Legends of Amacia Srandi: Last Bastion of the Caverias

The shock of the revelation utterly silenced every soul on the roof of the Red Tower. No one had expected to hear such a thing. Hannibal could sense the horror and fear rising amongst those present, and sighed while he waited for those present to comprehend the report. Selina stared in numbed shock at the news, terror welling up in her soul again. However, she drew on Hannibal’s strength and love telepathically, allowing her to control the fear rising in her.

Aeolus finally broke the silence, asking bluntly with a level of fear Hannibal noticed, “Are you sure about this, milord? Did Lord Grimm truly break back into our reality and try to kill you?”

Hannibal gave Selina a strengthening squeeze, looking her in the eye, saying, “It’ll be okay, Selina. Trust me. I’ll share the classified details with you later. You needn’t worry about Grimm doing this again. Okay?” Selina nodded with a soft, fearful grunt as her terrified expression slowly relaxed. Hannibal then let her go and stood, facing the group.

Looking directly at Aeolus, Hannibal said bluntly, “I have no doubt it was Lord Grimm, and I can safely say he never did fully break into our reality. The Lord acted, showing me how to counter that cosmic abomination and send him back into the Void before he could fully open the rift he pried open in that place. To be honest, I cannot take any credit for surviving the attack, much less sending that terror back into his prison. The Lord bared his arm and mighty hand and stopped him cold. No way could I have ever went toe-to-toe with that thing. Yet, I did play a critical role in repelling Grimm. I now understand the true power of Grimm’s Requiem, seeing how it truly counters Grimm’s dark cosmic power and chaos firsthand.”

“Could you show me what happened and what you saw?” Aeolus asked urgently, “I have to see it for myself since, as far as I know, I’m the only one here who has ever seen Lord Grimm in the flesh. I have to see it for myself.”

“Are you sure?” Hannibal asked grimly in a deeply ominous tone, “What that thing did to me is beyond any sane description, heinous beyond any words my feeble human mind can comprehend.”

“Yes,” Aeolus replied, “I must see the event from your eyes before I can truly understand what happened to you. Furthermore, I must know for certain Lord Grimm tried to attack you directly.”

“Very well,” Hannibal said grimly as he walked over to the ancient draken. “You’ve been warned. Maybe by sharing it with you, I’ll be able to heal my mind and soul of some of the damage that thing did to me, allowing me to take better control over it.” Upon stopping in front of Aeolus’ giant head, he asked fearfully, “Last chance, my friend; are you sure you want to see it?”

“Show me,” Aeolus ordered soberly, “I have to know that it was Lord Grimm and that he didn’t succeed in fully breaking into our reality.”

“All right,” Hannibal said softly, “Prepare to see something no sane soul should ever witness or experience.” He touched Aeolus on the side of his giant face at the temple when he lowered his head within Hannibal’s reach. Hannibal closed his eyes and concentrated on the memory, not holding anything back. He started trembling and tears burst from his eyes as he released the pain and horror he endured to Aeolus. Soft sobs bubbled up from deep in his being while sharing the event telepathically with the ancient draken.

Aeolus’ draken face fell in great horror with his eyes widening as he witnessed the carnage of Grimm’s ambush on Hannibal. Then a dark, menacing growl rumbled from Aeolus’ throat showing his indignation at what he saw, followed by an astonished gasp when he saw the conclusion of the event where the Almighty personally banished the Chaos Lord. “Okay, milord; that’s enough,” he growled urgently. “I’ve seen enough.”

Hannibal lifted his hand from Aeolus’ temple and composed himself, feeling a surging sense of immense relief flooding his mind and body. After wiping his nose with his hand and then wiping it on his trousers, he said in a weary, relieved tone, “Now do you see why I said there were things I could not share openly about this catastrophe?”

“I do indeed,” Aeolus replied grimly, “Thank you for showing me the truth of what actually happened there. Moreover, you’re right to hold back on those certain details you don’t have clearance to share. Why did you share them with me?”

“As I made contact with you, the Lord okayed me to show you exactly what happened with Grimm uncensored since you’re the only one here who has seen him in the flesh,” Hannibal stated softly, looking Aeolus in the eye. “You’ve actually seen the carnage that cosmic abomination is capable of. Furthermore, the Lord said sharing it with you would help settle and heal my mind and soul of the wounds I took in the ambush. I trust you will keep those certain details confidential.”

“You have my word, milord,” Aeolus rumbled softly now that he’d digested what he’d seen in Hannibal’s memory of the event. “I won’t say a word about those specifics you didn’t have clearance to share with the others until you say so.”

“Thank you, my friend,” Hannibal replied gratefully, patting Aeolus gently on the side of his enormous face. “I really appreciate that. Still, I know this catastrophe will haunt me for the rest of my days.”

“That it will,” Aeolus agreed soberly, “You’re the only other human I know of besides Ragnar Omicron that had a direct encounter with Grimm and lived to tell the tale. That speaks volumes in itself about your strength and position as the Last Caverias. If the Almighty is merciful, He will not let that fiend escape the Void ever again.”

“That’s a prayer I think everyone can get behind,” Hannibal stated, suddenly looking around at those around him. “Wouldn’t you all agree keeping Lord Grimm in his Void cage is a good idea?”

The crowd rumbled yes to Hannibal’s question as he walked back to Selina and sat down beside her. Putting his arm around her, he asked, “Are you doing okay, princess?”

“To be honest, I don’t know,” Selina admitted, “I think you owe not just me, but everyone here an explanation about what actually happened after that lightning hit us. You showed it to Aeolus, so why not us?”

“I got clearance from the throne to show Aeolus when he asked to be shown,” Hannibal declared, “However, there are parts of it that I cannot share with everyone else right now, but I will tell what I can. I have to. The Lord wants everyone to know what generally happened so we won’t be caught unawares like we were in that ambush. Later, I’ll I share the classified stuff with you in private. Will that be okay?”

With a shaky sigh, Selina answered, “I guess so, but I’m going to hold you to it. Until then, tell us the censored version of what happened so we can at least start to process what that monster did to you.”

“Miss Selina is right,” Draco concurred bluntly. “You need to tell us everything you’re cleared to share, but first, I must confirm something.” He turned to Aeolus and asked point-blank, “Aeolus, you saw the uncensored account of the ambush event. Has the threat of Lord Grimm truly been neutralized and he returned to the Void?”

“Beowulf did not lie,” Aeolus stated honestly in a grim tone. “It definitely was Lord Grimm. When you’ve seen the Alpha Chaos Lord in the flesh as I have, you never forget it no matter how long you live. Thankfully, he’s no longer an immediate threat to our reality. He was successfully repelled and driven back into the Void by the very word and hand of the Almighty while allowing Beowulf to play a crucial role in the banishment. However, that doesn’t mean we can relax. He will continue to try to find a way to break back into our reality to execute his vengeance on Beowulf. He now knows the descendant of Ragnar Omicron has arisen as the prophecies foretold, so he will redouble his efforts to break back into this universe and finish destroying the Caverias line. Therefore, we must remain vigilant to any signs that Lord Grimm may be trying to break back into our dimension.”

“Did the warp storm that hit Poseidia give Lord Grimm a means of egress into our dimension?” Tau asked intently.

“That seems to be the case,” Aeolus replied. “Because of the power of the warp storm that hit at the end of the Palaver in Poseidia, Grimm managed to pry open a small hole in the barrier between dimensions and send a tendril of his avatar through to ambush Beowulf in the Sacred Circle. He however didn’t take into account the power the Almighty imbued into both Beowulf and the Circle, nor did he expect for the Almighty to directly intervene as He did. This was a lethal error in Grimm’s plan and it caused him to be repulsed back into the Void, destroying the singularity he attempted to use, so breathe easy. We will not have to deal with Lord Grimm directly while we’re at war with the Emperor.”

“That’s very good news,” Tau said with a sober smile, “But you’ve given us some vital clues about what actually happened. I think it’s time for Beowulf tell us exactly what happened, minus of course the certain details he’s not cleared to share with us.”

“I agree,” Draco concurred, “Now that Aeolus has confirmed you were truly attacked by Lord Grimm, please, share what you can of the event, including the test the Kings had for you from the beginning so we can have the full context of what you and Miss Selina experienced.”

A sigh escaped Hannibal’s lips as he glanced into Selina’s eyes, seeing her fear and anticipation of what he was about to share. “Okay,” he conceded, “I’ll give you the abridged version of what happened without divulging the stuff I don’t have clearance to share yet.”

“That’ll be fine,” Assad replied evenly. “Any time you’re ready.”

Hannibal once again screwed up his courage and took a few moments to organize the chaotic events of the Sacred Circle of Eternity into a narrative everyone could understand. With a sigh, he started in a grim sober tone, saying, “You all saw what happened when Selina and I touched the King of the Air to share with him, and how we were instantly overwhelmed and paralyzed when we made contact with him. At first, we were swamped mentally by what he chose to share, showing us the tiniest fraction of not just his age and intelligence, but also of what he’d endured over those long ages of his life. We were about to cry out in horror and sympathy for what he’d shown us when we were paralyzed by not just him, but the King of the Sands and the King of the Sea. Both of them apparently linked telepathically with the King of the Air, paralyzing us completely. We could not move or speak, but we could hear, see, and sense everything that was going on around us. I remember the King of the Sands saying the time for the final test had arrived and for the King of the Air to prepare both Selina and me for it. I’m sure those of you who were there witnessed it.” He paused, taking a breath and organizing his thoughts.

“That we did,” Draco replied solemnly. “I was particularly concerned by the strange paralysis that had come over you and Miss Selina. I could sense your trepidation about being totally paralyzed. When I tried to probe deeper to see what was going on, the Kings shut me out so violently that I staggered. I could not sense anything afterwards, at least not until you flew back from the King of the Air as if you were hit by one of his wings. It baffled me, but I quickly realized they wanted this to be a private meeting of the minds, so I didn’t try to interfere any longer. However, it was for the best since right after that we noticed the Old Ones gathering just outside the perimeter of the entourages of the Kings. Lord Tau pointed this out to me, so everyone kept a wary eye on those Old Ones, who strangely didn’t interfere at all in what was happening. Even though the thoughts of the Old Ones can be difficult to impossible not just sense, but also comprehend, I could feel they had no intention of attacking. They were obviously fearful of the Kings and their entourages, but they also seemed to be intensely curious as to what was happening. Not once did they even try to approach. Only at the end after the Kings returned and freed you of the paralysis did that one Old One approach with that message from their leader. Did you really meet with their leader in the Sacred Circle?”

A wry sobering smile crept across Hannibal’s lips as he looked up into Draco’s drakenite face. “I did, and we made peace. The Kings are both witnesses and enforcers of that pact I made with their leader, Atklan Nacha. The Old Ones in Poseidia will give us no trouble, but they will give the Emperor hell if he ever makes the mistake of intruding on them again. They have a serious axe to grind with the Emperor.”

“I see,” Draco rumbled thoughtfully. “I sense a both a great trial and triumph emanating from you about what you’re about to share. Please, continue. Tell us the sequence of events that took place after your paralysis and I being shut out telepathically by the Kings.”

“Right,” Hannibal answered stoutly, “Let me see...ah yes. The King of the Air and his colleagues had paralyzed Selina and me after we saw that glimpse of the King of the Air’s mind. Right after the King of the Sands ordered the King of the Air to prepare Selina and me for the final test, that’s when things went completely nuts for us. In the blink of an eye, the world we saw faded away into a dark foggy void that completely disoriented us.

“The only thing I can compare it to is what Selina and I saw when we were dragged into that cursed Cadre monolith while telepathically freeing Anastasia’s identity. It seemed like an astral void, but then again it didn’t. It felt...wrong, but very real and dangerous. I know I’d never been anywhere like it before, yet somehow, it felt vaguely familiar as if I’d been there in a dream or a past life or something. It truly worried me because the fog felt dangerous, even evil like that fiendish fog in my nightmare about the Crystal Circle of the Ancients on Olympus, so I kept my arms around Selina to keep from being separated from her. Separation in that fog would have been calamitous. I knew it down in the depths of my soul. That’s when we started to fall.” With that, Hannibal started into the narrative of the event proper, sometimes struggling to find the words to describe what happened as it happened. As he shared the account, he kept back the details the Almighty had forbidden him to share, which happened to center around what he experienced personally during Grimm’s ambush. After a half hour, he finished the tale with him and Selina waking from the paralysis after being sent back to the real world from the Sacred Circle of Eternity. Silence reigned once he stopped speaking...those present speechless at what they heard.

Hannibal gave Selina a loving squeeze with his arm while touching his forehead to her temple with a relieved sigh. “God, I’m glad to get that off my chest,” he admitted, “I don’t feel nearly so trampled now. To be honest with you all, I hope the Lord never puts me in a situation like that again. What that beast did to me in that insane place literally defies all known words in any language. It made what the Emperor did to me in the Black Fortress feel like a walk in Paradise. I’ve known all manner of pain and suffering, but that..., I have no proper way to describe the chaotic, corrupting corrosive all-consuming hunger of Grimm as he drained my life, knowledge, and soul like some sadistic vampire god feasting on his prey with great relish.” He again paused as the pain and emotional wounds of the event again came to surface. Tears dripped from his eyes and in a choked tone bordering on soft sobs, he declared ominously, “I have now seen the very nature and face of Ultimate Chaos. Seeing the Abyss is nothing to looking into the eyes of true Chaos Incarnate, the very personification of the Void itself in the form of Grimm as he slowly tried to eat me body, mind, and soul one atom at a time, taking his time and savoring the pain, terror, and horror he inflicted on me. Do any of you understand what it’s like to be consumed in such a manner? My feeble human mind has no way to express the inexpressible horror and insanity of it. My only salvation was in the fact the Lord Himself once again intervened, saving me from an inconceivably horrendous fate I wish on no other living being whether they are of the Light or Darkness. No one deserves that terrible end, not even the Emperor.” He broke down and sobbed softly again for a few moments before composing himself.

Selina wrapped her arms around him and purred softly, now starting to comprehend what he had truly endured. Her purr further settled his raging emotions. He leaned into her embrace gratefully, laying his head on her shoulder as his composure returned. “I’m beginning to understand, my prince,” she whispered, “You took such a horrible terrible hit, but remember, the Lord saved you from that Beast. You’re still alive and in your right mind, for which I am so grateful. Let me help you carry this burden and heal your wounded heart, mind, and soul. Together, we will get through this.”

Hannibal looked up into Selina’s face, seeing complete sympathy, empathy, and love for him. He wiped the tears from his eyes, and then kissed her gently on the lips, not caring who saw. “Once again, my feline angel of mercy soothes my wounds and settles my troubled mind and soul,” he murmured after the kiss. “Thank you, Selina. What would I ever do without you?”

Selina smiled warmly at him for a moment, and then her expression turned very serious as she answered, “I’m glad I could help, but I’m going to say it again. You need to stop tangling with these cosmic abominations. Each time you get in a tussle with one, another even more powerful tries to get you. Leave them alone, for crying out loud. I don’t know if I can take it much more. You have more than enough trouble dealing with the Black Prince and the Emperor. Let the cosmic monsters be and don’t tempt the Lord any more by engaging with them. Maybe if you leave them alone, the Lord will keep them away from us.”

Her words burned into Hannibal’s mind and heart. He nodded solemnly, saying, “I hear you, Selina. After what happened with Grimm, I’m not going to go looking for trouble with these creatures. I can only pray the Lord keeps them away from me right now. I have far too much on my plate dealing with the Black Prince, the Emperor, and his fiendish minions. I don’t need them distracting me any longer from the task I already have. There’s too much at stake for me to be driven off on a tangent that could allow the Emperor an advantage.”

“That’s a good prayer I think the Almighty will honor,” Aeolus rumbled softly, having finally broken the silence left by Hannibal’s account. “Now that you’ve been inoculated to their presence and intents, I do believe the Almighty will indeed hold them back. After all, He did allow it to happen so you could see the entire field and who the real enemies are.”

“I agree,” Assad purred in agreement as he stepped up to Hannibal and squatted down within arm’s reach of him. Resting his giant clawed hand on Hannibal’s shoulder, he said soberly, “You have now seen the range of your enemies who lurk in the Darkness so you will not be caught unawares if they attack. In the last few hours, the Almighty allowed you to see and participate in the thwarting of the fiendish Surtur from his plans for the Vendo, and showed you your ultimate enemy as you and He pushed the vile Grimm back into his Void prison before he could completely breech our reality. In the process, the merciful and potent Almighty Ancient of Days preserved your mind, body, and soul in the process, miraculously saving your sanity and soul while letting you know exactly what each enemy could do. Don’t lose your faith in our God, my friend. I know and can sense the wounds in you left by these vile monstrous fiends, but you are strong in the power of our God. Let Him soothe your wounds with His merciful balm, and gain strength from the encounter as you have always done in such cases. The Dark Emperor is going to be very surprised the next time he crosses path with you. I’d love to see his face when he realizes you have not grown as strong has he, but have surpassed his power because of these encounters with the dark cosmic entities of the Most Ancient Darkness. It will be a sight to see, so be of good cheer. The Almighty does indeed have your back.” He paused and smiled warmly, but wryly at Hannibal, causing a wicked smile to creep across Hannibal’s face.

“Master Assad is correct,” Draco chimed in. “I’m seeing a change in you now, milord...a change for the better despite the horrors you’ve been submitted to. It seems these events with the Dark Titans and the Kings of Amacia were meant to not just show you the whole of our enemies, but also to hone your discipline and skills for the battle that looms before us. When I first saw you at Olympus, you had lingering doubts and hesitancy about not just whether you were the Last Caverias, but also whether the Almighty truly had your back and would protect you in the direst of circumstances. I cannot think of anything direr than to be ambushed unawares by Lord Grimm Himself, even if it were just a small piece of him, which thankfully it was. Still, the Almighty stepped in and proved He would not forsake you, even in the face of the greatest cosmic threat in the multiverse.

“Even more important than that is that in your encounter with Grimm, He taught you the primal Requiem’s true power to combat Chaos firsthand. At the Almighty’s order, you sang the Requiem from the depths of your soul, linking your power and the song’s power with that of the Sacred Circle of Eternity and the Almighty’s power. Together, you and our God sent that vile abomination back into the Void and sealed the breech. Then, you showed us how effective the primal Requiem is against the demoniac powers when you used it to free your mate of that vile demon lord, sending him back into the Abyss just as you and the Almighty sent Grimm back into the Void. You just provided critical intelligence so we can plan appropriate countermeasures to the Emperor’s moves. Furthermore, you’ve uncovered the truth about the primal Requiem, and that it’s a weapon even more powerful than the Bane itself. We now have a real chance to thwart the Emperor’s plans completely. You’ve done very well, milord. I salute you.”

“Indeed,” Serge agreed. “But if you will permit me, may I reveal one final point you failed to mention about the expulsion of Lord Grimm?”

Instantly, Hannibal knew what Serge wanted to say and nodded solemnly. “I think I know what it is you want to tell them, Serge,” he said grimly, “Does it have to do with the weapon the Lord gave me to help amplify the Requiem?”

“Yes,” Serge stated, “It has to do with the weapon. I’m not sure if you realized what you wielded, and if it’s permitted to speak about it yet, but I recognized the blade. May I reveal its identity?”

Hannibal thought for a moment, uttering a silent prayer asking for permission from the Almighty to reveal the information. “No,” he answered bluntly with a dark look in his eyes, “This isn’t the time or place for you to speak about it. I’ll come to you later in private where you can tell me what you know about that alien blade, but for now, keep it to yourself. I’m still digesting all that happened in that calamitous ambush, including the details about the weapon. Let me ruminate on it a bit longer before sharing what you saw. I’m sure the other Kings would agree on it. When the Lord wants me to dig into that part of it, He will tell me, but for now, we have more pressing matters facing us.”

“As you wish,” Serge replied with a rumble. “Besides, you’re right. Maybe now isn’t the time for it. Take your time and continue to get a grip on what happened with Grimm. I can sit on this for now, but just know what I wish to share directly affects your destiny. That blade IS part of your destiny just as your finding and using both the Hellion and Grimm’s Bane is also part of your destiny. I think you already know this down in your heart.”

Hannibal nodded solemnly, saying, “I suspect you’re right, but now is not the time to pry into that mystery. It’s another tangent we don’t have time to explore right now. We have far more important tasks facing us, as you well know. The very fact the warp storm reached into the Sacred Circle and allowed Grimm to ambush me there shows how late the hour really is. I’m definitely feeling the urgency of the hour now that I’ve shared what I was allowed to say about the events in the Sacred Circle. We’re running out of time.”

Draco nodded and rumbled, “That is so true, but now that you’ve told us about the events in the Sacred Circle, we can see the field clearly and plan appropriately for the Emperor’s next foray against you. However, the Rising is very close, much closer than you realize and you’re not in position for it. You admitted it just now with your statement about feeling the lateness of the hour. You know what to do next.”

A deep sigh escaped Hannibal’s lips. “You’re right, Draco,” he said solemnly. “I do feel the urgency building in me about the Rising. I can’t ignore it any longer, nor can I let anything distract me from the next thing we have to do. We need to move on Srandi now, if you guys don’t need any more info from me about what’s happened at Poseidia and in the Sacred Circle.”

“I think I can speak for everyone when I say you’ve told us what we needed to know,” Aeolus called out. “Now that we have the intelligence we need, let’s get the people to safety. They should be our next immediate priority, as you just said.”

“I agree,” Nemesis called out, approaching and standing beside Tau, who towered nearly six feet over the giant Xenian. “The Emperor can wait. The people need to come first. All that’s keeping us from completely securing the city is getting into the keep. You have to be the one to do that, Hannibal. We have no way to get into it without triggering any dormant defense mechanisms if they’re still operational. I’d rather not be vaporized by Srandi’s ancient defenses if I can help it.”

Hannibal nodded with a grunt, saying, “Okay, I guess we have our next task. I’ll go to Srandi and open the keep, but first, Selina and I need to take a breather in the Healer to recharge our batteries, if you know what I mean.”

“By all means,” Enoch chimed as he walked up, “We’ll get everything ready. How long do you need?”

“Give us a couple hours, and then we’ll gather in the portal chamber,” Hannibal ordered. “That should give Selina and me time to regroup and get a snack. I’m actually getting a bit hungry and need a bite to eat.”

“Will do,” Nemesis rumbled. “See you there. I’ll be sure we have a good team ready to go. By the way, who do you want to come? Do you have anyone in particular in mind?”