Legends of Amacia The Awakening

A Draken’s Revelation

Later that afternoon after lunch, Hanna walked out onto the top of the Red Tower, going to its eastern edge. Sporting her skin-tight tiger-striped single-piece swimsuit with high-cut legs and low circular-cut chest, a pair of tan shorts, tan thigh-length leggings with leather knee boots, and a short sleeveless tan tank-top shirt that showed her midriff, Hanna stopped and gazed out over the sea. She wore a silver hairpiece holding her hair back from her face. The wind blew from the east, stirring her hair. Closing her eyes, Hanna breathed deeply of the sea air. Peace filled her as she opened her eyes, scanning the horizon.

Out over the sea, pteronadons and pterodactyls fished with a number of caronadons. Hanna’s eagle eye saw some plesiosaurs prowling the waters just offshore, chasing a school of enormous fish. She continued to watch, hoping to see the Sea Rex again. After a few minutes without seeing the Sea Rex, she stepped back from the edge and sat down cross-legged with a sigh. Resting her hands in her lap in a position similar to what the Buddha used, Hanna sighed deeply, trying to relax her mind and body in simple meditation on the Ancient of Days. She uttered no chants, nor did she empty her mind, but hummed the strange song she’d sung earlier at the pool while concentrating on the Ancient of Days. The song gave her mind and soul peace, though she received no inspiration from it. The Almighty chose to remain quiet, as did Hanna’s guardian angels. A soft smile crossed her lips as the peace brought about by the song penetrated to every corner of Hanna’s being. After meditating for nearly an hour, she heard the sound of large draken landing nearby on the tower. Rather than investigating, Hanna continued to meditate on the Ancient of Days and the strange song.

Aeolus saw Hanna meditating and chose to watch for a few minutes before approaching her. “It’s been a very long time since I’ve seen such serenity in a human,” he rumbled softly as he approached quietly as a cat despite his enormous size. “You’re so calm and at peace. It’s refreshing.”

“I am calm and at peace, Aeolus,” Hanna murmured without opening her eyes. “I don’t think I’ve ever achieved this level of peace before. It’s nice, very nice. I feel whole. It’s also giving me incredible focus and clarity too. I feel that Hannibal and I are sitting here together holding hands, meditating on the Almighty and that strange song the gold draken taught us in our dreams last night. The song gives us incredible peace, just as he said it would.”

“I heard you humming it,” Aeolus stated, lumbering over to Hanna and lying down thirty feet from her. “It’s a very ancient song I haven’t heard since the 1st Age, and it does give peace to those who sing and hear it. It drives back the Darkness whenever it’s invoked.”

“That’s what Josephine said,” Hanna replied, opening her eyes and looking at Aeolus. “She said her mother sang it to her as a child. I think she called it Grimm’s Requiem, and suggested it may not even be of this Earth.”

“She is correct,” Aeolus stated categorically. “Grimm’s Requiem did not originate on this planet, but somewhere out there in the vast universe. No one knows for sure where it came from, but I do know I first heard the song from Ragnar Caverias. He claimed to have discovered it the same time he found the Bane. It’s a most powerful song filled with Light and Life. When sung by someone pure of heart filled with life and light, no creature, demon, or monster of the Most Ancient Darkness can withstand it. Even FATE is repelled by it. The song has the uncanny ability to bring order and peace out of the deepest, darkest, most violent chaos. Legends say even the Lords of Chaos cannot abide it. How did you come to know this melody?”

“Last night I dreamed of that colossal gold draken again,” Hanna stated, remaining in a state of pure relaxation and tranquility. “Unlike many of my other dreams, I wasn’t fighting for my very existence this time. The gold draken appeared and taught me this song and the music that goes with it. He said it would lead me out of darkness and give me peace whenever I invoked it. It’s strange that I keep seeing this draken in my dreams. I never see much more than his head, though his head is a solid thirty cubits across with two cubit gold eyes that shine like liquid electronium in a kaleidoscope. Every time I look into those eyes, I feel like I’m looking into the eyes of a god. He’s ancient, far older than you, Aeolus. I’m sure of it. Earlier today, Josephine spoke about Cerrelius, the alpha of your species that existed in the 1st Age, and said the legends describe him as a colossal golden draken that was big as a mountain. Have you ever seen this Cerrelius?”

“I have, long ago,” Aeolus stated. “I was but a young hatchling when I last saw him, but I never forgot Lord Cerrelius. He was a golden draken of incredible size, power, intelligence, and compassion. He was, by far, the largest of all the species of draken I know of with vast telepathic, telekinetic, and elemental power. He was the one who taught the drakens and drakenites how to harness the Elemental Earth and use it for good. Furthermore, Cerrelius was one of the fabled Guardians of Reality. The Ancient of Days anointed him to be the Guardian of History, if my memory is correct. His job was to record everything that has happened since the dawn of time throughout the universe without bias. The Great Archive he compiled was located somewhere in the land of Drakonia, but no one knows for sure where. The drakens feared if anyone knew where the Great Archive was located, they would raid or destroy it for their own selfish ends, so they hid it deep in the mountains. Only a handful of beings knew where the Archive was located. Unfortunately, I was not one of them. As of now, I don’t know if Lord Cerrelius survived the Calamity, nor do I know if our homeland of Drakonia survived either.”

“Where was Drakonia?” Hanna asked, pivoting to face Aeolus while remaining seated.

“Drakonia was a mountainous region to the northwest of Azrael and Cimmeria,” Aeolus stated. “Its beauty and majesty are legendary, with no equal anywhere on this planet. And the capital city was the crown jewel of the land. The drakens and drakenites, under the direction and tutelage of Lord Cerrelius raised the most advanced city this planet had ever seen where everything respected nature in its construction. It was a city of peace and learning until Bolthor attacked it with the Dark Gods and FATE’s War Machine. He saw their power as a direct threat to his rule, especially since the drakens and drakenites of Drakonia had allied with the Caverias line. They came to Thoth’s defense in the coup and as a result, became Bolthor’s next target after the coup. I really don’t know what happened there because Tethys and I were among the first victims of the coup. What I know is from the news Bolthor allowed us to hear. As I said, I cannot confirm that our homeland is still there, nor whether Cerrelius survived.”

“Well, I’m haunted by what happened there,” Hanna stated soberly. “The Battle of Drakonia keeps rising from the darkness and troubling me in my dreams and nightmares. And this golden draken keeps invading my dreams in a way very similar to how Enoch and Kida first contacted me.”

“May I see this draken who haunts you?” Aeolus asked.

“Of course,” Hanna stated, rising to her feet and walking to Aeolus. Touching him on the side of his enormous face, she opened her mind to the draken, showing him the gold draken. “He never tells me his name,” she reported, “But he is insistent that I come to him when the time is right. But how will I know when that is, or where he is if he truly exists?”

“By the Ancient of Days,” Aeolus breathed softly, recognizing the draken in Hanna’s memories. “That is Lord Cerrelius, without a doubt. You must follow through on the dreams, Hanna. Lord Cerrelius is making psychic contact with you for some reason I’m not aware of. Furthermore, I cannot tell if it’s him or just his spirit making contact with you from the other side. Your dreams don’t reveal that.”

“Whoa,” Hanna murmured, stepping back from Aeolus. “You mean these are psychic dreams like the one that led me to Enoch and Kida?”

“They are,” Aeolus stated. “But Cerrelius has not told you how to reach him yet. Until he tells you where he is, it’s pointless to search for him. He won’t be found unless he wants to. I would suggest that you pay very close attention when you have these dreams of Cerrelius. He will leave you clues to his whereabouts to test your intelligence and patience. As of now, he hasn’t given you any clues to his location yet. All he’s done is reassure you about your growing elemental power and destiny. If Cerrelius is still alive and wishes to help you, he will start to leave you clues to his location. Let me know if you have any more of these dreams. Your dreams have aroused my curiosity about whether our homeland and species survived the Calamity. I may do a little reconnaissance to be sure. I’d like to see our old homeland again.”

“I certainly will, my friend,” Hanna said with a smile. “And thank you for confirming who that golden draken is for me. It’s humbling to know that I’ve attracted the attention of an alpha of your species, if he’s still alive.”

“You’re welcome,” Aeolus replied. “I’m glad I could help you identify who your golden draken is. But, like I said, I still don’t know if Cerrelius still exists. I haven’t sensed any telepathic signals from him since after the Battle of Drakonia. Either he’s long dead, or he’s in hiding, shielding himself. Either way, he has to make the first contact, which he seems to have done with you. Something is stirring in the Darkness that’s not letting itself be seen yet, something beyond the Emperor; something elusive, powerful, and very dangerous. I can sense it but cannot identify it. Pay very close attention to your dreams, Hanna. Our next clue about what’s coming may come from them.”

“I will,” Hanna promised. “But I’m puzzled by something.”

“You want to know more about Ragnar Caverias and the Bane, don’t you?” Aeolus surmised, sensing Hanna’s impending question.

“Yes,” Hanna stated. “There’s practically nothing in the archives about Ragnar or the Bane. All they say is that the Bane was given to him because he was the only human who could harness its power.”

“That’s true,” Aeolus replied. “You found Grimm’s Bane in this very tower, didn’t you?”

“Yes,” Hanna admitted. “It called to me when I went to the Armory yesterday. Bane is the wickedest, most powerful weapon I think I’ve ever had my hands on. And the strangest thing about it is I’ve never used a scythe in battle before. I never trained with one, especially one of that complexity and power. Yet, I knew how to use as if I were born to it. Then, if that wasn’t crazy enough, I found Beowulf’s sword Hellion and Cleo’s Draken Gauntlets of Ryu-Fudo. Both of them called to me in the Armory, and when I used them in the Armory arena with the Bane, I knew by instinct how to use each of them as well. What are the odds of me finding three of the most powerful weapons systems ever created and being able to use them flawlessly? Something is happening here, something big.”

“You found and used the Hellion and Ryu-Fudo’s Draken Gauntlets in battle?” Aeolus asked with surprise. “You actually pulled the Hellion from its sheath and used it?”

“I did,” Hanna admitted with a sigh. “And when I did, the drones went crazy and tried to kill me. A dark spirit overwhelmed the programming of the drones towards the end of my training session, sending them on a search and destroy mission with me as the target. Hell, even one of the big drone tanks activated by itself and came after me. I used Hellion and the Gauntlets to take them all down after having destroyed nearly forty monster drones with the Bane, though I took some serious injuries doing so. After I finished them off, Selina talked me down from the Rage, which would have killed anyone setting foot in the arena had she not done it.”

“Who saw it?” Aeolus queried.

“All of the leaders of the people we gathered were there, including Enoch, Josephine, Nemesis, and Magnus,” Hanna reported. “They heard I was doing some intense training and wanted to watch from the stands. They even saw the drones and tank go crazy and try to kill me. Enoch warned me from the control room when he lost control of the drones. The strange thing is when it happened I sensed something familiar in those machines...a deep darkness that seemed very familiar to me. We discussed it after Selina talked me down from the Rage and decided it may have been a dark minion spirit of the Emperor trying to ferret out my location. When I took out the tank, I felt the spirit flee.”

“That is not good,” Aeolus stated. “It means the Emperor is actively searching for us using his infernal minions from the other side, and may have zeroed in on our sanctuary here.”

“I figured the same thing,” Hanna stated with a grim sigh. “But it will take him time to launch a scouting party to find out. That will give us time to plan a counter to his move and divert his attention from this place.”

“Indeed,” Aeolus agreed, “He must never find this place. So do you have any thoughts on what to do about that?”

“Presently, no,” Hanna declared. “But I’m sure Enoch, Nemesis, and the others are working out something. Right now, I’m trying to prepare for the mutation reversal. I need to be calm, fully rested, and at full strength physically and mentally for the process, according to Josephine, Nemesis, Horace, and Enoch. They told me I needed to do this before the procedure. That’s why I’m up here by myself meditating on the Almighty and that strange song. Cerrelius told me it would lead me out of darkness and give me peace. So far, it’s done that. Every time I concentrate on that song, it brings great peace and serenity to my troubled mind and heart.”

“If that’s why you’re up here, then you should continue,” Aeolus stated. “I apologize for interrupting your peace with talk of the Emperor.”

“It’s quite all right,” Hanna stated. “I was about to get up when you arrived anyway. My search for answers came up empty this time, but I did achieve a peace of mind and soul I’ve never had before, so it wasn’t a total loss.” She paused for a moment, and then asked, “You said you heard Grimm’s Requiem from Ragnar Caverias. Did you know him?”

“I did,” Aeolus replied. “He was a very good friend from my youth, and a fighter of the highest caliber. Not just anyone could control Grimm’s Bane; much less use it to cut down the infernal alien hordes that followed the Dark Gods to this planet. He used it with such ease, as if he’d already knew how to use the weapon. None could stand before him in battle.”

“What kind of person was he?” Hanna asked.

“He’s was actually much like you,” Aeolus replied. “You favor him greatly in your looks, build, temperament, and intelligence. Ragnar was an incredibly kind, gentle soul, but tolerated no foolishness. He had great compassion for those weaker than he was, and worked tirelessly to protect the innocent from the ravages of the Darkness. I’ve seen him moved to tears by the death of a single innocent soul. But I’ve also seen Ragnar’s dark side...his Rage. It’s comparable to yours, Hanna. When the Rage would get on him in battle, he was unstoppable and nigh invulnerable. He was the first Caverias to learn how to tame that burning Rage.”

“Was he big like Enoch?” Hanna asked.

“That’s one of the strange things about Ragnar,” Aeolus reported. “Unlike most of the Caverias line, which ranged from a little over five cubits to eight cubits in height, Ragnar was only about four and a half cubits tall. He was small for a Caverias, not much taller than you are. However, what he lacked in height, he made up for in strength, speed, skill, and tenacity. Ragnar was one of these people who just wouldn’t give up or give in. Even if all hope was lost, he’d never give up. I remember him saying repeatedly that he didn’t have the luxury of giving up. The Darkness never gave up and neither would he. His faith in the Ancient of Days was nearly as strong as yours is, Hanna. He prayed every day to the Almighty, especially when he was about to go into battle against the forces of the Dark Gods. He knew the danger they posed intimately, as if he’d been privy to their plans. Ragnar warned everyone, but his warnings went unheeded until the Dark Gods openly attacked this planet. Then he became the default leader against them.”

“So Ragnar was a little guy, like me,” Hanna surmised.

“Yes,” Aeolus agreed, “But as you know, it’s the little guys you need to watch. Often, they pack a very mean punch, especially the ones with silver eyes like Ragnar.”

“Ragnar had silver eyes?” Hanna interrupted.

“Yes,” Aeolus stated. “It’s a very rare trait in humans. Only one human in five hundred million are ever born with silver eyes. The humans born with silver eyes are unique among humanity in that they have an innate ability to channel elemental power, much as you do. They also possess great strength of mind and body, a power they inevitably use against the Darkness. The silver-eyed humans have always become mighty warriors of the Light, fighting against the Darkness wherever it’s found. It’s their destiny to be guardians of Humanity, to protect their fellow humans from the abominations and spawns of the most Ancient Darkness. Ragnar was the only Caverias I ever saw with silver eyes. He knew he was different from everyone else from a very early age. Only when he awakened to his power did he embrace his destiny as a guardian of humanity.”

“Whoa,” Hanna breathed, becoming very interested in Ragnar. “I didn’t know that. The way you speak of Ragnar and these silver-eyed people sounds so much like me it’s eerie. But I don’t have silver eyes. My eyes are ice-blue.”

“True,” Aeolus said, looking closely at Hanna’s eyes. “Your eyes are ice-blue, but I also see a faint silvery tint in them. It’s very faint, but definitely there. And there’s something else too.”

“What is it?” Hanna asked with a chill racing down her spine as fear rose.

“Don’t worry,” Aeolus reassured. “It’s not bad, but I see your eyes also have a slight feline, almost Lynxian look to them. Your eyes tend to pulse regularly for a fraction of a second, making them look much like Selina’s eyes, and then they return to normal. It’s very curious in that it reminds me of a reflex. Didn’t you say that you have Lynxian code in your genetic structure?”

“I did,” Hanna answered quietly in a troubled tone. “It’s a proven fact that I have several sections of alien code merged perfectly with my human code, one of which is Lynxian. I saw it for myself and Josephine verified it. In fact, she said that she tweaked those alien strands when she mutated me to help level the playing field between me and the Emperor.”

“That is interesting,” Aeolus declared. “And it does explain some of your uncanny abilities. Has anyone else seen this feline look in your eyes?”

“Izanami has,” Hanna reported. “Selina and I went to visit them in the barracks a day or two ago. She noticed it then after I shared a particularly nasty nightmare with them that’s been haunting me.”

“I noticed that nightmare when you showed me the dream of Cerrelius,” Aeolus stated. “It bothers you...both the creature of FATE and your slightly feline male form, doesn’t it?”

Hanna sighed. “Yes,” she admitted. “So much happened in that dream that doesn’t feel right. Something is stirring in the shadow that refuses to let anyone see it, and it’s not the Black Prince, Emperor, or the Cadre. I felt a malignant darkness in the creature that came out of the mirror. It’s ancient, old as the world or universe itself possibly, yet somehow familiar. And the slightly feline version of my male form that I merged with feels like...I don’t know how to explain it. It was me, yet it wasn’t. Still, I felt completely safe with him. I don’t understand it. I sense an enemy stirring in the shadows and it’s not the Black Prince, the Emperor, or Zeus. What’s even more troubling is I recognize this enemy, but I can’t remember who or what it is. It’s infuriating. I can’t fight what I can’t see or remember. Furthermore, as I stand here talking with you about it, I’m getting the distinct impression that Ragnar has something to do with all this. The silver in my eyes and this apparent feline shifting my eyes are doing is somehow connected to it. I know it. What am I missing?”

“You’re instincts are impressive,” Aeolus stated. “But you mustn’t despair. Your nightmare is a message, a riddle you must solve for yourself. I cannot tell you the riddle’s answer because it would mean nothing to you. Besides, the answer I have may not be the right answer for you. Only you can discover the meaning of that riddle. As for me, I would say it was a warning that something is stirring in the Darkness that could become a problem for everyone. What it is, I’m not sure. What it means for you may be something entirely different. Remember, dreams and nightmares can often have different meanings for different people. You must ask the Ancient of Days what it means for you.”

“You’re right,” Hanna agreed. “I’ve been doing that, but so far haven’t gotten any answers. I guess the Almighty must be testing my patience.”

“It’s possible,” Aeolus conceded. “But don’t give up on finding out what it means for you personally. As for your suggestion about the dark power behind the creature being somehow connected to Ragnar, it very well may be. I too am starting to sense something malevolent stirring in the background, but it’s very faint...as if something is waking up. It also feels vaguely familiar to me as well. Maybe your growing power is noticing the thing. We’ll just have to wait and see. I know Ragnar had dealings with the most Ancient Darkness in his time; an evil far more dangerous than the Emperor and the demon lord possessing him.”

“What about my eyes?” Hanna asked. “How are they connected to this?”

“I honestly don’t know,” Aeolus admitted. “But the silver tint and feline fluctuations of your eyes are obviously a genetic trait unique to you. It’s definitely a marker of both Ragnar’s genes and the Lynxian genes in your genetic structure. Fact is only someone with keen eyesight looking for it would notice either trait. But the silver in your eyes shows you’re definitely the descendant of Ragnar Caverias. It explains so much about you, including your strange genetic makeup. As I remember, Ragnar too had twenty-four chromosome pairs. You should feel honored to have such a powerful and noble ancestor.”

“I am,” Hanna murmured, stunned by the news about Ragnar. “The moment I saw Ragnar in the flash vision when I touched the Bane, I knew he was special, like me. But I never realized I had silver eyes like he did.”

“Your eyes are not the same as his,” Aeolus stated. “Ragnar’s eyes were pure silver, one of the rarest traits for your species. Your eyes just show a reflection of his silver eyes mixed with the other genes of the Caverias line. The ice-blue eyes you have are a genetic marker of the Caverias line. They come in various shades and tints, but they all have the same basic ice-blue color. Just look at you and Enoch. Your eyes and his are almost identical. The feline pulses in your eyes and silver tint are the two things that set you and Enoch apart. Ragnar, on the other hand, was different. He was the outlier. Ragnar was born with pure silver eyes that also tended to look just a little feline like yours does. It puzzled his father and mother because no Caverias before had ever been born with silver eyes, much less eyes with feline traits. They consulted the prophets and seers about Ragnar’s strange eyes because they worried he might have sired by a dark power. They even consulted Cerrelius about Ragnar. In every case, the answer was the same.”

“What did they say?” Hanna asked insistently.

“Ragnar was not the spawn of some dark power,” Aeolus reported. “The Ancient of Days Himself decreed the form and color of Ragnar’s eyes and that he’d become a great force of Light and Life to stem the tide of the most Ancient Darkness. Once his parents heard Ragnar wasn’t a spawn of the Darkness, but of the Light, they embraced and raised him as any loving parents would. They even let him go to Drakonia to be schooled by Cerrelius himself. That was where I first met Ragnar. We became fast friends. He was so intelligent, absorbing anything and everything anyone would teach him like a sponge. His strength, power, and skill grew exponentially too. By time he became a man, Ragnar’s fighting prowess was renowned throughout Drakonia and Azrael. No one could best him in combat, and his elemental prowess was unrivaled. The only human I saw surpass Ragnar’s elemental power was Thoth’s son Beowulf. Beowulf became a true master of the Elemental Earth with Ragnar taking a close second. But when it came to sheer power, fighting skill, and cunning, no one ever topped Ragnar. None of the other Caverias line ever possessed his power, cunning, or skill...not even Beowulf. He became the standard-bearer for Caverias line when he proved his power and skill in a battle to the death with the greatest of the Dark Gods...the one called Grimm.” Aeolus paused for effect as he remembered Grimm.