SWNOVELS Chapter 42: 'She fell.'
With Shadizar Kahn’s scepter in hand, Morpheus reached the safe area he’d sent everyone to ten minutes after the Beast of Fire Baal knocked Hanna off the bridge. Before him loomed a colossal door forty feet tall by thirty feet wide made of the same strange metal used throughout the Citadel. In the middle of the door lay two oppositely hinged doors large enough for giants fifteen feet tall to pass through. The larger portion of the main door was nondescript with the appearance of being very stout and strong. The smaller twin doors in the main door did however have a strange decoration. Blazoned across the door were a draken and a Roc. Jewels sat in the claws of both the draken and the Roc. The draken and Roc faced each other: the draken on the left, and the Roc on the right. Morpheus touched the jewels in a specific order, and then pushed one of the doors open, quickly stepping through and closing the door behind him. The door clanged when it latched. He turned away from the door and slowly walked down the torch-illuminated passage. A few minutes later, he reached another set of doors. These were wooden with metal straps. Just like the other door, it had a smaller set of doors in it. Morpheus merely pushed through the doors into another mammoth cavern. It spanned a good three times the size of the cavern where the chasm was, standing nearly four hundred feet in height and encompassing nearly five hundred fifty acres. Massive columns held up the roof. Stalactites and stalagmites lay scattered over the area. Flowstone covered many portions of the walls. Great crystal formations grew from the enormous rock formations glowing with a pale phosphorescent radiance lighting the great grotto. Numerous campfires burned throughout the colossal grotto with many strange-looking people gathered around them talking. Aeolus stood guard as the younger drakens, the hybrids, and Hanna’s team became aquatinted with one another.
Aeolus immediately noticed Morpheus’ arrival and that he was alone, carrying Shadizar Kahn’s scepter. His heart sank as the crowd quieted, noticing Morpheus’ arrival. Aeolus turned and lumbered toward Morpheus while he slowly walked toward them with a downcast expression, holding the scepter in both hands like a precious treasure. Enoch and the rest of Hanna’s team rushed forward to greet Morpheus. Enoch saw the expression, and then the scepter. He immediately feared the worst, as did the rest of the team. “What happened?” Hunter demanded.
Morpheus looked at them with tears in his eyes, saying choked with grief, “She fell. The Beast knocked her into the abyss and jumped in after her. She has fallen despite the valiant and powerful elemental defense she used. The Beast was too much for her.”
Shock and disbelief was on every face. Hunter refused to accept it, shouting angrily, “It isn’t possible! She’s the One! She’s the Last Caverias! She can’t die!” Harry’s heart plunged into despair, believing the account because of the scepter in Morpheus’ hand. Amelia broke into sobs and Elle put her arm around Amelia, trying to console her. Anger and fury rose in Magnus until he roared in despair, thinking he’d failed Hanna. Aragon, Sam, and Ned were speechless and despondent with their hearts falling.
“She can’t die!” Harry cried in despair. “Her job isn’t finished!”
Aeolus could feel the despair and heartbreak amongst Hanna’s team. He also noticed that Enoch had not shown any signs of grief. “Are you all right, Enoch Caverias?” he asked Enoch.
Enoch sighed deeply, finally showing that the loss troubled him. “No,” he replied with a slight tremble in his voice. “This is the worst thing that could happen. Hanna is the rightful heir to the throne of Amacia. She was to destroy the Emperor. Now the Emperor will not be stopped. He will again cover the whole world in darkness, and this time the universe.” Aeolus saw the grief rising on Enoch’s face. “I called her little sister in honor of her mutation. We are kin,” Enoch said softly. “I just cannot believe that her God brought her all this way only to perish in this abyss. It’s not right.”
Morpheus stepped forward and presented the scepter to Enoch, saying, “Since you are her brother, this belongs in your hands.”
Enoch took the scepter with a pained look saying, “I can’t believe she’s gone.”
“Morpheus, our guest need some time to grieve,” Aeolus stated softly.
Morpheus looked at them with tears and said emotionally, “We shall all grieve the loss of this great warrior queen. Come, let’s dine in her honor, and remember her as all great warriors should.” He clapped his hands, calling out to his people, “Prepare a feast in honor of the fallen Miss Beowulf. Maybe we can honor her better in death than we did in life. She faced the Beast of Fire and fought bravely. Let us honor her courage and indomitable spirit.” Morpheus moved by Hanna’s team and set about supervising the preparations of a feast in Hanna’s honor.