Legends of Amacia The Awakening

The Electromagnetic Storm, part 1

At 2 AM in Hanna and Selina’s quarters, they lay asleep with Rachel lying between them whimpering in her sleep. Rachel wore one of Hanna’s simple sleeveless gray nightgowns that covered her up to the neck and shoulders. Hanna slept wearing her favorite black silk nightgown and Selina had her favorite silver nightgown on. Selina had her arm around Rachel, purring in her sleep. Hanna lay on the opposite side, cuddled close to Rachel on her side, snoring softly. Earlier that evening, Hanna and Selina brought Rachel into their private quarters. They helped Rachel conquer some of her fears as they gave her a bath. In the process, Rachel saw both Hanna and Selina were scarred as she was because they took a bath with her. It caused her to bond with both of them. By time they finished giving Rachel a bath and dressing her, the little maimed girl was dead asleep. In a snap decision, Hanna decided to let Rachel sleep with her and Selina so Selina could use her purr therapy on the little girl overnight.

Without warning, Hanna woke with a gasp, trembling from head to toe. Rolling on her back away from Rachel and Selina, she moaned, covering her eyes with her hand as tears dripped from her eyes. “Ugh, what’s going on?” she whispered, regaining her wits after a few moments of confusion. “I feel so weird and wired.” Looking over, she saw Rachel and Selina still asleep. A soft smile crossed her lips, though her spirit remained greatly agitated by some unknown agent. “At least someone’s getting some sleep,” she murmured, slowly getting up and going to the bathroom. Stopping at the sink, she splashed some cold water on her face and dried it. “Why do I feel like the world is pulling apart at the seams?” she asked no one. “This is nuts. Agh...I don’t know what to do again.” She left the bathroom, going to her wardrobe. Taking out an ankle-length gray cloak and hood, she wrapped herself in the cloak with the hood up before putting on a pair of sandals. The cloak and hood made her feel safe as she headed to the door. Without really knowing why, Hanna grabbed the Hellion before leaving her quarters, closing the door quietly behind her.

Ten minutes later, Hanna looked east over the sea from the top of the Red Tower. The crystal capstones on the spires glowed softly in the night as clouds approached from the southeast. A sigh escaped her lips as she scanned the horizon. The pterodactyls and pteronadons glided over the sea, fishing just offshore. Hanna’s unease grew as she knew something wasn’t right. “Why’d you drive me out here, Lord?” she muttered gloomily. “I should be resting for the procedure. Why am I out here? What is it you want me to see?”

No answer came to Hanna, just the wind and the approaching clouds from the southeast. Just as Hanna turned to leave, a flash of light made the sky ripple like water in a pond. “What the...,” she breathed in amazement, seeing a light flickering in the clouds to the southeast out of the corner of her eye. It was the source of the flash and the ripples. The light pulsed and danced like a ghost, splitting into a line of multicolored orbs that grew in size as she watched. The orbs began to stretch left and right, becoming a strange ribbon of purple, blue and white light. It snaked and writhed, changing colors as it moved. Suddenly there was a brilliant flash and the ribbon turned into multiple sheets of energy similar to the auroras. Great sheets of green, blue, and purple energy filled the southeastern sky, shimmering and pulsating in a ghostly manner. They cascaded down only be drawn back up. Between the sheet of energy were pulses of bluish-white lightning, touched with a hint of green. The lightning arced between the sheets like a giant Van de Graff generator. The air became charged, causing Hanna’s skin to tingle slightly and her hair to stand up slightly. She became mesmerized and enchanted by the phenomena, unable draw herself away from it. The display steadily became more and more violent, growing into a massive storm that lingered on the southeastern horizon but didn’t approach. As she stood engrossed in the display, she didn’t notice Aeolus approach from behind.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” Aeolus asked softly.

Hanna jumped in fright at Aeolus’ unexpected appearance. She turned around sharply to see Aeolus slowly walking up. “Oh, it’s you,” she answered, clenching her chest in fright. “You startled me. I thought I was out here by myself.”

Aeolus lumbered up, stopping next to Hanna as she turned back to the display. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you,” he replied apologetically.

“It’s quite all right,” Hanna returned as she calmed down, gazing at the strange storm. “I should’ve been more observant of my surroundings.”

“What are you doing out here this time of night?” Aeolus asked after a pause.

“Something woke me out of a dead sleep,” Hanna replied softly. “I don’t know what it was, but it felt really strange”

“How so, Aeolus asked intently, “Did you feel like something was pulling the world apart?”

Hanna gasped. “How did you know?” she asked. “That’s exactly what it felt like. Somehow, whatever is happening out there over the water is connected to it. I can feel it in my bones. Whatever we’re seeing out there is major.”

“You may be right,” Aeolus rumbled. “When did you feel it?”

“About fifteen minutes ago when it woke me,” Hanna stated, keeping a close eye on the phenomenon. “And now that I think about it, it also felt like I was being stretched while falling as if I were being dragged into a singularity. Words can’t do it justice as to how weird it felt. It wired me so much I put on my cloak, grabbed the Hellion, and came up here thinking it would clear my head and settle my spirit.”

“Interesting,” Aeolus replied. “That’s when I first sensed it. I was out on a night flight checking out the island because I first sensed something was amiss. The moment I felt it, I saw the clouds there to the southeast looking very strange and returned to the Tower to find you out here. You were so enchanted by the storm you never noticed my approach.”

“Oh,” Hanna breathed. “You’re right. Whatever that is out there is causing interference with my telepathy. I never even sensed you when you came up; though, it may be from the confusion I woke with. When I get as confused as I was when I woke, my telepathic ability seems to drop off a cliff. Even though the confusion seems to have lifted, I’m finding my telepathy being dampened somehow. You don’t suppose what we’re seeing is actually affecting my telepathy, do you?”

“Hmmm,” Aeolus rumbled ominously. “Now that you mention it, I do feel an intense electromagnetic field emanating from that storm. It’s dampening my ability to sense things as well. You may be on to something there, Hanna.”

“I thought so,” Hanna murmured, keeping a close eye on the strange storm raging in celestial fury. “What do you make of that storm, whatever it is? I’ve seen many storms in my lifetime, but nothing like that. It’s beautiful, yet dangerous. The closest thing I’ve seen to it is a display of ball lightning at Tiamat that nearly fried us.”

Aeolus looked out at the storm for a few moments, and then said, “You’re right to think that’s not a normal storm. That’s an electromagnetic storm of unusual power and intensity. I haven’t seen one of them in over twelve and a half thousand cycles. They’re extremely dangerous and are usually a sign that something major is about to occur with the Earth itself. Only the Earth itself has the capability of unleashing the level of power we’re seeing here.” As they watched, the storm began to strike the sea with great energy bolts.

Hanna’s belly soured as she watched the storm with growing unease. “This can’t be good. I knew something bad was stirring. Do you have any idea of what’s causing this storm?” she asked.

“No, Hanna; this is unlike anything I’ve ever seen before,” Aeolus replied as thunder began to roar in the distance along with a crackling, ripping sound. The sound was unearthly, echoing and rumbling surreally as the magnetic fields of the Earth twisted, knotted and ripped over the sea. Suddenly, the storm reached its peak intensity as raw planetary energy dispersed into the sea with thousands of simultaneous lightning strikes on a scale that man has never seen before. The sea boiled under the strikes and the Tower itself began to tremble physically.

Hanna began to back away from the edge of the Tower, fear rising in her chest as the feeling of impending doom rose dramatically. The magnetic storm looked like a heavenly monster striking at the very Earth itself, trying to destroy it. Hanna’s hair stood on end and her nerves tingled from the raw power that emanated from the storm. As Hanna backed away, the crescendo of the storm passed with a blinding coronal flash reaching from horizon to horizon like a nuclear blast. Hanna shrieked in fright, hiding her eyes and turning away from the flash. Aeolus growled, abruptly turning his head away from the flash too. After a few moments, Hanna asked, “Is it over?” She rubbed her eyes trying to get her vision back as her hair settled and her nerves stopped tingling. Even the trembling they felt in the Tower ceased.

“I think so,” Aeolus replied, blinking and shaking his head. “The magnetic fields are settling down. I can feel it and my telepathy is returning to normal.”

“So is mine,” Hanna agreed, rubbing her eyes with her hand until they cleared. “I don’t know about you, but I think we’re running out of time. Argus told me there’s some kind of magnetic barrier that surrounds these caverns, rendering most of the ancient machinery inoperable. But it seems that the barrier is failing for the ancient machines are coming to life again. Do you think that what we may have just witnessed is a breech in that magnetic barrier?”

Aeolus was surprised at the question. He had never thought of the storm and the barrier being linked. “May be,” Aeolus replied, looking out and seeing a glowing fog where the storm once raged in the open water. “There are powerful, unexplainable phenomena at work here. It could very well be. Maybe we are seeing the first indications that the Rising is imminent. If it is, then we may see more of these storms. I’m just happy it happened where it did. If that had happened here, it would have been catastrophic. I’m not sure that the Tower would have been enough shelter.”

Hanna nodded as a wave of sleepiness hit her with the storm’s departure. “You’re right,” she replied. “That would have been a disaster. I think the Almighty was merciful in not letting it come here.” She yawned widely, saying, “Oh, excuse me, Aeolus. I’ve gotten sleepy all of a sudden. I think I’d better get back to bed.”

“It’s quite all right,” Aeolus answered. “I suspect the magnetic fields fluctuations were what woke you and now that everything has settled down, you’ll be able to get back to sleep. Please get a good night’s sleep.”

“Thank you, my friend,” Hanna replied, patting Aeolus on the shoulder. “I could use it. I have a big day ahead of me.”

“That you do,” Aeolus agreed as Hanna walked away. “Hanna....”

Hanna turned back to Aeolus. “Yes, what is it?” she asked.

“The time has come for you to decide,” Aeolus declared. “The clock is ticking. This storm is a wake-up call for all of us. You must decide what it is you truly want, and then do it. You must finish what you started.”

“I know,” Hanna stated, walking back to Aeolus as he lowered his head to look her in the eye. “I don’t have time to pussyfoot around the issue anymore. Too many people are depending on me. I can’t be selfish any longer. It’s time for me to step up to the plate and be what the Almighty wants me to be. I will be starting the reversal tomorrow. I just hope Rachel understands what’s going to happen.”

“Ah, the little maimed girl from the dungeons,” Aeolus rumbled. “You adopted her, didn’t you?”

“I did,” Hanna declared. “She had no one and needs us. Of all the souls brought out of the Black Fortress, I heard her soul call out for help. I have to help her, but I don’t know that I can make her understand what I’m about to do.”

“What you did is a most noble gesture,” Aeolus stated. “And you’ve bonded to the little girl in your present form. I know you’ve tried to tell her and worry she won’t understand what’s about to happen to you. You shouldn’t fear. She understands better than you think. Just give her a chance. That little girl loves you so much for what you’ve given her. I find it astounding and even refreshing that you’ve awakened such love in her after what she’s endured. It shows who you truly are. As long as you let her see you truly, she will love you.”

“I know,” Hanna stated softly, yawning again. “Thanks for being candid with me, Aeolus. I truly appreciate it. It helps.”

“You’re most welcome,” Aeolus rumbled with a smile. “Now get back to bed. You’re about to fall asleep standing here.”

“Right,” Hanna murmured sleepily. “Good night, my friend.” Without saying another word, Hanna bowed to Aeolus and walked away, heading back to her quarters.

“Good night, sweet Hanna,” Aeolus whispered. “Your destiny is now set in motion. I’ll pray you find your way through the dark storm about to descend on us.”

When Hanna arrived in her quarters, she saw Rachel and Selina still asleep in the bed. Rachel moaned softly, but not waking. Hanna put the Hellion back on the weapon’s rack and hung the cloak up in the wardrobe. Flicking her sandals off, she crawled back into the bed next to Rachel, laying her head on the pillow. With a sigh, Hanna quickly fell asleep, pondering the strange event she witnessed from the roof of the Red Tower.