Legends of Amacia The Awakening

Dream of the Saber Cat

Hanna returned to her quarters after her talk with Aeolus, finding Selina sound asleep in bed with the blankets pulled up to her shoulders. A smile crept across Hanna’s lips as she gazed on Selina’s sleeping form, noticing she wore a sleeveless maroon nightie with spaghetti straps and plunging V-neckline. She looked so peaceful as she slumbered. With a sigh, Hanna retrieved her favorite silky black nightgown from the dresser and went into the bathroom to change. Coming out wearing the knee-length black nightie, she stopped at the mirror and briefly gazed upon her image. A soft smile crossed her lips as she suddenly realized that she no longer hated what she saw in the mirror. Furthermore, she felt Hannibal stirring deep within her, approving of how she looked. A yawn escaped her lips. Hanna stretched and slid under the blankets next to Selina, lying on her side facing her Lynxian soul mate. Hearing a soft purr rumbling from Selina’s chest, peace fell on Hanna’s heart and she drifted off to sleep within minutes of lying down.

At 3:30 am, the benign dreams dancing through Hanna’s subconscious mind turned very strange. Within one dream, Hanna found herself standing alone on a low hill in a plain of wildflowers and grass. The flowers and grass was almost chest deep on Hanna. Off in the distance to the southeast stood a barren mountain wall with clouds of fire and ash hovering over them. In the next second, she noticed that she wasn’t dressed in her nightgown, but a sleeveless black leather bodysuit with high-cut legs and a low circular cut on the chest, showing most of her cleavage. It was very similar to her black swimsuit in structure, fitting snugly to her body showing her assets well. Thigh-length black leather leggings with knee boots covered her legs and feet. The boots had broad two-inch heels. They were laced from her ankles up the side of her legs to her knees. Strange gold colored armor covered her forearms up to the elbows that appeared to be some kind of mechanism or weapon. Studded leather gloves with the fingers cut out covered her hands and were attached to the golden armor on her arms. A short leather miniskirt on a belt wrapped her waist, covering her sides and butt, but remained open on the front. She appeared to be ready for battle, except she didn’t have a weapon in hand.

“Where am I?” Hanna murmured. “And why am I dressed like this, and what’s with these strange forearm guards? They don’t seem to be normal armor.”

A rumble from the southeast attracted Hanna’s attention and she looked. Lightning crackled through the low reddish clouds hanging over the mountain range there. “Oh,” she whispered, sensing incredible peril coming from that direction. “I don’t like the sound of that. What is going on here? Why do I feel like the Sword of Damocles is dangling over my head?” She continued to look around urgently, sensing something amiss. Without warning, a familiar musky scent filled the air as a deep feline growl rumbled from the nearby grass and flowers. Hanna felt an icy chill race down her spine, but strangely, her innate ability to sense danger didn’t register anything.

Turning to the growl in a defensive stance, she saw nothing, only the grass and flowers blowing in the breeze. “Oh boy,” she whispered. “Something is out there, but I can’t tell if it’s dangerous or not. Where are you?”

In the blink of an eye, a colossal saber cat pounced on her with a roar, knocking Hanna to the ground before she could react. It pinned her with its giant paws, leaning down to smell her as she stared in terror at the giant cat with its eighteen-inch saber teeth. Suddenly, Hanna realized the cat wasn’t trying to kill her. Even though its huge paws had her pinned down at the chest, its claws never came out, and it only kept enough pressure on her to keep her pinned. The scent became even more familiar as it sniffed her. A gasp escaped her lips as Hanna realized she’d seen the giant cat before at the Watchtower of Xavier Singh. “Oh, my god,” she breathed. “It’s you again. Do you recognize me? Remember, you got the drop on me at Xavier’s Watchtower.”

The cat seemed to smile slightly as a brief purr erupted from it. “You do remember me, don’t you?” Hanna asked, abruptly sensing the mind of the cat. “And somehow, I remember you, but not just from our encounter in Khitia, but from long ago. It’s like a dream long forgotten. Who are you, my feline friend?”

The giant cat licked Hanna several times in the face as if it were a pet reunited with its master. Hanna started laughing as it lavished cat kisses on her. “All right, all right,” she chimed, “Enough; it’s nice to see you again too. Now, could you please let me up?”

The giant saber cat removed its paws, letting Hanna sit up. It nudged her with its huge head, scenting her. Hanna stroked the cat’s three-foot head as it started purring loudly, lying down next to her. “You’re such a friendly kitty,” she crowed, petting the cat. “I wish I’d have known you were this friendly at the Watchtower. I might have acted differently had I known you were this nice. And you’re so soft too. I wish I knew your name.”

“I am Serge,” the saber cat answered to Hanna’s astonishment. “My ancestor was friend and protector of Beowulf Caverias long ago.”

“You speak!” Hanna breathed, completely stunned by the cat talking.

“Yes,” Serge, the giant saber cat replied. “I can, but only a few of your kind know how to hear us. Your mate is one of them, as are you. She’s such a beautiful cat too. I’m astonished that the Lynxian species still exists on this planet. I only know of them from the legends of old. When I saw you come into this land with your Lynxian companions, I knew the time of the prophecies was on us.”

“You knew of the prophecies?” Hanna asked. “How is that?”

“All creatures of this realm know the prophecies of the Caverias,” Serge stated. “Just because we cannot speak to humans doesn’t mean we’re not intelligent enough to comprehend the prophecies of the return of the Beowulf. All creatures of this realm know about you and your troupe. The Ancient of Days made sure we knew. Even the Yetis of Mt. Olympus and the drakens of Drakonia have heard of you, your misfortunes, and triumphs.”

Hanna’s eyes grew wide as she remembered her promise to Sukar the Yeti. “The Yetis know I’m here?” she asked.

“Indeed,” Serge answered. “They know and wish to meet you. They wish to see if you’re truly the Beowulf. We saber cats know that the Yetis will only ally with the Beowulf because he tried to undo the damage his father did in the great betrayal. If you wish to make allies of them, you’ll need to prove to them that you’re not like Thoth, and value all life over revenge.”

“That’s not the first time I’ve heard that,” Hanna stated. “Before I came here and was mutated into this form, the Zinzera tribe took me to the Circle of Hammunaptra where I encountered a yeti named Sukar. A dark creature the Zinzera called a Jagara mortally wounded him. Between us, we managed to kill the beast, but I was unable to save him. He asked me to find his people and tell them of his end. I promised him I would. Then just a few days ago, I had a nightmare about Sukar where he told me of Thoth’s betrayal. Right after telling me that, his chest exploded and a Jagara came out of him, trying to kill me. It makes me shudder every time I remember it. Do you know if the Jagara breed in that manner; planting their eggs in the chests of living victims?”

“Unfortunately, they do,” Serge stated grimly. “It’s disturbing that you saw the Jagara outside the caverns. They’re an extremely dangerous alien species that are thought to have been the result of some kind of genetic engineering to create the ultimate weapon by an ancient malice far older than your kind. At least that’s what the legends say. They should be destroyed wherever they’re found. They’re a plague on this universe that’s nearly as heinous as the Old Ones themselves.”

“That’s what I sensed when fighting the thing,” Hanna replied. “It was definitely the work of some vast dark intelligence. I got the distinct impression when fighting it that it may not be of this universe originally.”

“That’s a distinct possibility,” Serge rumbled. “The Jagara’s origins are as mysterious as that of the Old Ones. It would not surprise me if the Etherian marauders didn’t have something to do with them. Though, I cannot say it with any certainty because I don’t know.”

“Now there’s a wicked thought,” Hanna stated. “Maybe the Jagara are part of the Old Ones? I know for sure that the Old Ones consist of many different species. We humans use the term Old Ones collectively to describe these monsters of the Darkness.”

“You know much of the Darkness,” Serge declared. “The prophecies say as much. But let me get to the point here. You remain fragmented, Beowulf. You must heal and merge your two halves before you will gain the power to deal with the Emperor. Furthermore, the creatures of this realm will not follow you until you do this, including the Yetis. They will not follow a fractured soul, but they will follow the unified soul of the Beowulf. Become the warrior you were meant to be, my friend.”

“It’s hard,” Hanna admitted. “But I will try.”

“I know it’s been hard for you recently,” Serge stated. “But you’re a true trooper. You will break through your difficulty and find your place. When you heal your fractured psyche, then you will find your destiny, and the creatures of this realm will come to your aid when you need us the most. Even the god-worms of the wastes will arise and fight against the evil that’s poisoning this land. Don’t fear to take the next step in your evolution. You’re not alone in this.”

Hanna suddenly chuckled at the wisdom of the giant saber cat. “Why do you laugh?” Serge asked.

“It’s nothing,” Hanna replied. “Your words remind me of Aeolus. He told me just about the same thing earlier today. You aren’t a draken, are you?”

“No, little sister,” Serge rumbled, “I’m not a draken. But the creatures of this cursed underworld often listen to drakens whenever they chose share their wisdom. It’s not often they share their wisdom with lower creatures. You should feel honored Aeolus shared his wisdom with you.”

“I am very honored,” Hanna declared. “His words today humbled me, especially when he told me how close I really am to unifying my soul. He told me to practice my martial prowess to release Hannibal, who is my warrior within.”

“Sound advice it is,” Serge stated. “You should do that. Without this side you call Hannibal, you will not be whole, and remain fragmented. Call him out and he will come to you.”

“I intend to,” Hanna chimed, feeling completely at ease sitting on the ground next to the giant saber cat Serge. “Can I ask you something?”

“What is it?” Serge replied.

“Were you the one who pulled me out of the Painted Cave and shadowed us across Khitia?” Hanna asked.

“Yes,” Serge answered. “But I personally didn’t pull you out of the cave. I had my son pull you out of the cave. I’m just too big to get in there. He was young and enthusiastic, eager to see the Beowulf up close. He told me how he smelled fear on you when he found you.”

“I had a panic attack when I couldn’t find my way out of the cave,” Hanna admitted. “It’s very rare for me to have panic attacks like that. I hadn’t had an attack like that since I was a teenager. It was very unnerving.”

“It’s understandable,” Serge stated. “No living creature is immune to fear. Even the mightiest can fall victim to fear, so it’s nothing to be ashamed of.”

“I agree,” Hanna murmured. “I fight fear every minute of every day of my life. Sometimes, I don’t know how I overcome it, but I do. Fact is Selina has helped me overcome more fears than I care to remember. She’s my salvation. I love her so much it hurts.”

“I know you do,” Serge replied. “She’s tamed you in ways you’ve yet to comprehend. Don’t ever take her for granted.”

“Never,” Hanna declared forcefully. “She’s my life and soul. That’s why this mutation has been so difficult for me. I can’t be her mate like I should while I’m like this. I need to be a man again, the man she married. I want to be him again.”

“And you will, little sister,” Serge insisted. “Just be patient, like we are when we hunt. We get the kill because we’re patient.” A loud rumble rolled across the plain from the southeast. At the same time, a sulfurous wind kicked up. Serge’s ears perked and he raised his head, standing up to see what had intruded on their peace.

Hanna suddenly felt her innate ability to sense danger suddenly explode. She slowly peeked over the grass and flowers to the southeast. “Oh, shit,” she growled. “This is not good.”

“No, it isn’t,” Serge agreed, keeping low as they saw a mechanized army of Zarukars, Xenians, and droids approaching at a distance. “There are too many of them. We must flee. Climb on my back.”

Not arguing with the giant cat, Hanna mounted his back like a horse and leaned down, holding on to his fur. “Let’s get out of here,” she said insistently. “I can’t fight an army by myself without any weapons.”

“Hold on, little sister,” Serge ordered, sprinting to the west, keeping low as they darted through the grass and flowers. “I’ll get you out of here. If we can make it to Elar, we can take cover in the ruins.”

The sound of heavy jet aircraft roared around them, causing Hanna to glance at the sky. A squadron of bombers approached them from the southeast at high speed. “We can’t outrun them,” Hanna cried, “They have bombers that are nearly on top of us. We have to take them out, but I don’t have a weapon.”

“You do have a weapon,” Serge insisted. “You have the Draken Gauntlets of Ryu-Fudo on your wrists. They’re powerful kinetic projectile weapons. All you need to do is cock them and fire. The instinct to use them is within you.”

“Right,” Hanna replied, abruptly jumping off Serge’s back, rolling into an attack stance facing the incoming bombers. She pulled her right arm back sharply and the forearm guard showed it was a weapon by sliding like a bolt on a gun while encasing her arms. The lead aircraft opened fire with six missiles. Hanna abruptly punched forward with her right arm and a powerful plasma round shot out of the end it, destroying two of the incoming missiles. She punched forward with her left hand and it fired too, the gauntlets sliding for a reload with the recoils. In less than a second, Hanna understood the weapons attached to her arms and launched a vicious barrage of plasma rounds that took out the missiles. The berserker rage suddenly blossomed in her and the power of the Gauntlets became enhanced, becoming much more powerful. Three shots a half second apart ripped through the lead aircraft, blowing it apart. Hanna dodged the falling debris, moving faster than a cat while continuing to fire at the incoming aircraft that now launched a mass assault of missiles. Seeing over thirty missiles coming at her, Hanna felt a violent chill race down her spine as her dormant elemental powers erupted explosively in combination with the Draken Gauntlets of Ryu-Fudo and her berserker rage. A red aura swirled around Hanna for a second as her eyes glowed like fire. Smacking her fists together, an explosive charge built around and within Hanna, making her hair float. “They still don’t understand that my enemies die,” she roared, cocking both Gauntlets and punching forward with a powerful double punch. Two large crimson plasma rounds shot out at the same time, quickly merging into one colossal ball of energy one hundred feet across two hundred feet away from her. It plowed into the missile onslaught, destroying them before moving on to wipe out the bombers attacking Hanna. When the plasma round plowed into the squadron, a massive explosion ensued. The flash from the explosion blinded Hanna just before the concussion blast threw her several hundred cubits. She didn’t have time to dive for cover. She tumbled through the air and landed hard, knocking her out.

Hanna gasped for breath as she sat up in her bed with a start. Clenching her chest, she wheezed, realizing she was no longer on the plain of wildflowers fighting for her life, but in her bed wearing her nightgown. Her violent awakening woke Selina. Upon seeing Hanna clenching her chest while wheezing and gasping for breath, Selina sat up and put an arm around Hanna. “What’s wrong, Hanna?” she asked, very concerned since Hanna looked like someone had knocked the wind out of her. “Breathe, Hanna...breathe.”

After twenty seconds, Hanna found her breath and groaned, feeling a terrible ache in her chest. Furthermore, she remembered the strange dream vividly. “Ugh,” she moaned, clenching her chest. “That smarts.”

“What smarts?” Selina asked, rubbing Hanna’s back to steady her breathing.

“I must have been dreaming again,” Hanna stated in a subdued manner. “God, I hate it when dreams do that to me.”

“What kind of dream was it?” Selina asked. “Care to share it?”

“Sure,” Hanna answered softly. “It was really bizarre, but pretty benign until the end.” At that, she elaborated on the dream in detail verbally and telepathically.

“Wow,” Selina breathed. “That’s bizarre as shit.”

“Yeah,” Hanna agreed, having fully regained her breath. “I never expected to see that cat talking to me in my dream like that, or to have used such a strange weapon. I think those Gauntlets were a weapon of the 1st Age. They had to be. But why would I dream of them like that?”

“I don’t know,” Selina admitted. “But the weapon isn’t nearly as strange as what that cat had to say. He talked like Aeolus.”

“I know,” Hanna replied. “But there was one thing he insisted on. I have to finish what I started. I must free Hannibal and become one with him; otherwise, I will not gain the support I need to take the Emperor down. Serge made it very plain that until I do this, the Yetis will not support us. I have to do this and gain their trust. I cannot let what Thoth did to them in the 1st Age stand. I must right that wrong somehow.”

Selina gave Hanna a gentle squeeze with her arm. “You will, little sister,” she purred. “You will. Now that you know he did something wrong, you’ll set it right. But before you do, you need to find out exactly what did go wrong. I’m sure the Archives can show you what happened.”

“You’re right, princess,” Hanna answered with a sober smile. “I’m sure the Archive can reveal what went wrong. I also need to go to the Armory and use the arena there, not the gym area. I need somewhere I can practice all out without hurting anyone. That’s the only way I’m going to break Hannibal out of his prison.”

“I’m sure Enoch will let you use the practice arena in the Armory,” Selina replied. “But you may want to let someone watch just in case you get a little out of hand in your practice.”

“You’re right,” Hanna agreed. “I will. Would you care to watch just in case I lose control again?”

“Sure,” Selina replied. “I’d be delighted. Besides, I’m the only one that can approach you when the Rage hits you.”

“I know,” Hanna agreed. “It just makes my skin crawl even thinking it. It’s the bane of my existence. But you know, Aeolus told me something about the Rage last night that surprised me.”

“What’s that?” Selina asked.

“It seems I’m not the only Caverias to fight the Rage,” Hanna answered. “Both Thoth and Beowulf fought with and tamed their berserker rages.”

Selina’s eyebrows rose with surprise. “Really?” she asked. “They had the same problem with the Rage you do?”

“It seems so,” Hanna stated. “Aeolus told me that Ariel helped Thoth tame his rage much in the same way you help me to dispel it. I thought that was incredible.”

“It is,” Selina agreed. “I’m stunned by that news. You’re sure of what Aeolus told you.”

“I am,” Hanna insisted. “He made it perfectly clear that the Rage is a genetic relic of the Caverias line, not a contamination by the Darkness, as I thought. It’s something that has been passed down through the Caverias line since its inception. Somehow, the Caverias’ are able to tame the Rage before it destroys them. In Thoth’s case, the taming element was Ariel. It seems when Bolthor killed Ariel in front of Thoth, he lost it and had trouble containing the Rage. I can relate. I had the hardest time keeping the Beast on the leash while we were separated. Only when I rescued you from the Tower did I feel I gained the upper hand over it.”

“I know,” Selina replied softly. “I hope to never see you that close to completely losing it again. It scared me when you ripped Ahriaman’s heart out with your bare hands while in that rage.”

“You’re not the only one,” Hanna admitted, a shudder and icy chill racing down her spine. “Only your voice pulled me back. I was blinded by it. But when I heard your voice, the Rage melted away and I realized what I’d done. Oh, God, I hope that never happens again. I was half a second away from killing everyone there.”

“But you didn’t,” Selina cooed, feeling Hanna’s heartache over the incident. “You fought with that killer instinct and subdued it just before I called out to you. Your Rage started dissipating the moment you killed Ahriaman. All I did was give you an extra nudge to calm you down. You greatly underestimate your control over the Rage, my prince. You have incredible control over it. I believe in your ability to control it. You should too. Repeatedly, you’ve loosed your Rage to protect your friends and family who were in dire peril. And each time you do it, you always pull back before it slaughters the innocent. That shows incredible strength of will that frankly astounds me. You are so much stronger than you realize. If the Rage is truly a genetic marker of the Caverias line, then it’s one more sign of who you are. Don’t fear it.”

Hanna smiled warmly, reaching out and caressing Selina’s cheek. “You’re a wonder, Selina,” she cooed. “Somehow, you always know how to dispel my fears and give me peace.”

“It’s because we’re soul mates,” Selina purred pleasantly. “The Lord has given me the keys to your mind and heart so that I might temper you as water tempers hot steel.”

“Indeed,” Hanna agreed. “I would be lost without you.” She suddenly yawned widely. “Oh, me, I’ve gotten sleepy all of a sudden,” she murmured. “What time is it?”

“About 4:00 AM,” Selina reported, lying back down. “Now that you’ve calmed down, go back to sleep. You’ve a big day ahead of you.”

Hanna nodded, lying down next to her. “Okay,” she whispered sleepily. “Maybe this time I’ll have sweet dreams.”

Selina cuddled close to Hanna in a sisterly manner, pulling her close. “Go to sleep, sis,” she purred in Hanna’s ear. “Go to sleep, and let the worries of tomorrow stay in tomorrow.” Her purr rumbled forth, almost instantly sedating Hanna. She gently touched her forehead to Hanna’s forehead, smiling warmly. “That’s it, sis,” she whispered. “Sleep; Find Hannibal and bring him back to us.” A few minutes later, Selina too dropped off to sleep.