Legends of Amacia Rise of the Caverias
Chapter 49: The Question of Freedom

Four hours after diving into the labyrinth to find Muriel, Morpheus and those on Hanna’s team with the exception of Harry and Amelia became concerned by her prolonged absence. Even Aeolus secretly worried about Hanna’s absence. “We should go after her!” Hunter demanded energetically.

“No, we must stay here,” Morpheus returned with as much force. “We dare not enter the great unknown beyond the doors. The guardians are the pinnacle of the Cadre’s handiwork in creating the most lethal monsters. The....”

Morpheus found himself cut off as Hanna shouted out wearily from a distance, “It would have helped if you had given me just a little more information about the basilisks, mainly that there were more than one.” Harry and Amelia stood there with a smug looks of satisfaction on their faces. “I appreciate the thought, Hunter, but it would not have been a wise decision,” Hanna added. Morpheus and the team along with a dozen of the hybrids rushed forward as Hanna limped forward out of the passage, apparently alone.

A sigh of relief hissed from Aeolus as he watched Hanna approach.

“Were you successful, Miss Hanna?” Morpheus inquired.

“Where is Elle, Hanna?” Enoch asked with great concern. “Please don’t say that she was lost.”

Hanna touched both men on the arms saying, “Fear not, my friends. Our little venture into the outer darkness wasn’t in vain. Elle, could you and Muriel come out here please.” Hanna turned with a smile, looking first at the passage as Elle and Muriel came out, and then to the astonished faces of everyone, especially Aeolus and Tethys. Sᴇaʀᴄh thᴇ FindNøvᴇl.nᴇt website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

“By the Elder Gods of old; you did it!” Morpheus breathed. “You rescued her.”

Aeolus stood there dumbfounded as Muriel and Elle came forward to Hanna. Everyone gathered around, including all the drakens and hybrids. Dead silence reigned as Hanna looked at Muriel, and then Aeolus, saying, “What say you now, o wise and ancient draken? Have I not come to this land to free the captives and crush serpents? Muriel is a kind and gentle soul that has suffered for longer than any of you know. She is now free because of our God.”

Aeolus’ expression went from one of shock to great respect and admiration of Hanna. “Well done, Miss Beowulf. Very well done indeed,” he declared. “I figured you’d find her, but never thought you’d bring her out past the guardians.”

“What about the guardians?” Morpheus asked intensely with fear in his eyes.

Hanna saw the fear and put a hand on his shoulder, saying, “Fear not, old friend. There is only one left, and it is safely locked behind the gates.”

Gasps of shock came from everyone, including Aeolus. “What do you mean?” Tethys asked intently. “Surely, you didn’t slay them.”

Hanna turned to her and said loud enough for all to hear, “Yes, milady. I smote their ruin in the darkness of the caverns beyond the labyrinth. Three did I kill, though it was a very difficult thing to do. They were as fast as the Old Ones and just as powerful. Each basilisk was a hundred feet in length and five feet in breadth. Their heads were large enough to swallow me in a single bite. And they were immensely fast, faster than any snake I’ve ever seen before. They had teeth seven inches long and venom that can melt stone. They could also render one’s will useless if looked in the eye. The first one I slew almost killed Elle because of that hypnosis. Muriel had to physically restrain her, otherwise she would have walked out into the open and been devoured by the beast. At first, the scepter was useful because they were not used to the light, but when we were fleeing them, the light didn’t stop them. It’s only by the grace and mercy of the Almighty that we are still alive.”

“Then we should give thanks to the Almighty Ancient of Days for protecting you from such great peril,” Enoch said as he looked at Muriel with fascination.

Hanna looked around for Amelia, but didn’t see her immediately for she and Harry remained back. “Amelia? Where is Amelia?” Hanna said as the fatigue set in from the fight with the basilisks, causing her to lean heavily on the scepter, which was glowing softly.

“I am here,” Amelia said, coming forward through the crowd. When she reached Hanna, she was surprised at her condition. She hadn’t noticed it when Hanna first entered because she was at a distance when she first came in. “You look terrible,” Amelia said with a motherly concern. “Do you need a touch?”

Hanna shook her head, saying, “Maybe later. But there’s something I must know. What happened to your parents?” By this time, Amelia saw Muriel and was stunned, completely without words. “What happened?” Hanna asked again urgently.

As everyone went quiet, Amelia snapped out of her shock and said, “It was so long ago, but how could I forget such a thing. The Emperor’s raiders swooped in and my father was killed and my mother taken. I never saw her again.”

“How old were you when this happened?” Hanna probed.

“I was twenty,” Amelia replied with grief showing on her face.

“Can you tell us about your family?” Hanna asked softly.

Amelia wiped away a tear, and then said, “My father was Odin, King of Hyperborea and my mother was Persephone. I was the youngest of eight children: six boys and two girls. We kept our line going long after our lands were lost to the Kragonar. My ancestors stood with Thoth Caverias, the kings of Atlantis, Lemuria, Arionath, Khitia, Kasa Bek, Cushar, Elar, Myria, and the rest of the world in the battle of the Kragonar. Few survived that day, but my ancestors did and took refuge with the king of Elar and Calui where our line was safe until the Emperor managed to escape from the Blister Fields and resume his deadly goals. Several times, my family escaped his raiders but by time I was born, the kingdoms of Elar and Calui had been overrun, and we were on the run. I remember living most of my childhood in the ancient ruins of Midgard with several hundred other families. It was a peaceable time until the raiders came. My father was killed, as were three of my brothers. The others were taken with me and my mother and I saw none of them again. I was twenty when it happened and since then, up until I first met you, I have lived a perpetual nightmare. You, my friend and precious sister, saved me out of that nightmare.”

Hanna interrupted, asking, “How old were your parents when this happened?”

Amelia suddenly knew where Hanna was going with the line of questioning. “My father was seventy and my mother was fifty,” she stated.

Hanna rubbed her chin, puzzling over the information. Aeolus watched with fascination as she sought to unravel the puzzle of Muriel. “Has the Emperor taken anyone else that you know of: grandparents or great grandparents? I know by your great age that it is possible for people to live three or four hundred cycles. Muriel here has the distinction of being the oldest person here with at least six hundred in that hole down there. Who knows how much older she is because, like you, Amelia, the Cadre robbed her of her past. The reason for all these questions is the resemblance between the two of you. Surely, you can’t look into her face and see your own beyond the mutations and machinery.”

Amelia stepped closer to Muriel and looked intensely at her. Muriel was more than interested in Amelia, to the point that she gave Amelia a gentle telepathic prod. Amelia’s face lit up and she cried out, “You are telepathic!” Muriel nodded without saying a word.

Suddenly, Hanna’s legs began to fail her while Amelia and Muriel were engaged telepathically with each other. Enoch and Hunter immediately reached out and caught her. “You don’t look good, little sister,” Enoch said as he and Hunter helped Hanna stand.

“I know, Enoch,” Hanna replied, wheezing some. “I wasn’t completely healed up from the fight with the Old Ones in the pit when I went down there. That fight has drained my strength and may have injured me further in ways I don’t rightly know.”

“Amelia, we need your unique talents here,” Enoch called out. “Hanna is hurt more than she’s letting on.”

Amelia snapped out of her fascination with Muriel, turning and rubbing her hands together. As she approached, she carefully reached out telepathically to ascertain where the problems were. Everyone watched with fascination, especially Muriel as Amelia stopped in front of Hanna, looking her in the eye, saying, “You know the drill, Hanna. This may sting a bit.” Amelia reached out, put her hands on each side of Hanna’s face, and Hanna flinched visibly at it. She groaned as her back arched and her whole body felt like it was on fire. Amelia closed her eyes as she held on to Hanna, calling upon all her strength. The crowd held their breath as Amelia moaned as well. Hanna writhed with the pain of the touch initially, and then sighed as Amelia let her go. Hanna slumped in the arms of Enoch and Hunter; her legs failing her after Amelia let go. Carver and Ned caught Amelia at the same time when her legs buckled.

“What strange magic is this?” Morpheus asked; mystified by what had happened.

In a few moments, both Hanna and Amelia recovered, standing under their own power. “This, Morpheus, is the gift of the Lord to Amelia,” Hanna said as she took Amelia by the hand. “Thank you, Amelia. Once again, you have proven your loyalty and worth to us. I really needed that. I perceive that I’m still not healed completely, but you have stabilized my condition to the point I can function. Thank you.”

Amelia smiled, saying weakly as her strength slowly returned, “You are most welcome, little sister, anytime. At least you were not infested like the last time.”

Amelia’s comments mystified Morpheus, prompting him to ask, “What does she mean? Can you please explain to us what has happened?”

Hanna smiled. “Do not fear that which you do not understand, Morpheus,” she replied pleasantly. “I can see your puzzlement. Amelia is a telepathic healer. Her gift is the gift of the Almighty and a great gift it is. Understand…sometimes, the Ancient of Days gives gifts and abilities to people. With those gifts go great responsibilities. He expects those who receive the gifts to use them wisely and righteously to His glory, not their own. Amelia is the daughter of Odin, King of Hyperborea and is the only woman ever to escape the Harem and the Cadre before me. She has lived three hundred and fifty cycles, most of those in the hands of the Cadre. When I first met her, she had no past or future. Her name was not Amelia, but Myra. She was and still is wife to the Cimmerian chieftain, Xavier. When we first met her, I knew there was more to her than met the eye, so while I was still young with my telepathic gift, I touched her mind, and saw the devastation the Cadre caused her identity; devastation I now am intimately aware of because something similar nearly happened to me. We discussed it and with her permission, my wife Selina, her father Nathanael, and the guardian of Arionath Argus, and I launched a telepathic assault on the monolith that imprisoned her identity. It was a great black tower in her mind. We all saw it and I had my first lesson in telepathic warfare. I remember my precious Selina teaching me that in the plane of the mind, normal rules do not apply. In that realm, the mind is all powerful, and capable of anything. I learned much with that incident. Prayer is a powerful weapon. With the prayers of Nicodemus, the Elders of Arionath, and the people strengthening us, we smote the Cadre’s monolith in pieces, freeing her mind and identity. Before her identity was freed, Myra had the healing gift, but lacked the control needed to use it efficiently. Amelia was her controlling aspect of it because Amelia is telepathic and in tandem with the healing gift, it is a very potent and useful tool.

“Now like her, I too, have been endowed with gifts by the Almighty,” Hanna continued to explain to all. “My whole life has been leading up to this time. In the beginning when I was still a man, I was the enemy...an agent of evil in league with the spirits and men that serve the Emperor. I learned the Black Arts like no other man in history. With that power, I became the most powerful wizard assassin ever to walk the face of the Earth. My power as a wizard was every bit as comparable to Ahriaman, but Providence had other plans for me. The Lord God Ancient of Days literally ripped me from the evil world of darkness, placing on the right side of the fence. I have always been gifted with the understanding of complex machinery. I have always been able to sense danger, and as a wizard, I had all the powers of a wizard. When the Lord removed me from that, I lost all my occult powers. Telepathy, telekinesis, levitation, invisibility were all mine as a wizard. When I was expunged of the demons that gave me those powers, I lost those powers, but retained those gifts I had before going into the evil occult world. The Almighty bestowed those gifts on me. As I grew in the strength of our God, I quickly found out that with Him was where the real power was. In the days following my turning from the evil to the good, He hid my presence from my enemies. For twenty-seven cycles, I remained hidden from their evil sight and was permitted to grow and fulfill my purpose: to find Amacia. Shortly after I found the Temple of Tiamat, the Lord finally let them see me and since then, they have been in a fury to destroy me. I now know why I have come to this savage land. As part of my schooling and training to deal with the Emperor, I was permitted to use the portal generators in Tiamat to find the home of the Lynxian race, and ironically my kin. I rescued my wife and her father from a burning starship that was about to be consumed in the destruction of their entire planetary system. Little did I know that the Lynxian woman I rescued that fateful day was to be my wife by the decree of the Almighty. What is even more astounding is that she and I are nearly exact replicas of Thoth and Ariel Caverias. I resisted it for the longest time until the Roc came and delivered the signet to me along with this locket.”

Hanna reached in her coat and pulled the Caverias locket out, removing it from her neck and opening it. Hanna handed it to Morpheus, who was awed by the resemblance, not having seen it closely the last time Hanna showed him the locket. He handed it back to Hanna, who beckoned Muriel to come forward. “See the ghosts of my past from before the Kragonar,” Hanna stated, handing Muriel the locket. Muriel took the locket gently and looked upon the pictures of Thoth, Ariel, and their children with shock. She looked at the picture, then at Hanna, and then back to the picture. She did this several times, and then gently closed the locket, handing it back to Hanna.

“Surely, there is no doubt now,” Muriel murmured, awestruck by the revelation, “The line has come full circle; the end is declared in the beginning. Milady has freed her humble servant from her everlasting tomb. How can I ever repay you?”

Hanna smiled at Muriel, saying, “Well, first off, you don’t have to call me milady, but if you want to, I’ll permit it. Number two: you don’t owe me anything. The Lord of Hosts...the Almighty Ancient of Days declared your freedom from before the foundations of the world. He just chose me to implement it. And finally, number three: we are not done freeing you yet, my dear. In fact, I’m far from being done freeing those who need to be freed. You all are captives here, are you not?”

Morpheus was stunned and Aeolus was once more without words. Tethys spoke for them, saying, “Yes, Miss Beowulf. We are all prisoners here and have been for all our lives, whether we be draken, hybrid, or normal. We are all prisoners here. In fact, we were discussing this very topic with your brother Enoch right after you left to find Muriel.”

Hanna put the locket back around her neck and stowed it under her shirt. “Is that so?” she asked. “What did Enoch say?”

“He graciously offered us sanctuary at the Red Tower,” Aeolus reported. “But he also strongly suggested that we wait until you returned because he thought you may have an idea about how to free us.”

“Is that what you said, brother?” Hanna asked Enoch.

“I did,” Enoch answered, “It seemed to be the right thing to do, but because you are the true heir, I decided it would be best to let you make the decision.”

Hanna sighed, feeling a prick of fear in her heart. “Ah...the burden of being the heir to the Caverias throne; how I wish I could walk away, but I can’t. My conscience and the Lord won’t let me,” she murmured. Patting Enoch on the arm, she added, “Never fear, brother; I will not shirk this responsibility. I’m in too deep to back out now. I agree with your decision, Enoch. We must help these people and noble creatures now that we know they’re prisoners. Are you sure you want this, Enoch?”

Enoch smiled, patting Hanna on the shoulder. “I swore to help you take down the Emperor, Hanna. I do not back out on my word. I offered them sanctuary. I’ll not back out on it now that I know you approve. Is the word given?”

“It is,” Hanna declared. “Let our rebellion begin.” All those present stared in wonder as Hanna promoted open rebellion against the Emperor. Turning to Morpheus, Aeolus, Muriel, and the prisoners of Acheron, Hanna stated, “We are all prisoners in one way or another. Now is the time of our rebellion against those who keep us prisoner. As I told Muriel before leading her out of her solitary confinement, I have come to set the captives free and crush the serpents of evil underfoot. You are captives, just as Muriel was. The question that I put to you all is simple: Will you be free from your imprisonment? Will you be our ally against the terror of the Emperor, because of whom you all are here? I will say this with certainty. The Emperor’s days are numbered and those days are rapidly waning into oblivion. Now, who wants to be free? Who believes that the Ancient of Days can and will free you?”

Harry watched with a smile and a great deal of respect as Hanna placed the question before them. For nearly two minutes, there was awed silence. “And just so you will know, right outside of this citadel are the people of Arionath,” Hanna informed everyone. “They had to abandon their home because the Emperor overran the great city of Kaal Bek, just as he overran Cush in Cushar where I was captured, and the lands of Zin and Khitia. The Emperor is on his last campaign to stamp out all resistance to his rule. Anyone that does not believe that he is God will die if he is allowed to move unchecked. The people of Arionath came here to Acheron at my suggestion and we used the ancient machines to do it. In the process of evacuating the people through the portal to this city, we set a booby trap and gave the Emperor a very large bloody nose. As I understand, he sent one hundred thousand troops and our trap wiped out half of them. Now, he has massed the most destructive and terrible army in existence and is coming here to annihilate every living thing here. The Emperor means to turn all lands into Blister Fields and wastelands, crushing all who oppose him. Our future and the future of the peoples of the surface lay in the balance. Every decision we make now will have a profound impact on the course of history of this planet.

“Understand my friends, we are witnessing the ending an age. All the long countless centuries of not just you being imprisoned here is ending, but also the imprisonment of the Emperor in this underground realm is ending. In the very close future, we shall all see the sky again: the real sky with the sun, moon, and stars. Amacia will rise from her grave to the surface. The question is this: not will it rise as the writings have foretold, but when and when it does, will the Emperor be allowed to run roughshod over the whole of the planet and galaxy as he did in the days of old, releasing the Old Ones in his quest for total dominion. Understand this: I know the spirit that possesses the Emperor. He will destroy all life from off the face of the Earth if permitted in order to destroy me. I am the personification of his enemy, who is really the Lord God Ancient of Days. I am just a vessel in His mighty hands and will allow Him to pour me out to the fullest if He desires. Oh, there’s so much that you all don’t know and there is so little time to tell it. Now once again, who will be free and stand with us?”

Hanna’s passionate speech moved Aeolus’ ancient heart. Her candor and grasp of the situation at large impressed the ancient draken. Aeolus lumbered forward a couple of steps, saying, “For twelve thousand cycles I have been imprisoned here. I wish to see the sky once more, the real sky before I die. I’m with you, little sister.”

Tethys immediately fell in beside Aeolus, saying, “You have wisdom far beyond that of an ordinary woman, Miss Beowulf. It is obvious that it is not of you, but of your God. You have made a believer out of me. I will stand with you. What say you, my children? Are you ready to stand with Miss Beowulf and Her God?” There was a spontaneous roar from all of the young drakens to the positive.

Turning to Morpheus, Hanna asked, “What say you, Morpheus? Will you and your people be free? Will you be our friend and stand with us against the Emperor in the power of our God? It’s a chance to finally get some retribution for everything the Emperor did to us and our ancestors. What say you?”

Morpheus was stunned and he turned to his people, who numbered nearly three hundred and fifty, asking, “What say you, my friends? Do we stay, or do we stand with Miss Beowulf?”

It started with a single voice near the front of the group. An avian hybrid man called out, “I stand with Miss Beowulf! I would be free from this prison.”

Another spoke up, a woman that appeared to be normal with the exception of pointed ears and feline eyes, saying, “Freedom we have all dreamed of, father. We must not let this chance slip through our fingers. I stand with the One. I stand with the Last Caverias.”

In a second, a roar erupted from the crowd crying, “Freedom! We stand with Miss Beowulf!”

Aeolus watched the hope of escaping their prison spread through the people like wildfire fanned by a tempest. A smile crossed his face because he too felt the hope rising within him. Morpheus raised his hands and whistled to get everyone’s attention. They quieted down and he said, “All right. Those who want to leave say I.”

A thunderous “I” erupted from the people.

“Those who want to stay say nay,” Morpheus ordered and the place was quiet as a tomb. Turning then to Hanna with a satisfied look that everyone wanted to leave, he said, “Well, it looks like it is unanimous, little sister. We want to be free of this place and its terrors.”

Hanna nodded with a smile, saying, “Good, good. But be warned now. This is not going to be a picnic. We are officially at war with the Emperor. My life, your lives, and the lives of all those who do not bow to him are on the line. It’s going to be a hard fought, bloody fight. He’s going to unleash his most dangerous weapons to destroy us, especially after I reverse his mutation of me, and snatch my wife and all who wish to leave the City of the Damned right from under his nose.”

A voice cried from the crowd, “It is because of that demon that we are here. Any way I can help you put him in his place, I will do it.”

Hanna heard a rumble of approval from the crowd, including the young drakens. “Good. We need that courage,” she stated. “But you can be sure of one thing. Vengeance belongs to our God. He sits high and looks low. He sees all and knows all. However, when the stench of man’s wickedness rises as an affront to his holiness and justice, He comes down, and delivers His people, pouring out his wrath on the wicked. The obvious example is the Kragonar. Remember the cataclysm. He wiped the surface clean in that event, leaving only a handful to repopulate it. But for some reason I am yet to fully understand, he preserved this land, including you, the Emperor, and all the peoples of this land in this great underground. All I know is that He has His people in every land, nation, tribe, tongue, creed, and species even here. When I first begun my search for this fabled land, I did not even consider what I might find when I came. I certainly didn’t expect to find living people down here or come here initially to be a savior or a king or queen. I came as a peaceful explorer. But now, the Lord God Ancient of Days has revealed my purpose for coming here: to spirit His remnant out of the Emperor’s grasp for all time. You, all of you, have fallen into that category; otherwise, I would not be here. Now, gather your belongings. We will leave this place within the hour.”

“But how will we leave? There’s no way to get out,” a voice called out.

Hanna smiled and answered with great authority, “Do not worry about that, my fine lad. One of the gifts I have received from the Almighty is that He has made me Master of the Machinery. I have an understanding of the ancient machines and know how to use them to our benefit. It’s how I escaped the abyss where I fell. You all will have a demonstration of this within the hour when I call for the portal. I have a friend, who waits for my call on this.” She pulled out the communicator and held it high so everyone could see. “This device allows me to talk to my brothers at the Red Tower where the portal generator is. Now, go and gather your things quickly. We have little time left.” A rumble spread through the crowd and it dispersed as the people went for their meager belongings. Hanna turned to Morpheus as he began to walk away. “Morpheus, how many do you have total between you people and the drakens?” she asked.

Morpheus stopped and replied, “There are three hundred and fifty-one of us and twenty-five drakens, including Aeolus and Tethys.”

Hanna nodded, saying, “All right. Thank you.” Morpheus nodded and walked away as Amelia, Harry, Hunter, Enoch, and the rest of Hanna’s team gathered around Hanna. Aeolus moved in closer to listen to them speak.

“Okay, Enoch...this is your last chance,” Hanna stated bluntly. “You offered these people sanctuary at Antilla. Are you sure about this? I definitely think a brief stay at Antilla for these people would be the wisest choice for now.”

“I stand by my word,” Enoch replied soberly. “Antilla and the Red Tower have more than enough capability to sustain this group. Besides, the people of Arionath and the Cimmerians may not take too well to this group because of their somewhat bizarre appearance. I know the Cimmerians may take them to be Murians and go on the warpath.”

“I would agree with you on that,” Carver stated. “One look at them and my people will think just that. We have been at war with the Murians for tens of thousands of cycles.”

“I see what you mean,” Hanna murmured, “But at some point, all groups are going to have to unite against the Emperor if we mean to survive.”

Muriel stood beside Hanna, listening to her plight. “Uh, milady, if I might make a suggestion,” she intruded gently.

Hanna turned to her, giving Muriel her full attention, saying, “Yes Muriel? What do you have to say? Maybe your wisdom can help us resolve this dilemma.”

“Well, milady...the Red Tower has protected Antilla since the Kragonar. The Emperor cannot see there,” Muriel stated softly. “Everyone who knows of its existence knows this.” Enoch nodded, acknowledging the truth of her statement. “You have also said that the Emperor is coming here to Acheron to wipe all of us out, including the people of Arionath that have taken refuge here,” she continued. “It seems to me that we need a safe place to put the people and I cannot see any safer place than Antilla for the moment. It’s isolated and far from the Emperor’s reach. Moreover, Antilla would be a good place for you to let the groups meet for the first time. It is safe and large enough to accommodate all. Better we meet in a safe place than in a place of imminent peril.”

Hanna nodded in agreement, impressed with her logical deduction. “I knew your wisdom would be a great help to us,” she chimed. “That’s indeed what we need, but the time of the Rising is close at hand. Srandi is where we need to be ultimately. I was told that there would be the safest place.”

Muriel’s eyes grew round as Hanna’s team looked at her, and then each other. “Srandi!” Muriel breathed. “Oh, that’s a name I haven’t heard since my imprisonment. Do you know what lies at Srandi?”

“Not exactly,” Hanna replied. “But I do know that I’ve seen it in my dreams and in the dreams it is where we are making our stand against the Emperor and his unholy legions.”

Muriel’s mouth dropped, and then she replied in awe, “You dreamed of it?”

Hanna nodded, saying, “Yes. I know not what is there except the fortress and that we are hopelessly outnumbered by the Emperor’s army.”

Muriel touched Hanna on the hand, saying, “Srandi is the fortress of the Caverias line. It is where Thoth made his last stand. Fabled to exist within the walls of Srandi are the weapons of Caverias, which legend says were forged by the gods themselves. The fortress itself is a weapon. There’s only one other fortress that is larger and more protected than it and that is the Black Fortress in the City of the Damned. If you are dreaming of the fortress, then we must follow through on it. You have been following the crumbs of the Caverias line through dreams and relics. You have pieces with you…ancient relics and artifacts that baffle you. Your answers lie there in that fortress.”

Hanna stopped cold, for she had not told her of the Relic or any of the other strange pieces that she’d found. “How did you know that I had those relics?” she asked pointedly.

Muriel smiled, saying, “Don’t forget, I am telepathic too. I sensed it just now as you was speaking about Srandi. You dropped your guard and I sensed it. You’re very powerful, milady, but inexperienced. Don’t drop your guard like that again...not to me or anyone. The Emperor can make use of such lapses. Discipline yourself.”

Hanna was shocked at her words, and then she smiled. Muriel’s words reminded her of Selina’s instructions concerning telepathy. “Thank you, Muriel,” Hanna replied gratefully. “You are right. I did let my guard down there for a second. I appreciate your candor. I will work on it.”

Muriel smiled, saying, “You learn quickly, sister. It is good that you can take criticism and apply it fruitfully.”

“I have not lived as long as you have, but I have learned one inescapable truth in my short life,” Hanna stated. “And that is there’s always someone smarter, wiser, and more powerful than you are. I can ill afford to lose sight of that. When I lose sight of that fact, that’s when I’m in trouble. Therefore, I endeavor to learn all I can from those who are older, wiser, smarter, and more powerful than I am when they offer advice or criticism. I am always open to wisdom and truth, no matter where they come from. Even the vilest demon can show truth, even if it’s trying to deceive you with it.”

A very impressed look came over Muriel’s face as she said, “You truly have wisdom beyond your years. Not a truer statement has ever been made and you know the wisdom of it well.”

Hanna looked down in a bashful way, saying, “Oh, it’s not my wisdom that comes out, but the Lord’s. He is why I’m the way I am. I had nothing to do with it. I’m just along for the ride.”

Muriel’s eyes sparkled as she began to grasp who Hanna really was. “Humble and modest too,” Muriel crowed. “There couldn’t be a more noble combination of traits in a woman. Truly, you are the One, milady. Truly, you are the Last Caverias.”

Hanna smiled, putting a friendly hand on Muriel’s shoulder. “So I’m told,” she replied softly, feeling the acute pressure and responsibility of being the Last Caverias. A chill raced down Hanna’s spine as she realized what she would do in the next days and weeks would literally affect the fate of billions of souls. It caused her to shudder and utter a silent prayer for strength to do what she knew was coming.

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