Legends of Amacia Srandi: Last Bastion of the Caverias

“Holy merciful Ancient of Days,” Draco finally croaked in utter astonishment after nearly a minute of silence, “Never have I seen anything like this. The Almighty Ancient of Days actually manifested and banished that creature Himself and didn’t get His angelic cohorts to do it. I’m stunned and awed that He’d do such a thing personally and allow all of us to see it up close like this. This is a game-changing development of immense significance.”

“That it is,” Assad agreed in a stunned whisper. “The Almighty actually got off His throne and came down to deliver Miss Selina in the most dramatic way I’ve ever seen. Only in the legends of the 1st Age do we ever see such a thing ever being witnessed. Do any of you understand what that actually means?” Assad turned his gaze to Hannibal in utter astonishment, unable to find the words of what he felt while Hannibal continued to stare skywards in shock with a fearful perplexed look of mixed awe and relief.

“It means the prophecies are true...all of them,” Nemesis called out in a shaken tone while gently cradling Selina’s unconscious form. “Furthermore, it means that Hannibal and Selina together really are the Last Caverias, not just Hannibal. Together they are the fulfillment of the prophecy, just as the prophecies say. I’m so stunned I can hardly believe it.”

“Does anyone here now doubt who and what Hannibal and Selina are and represent?” Serge called out deeply, projecting his majestic feline voice over the entire tower roof. “Can there be any doubt left after what you saw just now?”

“No,” Hannibal suddenly answered soberly as if awakening from a trance. “There isn’t, not any more. Even I can see it now, as dense as I am and I’m about as dense as they come. Up until now, I had one very faint lingering doubt about my place in all this and whether the Lord would truly be there for us when we needed Him the most. How so very wrong I was not to believe Him, to my everlasting shame. I’m so sorry Lord. Please forgive my unbelief.” With obvious sorrow and regret for his unbelief on his face, Hannibal turned, gazing at Selina in humbled awe before looking at all those gathered around with a troubled sigh. “I admit it. My arrogance and unbelief caused Selina this grief for it blinded me to the fact that Belial corrupted Selina by Ahriaman’s hand at Rege’s order in the Black Fortress before I could rescue her,” he confessed with growing sorrow and regret in his tone. He knelt down and took Selina’s form from Nemesis, cradling her gently with an embrace. “This is all my fault,” he sobbed, broken by what he saw as his greatest failure thus far. “I never allowed myself to see just how much damage those devils did to her, which allowed that vile wicked creature to successfully hide from me. It’s my fault...all my fault. I take full responsibility for it! I didn’t protect her from the Darkness like I should have. Of all people, I should have known how treacherous and clever those dark demoniac entities can be, yet I refused to see the signs she readily showed of her being infested and oppressed by a demon of no ordinary might. Belial is the one of the vilest, most hostile, sadistic, chaotic, and corrupt of all the demon princes and lords...the worst of the worst. I should have seen it right away, but I didn’t. I refused to see it. Lord God, have mercy on me; how can I live with myself knowing how badly I failed her, and the rest of you?” He tightly embraced Selina’s form, cradling her as if she were the most fragile and precious treasure in the entire multiverse, sobbing deeply as he let everyone see his sin and weaknesses.

This collapse of Hannibal’s emotions and confession brought tremendous sympathy from all the leaders present, giving them a new understanding and appreciation of the burden Hannibal bore. Nemesis placed his organic hand on Hannibal’s right shoulder and said softly while looking him in the eye, “It’s all right, milord. Don’t blame yourself. None of this was your fault. How could you have known such a powerful demon lord had been implanted into Selina by that snake Ahriaman? No, this is definitely not your fault and you failed neither her nor us. In fact, your love and loyalty to her and the Almighty saved her. Is she not still alive and breathing with her vitals intact? Surface and flesh wounds can and will heal. Even wounds of the mind and spirit can heal given time and the proper remedies. She will live, and so will you. No, you didn’t fail, but succeed in driving out of her one of the worst demon lords in existence in a most spectacular fashion, showing us all again that you truly are the Hand and Sword of the Almighty Ancient of Days. Now buck up. You won the day and save her life and soul using the incredible power the Almighty had put at your fingertips very wisely. I’d say He’s very pleased with your performance in this crisis.”

Assad knelt down, leaning in to look Hannibal in the eye while resting his enormous clawed hand on Hannibal’s left shoulder. “You should listen to your Xenian friend, Beowulf,” he cooed with a warm, but sober smile. “He speaks the truth and you know it. You’re not to blame for this crisis, but you did come through and save her when she needed you the most, and so did the Almighty. I know you know what it’s like to be the puppet of a vast dark power and never wished for your mate to ever face such a heinous thing, but it was not to be. This happening to her and you being the key player to her salvation was meant to be, just as your mutation and mutation reversal were meant to be, just as you finding your way to this cursed underworld was, just as your possession by the dark Draken Prince of the East and your subsequent deliverance from him was long ago. Now Miss Selina will know how you truly felt when that beast infested and possessed you.

“Face it; even now, you’re still haunted by what that vile demon lord did to you for all those decades despite the fact you intellectually accepted what happened. Now that your soul mate has had a similar thing happen to her, together you will be able to heal the hurt those demons inflicted upon you both. That will be your ultimate victory and revenge on those vile creatures who did this to both of you. When you completely heal each other of the wounds inflicted by those dark powers, they will no longer be able to hurt or intimidate you. Just think about it and take that step towards ultimate healing and victory over those powers of Darkness that continually hound you so persistently. When you do that, they will run in terror from both of you. Consider that as you ponder this terrible event.”

Draco squatted down, leaned in from the left, touching Hannibal on his left arm with his clawed hand. “Heed what your friends are saying,” he rumbled softly. “They speak the truth and you know it. Use this calamity to grow even stronger than you are now for I know each time you’re beaten down, you arise from it that much stronger. Imagine the strength and power you will have when you and Miss Selina heal from this calamity. You were a colossus of Light before this happened. When you and Miss Selina heal from this terrible attack on your souls, you both will become titans of Light rivaling even the power of the legendary Ragnar Omicron of the Silver Eyes...slayer of Lord Grimm himself. Now stop beating yourself up. None of this is your fault. This was foreordained by the Almighty Himself to take place in order to strengthen you and your mate for the next level of this conflict that is rapidly approaching. Now pull yourself together and do what needs to be done. The fiend may be banished but he left her lost in an evil darkness within her mind as his last desperate act of revenge. Miss Selina needs you to pull her out of that darkness left by that vile demon’s eviction. Call to her. Go to her and lead her back into the light and life. We’re all here to back you up. Remember, you and Miss Selina are not alone in this.”

Hannibal’s conscience pricked at the exhortations of Nemesis, Assad, and Draco. The feeling of guilt and responsibility for Selina’s predicament slowly evaporated to be replaced with relief and gratitude to his friends and the Almighty. “Thank you guys for talking some sense into me,” he murmured, choked with emotion. “I became overwhelmed with everything that happened once the danger to Selina had passed. Thanks for knocking some sense into me. I needed it.”

“It’s what we’re here for,” Assad replied with a sober smile. “Now, why don’t you use that fusion you have with your mate to find her soul and bring her back to the land of the living? You need her now more than you’ll ever know.”

“Believe me; I know that far better than you can ever realize,” Hannibal said softly, becoming much more calm and focused now that the adrenaline rush was subsiding. “She literally is my life and salvation...my feline angel of deliverance sent to me by the Almighty Himself who has saved me more times than I can remember.”

“Go to her and don’t dilly dally,” Assad insisted urgently, “The longer she remains lost in that dark limbo left by that fiend, the greater the risk of her losing herself to that darkness becomes. She’s not nearly as resilient to it as you are. Go; bring her back to herself. We’re all here if you need us.”

“Right,” Hannibal replied with a solemn nod. He shifted Selina in his arms so her head lay cradled in the crook of his left arm at the shoulder with her mauled face looked up at him with the wounds still oozing blood. It smote him to his heart to see such mauling demon devastation on her beautiful face. Yet he steeled his heart and leaned in close, softly calling both verbally and telepathically, “Selina...Selina; hear my voice, my precious beloved and come back into the Light. Follow my voice back into the Light, Selina. I need you. Please come back to me, Selina. Come back into the Light.” He reached out through his link with her telepathically with all his might, his call becoming a beckoning blazing beacon in the dark. She instantly responded to his call as he reached out his telepathic hand to her, coming to him like a moth to flame. In moments, they reconnected telepathically and Hannibal gently guided her mind and spirit back into the Light and consciousness.

A low groaning moan escaped Selina’s lips as she stirred noticeably in Hannibal’s arms. Assad instantly took her hands in his, leaning in close and purred into her ear, “That’s right, little Lynxian princess of the stars, come back into the world of the living. Your human mate needs you.” Seeing her respond to his call with a stronger movement of her head and limbs, he cooed, “That’s it, my dear. Come back into the Light. Your husband needs you, as do your people.”

“Come on, princess,” Hannibal pleaded softly, “Come back to me. We need you. I need you. I can’t do this without you. I love you.” With that, he leaned down and kissed her gently on her lips with one of his special kisses just for her. She instantly responded, snapping awake with a blood-curdling scream of utter primal terror, weakly thrashing her limbs in panic. Hannibal instantly subdued her with Assad, holding her gently, but firmly, saying with great concern, “Selina, calm down Selina. It’s over. You’re free of the thing now.” At the same time, he grabbed her traumatized mind telepathically calming it down to the point where she physically relaxed and stopped struggling. The scream was so horrendous and alien that it caused a fearful murmur amongst the crowd of leaders.

In a few moments after she ceased to struggle, rationality returned to Selina’s eyes as she started recognizing faces, starting with Hannibal. Seeing the brief crisis had abated, Assad relaxed his grip on Selina, holding her hands gently with a look of great relief on his face. “You gave us quite a scare, milady,” he purred soothingly to her. “Are you okay?”

Selina instantly looked into Assad’s face with a mixture of confusion and gratitude just as Hannibal gave her a loving squeeze, asking softly, “Indeed, are you all right, Selina? I thought I’d lost you again there for a moment.”

Selina’s eyes grew wide as she saw Hannibal’s genuinely relieved tearstained face. His lips trembled as he looked down at her as he held her close. A gasp escaped her lips as she pulled her hands from Assad’s grip and threw her arms recklessly around Hannibal’s neck, kissing him fiercely for nearly thirty seconds despite her wounds, not caring who saw it. Hannibal instantly responded, holding her very close and protectively, returning the kiss while gently caressing her back. When she finished kissing Hannibal, Selina sobbed in great relief, “You came for me, my prince. I got lost in the dark again and you came for me. What happened? How’d I get lost in the dark again? Why do I keep getting lost in the darkness? It’s driving me crazy.”

“It’s hard to explain,” Hannibal answered, touching his forehead to hers briefly, “...but you’re back and that’s all that matters.”

“I’m very relieved to see you are unharmed by the purge, milady,” Assad purred as he sat kneeling in front of her and Hannibal with his hands in his lap. “It’s a testament to your true strength and the strength of your husband. I am very impressed at what I saw. The Almighty truly has his hand on you both.”

Selina turned her gaze to Assad, seeing his genuine relief as he spoke. Her eyes narrowed as she felt something strange with the ancient Lionel...something very familiar. Flashes of his face flittered through her mind like a ghost, puzzling her greatly.

Seeing her puzzlement, Assad leaned closer and asked, “What troubles you, milady? You seem deeply disturbed by something. It’s okay. You can tell me.”

“I...don’t know,” Selina murmured, “For some strange reason, your presence feels incredibly familiar to me as if I knew you in another life, but I know I’ve never met you before today. It’s unsettling.”

“Maybe you did, milady,” Assad answered softly, “...or maybe it’s just a side effect of what you just endured. Tell me, do you remember anything about what just happened?”

“To be honest, I’m not exactly sure,” Selina replied, trying to sit up to address Assad properly. The moment she did, the pain of her wounding abruptly cascaded through every nerve in her body, causing a hideous shriek of agony. She collapsed back into Hannibal’s arms, sobbing as every nerve felt like it was on fire. Slowly the pain subsided and she felt warm sticky fluid oozing from numerous spots on her body, especially her face. She lifted her arm and saw deep claw-like gashes oozing blood on her arm. Her eyes grew wide and she slowly lifted her hand, touching her face. Horror grew in her features as she felt several deep bloody gashes on her face. “What is this?” she cried in rising terror as she remember her mauling at the hands of the Zoarian Special Forces commander when she was a teenager. “How did I get mauled like this? Hannibal, what happened? I haven’t been ripped up this bad since I was attacked by that Zoarian fiend when I was a teenager.” A surge of excruciating pain swept her body, causing her to wheeze and hiss, sobbing in agony until it passed.

Hannibal winced physically as he felt Selina’s agony through his fusion with her. A scowl of pain crossed his face as he clenched Selina tightly, growling softly, “Hold on, baby; the pain will pass in a few moments.” When it passed for Selina, it did for Hannibal and he sighed in relief. “I’m so sorry. I forgot how much being mauled by a demon lord feels.”

Selina looked up into Hannibal’s concerned face with an expression of intense dread. “What do you mean, Hannibal?” she asked fearfully, “Are you saying a demon possessed me? How can that be possible? I belong to the Lord and you. Answer me! Did a demon take me? Is that why I’m so weak and in so much pain?”

Only then did Hannibal realize why the Almighty had told him not to share his experience with Lord Grimm with her initially. His eyes grew wide for a moment as a soft gasp escaped his lips from the epiphany. His eyes instinctively went to Assad, who nodded grimly, saying, “You know what you have to do here. Only you can do this, no one else. Don’t hesitate and be honest with your mate. She deserves the truth after everything that’s happened.”

“Well, Hannibal,” Selina demanded with a pleading look. “I have to know. Tell me the truth. Did a demon take me? Please tell me.”

A troubled sigh escaped Hannibal’s lips as he nodded grimly. “I’m afraid so, princess,” he answered in a sorrowful, choked tone. “It overpowered you as you were telling us how you felt when you saw the Kings and the titan Basilisk King in the Sacred Circle of Eternity. I’m so sorry, Selina. It’s all my fault that it took you. I was too dense and stupid to see the signs after I got you back from the Emperor. I never saw it coming. Please, forgive me.” Soft sobs bubbled up from deep within him while tears again flowed; dripping on Selina’s mauled face. “You mean everything to me and I let the enemy take you without me knowing,” he wept. “How could I have done that to you? How could I have let a demon as powerful as Dezarcus infest you as Dezarcus took me knowing what the fiend could do? Please, forgive me, Selina. I....” His words failed him as he wept over his failure to protect her. Yet, even though his words failed him, his mind did not. He relayed exactly what he meant to her telepathically through their fusion.

Selina’s eyes grew wide as she suddenly saw exactly what happened to her through Hannibal’s eyes and how he blamed himself for Belial taking her so suddenly and brutally. She also understood now why she was so savagely injured. It shocked her to the core to see what happened and what Hannibal had done to rescue her. Initially, she thought to blame him for her predicament. Yet as she digested what Hannibal had shown her while he wept softly, holding her close in such a way as to prevent aggravating her injuries, Selina suddenly realized how and when the demon had been introduced into her. Furthermore, she discovered Hannibal had nothing to do with her exposure and infestation by Belial and instantly forgave him, letting him see her forgiveness telepathically. As she relayed that message weakly, she managed to reach up with her hand slowly, cupping his cheek with her bloody hand. “Hannibal...my love, my precious prince,” she said softly through her surging pain, “I forgive you. This wasn’t...your fault. I...don’t blame you. You...came for me again...and pulled me out...of the darkness...again. You...saved me.” She grimaced, clenching her eyes shut as another agonizing surge of pain wracked her body, causing her hand to fall limply from Hannibal’s chin. Hannibal likewise felt the surge and gritted his teeth until it passed. When the pain subsided, Selina sighed in relief, looking back up at Hannibal, whispering, “Can you...do me a...tiny favor, my prince?”

“Anything, my precious princess, anything,” Hannibal replied instantly. Before he could ask what she wanted, he knew, and said softly, “Ah, I know what you want, princess. This may be a bit rough because of how much damage the thing did to you, but I think we can help you. Master Assad, Lord Draco, Lord Tau, can I get you to assist me in healing Selina since you’re far more experienced in using the Healing Element than I am. Belial seriously damaged her as he exited. We need to stabilize her deteriorating condition until we can get her to the Healer.”

“Absolutely; I would be honored, milord,” Tau rumbled with a smile.

“So am I,” Draco agreed, “I am blessed that you think us worthy to assist in healing your mate. We shall combine our elemental power and stabilize Miss Selina’s condition before it gets any worse.”

“I’m in too,” Assad chimed with a broad, but sober smile, “We shall do everything we can to stabilize and heal your mate’s severe injuries. Come, my friends; let’s relieve Lady Selina’s torments.” With that, he reached out and took both of Selina’s hands, saying softly, “You’re going to be all right, milady, but like your husband stated, you may find the process a bit uncomfortable, even painful because of the severity of your injuries. Do you understand?”

Selina nodded slowly, hissing in pain, “Just do it. It can’t be much worse than what I’m feeling right now. I....” Another surge of agonizing pain swept her without warning, causing her to cry out. Her body trembled as her back arched and her eyes rolled back in their sockets from the agony. Unable to withstand the pain, Selina slumped unconscious again in Hannibal’s arms.

Hannibal groaned with the hit, drawing tears from his eyes until Selina fell unconscious. He gently tightened his grip on Selina’s body as it went limp. A sigh of relief escaped his lips as he whispered in her ear, “Don’t worry, my love. I’m not letting you go. We’ll make this right and get you fixed up.”

Seeing Selina pass out, Tau asked with some concern, “Is she dying, milord?”

“No,” Hannibal answered, “She just passed out from the pain, which is over-the-top bad right now.”

“Has her soul gone back into the darkness you retrieved her from?” Draco asked urgently.

“No,” Hannibal replied emphatically, “Her mind and soul are still with us and not lost in that hellish darkness Belial left her in when he left. Our minds and souls are still firmly in contact with one another. She merely passed out physically from the pain and exhaustion from the wounds that beast inflicted upon her, but I can sense this unconsciousness is very deep, so deep she’s not feeling any of the pain from her wounds. This will make it easier for us to heal her using our Healing Elements. However, I’m serious fatigued from dealing with that fiend. That’s why I asked you to assist. Had her injuries not been so extensive, I would have been able to handle it, but she’s grievously injured with both surface and internal injuries that could be lethal if we don’t act now. That beast literally tried to rip her apart as it left. We need to work together and stabilize her condition so we can safely move her to the Healer where she can be properly cared for.”

“We understand,” Draco declared, “Let’s go to work and stabilize Miss Selina’s condition before it degrades any further. We will follow your lead, milord.”

“Lay your hands on her so you have a physical contact with her,” Hannibal ordered with growing fatigue. “If I recall, that’s the quickest and most efficient way to use the Healing Element.”

“That’s correct,” Draco stated, kneeling down and laying his large clawed hand on Selina’s shoulder. “Direct contact with the patient is always the best way to utilize the Healing Element.”

Tau knelt down on the opposite side from Draco, resting his gigantic paw on the crown of Selina’s head. “Hold on, little sister,” he purred softly in her ear, “Help is here; you won’t die from this mauling. I promise; whenever you’re ready, milord.”

“Let’s do it,” Hannibal ordered. He closed his eyes and concentrated, activating his healing element while praying. He found praying to be the easiest way to activate the healing elemental gift. A pale green aura began swirling around him and Selina as he directed his healing energy towards Selina’s wounds. At the same time, Draco, Tau, and Assad activated their healing elements with their swirling bright green auras creating a brilliant green energy bubble twenty-foot diameter around all those who were treating Selina. They passively linked with Hannibal telepathically, allowing him to show where and how extensive Selina’s wounds were, prompting them to send their healing energies to where it was needed the most.

After a few moments, the Almighty gently prodded Kusanagi into action as he saw what was happening. Turning to those watching, Kusanagi called out urgently, “Let’s sing the primal Requiem that drove the demon from Miss Selina and pray for her swift recovery while these great warriors use their mighty gifts to treat our precious sister. The Almighty wishes it! Sing the primal song for our precious sister.” He started singing Grimm’s Requiem and praying aloud in a slow stable tempo and everyone joined in, even the drakens. Within two minutes, the bright green energy aura bubble around Hannibal, Selina, Draco, Tau, and Assad suddenly became of a blinding brilliance, so bright as to cast shadows as if responding to the coordinated prayers of all those present. Those directly treating Selina became lost visibly in the brilliance of the shining green aura orb that actually had green electrical discharges rolling over its surface. The people praying could not see anyone inside the bubble and marveled at the scene.

“Yes, that’s it!” Assad’s excited voice called from inside the blazing green aura bubble to those praying, “Keep singing and praying, my friends! Your song and prayers are greatly enhancing our healing elements, aiding our efforts. I can sense it. Keep singing and praying in the name of the most holy son of the Almighty Ancient of Days. It’s helping.” Hearing the encouragement from Assad, the prayer warriors present kept singing the Requiem and praying for Selina’s complete recovery.

Eight minutes later, the blazing green aura bubble dimmed and slowly faded away. When those praying saw the aura bubble vanish, they stopped singing and praying aloud, but many kept on praying silently when Kusanagi motioned for them to stop with a wave of his hand. Moments after the aura dissipated, Draco let out a relieved sigh, calling out while looking up at the crowd, “Well done, friends and family of Beowulf and Miss Selina. With your added support and aid in the form of the primal song and prayer, we succeeded in healing Miss Selina at a far deeper level than we could have without your assistance.” He lifted his clawed hand from Selina’s shoulder and settled back on his haunches, looking back down at Selina still unconscious form, whose open wounds were now mere scars. A sober expression of great satisfaction filled his face that grew into a smile.

Tau removed his hand from Selina’s head and shifted back, remaining in a kneeling/sitting position. “She should be okay now, milord,” he declared softly, “...and thank you for telepathically linking with us to help guide our focus to the worst of her wounds. It was very useful.”

“Indeed,” Assad agreed, looking at Hannibal who had a relieved but sober weary smile on his face.

“I couldn’t have done it without you guys,” Hannibal admitted while cradling Selina in his lap. “Thank you so much, and thank you everyone who prayed for us while we treated Selina; all praises to the Lord our God for His help this day. Your prayers had a profound effect on what we did. As Lord Draco said, it allowed us to heal her far deeper level than I thought possible without the Healer. Thank you all, and thank you Lord for your merciful intervention yet again! All praise and adoration be given to our God for this miraculous healing.”

“Amen to that,” Assad agreed wholeheartedly. Tau, Draco, and Serge likewise verbally approved of Hannibal’s statement. A murmuring rumble of agreement echoed from those present.

“You’re most welcome, milord,” Kusanagi called out, speaking for everyone. “It was our pleasure. We’re all very happy you, Lord Draco, Lord Tau, and Master Assad could save her. After all, she is family and our most precious sister and friend. I know she’d do the same for any of us, as would you.”

“That I would,” Hannibal chimed, “...in a heartbeat. I cannot express how grateful I am for all your help in this time of crisis.” As he spoke, Selina stirred and moaned in Hannibal’s arms, causing everyone to fall silent.

“She coming around,” Assad commented while continuing to hold her hands, “Everyone be quiet; don’t startle her. Let her come to naturally. Don’t rush her awakening.” Those present fell silent at Assad’s order as Selina moaned again, stirring a bit more vigorously.

Hannibal leaned down and whispered in Selina’s ear, “Come on, baby; wake up.” When a soft rumbling growl rose from her chest while her eyelids fluttered, he cooed, “That’s it, Selina. Come back into the light. Everything is okay now. Please wake up.”

Again, Selina’s eyelids fluttered as a deep, relieved sigh escaped her lips. Moments later, her eyes opened, seeing Assad first as he knelt beside her. He stroked the tops of her hands gently with his thumbs as he held them. A warm relieved smile crossed his lips as he said, “Welcome back to the land of the living again, milady.”

A smile crossed Selina’s lips as she saw Assad’s relief. The smile grew broader when it registered that she was completely pain-free. Then she became aware of Hannibal gently cradling her in his lap from behind with his arms around her midsection and his face just three inches away from hers. She could feel his love and relief telepathically, along with his great fatigue while he merely looked deep into her eyes without a word and a genuinely relieved smile on his lips. Without warning, he leaned down and kissed her gently on the lips, not caring who saw. Selina pulled her hands away from Assad, reaching up weakly and cradling Hannibal’s head as he kissed her, responding instantly to the kiss passionately. After fifteen seconds of kissing, they stopped. Hannibal looked her in the eye, saying softly, “I love you so very much, Selina.”

“And I love you too,” Selina replied dreamily, somewhat energized by the kiss, “...more than life itself. You saved me from that...that thing!” Tears welled up in her eyes and sobs bubbled over as she weakly tried to embrace Hannibal, still seriously emotionally wounded by the event. “Now I truly understand how you felt when that demon lord took you in your youth,” she sobbed softly. “I....” She couldn’t go on, weeping deeply.

Hannibal hugged her tightly, rocking her gently in his lap as he cooed gently in her ear, “Don’t speak of it. Believe me; I know how you feel. God have mercy; how I know. The pain and horror of such a heinous violation is beyond any sane rational ability to put into words, but you survived because of the will and mercy of the Lord, just as I did. Now we can truly heal. That’s right. Let out the pain and horror of it. There’s no shame in it.” Seeing and sensing how deep Selina’s emotional pain and chaos was, he started singing Grimm’s Requiem softly in her ear as everyone watched in concerned wonder and silence at the miracle that had taken place.

Slowly, the primal song quieted her sobs within two minutes as it drove the emotional chaos and pain of the event from Selina’s mind and heart. As her emotions stabilized, she realized the true power of the primal song and started singing it softly with Hannibal. When she began harmonizing with Hannibal, the remaining vestiges of the horror, pain, and emotional chaos left by Belial’s forcible removal vanished like a fog in a growing wind, giving her a deep peace of mind and heart that brought a smile to her face. The horror of the event became nothing more than a bad dream in her mind that no longer tormented her.

Two minutes after Selina joined Hannibal in singing the Requiem, they stopped. Hannibal looked down at her with a weary, but intensely relieved smile. Leaning down and touching his forehead to hers, he asked softly, “Are you okay now, Selina? Feeling better?”

Selina reached up and caressed Hannibal’s cheek, purring weakly, “Yes; I am now, but I NEVER want to go through that again. That was even worse than being tainted by Tsasthoagguah’s insanity toxin.”

“Absolutely,” Hannibal replied wholeheartedly as he gently helped her sit up, keeping a stabilizing arm around her once she was sitting upright, “No one should ever have to go through anything remotely like that. Being a puppet of a dark power is no fun at all.”

“Amen to that,” Selina murmured, leaning heavily into Hannibal’s embrace as he sat beside her. After a few moments, she asked bluntly, “Hannibal, what happened to the thing?”

“You’re very blessed, Miss Selina,” Assad purred with an awed and relieved look on his face. “The Almighty Ancient of Days doesn’t just personally intervene for anyone.”

Confusion crossed Selina’s face at Assad’s statement, asking, “What do you mean? I don’t understand.”

Kusanagi approached and knelt beside Selina as Draco made space for him. Reaching out and touching Selina on the shoulder, he said softly, “Of course you don’t, milady. You’re still processing what happened. It’ll take time for you to come to terms with this terrible event, but trust me. You will. The Almighty will not leave you in Darkness since He personally banished the fiend back into the Abyss in front of everyone here.”

Selina’s eyes widened as a blank, somewhat perplexed look crossed her face at the news. “Come on, guys,” she pleaded, looking around at everyone, “Just tell me what happened to the thing because I don’t remember a thing after that insane rage hit me when I hugged Grandma Leya. By the way, where is she?”

“Right here, milady,” Leya called out, moving up beside Assad on the opposite from Kusanagi. She knelt down and wiped the tears from her eyes while looking with tremendous relief at Selina. “Thanks be to the merciful Almighty Ancient of Days that He was able to not just rid you of that fiendish thing, but also restore your mind and body so completely. I feared your mind would have been shredded irreparably by that monstrosity.”

A deep shudder rocked Selina’s frame at Leya’s words. After the shock of the statement wore off, Selina answered softly, “I guess my mind is intact, but it’s not the same. I’m...still wounded by...what that thing did to me. Please, someone just tell me what happened. I don’t remember anything after being swamped by that insane rage, just a deep hideously evil darkness full of hate and wrath that wanted me obliterated completely after it destroyed everything I loved. It was completely nuts, almost as nuts as that terrible insanity brought on by Tsasthoagguah’s poison. Come on, please, just tell me what happened to me, please. I have to know if I’m to work through this thing.”