruly in battle, but she always remembers her friends and will not betray them. I’ve seen that much with my telepathic contact with her.”

“So true,” Hanna stated. “I’ve had my brief period of bravado where I could let my hair down and have fun. Now, as much as I have come to despise violence, I must once again resort to the sword to protect my loved ones. I am a warrior; a weapon forged in the furnace of affliction. That is what I am. I tried to run away from it, but it pursued me like a hellhound even to this savage land. I’ve grown weary of running from it. I’m not running any longer. If I am to be a warrior queen or king of this land, so be it. It seems the Zinzera were right. I am the Caverias. Maybe my skills in war can save my wife and everyone else from the demon king who rules this land with blood and terror.”

Electra put her arm around Hanna, saying softly, “You will replace the peace you seek if you don’t give up. I have faith in you, little sister, as does Kida and everyone else here. You are not alone. We are with you.”

“I know,” Hanna answered soberly. “I’m not alone; not anymore. Come, the time to strike has arrived.” Hanna strode out of the healing chamber with the others following her.

“She truly is a queen among us,” Muriel murmured to Emma. “She will save us. I know she will.”