Legends of Amacia Attack on Tartarus
Chapter 37: A Sobering Chat

At eleven the next morning, Hannibal woke feeling quite a bit better than he did the night before. He stretched, arching his back while holding his hands over his head. “Mmmm,” he murmured, grimacing slightly as his back crackled painfully for just a moment as the stretch realigned his spine. “Oh, man; I needed that.” A sigh escaped his lips as he looked around, seeing he was alone in bed. For a few minutes he lay there just looking around at the new quarters and thinking about Selina. He marveled how she always was able to rejuvenate him, no matter how battered he was. Finally, he got enough gumption to get up.

Throwing the blankets aside, he slowly sat up. He was still weak and knew it as he hung his legs over the side of the bed. It took him a moment to summon the will to rise. When he did, his legs wobbled and trembled as he staggered around the room until he came to one of three dressers. He didn’t know whose it was because of the change in quarters. He decided to investigate, taking a chance. As soon as he opened the top drawer, he realized it was Selina’s dresser. He looked in and marveled at the incredibly sexy lingerie that was in it. “Wow,” he murmured as he took a tan leather-trimmed satin and lace teddy out and held it up, seeing its halter-top and choker collar with its high-cut legs and low Brazilian-cut rear. “This teddy is dynamite, as are the rest of these outfits. I love them. I wonder where she got such sexy lingerie. They obviously weren’t here before. I’ve seen Selina’s other lingerie. It’s much plainer than these, though I do love to see her in them.”

Suddenly, Hannibal remembered what Selina said the night before. “Ah, this must be the surprise,” he muttered pleasantly as he looked at the delicate lace embroidery of the garment, feeling its softness. “Fine, very fine; I’m sure Electra had a hand in making these. She sure has a lot of talent in making clothes.” He put the tan teddy back in the drawer and pulled another out at random: this time a cup-less crotchless black leather teddy with high-cut legs, low Brazilian-cut rear, and a choker collar that supported the teddy with straps. The choker even had a leash loop on it. However, as he stared at the teddy, he noticed even though it was cup-less, it did provide some support for the wearer while framing the breasts and showing the wearer’s cleavage prominently. It had an oval metal loop between the breasts, holding the leather framing straps in place. He also noticed a series of small metal studs on the breast framing straps, making him think something attached to them. The teddy also had a teardrop-shaped hole that started just below the breasts and terminating three inches below the belly button level. Narrow black leather straps crisscrossed across the teardrop hole and on the sides above the wearer’s waistline running through shiny metal grommets embedded in the solid leather portion of the teddy. Solid leather framed the teardrop hole on the front of the teddy over to the sides and on the butt. However, the crotchless aspect of the garment left the wearer’s groin completely uncovered with unimpeded access. Around the open crotch of the teddy, he saw the same style of metal studs as he saw around the breast straps, adding to his suspicion that the crotchless teddy had a cover for that area too.

His mouth fell open in utter surprise and shock. “Oh, my god,” he said slowly in amazement, not believing his eyes. “This is just like what I was forced to wear in the Harem as Hanna! What is she thinking? This isn’t fit to wear anywhere except in private.” A gasp escaped his lips as he suddenly realized why she had such a scandalous sexy outfit: to wear it while mating with him. The thought sent chills raced down his spine, instantly arousing him sexually. Before he could stop himself, Hannibal fantasized about making love to Selina while she wore the teddy, driving him to great distraction. He squirmed just thinking about it, clenching the scandalous leather teddy to his chest. Suddenly, he came to his senses, realizing how wrong the fantasy was in their present situation. “No,” he blurted out, putting the teddy back in the dresser and closing it briskly. “Hell no; there’s no way we can do that, not now, not yet, even though I yearn for that ultimate contact and fusion with her above all things. The job just isn’t finished yet. We mustn’t mate yet. I’ve got to control myself. I must be strong, and not let my lusts get the better of me.” Hannibal turned his back to the dresser and closed his eyes, focusing on dispelling the licentious fantasy of mating with Selina before they finished with the Emperor. A sigh escaped his lips as his mind cleared and the unexpected lustful feelings evaporated.

“That’s better,” Hannibal murmured with a sigh, “I should be more careful about that. I never thought the sight of such a scandalous teddy like that would trigger such a rise out of me. We’ve done so well containing our desires and balancing our sexual urges without mating up until now. We can’t screw up this close to the finish line. But goddamn, that lingerie is so smoking hot even without anyone wearing it.” He suddenly realized something important, crying, “Oh, shit; I wasn’t supposed to see it yet. She’s going to have kittens when she replaces out I stumbled on her present. I need to forget I saw it, but how; just seeing it made me crazy in the head for her.” A troubled sigh escaped his lips as he turned around, looking at the dresser again. “But then again, seeing empty teddies and lingerie doesn’t compare to what it would look like on Selina, or anyone else for that matter. I wonder how much it will enhance Selina’s savage beauty. What will she really look like wearing it?” A sultry smile crossed his lips as he remembered her wearing other teddies and underwear. “I just can’t see it, but I know it’s going to be epic,” he murmured, shaking his head, “I’m sure of that. Oh, well; I guess I’ll just have to wait and see for myself. I just hope I can control myself when she does it.”

You’ll do fine as long as you remember where you came from and your vows, the Holy Spirit whispered in his mind. Just be true to yourselves and your vows and you’ll be okay.

Hannibal grunted knowingly, having recognized the voice of the Holy Spirit. “Thanks, Lord,” he whispered. “I appreciate the words of encouragement. It helps. Oh, well, I guess I should replace my dresser and get dressed. I’ve got too much to do to be dilly dallying around like this.” With that, he went to the middle dresser and opened the top drawer of it, replaceing Hanna’s lingerie. A warm smile spread over his face as he rummaged through it for the first time since his restoration. “I sure miss wearing these,” he admitted, picking up Hanna’s tan satin and leather teddy and holding it in both hands. “They made me feel so alive and pretty when I was Hanna.” He gently rubbed his cheek with the teddy, feeling its softness and even detecting Hanna’s faint scent on it. “I’d forgotten how soft and silky smooth these teddies were,” he murmured, enjoying the sensation it gave him. “Ah, the life of a beautiful woman and the clothes they wear. Looks like I’ll never have that chance again, but I still have my memories as Hanna. Oh, how I miss her.” He kissed the teddy gently and put it back in the drawer. Closing Hanna’s dresser, he sighed, resting his hands on the dresser. “I’ll always love you, Hanna, always,” he said softly, kissing his hand and then touching the dresser.

Turning his attention to the third dresser, Hannibal said, “I guess the third time is the charm.” Hannibal slowly walked to the last dresser and opened the top drawer, replaceing his underwear and personal items, including his Bible. Picking up the Bible, he put it to his forehead with a sigh. “Thank you for not letting your word get lost in the madness of this place, Lord,” he said softly, “I cherish every word, even if I don’t always do as I should. Forgive me for that, and thank you for keeping this Bible intact and me in line. I do really appreciate it.” He put the Bible away and then proceeded to dress himself in a tan short-sleeved shirt and Khaki pants with boots before heading out to the kitchen, feeling weak but in a good mood.

Hannibal made it to the kitchen by quarter of twelve. Hunger pangs plagued him as he stopped in the doorway, seeing Kida, Selina, Electra, Leila, George, and Ben busy preparing lunch. The odor of roast bison and mastodon filled the kitchen along with a myriad of other pleasant aromas such as breads, stews, and vegetables cooking. Being a banquet for his senses, Hannibal just stood there leaning against the doorjamb looking and enjoying the smells. George, Ben, and Kida were busy taking dishes to the dining area. He watched for nearly five minutes before anyone noticed him.

In fact, Leila happened to notice him first. She just finished cutting up some vegetables on a butcher board while sitting in her wheelchair at the kitchen table. Beside the board sat a bowl where a pile of finely chopped vegetables waited to be dumped into the stew pot on the stove. Once she dumped the chopped veggies on her board into the bowl, she leaned back with a sigh, looking towards the door out of habit. That’s when she saw him leaning on the doorjamb. “Hannibal!” she cried with delight as she wiped her hands on a towel sitting in her lap. Her cry caused everyone to pause and look. They saw Leila rolling herself over to him and open her arms to him. “You gave us quite a scare there. We were so worried about you. I’m so happy that you are all right,” she beamed as Hannibal hugged her.

“So did I,” Hannibal replied softly. “I didn’t realize how bad I was cut up from that business in Kartoom. But I’ve got some really good nurses and friends that helped me recuperate.” Electra smiled warmly and went back to her chores, as did Selina.

Kida came back in as Leila invited Hannibal to the kitchen table. “Please, come sit with us,” Leila purred pleasantly, leading Hannibal to the table. “Would you like anything?”

Hannibal plopped in a chair at the kitchen table, saying as he saw Kida getting him a glass of bison milk and honey, “Kida knows what I want. Look, she’s getting it now.”

Leila smiled and called out, “Could I have one of those, too, Kida?”

“Of course,” Kida replied as she immediately prepared another glass of bison milk and honey. Moments later, she brought them forward and presented it to Hannibal and Leila. She then went back to her chores. “Glad you’re up, little brother,” Kida called out to Hannibal as she stirred the stew.

“Me too,” Hannibal agreed. “These multi-day naps are murder on my appetite. I’m so hungry I could eat a whole bison by myself.” Everyone chuckled at his humor.

“I bet you could at that,” Selina chimed. “That’s the price you pay for all that down time from getting all beat up and mangled. If you’d just behave yourself, it wouldn’t happen.”

Hannibal laughed, almost choking on the milk he was sipping with Selina sarcastic come back. After coughing briefly, he wiped away the tears the choking fit brought and smacked the table heartily. “Touché, princess; you got me good that time,” he crowed, “Next time, wait until after I finish drinking my milk to make me laugh.”

“Sorry, honey,” Selina purred pleasantly, patting him on the cheek after seeing he was okay. “I’ll try to remember that. I guess that weird sense of humor you have is rubbing off on me.”

“I’ll say,” Hannibal agreed, chuckling. “I’ll make a joker of you yet.”

“Not before I make a cat of you, sweetie,” Selina answered with a laugh and a wink.

“You’ve already done that, princess,” Hannibal declared, playfully slapping Selina on the rear as she walked away, “Meow.”

Selina squealed and turned sharply at the slap, seeing Hannibal smiling warmly at her as everyone broke out laughing. “Oh, get over yourself, Hannibal,” she said tartly after laughing with everyone else. “There’s a time and a place for everything.”

“So true,” Hannibal agreed, “Sorry, princess; I just couldn’t help myself. You can spank me later. I promise.”

“I’ll hold you to that, mister,” Selina replied sarcastically, going back to work helping with the meal preparation.

“I know you will, princess,” Hannibal said warmly, blushing with embarrassment.

“My, you’re in a good mood this morning, Hannibal,” Electra stated while dumping the bowl of vegetables Leila was working on into the stew, “I’m glad to see it.”

“Well, I guess I am,” Hannibal admitted, sipping his milk again. “Just seeing all of you here fixing all this delicious food really makes my day, despite the fact I’m still a bit weak. By the way, Leila; how’s the milk? Isn’t it just the best?”

Leila downed some of her milk, saying, “It’s about the best milk I’ve ever drank. I really like it and it doesn’t upset my stomach at all.”

Hannibal took a large swallow of milk from his glass, sighing after swallowing it. “Good, good,” he replied, pleased at her response. “I’m glad to hear it. I figured you’d be able to tolerate the milk, especially Kida’s special blend. It’s just so tasty.”

“That it is,” Leila agreed after another sip of her milk. “I replace it calming, and it helps me to focus better too.”

“Very good,” Hannibal chimed. “But have you been able to eat solid food yet?”

Leila drained more milk from her glass, and then replied, “Not yet. I’ve tried to, but I don’t have the constitution for it yet. I wish I did. This is a delicious meal we’re preparing. I think I’m going to try again today.”

Hannibal raised his glass to her, saying, “I sincerely hope you succeed this time. You should be able to eat solid food like the rest of us.”

Leila knew he was toasting her so she raised her glass to Hannibal’s and clinked them together, saying, “So do I Hannibal...so do I.”

Hannibal drained his glass and sat it on the table. “What about your legs?” he asked. “Have you been retraining them?”

Leila nodded, saying “Yes. Just yesterday, I spent four hours with Elle, Jo, Emma, Arabella, Myra, Tasha, and some of the others that are in physical therapy both at the pool and in the gym. Elle, Arabella, and Emma are excellent teachers, and that pool is fantastic. It makes me feel like a new woman every time I come out of there. The water makes me tingle all over. I love it.”

“I can’t argue with that,” Hannibal agreed pleasantly as Leila sipped her milk. “That pool really is a godsend with the healing properties of its water. And Elle, Emma, and Arabella are excellent physical therapists. They are good friends too, very good friends, as is Jo, Myra, and all the others from the Harem. We have a sisterhood from my time as Hanna. They helped me so much when I was Hanna, and have my undying love and loyalty. No one will ever abuse them like that again.”

“I’m sure you’ll see to that,” Leila said softly, seeing Hannibal’s deep passion, love, and care for his friends from the Harem. “I can see it in your eyes.”

“That’s true,” Hannibal agreed. “We were forged in the same furnace of affliction. I know their pain because I endured it myself as one of them. The Emperor is going to pay in blood for what he did to them, me, and every other innocent soul in this place, even you, Leila. The time of reckoning has come for the Emperor.”

“I do not doubt that,” Leila agreed after finishing her glass of milk and sitting it on the table. “Mmmm, that’s some really good milk.”

Hannibal chuckled. “That it is,” he agreed. “I never get tired of it.”

Selina walked up and patted Hannibal on the shoulder, getting his attention. “Why don’t you and Leila go out to the living room and wait,” she suggested, “Lunch will be ready in about twenty minutes.”

Hannibal nodded and stood, saying, “Okay, just don’t take too long. As I said earlier, I’m so hungry I could eat a whole bison.”

Selina smiled and said, “Just go. I’m sure you and Leila have much to talk about.”

Hannibal smiled sheepishly, grabbing the handles of Leila’s wheelchair and pushing her toward the living area. “Oh, you don’t have to do that,” Leila stated plainly, starting to latch on to the wheels to move herself.

“I don’t mind,” Hannibal replied as he rolled her along. “Besides, your chair is helping me stay on my feet. I’m up, but I’m still on the weak side, probably from not having eaten anything in a couple of days.”

Leila smiled and said nobly, “In that case, you may guide me to the living area, milord.”

“Please, call me Hannibal,” Hannibal insisted. “We’re all family here, and titles aren’t needed.”

“Okay, Hannibal,” Leila replied pleasantly as they moved toward the living area. Moments later, they entered in the living area, replaceing it temporarily deserted.

Hannibal parked Leila’s chair next to the chair he promptly sat in with a groan. Leila noticed the groan and asked, “Are you all right? You look fatigued.”

Hannibal settled himself in the seat, saying, “Yes. I’ll be all right; just still a bit stiff and sore from the raid.” He looked around with and sighed deeply. His face expression betrayed his worry.

“Maybe you need Selina to give you a good massage,” Leila suggested after a few moments. “I heard she’s good at that, and would be more than happy to do it for you.”

“That’s a great idea,” Hannibal replied, smiling warmly, but soberly. “But it will have to wait. There’s just so much to do and not nearly enough time. I have my hook now firmly planted in the Emperor’s jaw. He will come no matter what at this point, and with him all of his dark legions. The Darkness is deepening and becoming increasingly treacherous. I’ve felt it. We have precious little time left.”

Leila gazed on him with admiration at his loyalty to the people. “I know,” she agreed, “I can feel it too. The Dark Riders are definitely on the move. And there is something else: something even darker and more malevolent than the Dark Riders or the Emperor. It’s a feeling that I haven’t had since the Days of Darkness. An ancient terror is unleashed that’s as old as the world. Its anger is beyond wrath, but I cannot tell who or what its anger is focused against. Even though it feels familiar, I can’t recall what this ancient terror is, just that it was initially allied with the Emperor. But now, I just don’t know.”

“I know,” Hannibal stated grimly. “I feel it too. It’s definitely not the Emperor. I know the psychic imprint of the Emperor and the Black Prince because of how many times they’ve attacked me. This thing is something else, something truly alien, and I think I know what it is. I saw it outside of Kartoom on a hill in the slave cages overlooking the city before we went in. It initially hid itself in the ash clouds rising from the chasm before flying off in the direction of the Black Fortress.”

Leila looked at Hannibal intensely as he leaned back in the chair, letting his head lie on the back of the chair. “What did you see?” Leila asked nervously.

For a few moments, Hannibal didn’t answer. Then he looked at her with great pain and concern in his eyes. “Has anyone told you anything about the Kartoom operation?” he asked.

“Not really,” Leila replied softly, “But I know it was bad from how few of the original teams returned, and how badly injured they were. They were mangled as bad as some of the prisoners that were freed were. Do I really want to know the gory details of this?”

“No,” Hannibal stated grimly. “We sorely underestimated the Cadre’s resources and tenacity and paid for it in blood and many lives. However, despite the heavy losses, we did succeed in blowing that infernal place off the face of the Earth. The Emperor has lost his right arm, and now we may have a fighting chance.”

“That may be, but what did you see in the ash cloud beyond the citadel?” Leila asked anxiously. “It’s got you very worried. I can tell.”

“Your telepathic prowess is getting better,” Hannibal observed, “That’s good. It means you’re remembering how to use it.”

“True, but you’re dodging my question,” Leila insisted. “You saw something at Kartoom in that ash cloud that has you both worried and distracted. What was it?” She paused, and then added with a raised eyebrow, “You know what it is, don’t you?”

Worry etched Hannibal’s face as he looked Leila in the eye. “Yes, on all counts,” he answered bluntly. “This thing I saw does have me worried, very worried, and admittedly distracted because I don’t know exactly what to do about it.” A deep, troubled sigh escaped his lips as he stated, “I suppose I’d just as well tell you because I’m not the only one who saw it. However, I’m the only one who saw it up close. Grimm’s Mask enhanced my remote viewing ability and allowed me to see it as clearly as I see you, and it was beyond the citadel in the center of the city when we first saw it. Its rage and hate was so strong I couldn’t help but feel it. However, I sensed its rage wasn’t directed at us. No, it seemed the beast has a very large bone to pick with the Emperor.”

“What was it?” Leila asked with growing dread.

“The alpha Azhidakar,” Hannibal declared with grim finality, “And not just any alpha, but the first one...the one who led the Azhidakar to this planet in the 1st Age and allied with the Emperor in the Days of Darkness. Leila, this creature, this red draken is far larger than Aeolus is and incredibly intelligent, not to mention extremely hostile. However, as I said, its hostility wasn’t directed at us, but at the Emperor, who according to Horace, Jo, and Nemesis, had a brood of forty or more of them imprisoned deep beneath Kartoom before I destroyed the place. Somehow, it got loose before we entered the city and headed directly for the Black Fortress. We know it was an unplanned escape because we saw Dark Riders and fighter aircraft pursuing the beast, firing on it. It had no qualms about burning anything or anyone attacking it. Furthermore, it was extremely fast, so fast it outran its pursuers. Whether any more escaped, I cannot say because I only saw the big one before we entered Kartoom.”

“Oh, no,” Leila moaned in great dismay, “That’s got to be the ancient terror I’m sensing. It has to be. I remember the red Azhidakar. They wreaked more havoc than any other single species the Emperor employed before he released the Old Ones from their prison. They laid waste to whole regions, turning everything living to ash before consuming it. God help us if even one of them has gotten out, especially if it’s the Alpha.” She looked him in the eye, saying, “The Azhidakar are not to be trifled with, Hannibal. Turning your back on them is a lethal mistake. Every last one must be tracked down and eradicated before they can feed and multiply.”

Hannibal nodded, saying, “I figured as much. However, as I said earlier, I don’t know if any of the others escaped with the Alpha. I only saw and sensed that one. If we’re fortunate, that’s the only one who escaped the destruction.”

“You need to replace out if any more escaped,” Leila insisted. “You said the Emperor had forty-two of them locked beneath Kartoom. What if they escaped too? That would be disastrous. You must replace out to be sure.”

“I agree,” Hannibal murmured solemnly, “But how would I do it? Where would I start?”

“Find the Alpha,” Leila replied, “If any of them escaped the destruction, they will most likely stay close to him.”

“Then what do we do?” Hannibal asked bluntly, “How do we kill them? We have no intelligence on them at all. We don’t know how tough their scales are, nor their speed or ability to counterattack. Just shooting them may enrage them, just as we saw with the Triaskus Spiders we encountered getting you. How big does the ordinance have to be to break through their armor plating? You see, there’s more to it than just killing them, which I’m sure can be done if we replace their weak spot. You wouldn’t happen to know their weak spot, would you?”

Leila shook her head. “I’m afraid not,” she admitted. “But I remember seeing them knocked out of the sky by other drakens and our largest plasma cannons. Wait a minute, I think I’m remembering something about it.”

“What is it?” Hannibal asked with a raised eyebrow.

“The Azhidakar are vulnerable to extreme cold,” Leila stated, “Yes, I’m remembering now. They had a lot of trouble with drakens like Argus and Aeolus, who have ice breath. Often several ice-breathers would gang up on an Azhidakar and freeze it solid with their ice breath before smashing it to bits. Yes, that’s definitely it. When Thoth found out the Azhidakar’s weakness to ice, he had Gordo build special plasma ice cannons and missiles in order to counter them.”

“Now there’s a vital piece of intelligence I didn’t know,” Hannibal chimed. “Horace never mentioned that piece of information. We’ll definitely look into that, and your idea of trying to locate the Alpha does have merit. After all, I do know where that beast was heading when we penetrated Kartoom. That’s the one thing other than its rage I could sense clearly. It’s definitely going for the Emperor. Do you think they have a hive mind like the Spiders?”

“No,” Leila stated categorically, “...though they do have a strange connection to one another we never understood fully other than the Alpha male being able to call the shots. A swarm of them always followed the Alpha, in a way acting as guards or something. If he ever came under attack, the underlings would come from all parts to his defense, often sacrificing themselves to protect the Alpha. But the weird thing about it is they often fought amongst themselves, often killing and eating their own.”

“Interesting,” Hannibal replied thoughtfully, “The Alpha may have some telepathic power over his brood that allows him to control them, but I could be wrong. When I saw him after his escape, I didn’t sense any telepathic signatures coming from him. Maybe he has some other way of getting his point across to his brood. It may be as simple as him being the largest, strongest, most ruthless Azhidakar that makes him the leader, much like how an alpha wolf takes control of the pack.”

“That’s a distinct possibility,” Leila agreed, “We saw that made abundantly clear when the Alpha led the attacks. He burned any minion who didn’t obey. Still, we never got enough intelligence on them to come to a clear conclusion about its power over his brood. The only thing we found to our benefit was their weakness to ice and cold. They preferred to brood in highly active volcanic areas and avoided places with snow, ice, and deep cold. I vaguely remember hearing at some point, the Emperor turned on the Azhidakar because they started attacking his troops as often as they did ours. The Old Ones showed up on the battlefields shortly afterwards, and believe me, they made the Azhidakar look tame in the destruction they wrought.”

“I can imagine they did,” Hannibal replied grimly, “After all, the Old Ones were created by the Etherians as engineered bio-organic weapons designed to crush and consume their enemies. The Xenians are the Emperor’s pathetic attempt to create his own version of the Old Ones. However, the Xenians can’t hold a candle to the sheer destructive evil power of the Old Ones. Every part of them is weaponized, even their blood as I recall.”

Leila’s face paled at Hannibal’s words. “How did you know that?” she asked bluntly. “That was a secret only known to Thoth and his inner circle.”

“Because I’ve seen the Old Ones before,” Hannibal declared ominously, “And because of my accidental exposure to the Teacher of Tiamat. I’ve also seen some records that say the same thing in the archive here. The Old Ones were nothing but shock troops created by the Etherians to be used in their conquest of the known universe long before either of our species ever came to be in this universe.”

“Ah, I seem to remember Selina telling about that incident with the Teacher,” Leila replied. “She said it would cause what she called a download, causing you both great pain and paralysis of both mind and body. I never truly understood what she meant. Can you explain it?”

“Sure,” Hannibal stated softly. “When I first got caught in the Teacher of Tiamat, I was completely unprepared for it. Technically, it copied vast amounts of knowledge into my brain in a matter of minutes. From what I’ve been able to tame so far, the knowledge spans the known universe. The levels of knowledge were so vast much of it ended up in my subconscious mind. It put me into a coma for several days. When I came out of it, one of the first things I could do is speak what I call the Stone Language...the human language of your day. I had uncanny knowledge about many things, including much of the workings of the machinery in Tiamat. However, most of the info the Teacher imparted me got lost in my subconscious mind, making it inaccessible.

“To make a long story short, the download attacks Selina told you about is what happens when the info lost in my subconscious suddenly, violently, and uncontrollably cascades out of my subconscious into my conscious mind. It caused paralysis and extreme, horrendous pain. On the outside, I apparently went catatonic, but inside, it’s like a hurricane of knowledge trying to rip my mind apart searching for an outlet. The pain is beyond your comprehension. Selina became caught up in it inadvertently when I had my first download. She unwisely made telepathic contact with me while it was happening and she became snared in it with me. When it was over, the download had literally fused our telepathic linkages so we couldn’t break it. We found it impossible to disengage our telepathic channels with one another. That was when we started feeling each other’s emotions and pain on both a physical and mental level. It’s been a curse to have an unbreakable telepathic linkage so deep even physical pain and delight can be shared.”

“So your telepathic fusion was accidental when Selina probed you telepathically trying to replace out what happened to you that first time,” Leila surmised.

“Yes,” Hannibal stated. “She had no idea of the peril she was in, yet she did it anyway. It showed me just how much she loved me. Even though the pain sharing is a curse, I found the other side of that fusion to be an incredible blessing too. I found my soul mate in that fusion, and now I can’t even think properly without it. Our souls were literally welded together in that incident, and it proved to be our salvation.”

“How is that?” Leila asked softly, fascinated at Hannibal’s explanation of the download.

“It’s our salvation because it took the power of both our minds to tame the download,” Hannibal stated, “When we truly merged and applied ourselves, we tamed the chaos of the download with the help and prayers of many friends, including Argus. The taming gave the information burned into my mind structure and accessibility. When we did that, the download ceased to be a paralyzing, horrendously painful event. Now, the information I lost in my subconscious mind slowly meters out into my conscious mind in a manageable form so I can comprehend and apply it at will. I’m going to be the first to admit that even though I’ve mastered tremendous volumes of information already, much of the information the Teacher gave me still remains floating around in my subconscious, waiting to leak out. Sometimes, events trigger some information; other times, something someone says may draw it out, or maybe it’s something I see or hear. The point is every day I’m taming and mastering more and more of the information the Tiamat Teacher copied into me, but now it’s not incapacitating me or Selina.”

“Wow,” Leila breathed, “That’s incredible, but it does answer my question about the download Selina mentioned. Have you had any more of those attacks since you and Selina tamed it?”

“Thank heavens, no,” Hannibal replied emphatically, “But as I said, the lost information is still there in my subconscious and slowly trickles out at a rate I can handle now. That’s how I knew what I did about the Old Ones and the Etherians. That piece of info dribbled out several days ago. However, I’m going to be the first to say that knowing it doesn’t make me feel any better. All it does is confirms what I’ve believed since I was thirteen years old.”

“And what would that be?” Leila asked softly.

“Real monsters really do exist,” Hannibal said bluntly. “The myths and legends of vile creatures of unimaginable power and evil aren’t just tales told to scare little boys and girls around the campfires. These things are very real and extremely dangerous to all of us. God, I remember the first time I saw the Old Ones with my waking eyes. It still makes me shudder.”

“You’ve actually seen the Old Ones?” Leila asked, feeling a fearful icy chill race down her spine.

Hannibal looked her in the eye with the seriousness of an executioner. “Yes,” he answered candidly, “I did. That incident has been fused into my memory for all time. After I saw them, my life went to shit, literally. That one event caused me to lose my way in the Darkness for almost thirty cycles.”

“How old were you?” Leila asked, leaning towards Hannibal in her wheelchair.

“I was thirteen,” Hannibal answered grimly, “I not only saw the creatures, but spoke to them, and they spoke back in vocalizations not meant to be heard by human ears. You have no idea what that did to me. I’ve had nightmares of them ever since, even to this very day.”

“Could you tell me the story, please?” Leila asked, trying to grasp the idea that Hannibal had actually seen the Old Ones, and to get a sense of his origins.

“Okay,” Hannibal murmured hesitantly. “But be warned, it’s a gruesome tale of hate, murder, and cosmic horrors no one should ever encounter.”

“I understand,” Leila replied softly. “Please, how did you come to see the Old Ones for real?”

“Well, it actually started a few months earlier when I found a strange artifact in a burial mound my father was excavating in a place called Ukraine,” Hannibal stated, starting the story with his replaceing of his lucky amulet...the Time Disk. After a brief explanation of how he found the strange amulet, Hannibal told the story of his encounter with murder, hate, madness, and the Old Ones inside a notorious haunted house that was literally possessed of a powerful malevolent entity.

Leila sat in stunned and horrified awe as Hannibal told the tale in graphic, gruesome detail, right down to how he saw Donald die at the hands of Jeff and get eaten by Old Ones lurking the in the cellar of that forbidden house. She gasped in horror at how brutally Jeff beat Hannibal before throwing him down the stairs into the cellar and locking the door. The description and behavior of Hannibal’s amulet during the event intrigued her, especially how it got cold and frigid when in the presence of evil, casting a bubble of light around Hannibal protecting him from the Old Ones lurking in the darkness of the cellar. The voice whispering instructions to Hannibal as he sat in the bubble of light surrounded by Old Ones fascinated Leila, even more so when he said the voice called the amulet the Time Disk. However, when Hannibal described the creatures he saw, and how the bat creature called him the human son of Caverias and would eat him and the rest of humanity, Leila could not hide her astonishment and horror, covering her mouth with her hand. With the descriptions he gave, Leila knew the creatures were Old Ones because she’d seen those type of creatures before in the 1st Age.

Listening on the edge of her wheelchair, Leila heard how Hannibal described his escape, literally fleeing for his life from a house that became a dreadful living monster trying to eat him alive. Again, she gasped as he told how the trees came alive in the yard, trying to grab him with their branches and roots, terrible demoniac faces appearing in their trunks. A look of incredible relief flooded her face when she heard he escaped the demon trees and house with his life.

“I don’t remember anything after falling into the street, breaking my leg,” Hannibal stated softly ending his account, the pain of the tale evident in his tone.

“What was your next memory,” Leila asked, reaching out and touching Hannibal on the knee in emotional support.

“Waking in the hospital,” Hannibal stated, “I don’t know how long I was there before I woke in a hospital bed with a cast on my leg, bandages on my head, arms, and ribs, along with feeling very disjointed and discombobulated. It seems Chris and my teacher, Mr. Mizaki found me lying in the road and took me directly to the hospital. Both of them swore seeing the house and trees with demon faces alive and moving, roaring in fury that I’d escaped them.”

“How long were you in the hospital?” Leila queried sympathetically.

“A month,” Hannibal stated, “It was during that time that everyone saw how different I really was. Even though I don’t remember it, I was told I somehow trashed my hospital room telekinetically. Fortunately, I didn’t hurt anyone. Right after that, I found out my pineal gland had grown to an extraordinarily large size, but it didn’t affect or put pressure on any portions of my brain. Most humans have a pineal gland the size of a pea. Mine grew to the size of a small walnut. My brain seems to have adjusted for the abnormally large size of the gland without any ill effects. The doctors could not explain it, and as a result, I was monitored from that day forward until it became obvious the gland’s growth had stopped and no longer posed a danger to my health. My pineal gland and I became a medical sensation during that time. I don’t know how many scans they took of my head. I lost count. Anyway, now some forty-plus cycles later, I’m of the opinion that my enlarged pineal gland may have something to do with my strange elemental and telepathic power, but I’m just not sure. As of now, it’s nothing but speculation on my part.”

“Incredible,” Leila breathed, “That thing about your pineal gland is utterly fascinating. I take it normal humans don’t have such enlarged pineal glands.”

“No,” Hannibal stated. “I’m the exception to that rule. From what I’ve seen and studied about human anatomy, most humans have a pineal gland the size of a small pea, and no one really knows what it does other than to regulate melatonin production in the body.”

“I see,” Leila murmured with a thoughtful expression on her face. “I might do a little research on my own about this, but your account about the attack in that awful house and explanation of the download spells do answer many questions. But getting back to more immediate matters, what should we do about the Azhidakar? You can’t let them live no more than you can allow those dreadful Triaskus Spiders to continue to exist on this planet. Both species must be eliminated from this planet at all costs. They’re invasive species that will destroy humanity if left unchecked.”

Hannibal sighed, shifting position in his chair slightly. “And so we come full circle,” he murmured. “We’ve come back to the Azhidakar and the Spiders.”

“I just thought...,” Leila replied when Hannibal interrupted her.

“I know what you thought,” Hannibal intruded. “And you’re right to bring my attention back to these important things. As for the Spiders, they’re toast, literally. We’re already planning to blow that nest into the next world. The queen and her brood mustn’t be allowed to leave that nest, ever.”

“That’s a relief,” Leila answered. “But what about the Alpha Azhidakar; what are you planning on doing about that beast, and any who escaped Kartoom with him?”

“I’m not sure at the moment,” Hannibal admitted soberly, “Obviously, replaceing him is high on the priority list. However, when I saw the Alpha with Grimm’s Mask, I noticed something very strange in the behavior of that draken other than his incredible animosity directed at the Emperor.”

“What would that be?” Leila asked.

“I know he saw me,” Hannibal stated bluntly. “The Alpha looked right at me, clearly identifying me as a potential threat. Yet, he didn’t seem too terribly concerned about the threat I posed to him. Only one thought filled his incredibly ancient and malevolent mind: retribution. He’s got a major bone of contention with the Emperor, not us. Somehow, he believes the Emperor has wronged him and his brood somehow and means to make it right no matter what it takes. What that slight is I don’t know. However, one thing is certain. He’s going to the Emperor as I speak to get answers. As of now, I cannot be sure if he’ll back the Emperor or turn on him. It all depends on how their meeting goes. In any case, we’ll have to deal with both of them eventually. When the Alpha finishes his business with the Emperor, he will come to me. I’m sure of it. I can feel it.”

“You seem fairly sure they will,” Leila stated. “What makes you so sure that the Alpha will come after you?”

“A hunch,” Hannibal admitted, “...along with the fact that not only did he identify me as a threat when he saw me outside of Kartoom, but also because I destroyed his brood when I destroyed that place. At the very least, he’ll want revenge on me for decimating his brood.”

Leila paled, saying, “You might be right about that. I know the Azhidakar to be very vindictive. I’ve seen them go out of their way to burn anyone who attacks their brood. In a way, they’re very clannish, and tend to gang up on anyone or anything that crosses them, utterly destroying them. Only a direct order from the Alpha can call them off when they get that vengeful bloodlust on them.”

“I’m sure you’re right about that,” Hannibal agreed. “Still, we don’t know for sure what that beast will do, or how many escaped that I didn’t see. I expect the Alpha to show up when we least expect it after he takes care of business with the Emperor. I must go on the assumption that he’s an enemy in league with the Emperor for now. History has proven his alliance with the Emperor, and I’ve seen it in my dreams.”

“You dreamed about the Azhidakar being allies of the Emperor?” Leila asked with a raised eyebrow. “When did this happen?”

“Yes,” Hannibal stated after a moment of hesitation, his face turning pale. “I did. I saw them in a strange, vivid dream shortly after we rescued the people from Hreidmar’s Bastion. Ironically, the dream took place at Srandi...a place I’ve never set foot before, but a place I’ve dreamed repeatedly about.” At that, he told the Dream of the Sandstorm with Black Prince, Dezarcus, and the Azhidakar.

Leila listened intently as Hannibal told the dream and marveled. After telling the dream, he stated, “I have dreams like that on a regular basis now. They are always harbingers of things to come...not all of them good. The same night I had the dream, after waking from it and not being able to go back to sleep, I found myself on top of the Tower in the middle of the night looking out over the sea toward Tartarus. For some strange reason I still don’t quite understand, I took Grimm’s Bane with me when I left my quarters. Upon reaching the roof, I saw a magnetic storm out over the sea the likes of which I’ve never witnessed before. It was incredible, and spawned a rather nasty gravity wave that caused me a fair amount of medical distress. Fortunately, the Healer was able to repair the damage.” With that, he described the event in detail, including how Nemesis found him after the gravity wave passed by.

A sigh escaped Hannibal’s lips as he looked at Leila. “The Rising is upon us, Leila,” he declared ominously, “The course is charted and set. A chain of events is set in motion that cannot be stopped by anyone: not me, not you, not even the Emperor. All we can do is keep our heads down and pray that we survive what is to come. The world is about to change in ways we can’t even comprehend.”

Leila gazed into his eyes with amazement. She saw not just great power, but the great compassion he had for the people, including her. She also saw how great a burden it was on him. After hearing the dream and the account about the storm and gravity wave, she believed what he said about the red Azhidakar. He sat in the chair, leaning back in silence, looking her in the eye as she asked, “So what do we do?”

Hannibal remained silent for a few moments, and then with a troubled sigh said, “We pray, Leila, and stand. Srandi is being prepared as I speak. The only thing left for us to do is get the people to Srandi and await our destiny. Thoth’s last stand was at Srandi. So will ours be. But know this: this battle is not ours but belongs to the Almighty. He will come down and do battle as He did in your day. You will live to see the end of the Emperor. However, before we can move the people, I must go there and unlock the keep. Nemesis says it is locked with no way for them to open it.”

“Srandi,” Leila replied softly as she seemed to drift off into nostalgia. “It was such a beautiful place. The dream you spoke to me sounded like it except for the fact that it was in a desert. You seem to be very familiar with it. Were there any other dreams of it?”

Hannibal nodded saying, “One. It was the second dream I shared with Selina after our telepathic fusion. The Black Prince nearly killed us in that dream and we had the physical repercussions of it.”

Leila looked at him intently saying, “Go on; tell me what you saw?” Hannibal sighed and recounted the dream as Selina walked up to tell them that dinner was ready. She didn’t interrupt as Hannibal told the dream and the terrible repercussions of it, which horrified Leila. “Gods!” she whispered in horror. “I’ve never heard of such a thing. But there’s one thing that troubles me about these dreams of yours. In both cases, you describe Srandi to the letter, but you insist on putting it in a barren wasteland. Why do you do that? The Srandi I remember was nestled in the mountains overlooking the plains of Azrael. It was a beautiful place with forests, rivers and grasslands with wildflowers as far as the eye could see. Oh, it was a truly beautiful place indeed. The citadel rose like an ivory tower over the plain with the stone giants standing guard over the city. Please tell me why your dreams have it as a ruin?”

Hannibal grunted as he glanced at Selina, asking, “Is lunch ready?”

Selina nodded, saying, “Yes, my king.”

Hannibal then looked at Leila, saying, “Twelve thousands cycles is a long time to be away, Leila. Things change and not all of them are for the better. Rather than tell you, I will show you after lunch. Would you like to see your husband one last time?”

Leila was stunned at what he said. She remained silent for a moment, and then said, “Yes. I would. But first, let’s have some lunch. I’m eager to try some of that soup I helped make.”

Hannibal smiled at her, rising and replying, “Sounds like a plan. Let’s eat.” Selina latched on to Leila’s chair and pushed her to the table, followed by Hannibal. Hannibal and Selina sat at the head of the table with Leila sitting next to Selina. Rachel and Emily sat beside Hannibal with Electra and Nathanael next to them sitting in a wheelchair of his own wearing loose-fitting trousers and an oversized short-sleeved shirt. His head and right eye was still bandaged, as was the stump of his left arm. Bandages also wrapped his right arm, though it seemed to have healed up enough for him to use the arm and hand. Enoch and Kida sat on the other end of the table. Emma, George, Ben, Elias, Hunter, Andrew, Elle, Xavier, Kahn, and Ana sat along the sides. Ana took a chair next to Leila. When Hannibal saw Nathanael at the table, relief mixed with guilt washed through him. “How are you feeling, Nathanael?” he asked. “I didn’t expect to see you this quickly at the dinner table.”

“I’m doing fairly well, son,” Nathanael replied, smiling warmly. “Thanks for asking. The Healer finished with me yesterday, so I’m here. I’m not letting a little thing like this keep me from having dinner with my family. This spread looks great. I’m so hungry I could eat everything on this table by myself. Come on, let’s dig in.”

Everyone laughed. “I know what you mean,” Hannibal replied, feeling his guilt for Nathanael’s condition slowly fading. “I’m famished myself. I guess I can share it with you. After all, you need it more than I do. If you need anything, just ask.”

“That’s very kind of you, son,” Nathanael answered. “But I think I can manage. My right arm has healed up nicely. I don’t have the strength in it I used to, but I can still hold a fork and knife so don’t sweat it.”

“That’s good to hear,” Hannibal stated, then noticing Amelia’s absence. “Xavier, where’s Amelia? Is she still in the Healer?”

“No,” Xavier stated, “The Healer finished up with her this morning, but she’s still in the Infirmary. Arabella and Drew wanted to keep her under observation a bit longer. Besides, Amelia is still very weak from her wounds. She doesn’t have the recuperative power Nathanael has.”

“That’s because Nathanael is a Lynxian,” Selina declared, “We Lynxians heal much quicker than humans do.”

“True,” Nathanael agreed, “I saw Amelia before I came up here. She’s awake and aware of her surroundings, but is not strong enough to do even the simplest of tasks right now. It’s got her down. You should go see her when you get a chance, Hannibal. She needs you.”

“I agree,” Xavier concurred, “Ever since she woke, Amelia has had a dreadful melancholy on her. I’m sure a visit from you, Hannibal, would help her tremendously.”

“In that case, I will,” Hannibal stated. “But first, let’s eat. My stomach thinks my throat is cut, and I’m sure Nathanael is just as hungry.”

“Amen to that,” Nathanael chimed.

“We should give thanks to the Almighty for this sumptuous meal spread before us,” Enoch declared, “And for His mercy in allowing us to triumph in our suicide mission to Kartoom. We owe Him that much. Would you do the honors, little brother?”

“Absolutely,” Hannibal answered in a humbled tone. “We do indeed have much to be thankful for this day.” With that, he said grace and they ate a pleasant meal.

Hannibal was ravenous, eating large portions, watching Leila carefully as she ate. She availed herself of some of the soup that was on the table, but not of the roasted meat or other solid foods. She didn’t have any problems with the soup. It did Hannibal’s heart good to see her eat the soup, which was mostly broth with some vegetables and meat cut up into very small, fine pieces. He also watched Nathanael put away generous portions of the meal, proving his boast of how hungry he was. Electra helped him get everything he wanted from the table. When Hannibal saw Nathanael eating as if nothing had happened to him, a smile crossed his face. The guilt Hannibal felt at being responsible for Nathanael’s maiming further waned, being replaced with a semblance of relief. After roughly forty minutes, they finished and Hannibal felt much better and much stronger.