Legends of Amacia Attack on Tartarus
Chapter 12: The Resurrection of Leila Karac

A day and a half later, Hannibal woke in his bed wearing only a pair of sweat pants. He groaned as he rubbed his face. He heard the door open and turned to see who it was. Selina walked in with a slight limp wearing a sleeveless gray tank-top shirt, tan trousers, and sandals. “Ah, you’re awake! Excellent!” she cried with great relish. She moved to the bed, sitting down on the edge of it. Reaching out to him, she asked, “How do you feel, my king?”

Hannibal stretched and yawned, saying after he grasped her hand, “A little weird, but okay I suppose.”

“What do you mean?” Selina asked.

“I don’t rightly know,” Hannibal admitted. “I can’t explain it. My shoulder feels a bit stiff and my head seems to be tingling a bit.”

Selina helped him sit up, and then kissed him on the lips, saying afterwards, “Don’t worry about it. It’ll pass. But first, we were wondering what you were going to do with Leila.”

Hannibal suddenly straightened up asking intently, “Has anyone messed with her?”

“No. We were waiting for you. You have the key to the sarcophagus,” Selina replied.

“Where is she?” Hannibal queried.

“Still in the portal chamber with the treasure we found in the mausoleum,” Selina answered. “Ana and Nemesis haven’t let anyone except Enoch, Kida, Electra, and Nathanael near it. By the way, Ana brought the Draken Gauntlets back here and put them with the other weapons on the rack.”

“She did?” Hannibal asked, raising an eyebrow as he looked at the weapons rack, seeing the Draken Gauntlets in plain view. “I forgot about the Gauntlets. I was so fucked up from that fight I could barely think.”

“I know,” Selina stated, “We were all very worried about you, but thankfully, the Lord pulled you through it. You really need to stop getting into so much trouble, Hannibal. One day, your luck is going to run out, and I’ll be a widow. It was foolish for you to have not returned to the Red Tower for reinforcements after the incident with that first spider. Had we been better armed, we might not have been so mangled by Nidhoggr and Morpheus would still be alive.”

Hannibal nodded solemnly, sighing deeply as Selina’s words pricked his conscience. “You’re right, Princess,” he admitted. “We should have gone back for reinforcements, at least for weapons of greater firepower. Everything that happened there could have been avoided. Morpheus’ blood is on my hands, and as is the injuries everyone took. Why did I go in there like that knowing the peril that lurked in that darkness? We walked into a world of shit without being properly prepared. Hell, I didn’t even use the portal to scout the fortress and what lay beneath it. Shit, that was supremely stupid. Had I properly scouted the place with the portal, we would not have had the trouble with the spiders or Nidhoggr. I just don’t understand it.” A troubled sigh escaped his lips as tears welled up. “My rash, impulsive actions put everyone at risk, and it actually killed Morpheus,” he sobbed softly. “I now wonder if I’m really worthy of this position, and if I should be in charge like this. This is why I never wanted this position. Why did I go down there unprepared? It’s so unlike me to do that.”

“Don’t go there, Hannibal,” Selina warned, cupping Hannibal’s cheeks with both her hands, looking him directly in the eye. “You know better than that. Every leader makes mistakes, including you. It’s okay to make mistakes if you learn from them. Besides, going into Ezra’s Tower was a spur of the moment decision that the Lord pushed you into. You know what I think?”

“What,” Hannibal replied, taking Selina’s gentle reproof with humility.

“I think the Lord sent us in there like that as a test,” Selina stated. “He sent us into that nest of alien horrors to try each of us, to see if we’d rely on Him to get us out of that. Furthermore, I believe the test was more for you than it was for us. He wanted to test your strength and loyalty to Him, and to reveal a dark secret and miraculous truth.”

“And what secret and truth is that?” Hannibal asked, feeling the Holy Spirit pricking his conscience.

“The secret is that there are dark creatures far worse than the Emperor, the Black Prince, or any demon lurking in the deep dark places of this world,” Selina stated, holding both of Hannibal’s hands. “Remember what the Lord told you when Nidhoggr first appeared? What did he call it?”

Hannibal’s eyes grew wide and a gasp escaped his lips. “He called the beast a Dark Titan,” he breathed. “Furthermore, Nidhoggr is the same tentacled beast I saw in the dream before we went to Ezra’s Tower. Nidhoggr is a Kraken, a Dark Titan...a creature of the most...Ancient Darkness. Lord, have mercy on all of us. The Emperor’s actions are awakening beings far worse than the Old Ones that lie locked away in the Nexus with the Etherians.” A violent, icy chill raced down Hannibal’s spine. “This is not good at all,” he declared. “And to make matters worse, there’s a full-grown Triaskus Queen lurking in that mountain too. We should have never gone in there and awakened them, but I had to. I couldn’t help it. It was as if the Lord used a shock prod to force me to go in there. If Nidhoggr being a Dark Titan is the secret, what’s the truth?”

“You know what the truth is,” Selina stated, “It lies in that sarcophagus in the portal chamber. Hannibal, you cannot hide your feelings from me, especially when you’re this distracted. Leila is the truth. She is still alive after falling on the walls of Caveria over twelve thousand years ago. Moreover, you have a deep, personal connection to her that you’ve yet to understand. Leila’s haunted you since before we left Tiamat. Now the Lord is showing us why, and how you fit into this. You led us straight to Leila, claiming repeatedly that you’d been there before. This entire incident was not a coincidence. You had two things to do down there. One, replace and bring Leila out of that nest of alien horrors, and two, to face a creature of the most Ancient Darkness in order to grow stronger. You may not have landed the killing blow on Nidhoggr, but you did weaken it enough with the Draken Gauntlets to allow Ana to kill it. Now, you will know what to expect from these creatures. Furthermore, I believe it wasn’t just you that the Lord wanted to test and strengthen.”

“Ana,” Hannibal breathed. “He wanted Ana to kill Nidhoggr, not me. It wasn’t Nidhoggr dampening my Rage and elemental abilities, it was the Lord.” A gasp escaped his lips as an epiphany struck him. “I get it!” he cried in realization. “I’d been depending too much on my Rage and elemental prowess to defeat my enemies, so the Lord shut them down when we approached Nidhoggr’s lair so I’d have to rely on Him, and not the elemental power He’s imbued in me. He kept me from exploding so he could awaken Ana to her full potential, and give her justice for the loss of her family. That’s why I was able to use my elemental power on the spiders and not Nidhoggr. It wasn’t my job to kill that thing. All I was there to do is weaken it so Ana could be the Lord’s hand against that vile monster. Even more important, she was supposed to be the first one to see that Leila was still alive. I’ll be damned. All we were was Ana’s backup.” He broke out laughing.

“She was the leader all along and I didn’t see it,” Hannibal declared, “We were there to help her replace her destiny and place. First, Ezra’s Ring purged her of the reptilian DNA in the great hall. Next, she coupled her healing ability with Amelia to save me from the spider’s stinger. Finally, she led us to Leila’s mausoleum. She then discovered Leila was still alive after I opened the mausoleum and Leila’s sarcophagus, and then she killed Nidhoggr single-handedly with Shadizar Kahn’s scepter and Leila’s sword while the rest of us were incapacitated by that monster’s tentacles. This was her test all along, and a lesson for me not to rely solely upon my Rage and elemental prowess. The entire event was designed to build Ana up, and to temper me so I wouldn’t be so rash and rely more on the Lord. God, am I slow or what!”

Selina hugged Hannibal warmly, kissing him on the lips. “That’s it!” she purred with a huge smile on her face. “Now you see what I do, so don’t blame yourself for what happened. Apparently, the Lord wanted it to happen just as it did, otherwise, we would have known what we were getting into and prepared appropriately. I guess it was Morpheus’ destiny to die at the slimy tentacle of that thing too. We should honor him for his valor. He did save my life at least twice.”

“That he did,” Hannibal agreed. “And we will honor him, nor shall we forget him. I swear it. His valor shall be spoken of for ages to come. Is Leila’s sarcophagus still in the portal chamber?”

“Yes,” Selina answered. “It’s still there. Ana and Nemesis isn’t letting anyone near it.”

Hannibal sighed with relief. “Good,” he replied. “We will deal with her today first thing, but first, I need to get something to eat. I’m famished.” His belly growled on cue.

Selina chuckled, patting him on the hand. “Of course,” she chimed. “After all, you haven’t eaten anything for a day and a half. I’m sure momma and Kida have something good left over from breakfast.”

An hour later after dressing in plain clothes with boots, slipping the Caverias signet ring on his finger, and getting something to eat in the kitchen, Hannibal entered in the portal chamber with Selina, Enoch, Nemesis, Magnus, Kida, Electra, Nathanael, Ana, Amelia, Xavier, Hunter, Andrew, Elle, and Emma. Hannibal looked at the lid as everyone gathered around the sarcophagus. Read the inscription aloud, he said, “‘Here lies Leila Karac, wife of Ezra Karac, sister to Ariel Caverias, slain by the Emperor in the last stand of Caveria, laid to rest here by Thoth Caverias and Ezra Karac in the third month of the eightieth cycle of the Darkness.’ This is a treasure far more precious than the gold and gems we pilfered from the mausoleum. Inside this metal sarcophagus is the wife of Ezra Karac, twin of Ariel Caverias.” He balled his fist up and pushed the signet into the indentation, twisting his hand and the ring, unlocking the lid. A hiss came from the sarcophagus as the seal was broken once again. Hannibal then pushed the lid away, announcing, “See now why I was so adamant about bringing her here.” He reached down and gently removed her mask as everyone gathered around the casket. “Behold Leila Karac,” he announced. Enoch and Kida’s mouth fell open, as did Emma’s, Hunter’s, Electra’s, Nemesis’ and Magnus’ mouths. They gawked at the intact body of Leila.

“This is impossible,” Enoch finally stated. “This can’t be her. If it’s her, then she is over twelve thousand cycles old!”

Hannibal reached down and felt Leila’s pulse for a few moments on her neck. Almost immediately he felt her pulse, now much quicker than the first time he’d felt it, but still only a few beats a minute. He smiled as he told Enoch, “Touch her, brother; check her pulse, and understand my decision.”

Enoch reached down, checking the pulse of the ancient Valkyrie. He felt it and cried, “Holy Ancient of Days! This woman is alive!”

“Nemesis, Magnus, use your scanning abilities. Scan her and see if I’m lying,” Hannibal ordered.

They both scanned her and Nemesis stated categorically, “You’re right. She’s alive all right. But her life as we know it is inexplicably connected to this sarcophagus. The sarcophagus here seems to be keeping her alive. It’s obviously part of a larger mechanism we have yet to understand.”

“The machine,” Nathanael breathed. “I knew it. I was right. The mausoleum was a machine and not a tomb, and this sarcophagus is its core.”

Hannibal looked on the ancient Valkyrie as Nemesis and Magnus continued to scan her, noticing something odd in their scans. “Nemesis, are you seeing what I am?” Magnus asked.

“That I do,” Nemesis answered.

“What do you see?” Hunter asked.

“This woman has been poisoned,” Nemesis stated. “Magnus and I see the venom of an ancient werack in her, which is very similar to the Hydra’s venom of today. It appears that she was placed in this sarcophagus to prevent the toxin from destroying her. It may be that they thought her dead when they put her in here. But she wasn’t dead, not when she was put in here. But now, the only thing keeping her alive is this machine. I see no brain activity that would indicate that anything was left of her mind or personality. She is what you would call a vegetable without any discernible brain function apart from the baseline brain activity that operates the heart, breathing, and other major organs. This machine has kept her perfectly preserved for over twelve thousand cycles to such an extent that it arrested the movement of the werack’s venom. But she is not alive in the traditional sense as we know it.”

Hannibal’s heart fell with the news. “If she is truly dead, then why were we drawn to her?” he asked bluntly. “Why would the Almighty do that? Why would He let her haunt my dreams as she has, begging me to release her from the limbo she was caught in? What is the answer?”

Selina touched him on the shoulder, feeling his dismay. Suddenly, Hannibal asked, “You said that she was poisoned with the werack’s venom?”

Nemesis nodded, saying, “Yes, she has, but from a werack breed that hasn’t been seen since the Kragonar because the Calamity wiped them out if I remember my ancient history. This particular venom is particularly nasty too. It apparently caused paralysis and slowly dissolved any tissue it touched. If I remember the history of this venom, it kills within an hour of being introduced.”

As Nemesis spoke, Josephine entered, rushing up and panting for breath. “Sorry I’m late,” she apologized. “I was in the middle of helping the wounded when I received word about the sarcophagus. I didn’t miss anything, did I?”

“No apologies necessary, Jo,” Hannibal replied warmly, waving her over. “Of everyone here, you should see this. Come here and see what we found in the darkness of Ezra’s Tower in a nest of alien horrors.”

Josephine walked over, looking down into the sarcophagus at Leila. A gasp escaped her lips as astonishment filled her face upon seeing Leila. “Fate be merciful,” she cried, her tone betraying her amazement, “Leila Carie Karac; what in heaven’s name is she doing here in this stasis pod intact? I saw her fall on the battlements to the werack’s bite in the battle of Caveria by remote viewing from my prison in the Black Fortress. Bolthor made sure I could see and record everything he did, including his sacking of Caveria. He wanted to me to watch as he had every friend I had killed before my eyes.” She looked Hannibal dead in the face and declared, “I saw your twin fall out of the sky, literally appear out of nowhere in platinum armor bearing an extremely large and ancient sword. He killed the werack and its Dark Rider before it could finish her off. I saw that man kill both the werack and Rider with a brutality I’ve only seen in you when the Rage has you, Hannibal. He cut them down just before Thoth, Ezra, Beowulf, and a squad of Thoth’s best fighters arrived. That wasn’t you, was it, Hannibal?”

Hannibal’s face paled and he had to steady himself by holding on to the sarcophagus. “What’s wrong, little brother?” Enoch asked. “You look like you just saw a ghost.”

“Maybe I did,” Hannibal admitted. “Jo here just described the first dream I remember of Leila to the letter, which began with me in a controlled free fall. She saw it as it happened, but I cannot remember whether I was there or not. The archangel Gabriel told me categorically that I’ve leapt through space and time on multiple occasions. However, the penalty for navigating these time warps, rips, whatever they are, is complete memory erasure of what happened during that time. God, I wish I knew, but that dream of Leila being mortally wounded felt more real than my waking life. First, the battle of Drakonia, and now this; what is happening to me? Why are my dreams proving to be more than just dreams? How do I know what’s merely a dream and what’s real? This too could be a dream and I not realize it. It’s right down infuriating not knowing what’s real and what isn’t.”

Josephine touched Hannibal on the shoulder in a caring manner. “I’m sorry if I upset you with what I said,” she apologized softly. “I didn’t know. I was just reporting what I remember, and I remember someone who looks exactly like you saving Leila Karac from the Rider and his mount. I didn’t say it was you. The man I saw seemed slightly different from you, as if he were a younger, slightly more buff version of you. At first, he was confused, but when he saw Leila in danger, he went wild, killing anything that stood between him and her. This man was exceptionally powerful and intent on protecting Leila at all costs. I remember vividly when he slew the werack with one strike of his sword and then killed its Dark Rider mount. He was unstoppable.”

“Whoa,” Andrew breathed. “I remember when you told me about that dream, Uncle. It’s eerie how similar it is to what you said.”

“It’s more than that. It’s exactly what I saw in that dream,” Hannibal insisted. “If that was really me, then I somehow found the legendary Ragnaros and ended up on that wall with it defending Leila. But I don’t remember it, and the dream ends just as abruptly as it started. I just don’t know. It really bugs me that I cannot remember. If I could remember, I’m sure I’d remember that promise I supposedly made to Leila, but I can’t. It’s nothing but a black hole in my mind and soul that defies any attempt to access it. However, as I look down at her now, I can’t help but think this unremembered promise is somehow being fulfilled as I speak. It’s unnerving. Is it possible that pieces of that promise have leaked out of that black hole in my mind? If it is, then what else will emerge from that darkness? The thought of it makes me shudder. What horrible, grisly truths lie within that dark place I can’t remember? I’m not sure if I should push the envelope there. What I may replace may destroy me.”

Selina touched Hannibal on the hand and stated, “Then don’t access it. It’s obvious to me and I suspect everyone here that you’re not ready to face it. Don’t push on that boundary until you’re sure you’re ready to learn the truth, however hideous or gruesome it may be.”

“Selina is right,” Nemesis agreed. “I can clearly see the hesitation in you about this. Don’t probe that hole right now. It’s not needed. What is needed right now is for us to deal with what’s in front of us. Josephine, can you confirm that this woman is truly Leila Karac?”

“I can,” Josephine stated, scanning Leila with her cybernetic eye with great interest. “She was a true and trusted friend before the coup: my best friend in the whole universe. And what’s even more amazing is that this strange stasis pod has kept her so well preserved for so long. I can see the pod has even inhibited the spread of the werack’s poison. However, that will not last much longer. You broke the stasis when you opened the pod, and then removed it from the central mechanism. Now it’s starting to revive her, but it will be for naught. When her pulse starts to move her blood in a significant manner, the werack’s poison will spread and kill her, not that it matters. I’m seeing no major brain activity, just the bare minimum to keep her alive in a vegetative state. What do you intend to do?”

“What kind of venom does the werack have?” Hannibal asked. “Nemesis said it’s similar to Hydra venom; that it can paralyze and kill within an hour of being introduced.”

“Nemesis is essentially correct in his analysis of the venom,” Josephine replied. “It does everything he suggested, but it’s not like any venom we have today. Let me explain. The werack venom poisoning Leila is from an extinct breed of werack used before the Calamity. At the time, they were top of the line bio-organic weapons designed specifically for the Dark Riders to be their mounts. Their venom was based on the basilisks and Hydras of that time. The poison is a corrosive neural toxin designed to first paralyze and then kill the victim within an hour of being introduced. Paralysis occurs within minutes of being bitten. The venom spreads virally throughout the body, attacking the internal organs and muscles, liquefying them with frightening speed. However, most of the time, the werack physically kills and eats the victim long before the venom has time to liquefy the internal organs and muscles. Those ancient weracks were immune to their own venom, so they could consume the poisoned victim without it harming them internally. In a way, it’s part of their digestive processes. That’s why I’m so astonished that Leila’s body is still intact. Even in this stasis pod, the venom should have dissolved her long ago into sludge.”

“Why do you say this sarcophagus is a stasis pod?” Hunter asked.

“Because that’s what it is,” Josephine stated categorically. “I’ve seen nearly every type of stasis pod in my abnormally long life thanks to Bolthor: both of human and alien make. It has all the earmarks of a stasis pod and because it’s still running, I can see the stasis field with my cybernetic eye and sensors. However, that field is slowly collapsing because you removed the core pod from the power source, as I stated before. What I replace very strange is the stasis field is of a configuration I’ve never encountered before. It isn’t anything either Bolthor or the Caverias line ever used. It’s so old I have no frame of reference for it. Furthermore, no machine I’ve ever seen has ever been able to keep a person in such as condition as we see here for so long. The longest I’ve ever seen is about three thousand cycles. Whoever or whatever created this technology is as far above us as we are above the early hominids of this planet that created the first crude stone implements. Only an in-depth examination of the pod and its power source may reveal its makers.”

“That poses a serious problem,” Hannibal stated. “The mausoleum where we found this pod as you call it is overrun by a very large and active hive of Triaskus Xenocerius spiders, complete with a very powerful and pissed-off queen. We woke her up battling Nidhoggr. I’m sure the area where the mausoleum sits is now part of that infernal web.”

“That is not good,” Josephine stated. “You’re sure there’s a queen.”

“Absolutely,” Hannibal replied emphatically. “We never saw her physically, but those of us who are telepathic sensed her. Furthermore, after Ana kill Nidhoggr, the queen attacked me telepathically because she saw me as the primary threat being the most powerful mind there. She set my mind on fire for a moment with that dark pulse of hers.”

“Not good,” Josephine growled, “That’s not good at all. Somehow, a queen managed to escape Bolthor’s extermination of the Spiders after they turned on him in the Days of Darkness. Having an un-cloned original queen still alive and unfettered on this planet is very bad. The queen and her nest must be completely eradicated before she can hatch a new queen that will create a new hive.”

“We’re already dealing with that,” Enoch stated. “Nemesis and Magnus have been putting together a carite bomb with enough firepower to pulverize the entire butte Ezra’s Tower is sitting on.”

“That should be sufficient,” Josephine replied with obvious relief. “But don’t wait too long to do it. You don’t want her spawning. Any egg sack she creates will hatch thousands of spiders with a least one or more queen among the hatchlings. Once the nest reaches capacity and the young queens mature, the older queen will send them out to create new hives with a number of drones. That would be disastrous for life on this planet.”

“We know,” Andrew stated. “We all saw the egg sack in the web when we went in there.”

“How big was it?” Josephine asked bluntly.

“At least fifty cubits across, maybe bigger,” Elle stated with a shudder. “It was hard to really see how big it was in the dim light of that place.”

“It was also pulsing,” Nathanael reported. “I would wager that the egg sack was nearly mature, and about to hatch. That’s why we’re so gung ho on blowing the mountain to bits, along with every spider in there. Our plasma blasters had little effect on them. Only our blades and the Draken Gauntlets Hannibal used did any appreciable damage to them. The rascals are armor-plated.”

“Their exoskeletons are very tough,” Josephine stated. “It doesn’t surprise me that your heavy plasma rounds did minimal damage to them. Knowing there’s a queen with an egg sack about to hatch really emphasizes that we destroy that nest post haste.”

“And we will,” Hannibal stated. “I’d like to talk with you and Horace some more about these Triaskus spiders, but it can wait. Our immediate task is lying here in this sarcophagus. Leila is obviously coming out of stasis, as you said. When I first found her, her pulse was only a beat every two to three minutes. Now it has increased to several beats a minute, along with obvious signs of respiration. Even more important is that she’s been poisoned by a werack. We need to neutralize the poison before it can finish her off. Do we have anything that can counteract it?”

“Good point,” Nemesis stated. “Would you say the venom is closer to basilisk or Hydra venom, Josephine?”

“The closest contemporary we have to this ancient venom is that of the Cadre’s seventh gen Hydras,” Josephine reported. “Antivenin of those Hydra’s may counteract the ancient poison. Wait a minute; don’t you have samples of Hydra venom from Selina’s wound? I suspect it may be from a seventh gen Hydra.”

“I do indeed,” Nemesis stated. “We still don’t know how the Hydra tooth manifest physically after it attacked her during the mission to free Ana. But it did provide us with a good supply of Hydra venom. Because of that, I’m able to synthesize Hydra antivenin. I have a ready supply of it now.”

“I would urge that you use it,” Josephine stated. “If you don’t, Leila’s body will dissolve into sludge by time the stasis field fully lifts in this pod.”

“Do it,” Hannibal ordered, “Give her the antivenin now. Administer it directly into her neck.”

“What are you doing?” Ana asked Hannibal. “If she has no brain activity, then she is dead. Nemesis, Magnus, and even Josephine has stated her brain is dead. Why give the dead an antivenin?”

Hannibal looked at Nemesis, saying, “Do it, great bear.” Turning to Ana, he said, “Looks can be deceiving, Ana. Yes, she may have no brain activity that we can detect above the barest minimum to keep her vital functions going. Yes, her soul is most likely departed from her body, but for some reason that none of us know, her body was preserved as it was all those eons ago and kept functioning. As I said just a couple minutes ago, when I first checked her pulse in the mausoleum, I noticed only a very faint pulse that beat once every two to three minutes. When I checked her just now, the pulse was two to three beats a minute. It is of my belief that this ancient Valkyrie is coming back to life at the Almighty’s order.”

Nemesis administered the antivenin and announced, “Her pulse abruptly jumped when I introduced the antivenin. It’s getting stronger, and the inside of this sarcophagus is glowing like a lamp now. It’s strange, very strange.”

“I see it,” Josephine stated, scanning everything with her cybernetic eye. “She’s definitely reacting to the antivenin. Oh, this is very interesting. I can now see the stasis field is emanating from the crystals inside the pod. It’s somehow sensed the introduction of the antivenin and is responding, helping it to spread to counteract the venom. The crystals are draining the pod’s internal batteries though to strengthen the field as it revives her. This is a marvel of engineering even Bolthor couldn’t match. I’m in awe of it.”

“Fascinating,” Nathanael murmured, “I’m with you, Jo. We need to figure out how this machine works. It could prove invaluable to our fight against the Emperor.”

“That it could,” Enoch agreed. “If what Josephine says is correct, this sarcophagus may be more advanced tech than this Tower. We need to look into it.”

“And we will,” Nemesis stated. “But only when we have the time. Presently, we haven’t time to do a full analysis of this technology. The Emperor is on the warpath with his sights set squarely on us. Moreover, we now have a wild nest of Triaskus spiders we need to obliterate before they spread. We just don’t have the time to do it.”

“Good point,” Enoch replied, looking down at the marvel of Leila’s perfectly preserved body bathed in an eerie glow from the crystals inside the sarcophagus. “We’ll put the analysis of this on the back burner for now. It can wait, but I wonder what’s really going on here. Can Leila really be resurrected after twelve thousand cycles in stasis? It’s something that’s unprecedented.”

“That it is,” Hunter agreed. “But so was Hannibal raising Jacob from a crushing death after that quake. No one comes back from being crushed to death, but Jacob did. Because of that, I’m not dismissing anything. If Jacob can be resurrected, so can Leila, despite the fact she’s over twelve thousand cycles old.”

“Excellent point, son,” Enoch chimed. “I tend to agree, but it’s truly out of our hands. Only the Ancient of Days can bring Leila back, if He chooses to do so.”

“So we watch and wait to see what marvel the Almighty chooses to reveal,” Magnus stated profoundly. “I, for one, would like to see her rise. At the very least, it would give Josephine a friend her own age she could relate to.”

“That it would,” Xavier stated, gazing on Leila’s beautiful face while putting his arm around Amelia. “I pray when she wakes, she sees us as friends and not enemies. Remember, Hannibal said she fell in battle. She most likely will not know where she is when and if she wakes.”

“That’s a high likelihood,” Amelia stated. “But I suspect that when she sees we’re not a threat, she’ll accept us as friends.”

“Let’s hope so,” Emma stated.

“Don’t worry, Emma. She’s a Caverias and will know us as friends,” Electra purred, suddenly hearing Leila’s breathing increasing. “I can hear he breath becoming stronger and steadier. She really is waking up.”

“I see it too,” Josephine agreed, “Her vitals are indeed becoming much stronger now. The pod is rousing her, but I still don’t see any significant change in her brain activity.”

“Me neither,” Nemesis reported. “We should be quiet until she wakes. If she hears a lot of chatter when and if she wakes, it may startle her.”

“That’s a good point,” Josephine agreed. “Let’s just watch. Hannibal, what happens now?”

“I don’t rightly know,” Hannibal admitted, looking into Leila’s face. “But I think keeping the chatter to a minimum would be useful so we can monitor her. I just wish I knew what I’m supposed to do.”

“You should pray, my prince,” Selina urged. “That’s what you’ve always done when you didn’t know what to do in the past.”

“You’re right, princess,” Hannibal replied. “Thanks for reminding me. I became so swept up in what’s happening that I plum forgot to ask the Lord what to do. Thanks.” He kissed Selina on the cheek and knelt down, praying by the sarcophagus. This whole situation felt so familiar to Hannibal, especially after what he encountered in freeing Ana. Selina dropped to her knees as well as Nathanael, who put his hands on the shoulders of both Selina and Hannibal. Hannibal prayed earnestly and silently, hands clasped in front of him, trying to discover what the Almighty’s will was with this incident. After five minutes of prayer, he developed a clearness about what was going on.

“Her pulse is rising steadily,” Nemesis reported. “Her respiration level is rising too. I can see physical movement in her chest now. However, as before, I’m not seeing anything different in her brain activity. She’s still in a persistent vegetative state.”

“Oh, thank you Lord for your word and merciful kindness,” Hannibal cried out abruptly with great excitement. “Thank you for showing me your purpose here.” He jumped to his feet and leaned over Leila. Taking her by the hand, he first removed her right armored gauntlet, and then grasped her hand gently. Those gathered around suddenly realized that they were going to see something very special and quite extraordinary. The place became quiet as a tomb as Hannibal looked down into the face of Leila. “Our God,” he said softly and gently “…is not a god of the dead, but of the living. He kills and makes alive. We all live and die by His will and word. Over twelve thousand cycles ago, this beautiful Lynxian fell after being smitten by the Emperor’s pet werack, which is likely very similar to the Hydra that Selina and I slew freeing Ana, but I’m not completely sure about that. She was smitten in the battle of Caveria defending her family, but didn’t die immediately from her wounds. Her husband Ezra and Thoth Caverias, whom was bereaved of his own precious Ariel at that point, tried to save her.

“In a last ditch effort, they sealed her in this sarcophagus...this ancient stasis pod inside the Mausoleum machine beneath Ezra’s tower, which indeed is of alien origin and far older than the technology of their time. The Mausoleum machine, as well as the ruins and temple we passed through reaching it were ancient long before the Caverias line built the watchtower over it. When they discovered ruins, the machine, and its purpose, Gordo the Ilmarinen and his engineering staff studied it in depth, replaceing the Mausoleum was the most advanced stasis chamber ever found or created. He modified it slightly, changing the locks on it so to speak securing it and putting the Caverias stamp on it. When Leila was mortally wounded by the werack, they used it to put her in complete stasis so the werack’s venom wouldn’t kill her. The machine is of such advanced composition and complexity, it had the means to stop the venom from spreading and preserve her perfectly until Thoth and Ezra could replace the antidote to the venom. It could keep the poison from reaching her brain and other vital organs until they could secure the antivenin and administer it.

“However, the Almighty had other ideas they didn’t anticipate. Shortly after they placed Leila in that stasis pod inside the Mausoleum machine, the Emperor swept through that area, destroying all in his path. Ezra was the last man standing in the great hall high above the machine, only to perish minutes after he felled the general and the Emperor’s forces retreated. Fortunately, the Emperor’s forces never found the Mausoleum and as a result, Leila remained undisturbed in her stasis. Our God, in His infinite knowledge and mercy, chose to call Leila’s soul and spirit home at that time, but had the machine keep her body perfectly preserved and maintained until now.

“For the last twelve thousand cycles, Leila’s soul and spirit has rested in Paradise. But when the time came in His great plan for Leila to finally fulfill her destiny, He sent us...the descendants of Thoth and Ezra into that black abyss to retrieve her from her eternal prison in the depths of that mountain surrounded by hideous fell things of the darkness that crept in after her entombment. We were supposed to encounter the Spiders, and even the abomination of Nidhoggr to retrieve Leila. I hate saying it, but it seems it was destiny for us to replace her amidst some of the most hideously evil creatures in the universe. We were supposed to encounter the Spiders. I was meant to be wounded by a Spider. Ana was meant to be there to save my life and then to ultimately destroy the most hideous demon of her past: Nidhoggr...a slimy Dark Titan of terrible size and evil whose only purpose was to feed on both the living and the dead. As much as it pains me to say it, Morpheus’ death at the slimy tentacles of Nidhoggr was also foreordained from on High and unavoidable. He was meant to give his life saving Selina and the rest of us as Ana found her purpose in the Mausoleum machine with Leila. Ana was meant to replace out that Leila was still alive after eons of deep stasis, just as she was meant to slay Nidhoggr with Shadizar Kahn’s scepter and Leila’s own sword, saving all of us. Our God has worked an intricate plan of such infinite complexity we can barely comprehend the smallest piece of it. That’s why we must have faith in Him and His plan. He sees the big picture we cannot. We must trust He knows what He’s doing.”

Hannibal squeezed Leila’s hand and said, “Our God has held Leila’s soul and spirit in captivity as He meant to until the time of the Rising at the end of days. That time is now here, and by the hands of her descendants, the Almighty will raise her. Ana, go to the other side and grasp her other hand.” Ana immediately responded, doing as she was told. “Take her gauntlet off and grasp her hand with your organic hand...the one you wear Ezra’s ring on,” he ordered. Ana did so and Hannibal looked down into the soulless preserved face of Leila and prayed, “Oh, Lord, the Almighty and terrible Ancient of Days, thou are mighty and great, merciful and good, doing the impossible. Where were we when you laid the foundations of the world or spread the heavens in their majesty with a word? Where were we when you spoke this multiverse into being and hung the stars, earth, and every other planet on nothing in the void? Only in your hand is the ultimate power of life and death. Who can do what needs to be done here but you alone. Father, call her soul from your paradise and breathe upon this woman that she may live again. Raise her up, Father. Only you can do this. You led me here. You led me into the abyss to retrieve her from her resting place after having her haunt me incessantly. Why? I know not, just that you had me do it, Father. Show your power and mercy: breathe upon her Father. Raise her up in the name of your only begotten son, Jesus.” Nemesis, Magnus, and Josephine were monitoring her as Hannibal prayed while the others watched with baited breath.

“Raise her, Almighty Father, in the name of Jesus,” Ana added softly as she clenched Leila’s hand, mimicking Hannibal’s prayer and in a way, believing in it.

Leila’s pulse suddenly jumped as the Lord God Ancient of Days breathed upon her, sending her soul back from the abyss of death. Abruptly, she jerked violently, startling Ana, who let go of her hand.

“That’s it,” Hannibal called to Leila sweetly. “Come on back, my ancient sister.”

Leila trembled from head to toe as her heart pounded to the total stupefaction of Nemesis, Magnus, and Josephine. They had been monitoring not just her heart and respiration, but also her brain activity. The silent brain suddenly flashed with an enormous level of activity as Leila jerked and trembled. A long, hoarse gasp suddenly escaped her lips as her back arched. Hannibal felt her hand contract, squeezing his slightly as her head began to move to the astonishment of everyone. She exhaled and inhaled deeply a couple of times as her blood oxygenated. The antivenin Nemesis administered worked instantly on the venom, neutralizing it as her heart pounded like a jackhammer. The crystals in the sarcophagus glowed brightly as Leila first stirred, and then dimmed slowly with her increasing activity and movement.

“Holy Ancient of Days!” Enoch breathed in total astonishment with everyone else other than Hannibal thunderstruck in wonder.

Hannibal ignored the reactions of those around him, staying focused on Leila. “Leila...Leila,” he called to her in the ancient tongue. A moan escaped her lips as her eyelids flickered. Her respiration calmed down and her pulse began to steady as she shook her head from side to side. “Leila Karac,” Hannibal called to her again in the ancient tongue spoken during the days of the Kragonar. Her eyes opened slowly. A moan escaped her lips as she opened her eyes. Hannibal praised the Almighty Ancient of Days for His mighty power and mercy. Ana and Hannibal looked down into her eyes, seeing they were a brilliant emerald green. Enoch looked upon Leila with astonished awe, as did Nemesis, Magnus, and Josephine with the others gathered behind them. Leila looked up seeing strange people surrounding her and that she was lying in a strange metal box of some kind with glowing crystals lining it. Hannibal noticed the puzzlement crossing her face. He squeezed her hand gently and spoke to her in her own tongue, saying, “Leila?”

Leila focused on Hannibal and her puzzlement tripled. “Yes?” she whispered almost inaudibly. “I know your face, but can’t remember. Who are you?”

Hannibal smiled sweetly at her as he motioned for Selina to step up to the side of the sarcophagus. When Leila saw Selina, she gasped softly. “Leila Karac, I am known by several names, one of which is Hannibal. But Fate has called me the Beowulf,” he said, lowering his hand with the signet on it to where she could see it. “After eons, I finally found you again, my ancient sister.”

Again, Leila gasped, whispering, “Milord Beowulf...you came back like you promised. But what has happened? Why can’t I move?”

Hannibal leaned forward, looking the ancient Lynxian in the eye, saying, “It’s hard to explain but I’ll try. Leila, you have been gone for a very long time. Over twelve thousand cycles has elapsed since you fell to the werack and its Dark Rider in Caveria. Do you remember the werack?”

Leila’s face went blank for a moment as ancient neural pathways opened up, slowly giving her memories back. Then her face grimaced as she said, “Yes. But what happened to you Beowulf? You were so much bigger the last time I saw you with your father, and you didn’t have the strange silver tint I see in your eyes. What happened?”

Hannibal smiled pleasantly, holding her hand, knowing that she didn’t realize who he was or that ages and empires had risen and fallen in her absence from this world. “Leila,” he told her gently. “I can hardly believe that I’m actually speaking to you. So much has happened that you need to know about. But first, would you like to get out of there?” She nodded and Hannibal said, “Then out you will come, milady.” Hannibal motioned to Ana, saying, “Take her sword, Ana.”

Leila noticed Ana’s cybernetic features and puzzled over the strange language Hannibal had spoken to her with. When Ana picked up the sword, Leila became concerned, asking Hannibal, “Who is she with the machine arm that takes my sword from me? Without it, I’m defenseless.”

Hannibal turned back to Leila, saying in her own language, “That is Ana, a victim of the Cadre’s wicked experiments. Just relax, everyone here is your friend. We’re not going to hurt you. Just be at peace. Ana will not take your sword out of your sight. Do you trust me?”

Hannibal looked deep into Leila’s eyes and reached out telepathically, gently prodding her still awakening mind. Some of the puzzlement lifted and she managed to smile just a little, whispering, “Yes, I do for some strange reason.” Leila then noticed Ana standing close by, holding her sword in plain view. Her face relaxed with obvious relief.

“All right then,” Hannibal stated. Turning to Amelia and Xavier, he said, “Go get a gurney.” They immediately rushed away as Hannibal turned to Enoch, saying, “Enoch, I think we should keep close to Leila. Have a bed moved into my room for Leila. But until you do so, could we put her in your quarters?”

Enoch nodded, saying, “Of course. I’ll see to it personally. Come on, Kida. We have some work to do.” He and Kida then left.

Hannibal looked at Selina and motioned for her to go around to the head of the sarcophagus. Once Selina was in position, he said to Ana, “Ana, you help too. We must be gentle. We don’t want to hurt her.” Ana nodded with a grunt, handing Leila’s sword to Josephine, who in turn held it so Leila could see it. Selina immediately moved to the head of the sarcophagus, looking down at Leila with a warm, disarming smile. Turning back to Leila, Hannibal said to her, “We’re going to help you sit up. My wife is going to grab you under the arms while Ana and I take hold of your arms. We will not let you fall.” Leila looked at him with a slight smile and nod. She watched as Hannibal and Ana latched onto her arms gently, but firmly. Selina leaned over and smiled sweetly in her face as she gently ran her arms under Leila’s arms, gently grabbing on. “On the count of three,” Hannibal told them, “One, two, three.” They gradually raised her into a sitting position as Selina pulled her up and back, letting Leila’s head lay on her chest.

Once they moved her into a full sitting position, Selina wrapped her arms around the ancient Lynxian and said in her ear, “Don’t worry; I’ve got you. I won’t let you fall.”

Leila’s head wobbled around like that of a baby, finally coming to rest on Selina’s shoulder, looking toward Ana and Josephine, who towered behind Ana. Leila looked around at her surrounding for the first time, seeing the Sons of Thunder as well as Magnus and Nemesis clearly. The strange creatures that were Nemesis and Magnus fascinated her. Hannibal quickly moved close to her and finally got a sense of her stature. Leila was nearly as big as Hunter and Andrew at a good nine feet in height. However, when she started looking closely at Josephine, her memories stirred concerning Josephine.

“Beowulf,” Leila called out softly. Her voice was slowly strengthening and the more she used it the more sweet and melodious it became.

“Yes, Leila,” Hannibal answered.

“Who is that with the four arms holding my sword,” Leila asked. “She seems incredibly familiar to me, as if I knew her long ago.”

“I’ll let Jo speak for herself,” Hannibal stated. “Come closer, Jo, and say hello to Leila.”

Tears dribbled from Josephine’s organic eye as she stepped closer, kneeling down beside the sarcophagus to look Leila in the eye. “Leila, don’t you recognize me? It’s Josephine Keleb...your best friend,” Josephine sobbed softly in the ancient tongue, reaching out with her organic hand and touching Leila’s arm. “I can’t believe my eyes. I thought you dead!”

Leila searched Josephine’s face with puzzlement, her memories still stirring. When she saw past the mechanization of Josephine’s cybernetics, Leila’s memories coalesced. A gasp escaped her lips. “Josephine?” Leila asked slowly, unsure if the creature before her was truly the Josephine she remembered. “Is that you, Jo?”

Josephine grasped Leila’s hand with both organic hands, nodding solemnly. “Yes, Leila,” she sobbed softly. “It’s me, or rather what’s left of me after Bolthor did his worst to me for defying him and the Dark Gods. I’m so glad you’re still alive.”

“Oh, Jo,” Leila cried in sorrowful relief. “What happened? You disappeared right after Bolthor attacked Thoth in the coup. No one knew what happened to you. We all thought you were dead.”

A deep, troubled sigh escaped Josephine’s lips. “I just as well have been. I tried to talk Bolthor out of what he was doing. He would not hear it and turned me into this cybernetic monstrosity while I was still cognizant. He stole my will, identity, and my very soul by overriding it with the programming for the cybernetics he forced upon me. He then locked me inside the Black Fortress’ mainframe, forcing me do the vilest things to his prisoners for his perverted pleasure. That imprisonment became a living mechanized hell for over twelve thousand cycles. The cyberization Bolthor did to me gave me a mechanized immortality I never wanted. I had no hope until Beowulf came and freed me of that prison. Only then did I regain my freedom, will, and soul. For that, I am eternally grateful and his friend forever.”

Leila looked over to Hannibal, who wore a solemn, sober face. “I...remember,” she whispered. “Like a dream lost in the mists, I vaguely remember five faces before the darkness took me. Ezra, I recall seeing Ezra. He was so upset. Thoth was there too, and Beowulf. They too were upset. Gordo...Gordo was present too with a very solemn look on his face. But there was another being there who was quite a bit smaller than Ezra, Thoth, Beowulf, and Gordo. I can’t recall his face or what he wore. This being’s very form seems cloaked in shadows, blurred beyond recognition. But I can hear its voice. The creature is crying. It’s strange. I wish I knew who it was, but I can’t remember.”

“Don’t worry about that now,” Josephine stated, composing herself. “So much has happened since you went into stasis. I’m sure we’ll replace out who this mystery being is eventually. What you need to do is not take in everything at once. You’ve just awakened from the deepest stasis I’ve ever witnessed...one that’s lasted over twelve thousand cycles. It’s going to take time for you to adjust.”

“Jo is right,” Hannibal stated, holding Leila’s other hand, stroking it gently. “It seems you and I have some unfinished business that neither of us can remember. When the time is right, we’ll replace out what that business is. But for now, don’t overexert yourself. Just take your time taking in what you see. We’re all here to see that you fully recover from this unprecedented stasis.”

Seeing Hannibal’s sincerity, Leila nodded slightly. “Okay,” she murmured. “At least I recognized Jo here. It’s abominable what Bolthor did to her.”

“You have no idea,” Hannibal stated grimly. “But don’t focus on that right now. Focus on the fact you remembered your best friend and that she still lives. That’s all that matters. When you’re strong enough, I’m sure Jo will share the gory details of what happened to her while you were in stasis.”

“Right,” Leila said softly, obviously fatiguing. “But who are you? I knew Beowulf. Even though you resemble him, I can tell you aren’t him. He was far bigger than you are, and he didn’t have the silver tint in his eyes. Who are you?”

“For now, you can call me Hannibal,” Hannibal stated. “By some strange twist of Fate and divine providence, I’m Thoth’s heir in this time. I’ll tell you everything when you’re up it, including how I rescued Josephine from the Black Fortress.”

“I’d like that,” Leila replied softly. “But as I look around, I can’t help but notice the two cybernetic creatures there. What are they?”

Hannibal motioned to Nemesis and Magnus for them to stand before them. They not only did so, but also knelt before them as Josephine stepped back from the sarcophagus. “Leila, these are my friends,” Hannibal stated, “I owe both of them my very life. They’re known as Xenians, and are the products of the Emperor’s Cadre bio-organic weapons program. You remember the Cadre, don’t you?”

Leila’s expression soured as she hissed, “Yes, I do indeed. They do the Emperor’s bloody work.”

Hannibal nodded in agreement, saying, “That they do, milady. You see, the Cadre created them in their lust for a perfect soldier. What you see before you are seven-generation prototypes created to be the ultimate soldier and bio-weapon. They turned on the Cadre and the Emperor and are with us in the fight against his evil. The bear is called Nemesis and the saber cat is called Magnus.”

Leila looked at them with fascination. “They’re strange. I’ve never seen their kind before,” she said as Amelia and Xavier came back with a gurney. “What is this place? It looks vaguely familiar,” Leila asked, abruptly looking around.

“You are in the Red Tower of Antilla,” Hannibal told her.

“Antilla,” Leila mused as she looked around to the best of her ability. It was then that her eye fell on Nathanael and Electra. She instantly recognized them as Lynxian as did she Selina. But the activity wearied her greatly. “I’m so sleepy,” she said.

“It’s all right,” Hannibal stated as he motioned to Nathanael and Electra. “We understand. You’ve fatigued yourself with all the external stimuli. Just relax; we’re going to get you out of there now.”

Leila nodded weakly and in a matter of twenty seconds, Hannibal, Nathanael, Electra, Selina, and Ana had lifted her from her tomb and laid her on the gurney. Josephine immediately brought Leila’s blade and put it back in her hand with a smile. “Here you go, my friend,” Josephine cooed, helping Leila to grasp the handle of her sword. “No one should be without their blade, especially in this dark time.”

Leila returned the smile when she realized that Josephine was giving her blade back. “Thank you, Jo,” she whispered groggily. “I hope we can catch up later.”

“I’d like that,” Josephine replied, touching Leila on the forehead with her organic hand while leaning close. “I’ll be here anytime you need to talk.”

Leila nodded and fell fast asleep on the gurney. “Take her to Enoch’s quarters, Xavier,” Hannibal ordered. “Selina, Jo, Ana, Emma, Elle...go with them and take care of Leila. She’s weak as an infant. Do what needs to be done.”

“Right,” Selina chimed as the women nodded and followed Xavier and Amelia rolling Leila away heading for Enoch’s quarters.

“Nathanael, Hunter, Andrew...I want you guys to search this sarcophagus thoroughly to make sure there isn’t anything more of Leila’s personal effects in there. I also want it studied and analyzed when time permits. This sarcophagus, stasis pod, whatever it is, is a remnant of a technology I suspect is at least as old as Tiamat itself. We must know who or what built it.”

“We’re on it, Uncle,” Hunter replied.

“We’ll replace out who made this thing,” Andrew insisted.

“I want you guys to also use the portal to record every inch of Ezra’s Tower, especially the ruins, Temple, and Mausoleum machine. It may give us clues as to who or what built that place,” Hannibal ordered. “Get with Elias and do it quickly because we’re going to have to blow that place to hell because of the spiders. If you’re lucky, you may be able to actually replace out how big the nest is and where that bitch queen is hiding. I’m certain the only reason she didn’t come down on us before is because of Nidhoggr.”

“You got it, Uncle,” Andrew insisted. “We’ll do that right after we search this sarcophagus.”

“Good; Nemesis, Magnus, come on,” Hannibal ordered. “We have a raid to plan.”

“Yes, sir,” Nemesis stated as he and Magnus followed Hannibal out of the portal chamber.