Legends of Amacia Heart of Darkness

Gulez raced through the corridors of the Black Fortress in a near panic. Near the dungeons, he ran smack into Nemesis with such force that Nemesis’ bulk knocked him down flat on his back. Nemesis growled and looked down at Gulez with much disdain for he knew why Gulez had come to Amacia: to kill Hannibal and Selina. When Gulez looked up at Nemesis, his expression said everything. It was one of abject terror, not of Nemesis, but of something far worse. “Where are you going in such a hurry outlander?” Nemesis asked coldly.

Gulez stared up at Nemesis from his position on his back and immediately began to rise, saying in a panic, “I’ve got to get out of here. The Emperor is a monster. I saw him change into something far uglier and larger than you and kill Kronos without ever laying a hand on him. He ate Kronos’ heart after blowing him to steaming bits. I have to get out of here and find Beowulf. He’s the only chance I’ve got to get out of here alive.” Gulez was so scared he didn’t care who Nemesis was or whether Nemesis was loyal to the Emperor. All he wanted was to escape.

Nemesis looked at Gulez sternly for a moment, and then extended his cyborg hand to him, helping him up. “So that was what that terrible cry was. I wondered who the Emperor was getting rid of,” he said calmly, looking into Gulez’s terrified face.

Gulez glanced back down the corridor with great fear, begging, “I’ve got to get out of here. Please, help me!”

“You want out of here?” Nemesis asked bluntly.

“Yes! Yes, I do!” Gulez almost shouted.

Nemesis leaned down, looked him in the eye, saying sternly, “Then keep your goddamned voice down. I can see you’re sorry that you followed Beowulf to this infernal place. I don’t know where he went, but I know someone who might. I’ll take you to her if you swear not to tell anyone that I helped you. However, I cannot guarantee that she’ll help you though. If you do tell anyone, it’ll be the last time you ever tell anyone anything.” Nemesis switched his cyborg hand into a terrible claw and placed it in the hollow of Gulez’s throat, forcing his chin up. “If you do, I’ll do things far more gruesome to you than you saw the Emperor do. I’ll also kill everyone you tell,” he declared icily. “Do I make myself perfectly clear, outlander?”

By this time, Gulez’s fear of Nemesis kicked in. “Transparently,” he answered, “Just get me the hell away from here, please.”

Nemesis pulled his claw back, changing it back into a machine hand, and smiled slightly, saying, “Patience, little man, patience. Follow me and keep your fucking loud mouth shut.” At that, Nemesis strode down the corridor, going in the direction that Gulez had come from. Gulez fell in behind Nemesis, following him closely.

Nemesis led Gulez through a maze of secret passages with so many turns Gulez became utterly lost. Twenty minutes later, they stood at the secret entrance to the Harem. Nemesis turned to Gulez and grabbed him roughly by the throat with his cybernetic arm and hand, picking him up so his feet dangled in the air. Completely surprised by the action, Gulez struggled as Nemesis pulled him nose to nose with the cyborg. “This is where we determine whether you’re still with the Emperor or not,” he hissed venomously, letting his terrible foul breath blow into Gulez’s face. “If you so much as look at her or anyone else in here the wrong way, I’ll split you in two like a fish before you can blink. Do I make myself perfectly clear?” Gulez managed to nod in the literal iron grip of Nemesis’ cybernetic hand. Dropping him roughly, Nemesis said, “You stay here until I call for you.”

Gulez rubbed his throat and looked at Nemesis with some irritation. “All right,” he replied with some irritation at the rough handling he received.

Nemesis caught the irritation in his voice and stooped down to look him in the face, hissing, “You take too many chances, little man. I can hack you to pieces before you realize that you’ve been hit. I have to be sure about you. You were their enemy. You not only have to gain their trust, you have to gain mine.” Looking Gulez deep in the eyes with a fierce, stern look, Nemesis declared grimly, “You have this one chance to prove yourself. Fail and you’ll wish that you never heard the names of Beowulf or Nemesis.”

Gulez looked the great cyborg bear in the face, and then, for the first time in his life, looked down at the floor in submission, saying, “I know when I’m outmatched. I know they have no reason to trust me or help me. But I have no one else to turn to. Beowulf said that I would die if I followed him here. At the time he said that to me, I was too arrogant and bull-headed to believe him. All I wanted was to kill him in the most gruesome way I could think of because of what he did to me. I know now everything he told me was true, including that. Give me the opportunity to make right a terrible wrong I inflicted upon them, please.”

Nemesis rose up and said coldly, “We shall see, little man. Now wait here until I call for you. Remember, one chance. Don’t disappoint me.”

Gulez nodded, saying, “That’s all I ask.”

Nemesis turned and looked through a secret peephole to see that the Harem was clear of guards. Once satisfied that it was, he opened the panel and stepped out into the room while Gulez stayed in the passage. When the panel opened, everyone was having dinner that had just been provided. Myra, Tasha, and Jennifer sat with Selina as they ate. The other women sat in groups where they had a kindred spirit between them.

As the panel opened, Myra saw it move and said, “Hey girls, someone’s coming.” All attention focused on Nemesis as he came out of the passage. “Why Nemesis...twice in two days; this is truly unusual. What brings you here this time?” Myra asked as she went to him. Nemesis held out his organic hand to her and she took it, placing it on her cheek for a few seconds before letting it go.

“Why Selina has brought me back here,” Nemesis said with a slightly amused look on his face. “I just can’t seem to stay away from her.” He winked at Myra.

“Oh, you flirt,” Myra scolded him mildly as he walked over to Selina and squatted down in front of her.

Selina finished a chunk of meat as she looked into the face of the great bear, asking, “I don’t think I am the cause of this visit, am I?”

Nemesis grinned, showing his teeth and said, “You’re a wonder, princess. Indeed, that’s true. I ran into someone a few minutes ago who’s literally dying to speak to you.”

Selina’s eyebrow rose with interest, saying, “Really? Who might that be since everyone I knew is in Arionath?”

Nemesis’ countenance grew stern and serious as he said, “I warned him that you may not be pleased to see him and I told him that if he tried anything, I’d rip him to pieces.”

Selina thought for a moment, trying to figure out whom it was that Nemesis was speaking. Her telepathic abilities were useless with him so after a few moments, she gave up and said, “I have no idea who you’re talking about. Who is he?”

Nemesis chuckled a little, but retained his serious demeanor. “Oh, you surely know him. You saw him at the Arena. He was demanding Hanna’s head,” Nemesis teased, having just a little fun trying to see just how clever and intelligent Selina was.

Selina sat on her cushion, pondering Nemesis’ clue deeply. Suddenly, she realized whom Nemesis was speaking of and hissed icily, “You have got to be kidding! That devil followed us here after Hannibal explicitly warned him not to. All he wants to do is kill Hannibal, me, and the rest of our team. I will not speak to that miserable excuse for a human.”

Nemesis nodded and said, “I thought you might feel that way. However, something has happened. He....”

Nemesis didn’t get a chance to finish as Gulez, despite the warning, flew out of the passage, running full speed for them. “Please! You must hear me out!” he cried out, rushing across the floor.

The moment he entered, the other women called out in warning and instantly descended upon him like hornets attacking an intruder. Nemesis turned with a scowl and rose very deliberately as the women subdued and dragged Gulez to Nemesis and Selina. Nemesis quickly switched his cybernetic arm to the claws and growled viciously as they threw him down in front of Nemesis and Selina. “I told you to wait, idiot!” Nemesis growled. He reached down with his organic hand, wrapped it around Gulez’s neck, and lifted him high off the floor. Some of the women hooted and hollered for Nemesis to finish him off. “I told you that you had only one chance!” he hissed as he drew back his cybernetic claws with the intention of finishing him off right there.

Selina looked at Gulez and heard the plea as he entered. She could instantly feel a change in his mind, and like a queen she ordered, “Hold your claws, Nemesis.”

Myra, Tasha, and Jennifer watched with great interest as Nemesis looked back over his shoulder at Selina and he growled, pointing the claws right at Gulez’s chest. When Nemesis hesitated, Selina ordered sternly, “Now, Nemesis.”

Nemesis withdrew his claws and roughly body-slammed Gulez down in front of Selina, briefly stunning the General. He watched Gulez like a hawk as he regained his wind, and righted himself to where he sat kneeling before Selina.

Looking at Gulez with an icy stare, Selina asked coldly, “Why have you come here, butcher? Didn’t my husband warn you not to follow us here?”

Gulez gazed into Selina’s eyes and she saw his tremendous fear. They locked eyes for just a moment and Gulez looked down, saying in a defeated tone, “Yes. He did. I was an idiot for following you here. I was insane with revenge for what you did to me. Now, my revenge is meaningless. Nothing matters anymore. Everything Beowulf said to me has come true. I was blind to see that you were not my enemy.”

At that, Gulez broke down and threw himself at her feet, weeping and crying, “How could I have been so stupid! Can you please forgive me? All of my past sins have caught up to me. I just watched the Emperor change into a demon monster and kill Kronos without ever touching him! He blew him to steaming bits and then ate his raw heart! Nothing matters any more except life. With Beowulf, there’s at least a chance of survival for us. Please forgive me for what I did to you.” Gulez bawled like a little boy, letting loose a part of him that had been buried since he was a small child.

Selina watched him plead and cry in true repentance for his evil and it moved her to compassion. Everyone gathered around and was moved by his display, including Nemesis. Gulez was truly looking to make right the wrongs that he had done. As he cried and pleaded for mercy, something strange began to occur. The spirit Zramicar, who had infested Gulez’s body for so long, began to lose his hold on Gulez. Tears welled up in Selina’s eyes, and as she reached out to him, she suddenly became aware of Zramicar and held back. Knowing that Gulez still had the potential to cause her a great deal of damage with that dark spirit infesting him, Selina ordered, “Nemesis, be ready, but don’t hurt him.” Nemesis nodded and he moved in close, ready to restrain Gulez if need be. The other women watched with wonder as Selina looked at Gulez with his face buried in the cushion, crying like a terrified child. He was venting years of suppressed emotions and guilt.

“General Gulez,” Selina said calmly as she tried to mask her own emotions, which now boiled like a pot of tar. Gulez looked up and saw Selina smiling soberly. She then reached out with her chained hand and said, “We forgive you, General.” The words pierced his heart like a dagger and when she touched him, she ordered, “Come out of him, Zramicar, in the name of Jesus, and never torment him again.”

The General flinched violently as she touched him and Zramicar took physical control of him. He lashed out, only to be instantly subdued by Nemesis. Gulez’s whole demeanor changed and in a voice not his own, Zramicar hissed in a low, guttural reptilian tone, “I kill you, you feline bitch! How dare you interfere with us! I’ll rip your guts out and mount your head on the wall!”

Selina continued to sit on the cushion as she addressed the demon. “Silence, devil and come out of him!” she ordered sternly with great authority as her face began to shine when the Holy Spirit came over her. “Friends...let’s get rid of this devil and set this man free. Pray sisters and this devil will have to flee,” she called out to the women, who immediately fell to their knees and began to pray to whatever gods they worshipped, including Selina’s god. As they prayed, Nemesis held Gulez in an iron grip that he futilely struggled against. Zramicar swore and profaned, and then suddenly began to become fearful. At the right moment, Selina cried, “Guildo! In the name and power of Jesus, get him!”

Unseen by everyone there except for Selina, who, without warning, had been granted spirit vision for this one task, the guardian angels of everyone there surrounded Gulez and Zramicar, preventing any of the demoniac guards or imps from interfering. In fact, the demon guards seemed to be oblivious to what was going on. As Guildo moved on Zramicar, Selina got a glimpse for the first time of Nemesis’ guardian angel and it surprised her greatly. His guardian angel was an extremely ancient and powerful war angel that seemed to hide itself in Nemesis’ body. When the angel showed himself briefly to help deal with Zramicar, he looked directly at Selina as she looked at him. With a knowing smile, he and Guildo grabbed on to Zramicar.

Selina saw the foul demon, nearly as big as Guildo and very reptilian in nature. Zramicar for all practical purposes looked like a veloci-raptor with long clawed hands and feet, a long snout full of razor sharp teeth and a long tail with a bony barb on it. Once pulled from Gulez’s body, Nemesis’ guardian pulled his sword and brutally cleaved the demon in two so it couldn’t escape and tell the Black Prince of what had happened. The angelic sword penetrated the demon’s head and split him from head to tail. The demoniac beast vanished in a noxious cloud of smoke. Nemesis’ guardian put his sword away, looking at Selina again as she sat there with her mouth hanging open. The guardian put his finger to his lips and vanished into Nemesis’ body. Suddenly, her spirit vision vanished and Selina shook her head, completely flabbergasted by what she saw. The moment Zramicar was expunged from Gulez’s body he passed out in the iron grip of Nemesis. Selina was so shaken from the incident that it took her a few moments to find words.

Myra and Tasha noticed her astonishment and Myra put a hand on her shoulder and asked, “What is it? Are you all right?”

With tears in her eyes, Selina put her chained hand on Myra’s and said, “Yes, I am now. Sisters...our God has granted us a merciful success. The demon is gone; sent back into the Abyss.”

A subdued cheer rose from the sisters as Selina looked at the unconscious form of Gulez, and then said humbly, “You know something. I have never done anything like that before. I have seen Hannibal deal with demons, but never have I dealt with them myself. I don’t rightly know how he is able to handle dealing with such powerful and dangerous spiritual entities. I’m just relieved that the Lord was able to grant us this help.”

“It’s your faith that has done this, Selina,” Nemesis stated. “His faith is your faith. Don’t doubt it. You saw something in this wretched excuse for a man I did not. It’s a rare gift to be able to see good in the vilest of men.”

Selina sighed and replied, “Gulez has been under the influence of that devil for many cycles. But he wasn’t totally taken by it. That’s how he was able to come to us after the events of today. He knew that we were his only hope. Everyone has a price for redemption. This was his and he’ll find the price he must pay is just beginning to be required of him.” As she spoke, Gulez began to come around. He moaned and shook his head like a man waking up out of a nightmare. “Let him go, Nemesis,” Selina ordered and Nemesis threw him down at her feet.

Gulez looked around as he got to his knees, finding himself kneeling before Selina with Nemesis towering behind him and fifty scantily clad beautiful women surrounding him, Selina, and Nemesis. “Where am I?” he asked innocently as his head throbbed, “Ugh; my head!” He grabbed his head and when his sight fell upon Selina, he remembered everything. “Thank you,” he said humbly and with gratitude he had never used before. “Thank you for helping me dispel that thing and for forgiving me. Oh, God, how could I have been so blind?” Nemesis watched him like a hawk, ready to pounce at any wrong move.

Selina reached forward and said, “Ramone, you’ve been given this one chance to set things right.” She touched his hand and continued, saying, “It’s no accident that Hannibal and I fell in the middle of your coup. It’s no accident that you followed us here, and it’s no accident that you saw what the Emperor really is. It’s also no accident that you came to me and are now free of the demon that has tormented you for so long. The Lord God of Heaven has planned this from the beginning. Whether you want to admit it or not, God has something that He wants you to do. Do you understand what I’m saying?”

Gulez looked at her with a puzzled look and said, “Not really. I know not who your god is, but I do know that He must be more powerful than the Emperor is because since Beowulf and you were brought here to the city, the Emperor’s plans are unraveling before his eyes and he can’t stop it. Do you know what brought on the killing of Kronos and maybe even me if I had stayed there?”

Selina shook her head no and Gulez said bluntly, but truthfully, “The first thing was your husband’s miraculous escape even after being turned into a woman and surviving the Arena. They know that Magnus was behind it. What so enraged the Emperor was that Magnus was able to hide his intentions so easily from him. Now that the Emperor knows that he has malcontents in his midst who would aid his enemy, he has begun a purge within the city itself. If anyone is suspected in helping them escape, they’ll be killed, no questions asked. But the final straw was the news from Arionath.”

Gulez looked around and reported, “The people apparently escaped and he doesn’t know how or to where. On top of that, they set a monster of a booby trap and when the Emperor’s forces overran the fortress, they blew it, the city, and over half of the attacking forces away. Upon hearing that, the Emperor went ballistic and I saw what he really was. He is a demon monster, literally, and someone has to stop him. If he is allowed to reach the surface, the evils I committed will make me look like a saint compared to what he’s fixing to do. And as much as I hate to admit it and as much as I hated you and your husband for what you did to me, I found myself after witnessing the carnage in the throne room realizing that you and he were never my enemy and actually believing that your husband is the only one capable of stopping the Emperor.”

Selina listened intently, as did everyone else. She couldn’t help but smile because she had begun to realize how intricate and precise the Lord’s plan was to deal with the Emperor. “So what you’re telling me is that the Lord, through us, has made a complete idiot of the Emperor inside his own house,” she stated.

Gulez nodded, replying, “Yes. You have. However, where you merely made a monkey of me, you have dealt a serious blow to his ego and let me tell you something. If you thought my rage, temper, and lust for revenge were bad, then you haven’t seen the Emperor. The Emperor’s temper and rage about what has just occurred is so far beyond mine that I look like a saint. He has made it perfectly clear that he will annihilate everyone on the planet in order to get rid of your mutated husband. I know that you have no reason to believe me, but someone has to warn her about what she is up against with the Emperor. He’s not a man but an inhuman fiend from the darkest abyss of hell, if such a place exists.”

Selina took a sip of water and asked pointedly, “So now we get to what you really want: where Hanna went. Sounds like you just want to save your own skin. Why should I believe you? What can you do to give me a sign of your sincerity and truthfulness?”

Gulez sighed and looked down, saying, “You are, of course, right. I am seeking to save my own pathetic hide. I want to get as far away from that monster as I can and am willing to do whatever it takes to achieve that goal. I don’t blame you for being so skeptical. In your position, I would be just as skeptical. I have no way to prove my sincerity to you.”

Selina looked at him sternly and asked, “So you want me to tell you where Hanna went, right?”

Gulez looked her in the eye and asked, “How can I prove myself to you? What can I do to show you that you can trust me? Do you want me to take a blood oath? Tell me how I can prove myself and make amends for all the evil that I have committed. I’ll go and do whatever you order of me. Please, just help me get away from here.”

Selina thought for a moment, and then said, “I’m sorry. I cannot tell you where Hanna is, not until you prove yourself. Do you want to prove yourself to me? This is what you can do: swallow your fear of the Emperor and stay close to him. Learn everything you can about his plans. Nemesis will be your contact with us. Can you be as hateful and deceitful as you were before? Can you conquer your fears enough to be a spy for us? Do you want redemption? This is it. Find out what the Emperor is really doing and planning. Apparently, he has killed Kronos so he will be looking for someone to take his place. He apparently took a liking to you when you were brought before him, otherwise he would have killed you outright. You have a unique opportunity to gather intelligence on our common enemy. When you’ve found out what he’s planning, maybe then.”

Gulez’s face fell with dismay. He obviously didn’t want to have anything to do with the Emperor. Shaking his head, Gulez asked with a great deal of fear on his voice, “Do I have to? Must I stay in this cursed place with that demon monster?”

“This is your only chance, outlander,” Nemesis growled. “The princess has spoken. If you want to get in with them, you must prove yourself to them. If you won’t do it, then you have no purpose for being here. There are many unpleasant ways for a body to disappear in this place of the damned. Now what is it going to be, little man?”

Gulez sighed with tears in his eyes. “Is this the only way?” he asked in a pleading voice, “To bring you some critical piece of intelligence on the Emperor’s war plans?”

“Pretty much, General,” Selina replied bluntly. “You’re a general. You know the ways of war and deception. Your skill as such will be an asset in determining what is important and what isn’t. It’s my belief this is the reason you followed us into this fabled land: to be our eyes and ears underneath the Emperor’s nose.”

Gulez stifled his tears and hardened himself, saying, “I could be killed if I’m discovered.”

“You would’ve been killed anyway once the Emperor decided you were no longer of any use to him,” Nemesis said coldly. “You’re living on borrowed time anyway. What difference does it make whether you’re killed now by, say me, or whether you are killed by the Emperor later. One thing you can be sure of: if you do as we say, you may live to see another day. This is not a suggestion. It’s an order. You wanted away from this place. This is the way you will achieve it...by using your cunning and deceitful ways against the Emperor. Now, which will it be? You have a choice. By the way, the penalty for anyone setting foot in here without the Emperor’s seal or in the company of someone with the seal is death by tarok. He feeds violators to his pet tarok in the Arena. You saw one of the Emperor’s pet taroks in the Arena and what they’re capable of. The Emperor is very protective of these women. He considers them his personal playthings and isn’t willing to share them with anyone or anything.”

It finally began to sink in on Gulez that he had very serious penance to perform in order to get out of Amacia and away from the Emperor. With a deep, troubled sigh, he said, “Very well. It seems that I have little choice in this.”

Selina looked at him with a semi-pleased look and said in an almost caring way, “None of us have a choice in this, Ramone. Hannibal didn’t ask for or want the position he is in. He certainly didn’t ask to be tortured almost to death in a cross-gendered avatar or be mutated into Hanna and nearly killed in the Arena. The Almighty thrust all of this upon him. Neither do I want the position I’m in now, nor what I’ve endured thus far. Furthermore, I’m sure neither does Nemesis, or anyone else in this place. The Almighty charts our course whether we like it or not. Call it Fate or Destiny if you like. We all have to do what we have to. I’m frankly glad to see that you’ve finally come to your senses. I would’ve preferred that you had done it on the surface and not in this savage infernal realm. However, it seems that you’re caught up in the same fate that we all are. Go and keep your eyes open. Above all else, do not give the Emperor occasion to think that anything is wrong or that your desire to see Hannibal dead has changed. If he has even an inkling that you’re not with him, you’ll die very quickly and I suspect, very painfully.”

Gulez nodded grimly, replying, “That you don’t have to remind me of. I saw what he did to Kronos. I know what he is capable of.”

Selina touched Gulez on the hand again and said, “I know you’ll do all right. You have great strength in you as well as knowledge and skill. All you lack is the will. For the moment, be satisfied with Hanna is safely away from here and has promised to come for me and anyone else who wants to be rid of the Emperor. That includes you. But first, you must do this little thing for us.” Her words sparked courage in Gulez’s black heart and his countenance went from a scared little boy to a warrior’s stern and hardened look. When Selina saw this, she smiled with satisfaction, knowing that she had managed to reach him. “Now go and keep your eyes open, General,” Selina ordered. “My husband will come for us no matter what form he’s in. I promise you. Nemesis, show him the way out.”

Nemesis looked at her and replied with great pleasure, “Yes ma’am. Come on, little man; time for you to do your penance.”

Before Gulez rose, he extended his hand to Selina, saying, “Thank you. I’ll try not to let you down. I realize that I have much to do to atone for my past actions. I hope this will help to prove my change in heart.”

Selina shook his hand firmly while looking him square in the eye saying, “Don’t let the Emperor know about that change for if he does, you’re a dead man as well as the rest of us. Now go.”

Gulez hauled himself to his feet as Nemesis hovered over him. “All right, let’s go Nemesis,” Gulez said in resignation. Then to the rest of the women, he said, “Ladies, stay safe.”

“Come on, little man,” Nemesis order, pushing him out of the Harem into the secret passage, closing the panel behind him.

The rest of the women dispersed, speaking and talking softly in their own little cliques about what had just happened.

Selina looked at Myra, Tasha, and Jennifer, saying, “Can you believe that? Just a few hours ago, that man wanted my head, Hannibal’s head, and the guts of everyone with us on a plate. I guess that just goes to show that there’s always something that can turn even the vilest and most violent of men into frightened children. What do you think, Myra? How do you peg him?”

Myra sat down next to her and said calmly, “I’m not sure, but I do know one thing. When he came in here, he was literally scared completely out of his gourd. When Nemesis tells you to stay put, he means it. That man was so scared and desperate to speak to you that it completely overrode his self-preservation skills in regards to Nemesis. All he wanted was to get you to tell him where Hanna went so he could follow. That was a masterful move on your part not telling him where Hanna was but instead, making him prove himself by finding out what the Emperor’s plans are. Though, I’m not sure that you should have told him that Hanna was planning on coming back to get you.”

“I had to tell him something,” Selina stated. “In order to give him some kind of hope, I had to tell him what I did. He knows there will be a limit to what he has to do.”

Jennifer, who had been listening, asked, “I know one thing. What just happened here a few minutes ago is about the strangest thing I’ve ever encountered. How did you know he had a demon that needed dealing with?”

Selina rubbed the side of her face, replying, “I knew about Zramicar because Hannibal noticed it when we captured the General on the surface after a botched attempt to kill us. Zramicar was a demon that Hannibal knew personally from his days as a dark wizard.”

“Who’s Guildo?” Tasha asked intently. “While we were praying and you were dealing with the demon, I distinctly heard you say, ‘Get him, Guildo.’ Who’s Guildo?”

Selina thought a moment, and then answered, “Guildo is my guardian angel. You see, that incident was a completely new experience for me. I have never dealt with spirits like that before. When that was going on, I was permitted to see what was going on in the spiritual plane. Did you know that every one of you has a guardian angel? They were the ones who dealt with the demon infesting the General. I literally saw Guildo and a couple of other guardians drag Zramicar from Gulez’s body and dispatch it while the rest hid the action from the demoniac hordes that surround us in this place. We have hideous demoniac spirit guards in here with us along with smaller, imp-like devils whose job it is to torment us constantly. Our guardian angel’s job is to protect us from such attacks. However, there’s something I noticed while I was able to see into that realm; something odd. While that was going on, the guards and imps seemed oblivious to what we were doing. It was almost like they were blinded. It was strange to say in the least. Maybe the prayers did it, but I’m not sure about that. I am sure of one thing. It was your prayers that helped our guardians deal with that beast.”

“Strange isn’t the word for it,” Tasha replied. “Can you still see the spirits?”

Selina shook her head, saying, “No. As soon as the demon was taken care of, I lost that vision. Why I was permitted to see what I did is beyond my comprehension, but I can tell you this. Right now this very moment, we are surrounded by beings of ruthless, unimaginable power, both good and evil. Just be happy that we have guardian angels that are watching over us.”

“You know, I wouldn’t believe a word of this except for the fact that I saw and heard that man talk in a voice that wasn’t his,” Lola commented. “If you say we have guardian angels, then that’s good enough for me.”

Selina looked around at the women and noticed that some were having a hard time with the story. “I know that is sounds fantastic, but it is the truth,” Selina told them. “I have no reason to lie about it. I’m in the same predicament that you are. I just thought that sharing it might give you all a little hope.”

Myra looked around at the women, and then at Selina, saying, “They don’t mean to be so hesitant to believe you. I for one, do. I have been here long enough and seen enough to know that what you say is true. It’s good that you shared it with us, sister. It may yet bring hope to some here that are still holding back.”

Selina sighed, saying, “It was just a brief glimpse. That’s all. Occasionally, the Almighty will allow us to see such things to wake us up. I hope that you get as much strength from it as I have.”

“I sure do,” Jennifer stated. “It’s nice to think that we all have special angels assigned to us as guards. It means that the Ancient of Days has not abandoned us to the Darkness.”

“Well said, sister,” Selina agreed wholeheartedly. “Well said indeed. We must be patient. Our days as prisoners are numbered. Hanna promised to come for us. She has yet to welch on a promise. She will come.”

Tasha looked at her confidence and faith, saying, “I believe you, sister. Your God has rescued Hanna from the clutches of the Emperor. Surely, your God will bring her back here to deliver us from our prison.” Myra agreed as well as Jennifer, Lola and a dozen other women who were gathered around.

“Izanami should know what happened here when they bring her back,” Lola suggested. “It’s a shame they snatched her before this happened.”

“I know. But she’ll be back,” Myra reassured, “We all have seen her disappear before and she always comes back. When she does return, I’ll personally tell her what happened.”

“I hope so,” Lola replied. “She would have really liked to have seen that. It’s not just any day that this sort of thing happens.”

“That’s so true,” Selina agreed. “Izanami definitely needs to know what just happened. After all, she’s our adoptive mother here after all. I’d never have made it without her or you girls.” Everyone wholeheartedly agreed with Selina’s declaration and vowed to share the incident with Izanami when and if she returned.