Legends of Amacia The Awakening

Two hours after leaving the infirmary, Hanna and Selina returned, still dressed in their swimsuits and wearing their skirts. Quickly locating Dr. Drew, they approached quietly, stopping briefly to see Rachel still asleep on her bed. “Ah,” Drew chimed softly. “You’re back. Did you have a good lunch?”

“It was very good,” Hanna answered softly as she stood holding on to the handles of Selina’s wheelchair. “I’m always amazed at how good a cook Kida is.”

“I’m sure she is,” Drew murmured, looking back towards Rachel. “Did you check on the little girl?”

“We did,” Selina answered. “She’s sleeping like an angel. I think it’s more from fatigue than anything else. Her awakening earlier wore her out.”

“That it did,” Drew stated. “I noticed that when I tried to wake her up to give her some water and food.”

“Did she react like before?” Hanna asked.

“Not this time,” Drew replied. “She immediately recognized me as a friend. Also, having Emma right there really helped. That girl has a way with children.”

Hanna smiled. “I’m sure she does,” she chimed. “Were you able to get her to eat anything?”

“We were,” Drew stated. “She liked the soup we gave her and it hasn’t caused her any trouble yet. But we shouldn’t try to push her to eat too much. She’s still very weak. Let her eat at her own pace.”

“What about her bandages?” Selina asked. “Can we change them or do we need you or Emma to come do it?”

“I was wondering about that myself,” Hanna said softly. “Are there any special ointments or herbs we need to apply?”

“You should have no trouble changing her bandages,” Drew stated. “But it will take both of you to do it. One of you will have to hold her up while the other wraps the wounds. Also, Nemesis provided an ointment that you need to apply to each wound before putting the bandages on her. He said it was to protect the wounds from becoming infected again and to promote healing. I’ll be sure to have the supplies taken to your quarters.”

“Right,” Hanna stated. “Is it possible for her to take a full bath?”

“Yes,” Drew answered. “It is now. But you will need to be right there for obvious reasons. Up until now, we’ve given her sponge baths. Now that she’s awakened from her coma, a good bath using some of that special mineral water would be good for her. Just be sure to dry her thoroughly before applying the ointments. Being wet will dilute it and may cause the bandages to slip. Be sure she’s fully dry and make sure she doesn’t get a chill.”

“Got it,” Hanna chimed, giving him thumbs up. “Thanks for the instruction, Doctor. Now, where are Althea and the others?”

“This way,” Drew replied, beckoning Hanna and Selina with his hand. “They’re over here.” He led Hanna and Selina across the infirmary to three beds along the wall. Althea lay in one with the blankets up to her chest, her lengthy chestnut brown hair framing her long oval face. Hanna and Selina instantly noticed she wore a sleeveless warm gray nightgown with buttons down the front. Her bandaged arm stumps lay in plain sight as she slept. To her right lay the other two trophy girls who had been robbed of their limbs. Dressed in the same type nightgown with their stumps bandaged, they lay with the blankets up to their necks sleeping peacefully. The closest girl snored softly, her long black hair streaked with gray partially covering her eyes. The other girl lay asleep with her head turned to the left, her long hazel-blonde hair covering her neck and eyes.

“They’re beautiful,” Selina purred, amazed at their beauty. “I never got to see them up close.”

“That they are,” Hanna agreed, stopping Selina beside Althea’s bed on the left side as Drew went back to his rounds in the infirmary. “They look much better than they did. I’m really happy they survived.” Moving around between Althea and her sister in the bed to her right, Hanna sat down on the edge of the bed, looking down at her. A sigh escaped Althea’s lips as her eyes cracked open. “How’re you doing, sister?” Hanna asked warmly with a smile. Only then did Hanna really notice Althea’s beautiful sea-blue eyes. “Oh, sister...you have the most beautiful eyes,” she complimented, “I never really noticed them until now.”

A warm smile crossed Althea’s lips. “Thank you, milady,” she murmured. “It’s the one thing the Emperor didn’t take from me. Are you really here?”

“Call me Hanna,” Hanna replied in a loving tone. “And yes, I’m here. You’re not dreaming. Even Selina is here to. She’s right there.” She pointed to Selina in her wheelchair.

“Yes,” Althea said softly in recognition. “I remember seeing you in the cocoon the day Hannibal joined me on the trophy wall. You’re so beautiful, Miss Selina.”

“And so are you,” Selina purred, reaching out and touching Althea on her right arm stump. “I am so happy you’re all right.”

“I owe everything to Hannibal,” Althea declared, not realizing Hanna was Hannibal. “Where is my savior?”

“I’m right here,” Hanna chimed, gently touching Althea on her left shoulder. “I’m Hannibal.”

Althea’s eyes grew wide as she realized Hannibal sat next to her. She looked closely at Hanna and gasped as she recognized her tone. “It really is you,” she breathed. “But why are you calling yourself Hanna?”

“Because the Emperor mutated me into this form,” Hanna stated softly, letting her tone reflect her pain. “When he had Josephine do this to me, I had to create a female persona to keep my sanity. Becoming Hanna allowed me to adapt to this reality long enough for me to discover the means to reverse it.”

“And did you?” Althea asked.

“I did,” Hanna stated. “Josephine, who mutated me in the first place, can reverse it. We plan on starting the procedure tomorrow.”

“How is that possible?” Althea replied in confusion. “You surely weren’t able to rescue her too, were you?”

Hanna smiled warmly. “I most certainly did,” she chimed. “She’s here right now living as a free soul like you. No longer is she forced to do the Emperor’s bidding, though there’s no way to undo the cyberization Bolthor did to her. But she’s here with us in this very place and is a very close friend and sister to me.”

“It’s true,” Althea breathed. “You really are the Beowulf. My steadfast refusal to reject the prophecies put me on the trophy wall as the Emperor’s sex toy. I thought he really was going to kill me the last time he raped me. He was so very rough and mean, meaner than I’ve ever seen him.” Tears rose in her eyes as her pain came out. “Why does he have to be so evil?” she wept. “We did nothing to him.”

Hanna reached down and pulled Althea into a sitting position, wrapping her arms around the maimed woman in a warm, loving embrace. “I know,” Hanna cooed in Althea’s ear. “It was nothing any of you did. It’s just the way he is. He’s a demon lord masquerading around in the flesh of a man. That’s why he’s so evil and bent on destroying us.”

“I know,” Althea sobbed softly. “We figured out long ago he wasn’t human. But why did it happen? Why did we have to become prey for that demon?”

“I wish I had an answer for you,” Hanna cooed. “It’s the same question I keep asking the Almighty about my life. Why did this have to happen to me, to us?”

“Did your god answer?” Althea whimpered, looking Hanna in the face.

“No,” Hanna stated grimly. “He’s yet to answer that, but I must believe He has some reason for allowing this heinous shit to happen to us. He’s working something out that’s far beyond our comprehension, so I guess we must have faith and believe in Him. Since He let it happen, I must believe He will make it right. Fact is I think He’s already starting to make it right. The Emperor will pay for what he did to us. The Almighty is not going to let the atrocities the Emperor has committed stand. Our freedom from him is proof enough to me that the Ancient of Days has started moving to restore us.”

Althea cuddled with Hanna, laying her head on Hanna’s shoulder, sobbing softly. “You really believe the Ancient of Days is going to fix this, don’t you?” she whimpered.

“I do with all my heart,” Hanna cooed in her ear, stroking Althea’s back. “My very presence in this hellish underworld is proof of it. Our God is about to show everyone, including the Emperor, who the real God is. I just happen to be a tool in his hand. He allowed me to be taken into that pit where I first saw you as one of you to chastise and prove me, and so I could be a witness against the Emperor’s tyranny and evil. You will live to see justice delivered to the Emperor. I promise.”

“Thank you, Miss Hanna,” Althea sobbed softly. “You’ve touched my wounded heart and given me hope. Thank you.”

“You’re most welcome, sis,” Hanna cooed. “It’s why I’m here. We need to purge our souls of this darkness and evil. Let’s do it together, okay? It’s okay to cry. It’ll help cleanse your soul.” Althea’s sobs became a wail of deep pain and anguish as she cried on Hanna’s shoulder. Rocking her gently, Hanna didn’t say a word but gently touched Althea telepathically to help her release the pain. She immediately noticed it and embraced the help Hanna gave her. “That’s it,” Hanna sobbed softly in Althea’s ear, sharing her pain. “I truly feel your pain. Release it. I’m here for you.”

Selina pulled herself out of her wheelchair onto the bed with Althea and Hanna. She wrapped her arms around Althea and Hanna from behind, holding them close. “We’re here for you, sister,” Selina cooed, abruptly purring for Althea as she laid her face against Althea’s shoulder. “Let us in. Let us help you shed this pain and burden. We love you, sister.”

Althea’s eyes grew wide as she suddenly felt Selina purr penetrate her back and fill her entire being. The love she felt with the purr in combination with Hanna’s gentle telepathic prod broke the wall of her fear and pain. She sobbed deeply as both Selina and Hanna felt her releasing the pain of her ordeal. “That’s it,” Hanna cooed in Althea’s ear. “Let our love drive the darkness and pain from your mind and heart. We love you as you are. You don’t need to suffer alone anymore. We’re here for you.”

After five minutes, Althea’s sobs subsided to whimpers. “You both are truly angels,” she wept softly. “I’ve never felt such love and acceptance. And Miss Selina, your purr is divine. It’s calming me and dissipating my sorrow and pain. The sisters said you could do it but I didn’t believe them, until now. Thank you both for caring enough to help me deal with this.”

“You’re most welcome,” Selina purred. “It’s what sisters do for each other. They help one another in their time of need. Of all the lessons I learned in the Harem, I believe that’s the most important one. We’re all family and need each other. Hanna learned that lesson too.”

“I did,” Hanna agreed, looking Althea in the face with a trembling smile and tears in her eyes. “I became your sister the moment the Emperor hung me on that wall next to you. You saw me share your pain there on the sex floor. Now, we can start purging the darkness that contaminated us there together. If you ever need my help, don’t hesitate to ask, even after I’m restored to my true male form. We must love each other in order to drive the Darkness from our hearts.”

“Oh, Miss Hanna,” Althea cried. “Thank you so much. I’d hug you but I don’t have anything left to do it with.”

Hanna squeezed Althea tightly and kissed her on the cheek in a sisterly manner. “It’s quite all right,” she chimed after the kiss. “I have enough hugs and kisses for everyone. And don’t you fret about those missing limbs. I’m sure we’ll find some way to replace them. Until then, know we, and everyone around you are here to help you, especially our Harem sisters. As soon as you’re strong enough, Doctor Drew says you can go to live with our sisters in the barracks. They’re more than ready to be your arms and legs until we find you some replacements.”

“I know,” Althea replied with a sigh, “They’ve already told us that we’re welcome with them. They’re always coming in when it’s time for our dinners. Hanna, can you and Selina help Tala and Suko like you helped me? They’re right beside me here in these beds and need help as much as I do.”

“Of course,” Hanna chimed. “Do you want to lie back down or sit up while we help our sisters here?”

“Let me remain sitting up,” Althea answered, slowly regaining her composure. “I want to look around. Besides, I’m tired of lying down.”

“I heard that,” Selina purred, letting go of Althea. “Just let me get out of the way.” Before anyone could blink, Selina moved back into her wheelchair.

“You’re getting pretty good at that,” Hanna observed.

“The strength in my arms and upper body has returned so doing it isn’t that big a deal now,” Selina chimed, straightening out her skirt. “I’m just happy I have a bit more mobility now. I’m going to need it to help with Rachel.”

“That you are,” Hanna chimed as she helped Althea sit up against the head of the bed.

“I heard what you did for that poor little girl earlier,” Althea admitted. “Even though I couldn’t see it, I heard everything from over here. You touched my heart with your compassion when you decided to take that little girl in. Is she really like me with no arms or legs?”

“Yes,” Hanna stated, sitting next to Althea with an arm around her. “We had to amputate to save her life. Those beasts crushed her arms and legs and didn’t treat them. By time we got to her, they were rotting off. Nemesis amputated her legs the same place yours are, but only had to remove her right hand and left arm above the elbow. She’s still pretty upset about not having any limbs, but I’m sure we’ll be able to help her deal with it.”

“Are you taking her with you when you leave?” Althea asked.

“Yes,” Selina stated. “She’s coming home with us so we can take care of her.”

“That’s good,” Althea murmured. “She’s far too young to have to deal with being a doll like us. If I can do anything to help her, don’t hesitate to ask. In fact, could you bring her over here so I can see her? Maybe if she sees she isn’t the only one who was robbed of their limbs, she’ll feel better about her condition.”

“That sounds like a very good idea,” Hanna declared. “We’ll do that. But what about your friends here? Do you want us to wake them?”

“No,” Althea replied, looking over at her fellow dolls lying in their beds. “Let them sleep. They fell asleep just before you arrived. But I would like you to help them dispel the pain they feel like you did for me. They deserve it.”

“I know they do,” Hanna agreed, “And of course I’ll help them. After all, we know their horror and pain. How are they handling it?”

“They’re doing okay for now,” Althea stated. “But they need closure as I did. The sooner they get it the better.”

“Right,” Hanna nodded. “What are their names?”

“Tala is lying there in the next bed over,” Althea murmured, “And Suko is in the next bed over from her. Both of them are still weak physically and mentally, but they’re starting to come to grips with this new reality you’ve given us. Thank you for saving us, Hanna. It’s given me new hope that the Emperor will not go unpunished for what he did to us.”

“The Emperor’s punishment is just beginning,” Hanna declared ominously. “The Almighty has risen from His throne and is on the move. He’s about to make the Emperor pay for what he’s done.”

“I’m glad,” Althea murmured, smiling warmly.

“You have such a pretty smile, Althea,” Selina purred. “It makes me happy to see you happy.”

“I am happy,” Althea murmured. “I didn’t believe I’d ever be happy again, but I am...even in this condition. You and Miss Hanna have shown me that someone really cares what happens to me. I’ll be your friend forever because of what you’ve done for us.”

“And we’ll be yours,” Hanna replied warmly, kissing Althea on the cheek. “Just remember we care when you feel the Darkness trying to put you light out. We do love you and your sisters here. But we need to go now and make sure everything is ready for Rachel. Is that okay?”

“Sure,” Althea replied, feeling the warmth of Hanna’s love and life burning in her chest. “I know you have a lot to do. Just don’t forget we’re here, okay?”

“Not a chance,” Selina stated. “You’re our sister, and we always help our family when they’re in need.”

“And I’ll bring Rachel over to see you before we take her home,” Hanna stated. “Maybe by time we do that, your friends will be awake.”

“I hope so,” Althea replied. “I really want them to see you.”

Hanna smiled warmly, giving Althea a friendly squeeze. “I know you do,” she chimed, “And I’d like to talk to them too. They need to know we care for them too. They’re our sisters too. Come on, Selina...let’s go.” Hanna stood up, patting Althea on the shoulder. “We’ll be back in a little while.”

“Okay,” Althea chimed. “We’ll be okay. Besides, I’m expecting our Harem sisters to show up any time now.”

“That’s good,” Selina purred, smiling. “That way you won’t be alone here. See you later, sis.”

Althea nodded as Hanna took hold of Selina’s wheelchair. “Remember, Althea,” Hanna stated. “You’re not alone.”

“I know I’m not alone,” Althea replied with a nod, “...not anymore.” With that, she watched Hanna and Selina leave, her heart warm with love and hope.