SWNOVELS Chapter 4: Aeolus’ Intelligence Report
Nemesis walked to the pool, seeing Hannibal, Selina, Emma, Nathanael, and Rachel in the near left corner. Selina leaned against the side of the pool while Emma manually moved her legs as part of the therapy. Hannibal held his arms under Rachel as she floated. “Don’t drop me, Dad,” Rachel urged, unsure of Hannibal’s ability to hold her up.
“Don’t worry sweetie,” Hannibal replied warmly, “I’ve got you. Just relax and enjoy yourself.”
“I love you, dad,” Rachel suddenly blurted out.
“I love you too, sweetie,” Hannibal chimed, blushing. “And I’m not just saying that. You’re a beautiful young woman that deserves every chance to be happy.”
“I feel safe with you,” Rachel declared. “I’ve never felt like that with any man before.”
“I’m glad,” Hannibal said softly. “It’s a good sign you feel safe with me. I know you’re going to still have trouble feeling safe with people, but we’ll help you get through it.”
“I know you will, Dad,” Rachel said with a smile. When she saw Nemesis approach the edge of the pool, his appearance startled her, causing her to tense. “Dad, I’m sinking!” she cried out fearfully.
Hannibal instantly supported her so she didn’t go under. “Don’t worry,” he declared. “I’ve got you. What happened? Why did you suddenly tense up? You were doing so well.”
“Forgive me,” Nemesis said, “It seems my appearance startled our little angel. Forgive me, little one.”
Hannibal turned to Nemesis, holding Rachel in his arms. “It’s okay,” Rachel replied softly, “I know you didn’t mean it.”
“Of course I didn’t,” Nemesis said, dropping down on one knee poolside. “Do you like the pool?”
“Yes,” Rachel answered, “It makes me feel good, though I could never come in here without help.”
“That’s why we’re here,” Nathanael stated.
“What’s up, Nemesis?” Hannibal asked, handing Rachel to Nathanael. “You don’t come down here unless something’s afoot. What is it?”
“I’m really sorry to have to break up your time with Rachel, but Aeolus has urgently requested your presence,” Nemesis stated. “He needs to speak with you immediately.”
“What does he want?” Selina asked, sensing the urgency in Nemesis’ tone and body language.
“He wouldn’t say,” Nemesis admitted, “But it’s a very important matter concerning Hannibal that cannot wait. That’s all I could get out of him.”
“Hmmm,” Hannibal murmured. “It’s not like Aeolus to be this demanding. I’d better see what’s wrong. I hope you’re not mad that I have to go so soon, Rachel. I hoped to spend more time with you.”
“Is Aeolus a draken?” Rachel asked as Nathanael held her.
“Yes,” Hannibal replied. “He’s the oldest draken I rescued from Acheron and is the protector of the Caverias line. He’s my friend. I need to see what’s wrong.”
“He won’t eat you, will he?” Rachel asked with concern.
“Of course not,” Hannibal answered with a smile. “He doesn’t eat his friends. All I need to do is see what’s upset him.”
“Promise you’ll come back,” Rachel insisted.
“I promise, sweetie,” Hannibal swore. “I’ll be back in one piece. Nemesis will see to it, right Nemesis?”
“Right, Hannibal,” Nemesis rumbled with a broad toothy smile. “I’ll bring your dad back, little one. You have my word.”
“Okay,” Rachel conceded. “Can I stay here with my friends a little longer?”
“Sure,” Hannibal replied, “You can stay as long as you like, if it’s okay with Nathanael. After all, he’s your bodyguard today, right?”
“Right!” Rachel chimed, looking up at Nathanael with a broad smile. “Grandpa makes a great bodyguard.”
“Look after her, Nathanael,” Hannibal ordered as he jumped out of the pool. “I’ll be back in a bit. Something doesn’t feel right with this call from Aeolus. I need to find out what it is.”
“Sure, son,” Nathanael purred. “I’ll keep an eye on Rachel.”
“Selina, stay alert,” Hannibal insisted. “Let me know if you sense anything out of the ordinary no matter how insignificant it may be.”
“Of course,” Selina replied with a puzzled look. “What are you sensing?”
“I’m not sure,” Hannibal admitted, “But it feels dangerous. My danger meter has suddenly ticked up two points here in the last few minutes. Keep your eyes open. That goes for the rest of you too. Something isn’t right here. I can sense it.”
“We’ll keep our eyes and ears open, brother,” Emma agreed. “We promise. You should go see what Aeolus wants. As you said, he’s not one to demand things without a very good reason.”
“I know,” Hannibal agreed. “Come on, Nemesis; let’s go. I need to stop and change first.”
“Very well,” Nemesis stated. “Follow me. Aeolus is on the roof.” With that, Nemesis and Hannibal walked towards the changing room, warning Izanami, Muriel, and the Harem sisterhood to keep on their guard.
As Selina, Nathanael, Rachel, and Emma watched Hannibal and Nemesis leave, Nathanael declared, “Something is definitely stirring Hannibal up. His instincts have never been wrong.”
“I wonder what it is,” Emma asked, scratching her head. “I hope it isn’t bad.”
“He doesn’t know yet,” Selina commented. “That’s why he’s going to see Aeolus. Not once has Aeolus ever demanded to speak to Hannibal like this. It must be serious. I hope it isn’t the Emperor.”
“Me too,” Emma agreed.
“Is the Emperor coming here?” Rachel asked fearfully.
“No,” Nathanael purred. “He’s not. The Emperor doesn’t know we’re here. Even if he was coming here, we wouldn’t let him hurt you or your friends.”
“Trust Hannibal,” Selina urged. “He’ll deal with whatever this new thing is.”
“I hope so,” Rachel replied. “I don’t want to lose him. He’s the only dad I have left.”
“Hannibal is not going anywhere,” Nathanael reassured. “You’ll see.”
Fifteen minutes later, Hannibal and Nemesis stepped out on the roof of the Red Tower. Hannibal had changed into tan t-shirt, trousers, and sandals in his quarters before coming to the roof. Hannibal scanned the roof as he and Nemesis started walking to the east side, seeing Aeolus lying there looking over the sea to the east. The draken had a solemn, worried expression. When they came within earshot, Hannibal called out, “Did you call, Aeolus?”
A deep gravelly sigh escaped Aeolus’ lips as he said without looking at Hannibal, “Yes, my friend; I’m glad you came so quickly.”
“Nemesis said it was important, and now I that I’m here, I can see something is troubling you, my draken friend,” Hannibal stated as he and Nemesis stopped ten feet away from Aeolus. “I’m also sensing something’s wrong, but I cannot tell what it is. It’s like that premonition I had in Kaal Bek just before the Cadre hit us with its weather weapon.”
“I see,” Aeolus rumbled, looking down at Hannibal and Nemesis. “You’ve become even more sensitive to the movements of the Darkness. It indeed is moving rather dramatically now that it’s sensed your rebirth.”
Hannibal’s face fell with concern. “You mean the Emperor and his minions know I’ve been reborn?” he asked bluntly.
“Yes,” Aeolus stated. “When you were reborn a few days ago from the womb of Josephine’s nano-machine chamber you sent out a most potent telepathic pulse. I felt it as I scouted our old stronghold at Srandi. It was a call announcing to the entire universe that you were back. If I felt it at Srandi, then there’s no doubt the Emperor felt it.”
“I really did that?” Hannibal asked with a slight quiver in his voice.
“You did,” Aeolus replied bluntly. “It was a most potent telepathic pulse too.”
“Did it endanger my friends?” Hannibal asked, quite concerned about the news. “I never meant to endanger everyone like that.”
“Relax, Hannibal,” Aeolus said softly. “The pulse didn’t endanger us or you. Our sanctuary here remains intact. However, our enemies now know you’ve started to awaken to your true power and destiny. It will cause them accelerate their attacks on us. We must be ready to counter them.”
Hannibal let out a troubled sigh. “I was afraid something like this would happen,” he declared. “My inability to control this power given to me is attracting our enemy. These elemental and telepathic powers are growing faster than I am. I have yet to tame them. Is this why you called me?”
“No,” Aeolus replied, “It isn’t, though taming your power is very important now that you’ve been reborn as a completed soul. The reason I called you is because of what I discovered while you were being reborn.”
“What is it?” Hannibal asked.
Aeolus smiled wryly, keeping Hannibal in suspense for a few moments. As Hannibal started to speak, Aeolus asked, “What do you know of Mt. Olympus?”
“In surface mythology, it was the home of the Olympian gods,” Hannibal stated, raising an eyebrow. “But I remember someone saying Olympus was the core of the Yeti territory in Cimmeria. Why do you ask?” No sooner than Hannibal asked the question, he gasped as he remembered the promise to Sukar the Yeti.
“Yes,” Aeolus stated. “It’s time for you show yourself to the Yeti Clans. They wait for you on Mt. Olympus. Tell them what happened to their brother and heal the breech. When they see in you what I do, they will back us. Your destiny lies in the temple on Olympus. It’s time to bring together all creatures of this land to resist the Emperor.”
“What are you saying?” Hannibal asked, very puzzled by Aeolus’ words. “How can I bring the creatures of this land together when I don’t speak their language?”
“It’s your destiny as the Last Caverias to heal the wounds of the past and unite all creatures of this land against the Darkness,” Aeolus rumbled. “Speaking to them is easy because of your telepathic power. It enables you to speak to every creature, not just humans. You have done it before, communing with the caronadons and their king, the Roc.”
Hannibal’s expression lit up as he began to understand. “Of course,” he cried. “Why didn’t I see it before? My telepathy allows me to communicate with all creatures, not just the ones who can speak verbally.”
“It does,” Aeolus agreed. “It’s the bridge that will allow you to bring together the creatures of this land. You must understand that the Emperor seeks not just to annihilate the lives of all humans, but of all creatures who don’t obey him. Remember your dream of Lord Serge, the saber cat. He told you that the creatures of this realm would not follow a fractured soul. However, he did say once you became the completed soul and made peace with the Yetis, the creatures of this realm would follow you in the war against the Darkness. This is what I discovered, Hannibal. While you were being reborn, I searched the lands to the north with my brood, searching for allies to stand with us. I found Lord Serge and his pack of giant wolves and saber cats in the Cimmerian highlands moving southwest towards Midgard. When I and my brood made contact with Lord Serge, he bid me to tell you to come to Olympus...that the Yetis are waiting for your appearance in accordance with their legends and prophecies.”
Hannibal’s eyes grew round. “Serge is real?” he asked, stunned.
“He is,” Aeolus stated. “And he’s been searching for you with his pack since you were captured in Cush. The dream you had of him was his attempt at communication since he could not find you physically. It was a warning, remember.”
“It was,” Hannibal agreed. “But I didn’t know it was a psychic dream. That means the saber cat that followed me to Xavier’s tower in Khitia had to be Serge, and he was responsible for pulling me out of the Painted Cave.”
“That was his son who retrieved you from the cave,” Aeolus stated. “He told me about the incident, and how he and his pack followed you and your team all the way to Arionath. You should go to Olympus as soon as possible to enlist the Yetis. Once you heal the breech between the Caverias and the Yetis, Lord Serge said the creatures of this land would back you, even the god-worms of the wastes and the mighty Sea Rex himself. In time, he said you’d seek him out.”
“Whoa,” Hannibal breathed. “I’m so glad you brought this to my attention, Aeolus. This is indeed news of great importance.”
“But that isn’t all Lord Serge had to say,” Aeolus stated. “He also told me that several thousand of Corso’s people escaped the sacking of Cush when you were captured.”
“Where did they go?” Hannibal blurted out. “I didn’t know any escaped before I got there.”
“He said they took refuge in Hreidmar’s Bastion...the great fortress of Cushar in the mountains of southern Cushar,” Aeolus stated. “They’re presently under siege by three battalions of the 7th Division of the Emperor’s army with no way out. If you don’t move quickly, they will be slaughtered. I would suggest you use the portal generator here to rescue them.”
“Does Corso know about this?” Hannibal asked.
“No,” Aeolus stated. “I just returned from Cimmeria and haven’t had the time to inform him. You should not waste any time to rescue those people.”
“I will not,” Hannibal stated. “Thank you for bringing this to my attention. I had thought to search for Leila, but it seems she’ll have to wait. Saving Corso’s people is more important.”
“It is, but do not wait too long to find her,” Aeolus cautioned. “I see your most recent dream of her is most urgent. As soon as you rescue Corso’s people, I would suggest you resolve the issue about Leila. Until you do, she will be a distraction you don’t need.”
“What about the Yetis?” Hannibal asked. “I need to see them too.”
“The Yetis are a very patient people,” Aeolus stated. “They will wait for you to come to them. Right now, Corso’s people and Leila should be your priorities. However, don’t waste time. You know how critical time is. The storm we saw the other night before your rebirth was definitely a sign. The magnetic barrier around the caverns is now weakening at an accelerated rate. Soon, the ancient machines will roar to life and the Ancient of Days will open this grave. We must be in a place of safety when that happens.”
“I know,” Hannibal stated. “The Rising of Amacia isn’t going to be pleasant at all if the prophecies I’ve seen about it are correct. Anyone caught in the open when it happens will be wiped out.”
“What do you have in mind as a sanctuary?” Aeolus asked. “I do not doubt the Red Tower will survive it, but I’m not sure there’s room for everyone. Also, I suspect this island is going to become extraordinarily dangerous when it happens because of the volcano.”
“I’m sure of that,” Hannibal stated. “The gravitational, tectonic, and electromagnetic forces involved in the Rising are going to be unprecedented. I’m sure that volcano will blow big time when it happens. That’s why I think we need to move to Srandi. From what I’ve seen from the maps and archive, there are no major volcanoes anywhere near it. It’s also far from the sea, so we don’t need to worry about any mega-waves generated by the movement of the earth in the Rising. Then there are the physical proportions of the fortress. It’s larger than any other fortress I’ve seen yet. It’s literally a fortress city designed to be a place of refuge in times of disaster. Besides, the Almighty is telling me that’s where we need to go. I felt Srandi was to be our final sanctuary the moment it came to my attention in Kaal Bek. My past and future lie in that fortress. I can sense it. I must go there, and so should these people. There’s no choice if we hope to survive.”
“I’m impressed at your knowledge of Srandi and its topography,” Aeolus chimed. “How did you come about this information?”
“I don’t rightly know,” Hannibal admitted. “But I’ve repeatedly dream of it. You’ve seen the dreams in our telepathic contacts. All my instincts are screaming we need to move there very quickly.”
Aeolus smiled broadly. “Then you should follow that instinct,” he declared. “Srandi is indeed what you believe it to be. It’s not just a refuge, but the most powerful fortress ever built by the Ilmarinen. Only the Black Fortress of the Emperor comes close to its power and scale. Ragnar’s father, Rayden Ryu Caverias had Srandi built, but never saw it completed. Ragnar saw the fortress his father envisioned completed before his final conflict with Grimm. However, Srandi has expanded with each Caverias that rose to the throne. By time Thoth’s father, Akira Wolfe Caverias assumed the throne, Srandi had expanded from a mere fortress into the fortress city you’ve seen in your dreams. It was a gleaming jewel in the Caverias crown of achievements. But alas, it’s a ruin when I scouted it on the way to Cimmeria, though the keep seems to be intact. The ancient dead still lie where they fell in that last battle. I cannot tell you if the fortress’ defense mechanisms are still viable. We just did a brief fly-over when we scouted it.”
“Thank you for the information,” Hannibal insisted. “Now I have some idea of what awaits us at Srandi. Ruin or not, we have to go there and secure it before the Rising. By the way, what else did you see when you flew to Cimmeria? Did you see what the Emperor’s army is doing? I know the explosion of Acheron decimated a big chunk of their army when it hit them.”
“I did,” Aeolus stated. “The army has retreated to southern Elar near the Pass of Tartarus. Their numbers grow by the day. I’d estimate their strength at four hundred thousand when I spied them with thousands of war machines and troops flowing out of Tartarus every day. Some of the machines are heavy air transports capable of moving legions. They’re massing for an attack. I’m sure of it.”
“It’s as I suspected,” Hannibal stated. “They’re preparing to come after us here in Antilla. I have to make my move quickly and sever that supply arm in Kartoom. As long as it remains viable, we don’t have a chance. Thank you for the intelligence. I’ll share it with Enoch immediately. What would you suggest I do first?”
“The people of Cushar are in grave peril,” Aeolus declared. “Go to Hreidmar’s Bastion first. Rescue those people from certain doom. Then I’d suggest you find Leila and put her to rest so you can focus on the war.”
“We’re thinking on the same page, Aeolus,” Hannibal stated. “Thanks for the input. Do you agree with our line of thinking, Nemesis?”
“I do,” Nemesis agreed. “I didn’t know about the people in the fortress of Cushar. You should definitely go after them because the 7th Division has orders to wipe all intelligent life in Cushar and burn everything to ashes. We must act quickly to save them.”
“Indeed,” Hannibal stated as his countenance shifted to the one of warrior king. “Corso’s people will not be left to die hiding in a hole. Come, Nemesis. We have work to do. Aeolus, is there anything else I need to know of right now?”
“Just that when you decide to go after Leila, you need to first awaken Muriel to her true identity as you promised,” Aeolus stated. “It’s vital you do that before you go after Leila. You will need Muriel and her unique talents when you start searching for Leila.”
“Right,” Hannibal stated. “I’d actually planned on doing just that as soon as I fully recover my strength. However, I may have to accelerate that plan with everything going on.”
“Time is short,” Aeolus stated, “But don’t try to move too quickly. Be sure to plan accordingly before you move on anything. There’s always time to plan. Remember the planning that went into your rescue operation and the planning that went into your rebirth. Use Enoch and Nemesis to help you bring together a coherent strategy to accomplish your goals. You are not alone and don’t need to do this by yourself.”
“He’s right,” Nemesis agreed, “We’re here to help you.”
“So you are,” Hannibal agreed. “Thanks...both of you. Now if you will excuse me, Aeolus, we have much work to do.”
“Go, my friend,” Aeolus rumbled with a smile. “If you need me, just call.”
“I will,” Hannibal replied with a nod. “Come on, Nemesis. We need to find Enoch and Corso. We have another rescue to plan.”
“Of course,” Nemesis stated, following Hannibal as he left.
As Hannibal and Nemesis walked away, Aeolus whispered, “Now you shall discover and embrace your destiny, my friend. Don’t forget who you are or your god as you discover the truth of your existence.”