Legends of Amacia The Awakening
Chapter 10 Myra’s Near-Death Experience

Myra’s Near-Death Experience

Ten minutes after leaving the infirmary, Hanna and Selina entered the barracks where the Harem women resided. They looked around, seeing a large circular dome-shaped room covering half an acre rising thirty feet in height. Around the perimeter of the room, Hanna and Selina saw numerous exits to what they figured where the individual quarters. Sofas, love seats, recliners, chairs, and coffee tables lay spread around the main room. Thick shag carpets made from animal skins lay on the floor and beautiful tapestries hung from the walls. Several giant crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling, lighting the room. Most of the women from the Harem sat lounging on the furniture and on the shag carpets. Hanna instantly noticed everyone was clothed modestly, wearing dresses, shorts, trousers, blouses, or swimwear. They’d clustered into groups, as they had in the Harem.

Trinity happened to look towards the entrance from her seat, seeing Hanna and Selina as they entered. “Sisters, look!” she cried with delight. “It’s Hanna and Selina!” A silence fell over the room as every eye fell upon Hanna and Selina.

“Hi, everyone,” Hanna called out amiably. “Sorry I haven’t been able to come see you before now. So much has happened since the raid that I have hardly had time to think.”

“We know what you and Selina have been dealing with,” Izanami called out from her recliner. “Emma and Elle both explained everything. We’re very relieved that Miss Josephine was able to purge those shebats from you both.”

“So are we,” Selina agreed. “They weren’t nice at all.”

“No, they weren’t,” Hanna agreed.

“Come on over and join us,” Izanami ordered in a friendly manner. “You’re always welcome here. You’re one of us.”

Hanna rolled Selina over to Izanami, stopping Selina beside Izanami’s chair. The recliners sat in a large circle with the Harem leaders sitting in each. A dozen other women sat on the plush carpets around the recliners and in the middle. Myra sat next to Izanami in her recliner with Tasha, Sakura, Jasmine, Hitomi, and Trinity sitting in the other chairs around the circle. The chairs sat far enough apart for someone to walk between them. Their faces shined with delight at Hanna and Selina’s arrival. Izanami, Myra, and Tasha looked weak, but much better than they had a few days before. The others seemed to have recovered well from their ordeal in the Harem. Hanna immediately walked to Myra and knelt beside her recliner. “I’m so sorry I couldn’t see you when you first woke, Myra,” Hanna apologized. “Between Selina, Josephine, and this last bout with the shebats, time just ran away with me.”

“It’s quite all right,” Myra murmured, smiling soberly. “Josephine needed you far more than I did. But I’m glad you decided to come see me now. I’d begun to think you’d forgotten about me.”

“Never,” Hanna replied. “I could never forget you, Izanami, Tasha, or anyone here. You’re my sisters who taught me how to survive my mutation. Without you, I would’ve folded like a bad hand of cards. How are you feeling, Myra?”

“Okay, I guess,” Myra said softly. “I’m still weak and don’t have much use of my legs. But I can use my arms and hands now, which is much more than I could do before. It puzzles me why that healing machine failed to fully heal me.”

“Myra’s not the only one who had the machine stop short on healing them,” Izanami stated. “All of us who made use of it have similar complaints. It repaired most of our injuries, but didn’t restore our strength or our ability to walk. Emma said you suspected a damaged circuit in the machine or something along that line. Did it do the same to you?”

“It did,” Hanna said bluntly. “It healed Selina and I mostly, but like you, didn’t give us back our full strength, nor did it restore Selina’s ability to walk. It’s really weird because the healing machines we have at Tiamat would have fully restored my strength, and would have definitely restored Selina’s ability to walk. I’m just as curious about that minor malfunction myself. Maybe it has to do with the magnetic field that seals off the caverns from the rest of the world. Or maybe, like Emma suggested, there’s a damaged circuit that keep it from operating at full capacity. It’s something I’m definitely going to have to look into. Other than the obvious problem with the Healer not completing the healing cycle, is everything else all right?”

Myra flashed a troubled smile. “We’re more than all right,” she replied. “We’re free; truly free thanks to you. You’ve given us our lives back. We’re forever in your debt.”

Hanna smiled. “No, you aren’t,” she answered solemnly, “...none of you are. We’re family and I did what anyone would do for their brothers and sisters in need. I rescued you because I loved you and it was the right thing to do, not to put you in debt to me. Besides, I was only acting as the hand of the Ancient of Days when I freed you. It was His power, not mine, that freed you. If there’s anyone you should feel indebted to, it’s Him. I sure am because there’s no way I could have done that in my own strength.”

Myra touched Hanna on the shoulder, smiling. “But you were the instrument of our freedom,” she declared. “Without your courage and faith in the Almighty, we would still be prisoners or worse. We all thank you and give your God all the praise we can muster for your daring raid that rescued us and crippled the Emperor’s operations. We owe you and your God our very lives, particularly me. I vaguely remember, like a dream, when you came to the Harem and cut us down from the pillars. I remember hearing your voice as the darkness took me. Your voice pulled me back from the abyss of death that I knew was about to take me.” Myra became very subdued as she paused...the room becoming very quiet as everyone gathered around to hear Myra’s testimony. “I thought I was hallucinating when I heard your voice,” Myra murmured, terror rising in her voice. “I saw the veil of this world torn from my eyes, revealing what awaited me. I saw them...I saw them, demon monsters, fiends without number or end all around me! The Harem fell away and I saw the Abyss below me, a fiery swirling disk with a black hole in its middle that seemed to reach out for me.” Tears started flowing as Myra began sobbing hysterically. “The creatures,” she wept, “...the monstrous fiends swarmed out of the pit carrying black chains with which to imprison me. They mocked my terror, telling me they were going to carry me into the very center of the Abyss where even the Ancient of Days couldn’t reach me!”

Hanna moved closer and sat down with Myra, putting her arm around her. “Let it out, sis,” she cooed to Myra, “You must let it out and share it with us. I know the Abyss you speak of because I’ve seen it myself. It’s a place of horrendous fear, pain, madness, and nightmares so heinous no mortal soul should ever experience it. Few mortal souls ever see it without being taken by it. And those of us who do escape it are haunted by it for the rest of their days.”

“You’ve seen the Abyss?” Izanami asked, utterly shocked by Hanna’s declaration.

“I have,” Hanna replied severely, a grim look on her face matching her tone. “I saw it long ago when I was an agent of the Darkness before I turned to the Light. I’m still haunted by the memories of it. Only the Almighty gives me the strength to endure it.”

“I’m sure He does,” Izanami agreed. “You surprise me yet again, Hanna.”

“I surprise even myself at times,” Hanna admitted solemnly. “The Abyss is not a place to trifle with. It’s not of this universe, but of a reality so alien to us it cannot be fathomed by our finite minds. Myra obviously saw a glimpse of it just as we took her down from the pillar. Only the mercy and intervention of the Almighty rescued her. Are you going to be okay, Myra?”

“I honestly don’t know,” Myra wept after calming down enough to reply. “You actually saw it?”

“I did,” Hanna answered solemnly. “Even as an agent of the Darkness, it was exceptionally dangerous to get too close to the Abyss. It would swallow you whole, body and soul if allowed. I remember a festering malignant evil emanating from its center so heinous that just a glimpse would paralyze me with an icy numbness while torturing my mind and soul with images and sensations so terrible I cannot give words to describe it. It makes what I endured on the sex floor and in the Emperor’s infernal kitchen look like a paradise. Is that what you felt when you saw it?”

“Yes!” Myra sobbed hysterically. “I saw them...the infernal beasts, felt the malignant evil and its hunger for my very soul. It wanted to destroy me utterly.”

“I know they did,” Hanna cooed. “But they didn’t get to you. What happened?”

“You did,” Myra cried, tears flowing freely. “Just as they surrounded the pillar to chain me, a brilliant light burst into the hellish red darkness surrounding me, driving them back just as they were about to take me. Your voice boomed out of the sky as if you were the Ancient of Days Himself. They could not approach while the light surrounded me. It sent them into a rage. Then their leader rushed the light to its peril and plunged its clawed hand into my chest, trying to rip my heart and soul out of my chest. But I heard your voice boom, ‘NO! You can’t have her! Come out of her, you demon, in the name of Jesus of Nazareth, and never enter her again!’ At the same time, the light became blinding as a searing pain filled my chest. The Abyss vanished and the next thing I remember is you holding me in your arms and me telling Nemesis that my pain was off the scale. After that, I remembered nothing until I awoke in the infirmary. Oh, Hanna, was that truly real? Did I really die and see the Abyss?”

Hanna embraced Myra warmly, touching her forehead to Myra’s forehead. “Yes,” she said softly. “I saw you die. Your heart stopped along with your breathing. By the very fact you remember me telling the demon it couldn’t have you indicates to me that you indeed see the Abyss in a near-death experience. I thank the Almighty Ancient of Days He pulled you back when He did. A second longer and you would have been beyond reach. I suspect the vision of the Abyss was because we were inside the heart of the Emperor’s domain where his demoniac power is at its strongest. The demon spirit possessing the Emperor is second in command to Lucifer, who lies imprisoned in the very center of that black pit. It truly shows our God’s power that He reached in and snatched you away from the brink of the Abyss. He saw fit to spare you. I can only pray that those who died in the rescue on our side didn’t have their souls snared by the demons of the Abyss.”

“I’m sure they didn’t,” Izanami stated, thunderstruck by Myra’s incredible testimony. “If the Almighty Ancient of Days snatched Myra from the clutches of the Abyss, then surely He will have taken those who believed in Him before the demon creatures of the Abyss found their souls.”

“We must have faith that the Lord took our friends to Paradise when they fell,” Selina reassured. “For some strange reason, it seems Myra was allowed to see the Abyss while others didn’t have to endure that. No one I’ve spoken to since I became aware after the rescue ever admitted to seeing the Abyss. Those I’ve spoken to who have had near-death experiences because of their wounds always spoke of a tunnel of light and old friends and family greeting them before they came back. We need to discover why Myra had this vision in order to determine what it means.”

“Selina is right,” Hanna agreed, rocking Myra gently to calm her down. “Myra’s near-death vision of the Abyss is a warning of some kind. I’m sure of it. But what it is eludes me for the moment. All I can say is Myra was right to share this with us. She doesn’t have the strength or fortitude to keep such a horrendous vision to herself. How do you feel now, Myra, that you’ve shared this horror with us?”

Myra wiped her nose with a handkerchief she had in her pocket. “I feel strangely better,” she admitted. “Fact is I really didn’t remember it until you came in here and told us that the Almighty was why we were free and not you...that you were only an instrument. The memory opened up as if someone smashed open the doors of my memory. Why I saw that horrible place I can’t even begin to tell you. But I can say that since I awoke, I’ve felt a terrible depressing weight on me, crushing my very soul. Now, it’s gone and I don’t feel so alone and abandoned.”

“You’ll never be alone,” Hanna declared, holding Myra’s hand. “You have all your sisters here, and you have us. We will never abandon you.” Everyone chimed in universal agreement to Hanna’s declaration. “We’re sisters and family,” she added, “...so just remember when the Darkness tries to make you feel alone and abandoned, don’t believe it. It’s just the demons trying to take your hope away.”

“But what do I do with this horrid experience?” Myra asked. “How do I deal with it?”

Hanna sighed, knowing very well what happens when one sees the Abyss. “Unfortunately, you can’t un-see the Abyss,” she reported grimly. “Once you’ve see it, it will become part of you whether you like it or not. Believe me; I know this from brutal experience. All I can say is to ask the Almighty Ancient of Days for the wisdom and strength to deal with this burden, and a burden it will be. Ask our God for help to understand it and not be afraid of it. He let you see the Abyss for a specific reason, Myra. Get Him to explain why you needed to see it. Then, if you need, share the burden with those you trust. You have already shared it with us, your sisters. Together, we can help you carry this burden, just as you help me with the burden I carry. Our God loves it when we help one another carry burdens like this. It shows our love of light, life, each other, and Him. You can do this. Who knows, the Almighty may have shown you something important to us all with this vision of the Abyss that hasn’t been made plain yet.”

“Those are inspired words, Hanna,” Izanami said with great awe. “You should pay attention to them, Myra. We are all here to help you carry this weight, just as we’ve help Hanna carry her burden. Why didn’t you tell us before now?”

“Because I didn’t remember it before now,” Myra replied softly, embracing Hanna gratefully. “Why I remembered it now is a mystery. Fact is I could have done without remembering it. I would have definitely been happier without remembering it.”

“But it would have still weighed you down,” Hanna stated. “Even unremembered events can come back to haunt you in the worst possible way. Trust me; I’m the primary example of that. It’s one of the reasons I was mutated. I think the Lord wanted you to remember it now because there was something important that needed to be seen. Maybe it was that His mighty hand could reach even to the Abyss. I’m sure we’ll eventually figure out why you had this terrible vision at the point of death. But for now, let’s leave it alone. There are much better things to talk about than the realm of the Damned in an alternate reality.”

“Amen to that,” Selina chimed. “We needn’t burden ourselves any more than we have to with talk of that Pit. Let’s not tempt the Almighty with talk of things we’re not ready to understand.”

“Well, said, sis,” Hanna chimed, giving Myra a friendly squeeze with her arm. “Just be happy we escaped the Emperor and his infernal minions. They will pay for their evil when the time is right.”

“I think the Emperor is already starting to pay for it,” Sakura declared. “I just pray I’m alive when that beast falls. He doesn’t deserve to live for what he’s done to us and the rest of the world.”

“Believe me, you all will see that day with your own eyes,” Hanna insisted. “My rescue mission was just the beginning. The Emperor’s days are numbered. The Almighty is not going to let the atrocities the Emperor’s committed stand without retribution. He’s going to get off His throne that sits above the highest heaven and come down to deal with the Emperor personally. He’s going to make all of this right.”

“Your faith still astounds me, Hanna,” Izanami declared. “It’s an inspiration to us all. Furthermore, you continue to help us when we need you. Myra truly needed you these last several days, and now we know why. Her apparent brush with the afterlife has been weighing on her heavily. Now, I can see she’s in a much better mood now that she’s shared her experience with us and you.”

“Indeed,” Myra agreed. “I don’t feel like the Darkness is swallowing my soul now. Moreover, I just love being with Hanna. Her very presence is soothing to me.”

“It is to all of us,” Jasmine called out. “She makes me feel good just to be around her.” Many of the other women agreed with Jasmine and Myra.

“It’s Hanna’s light and goodness,” Selina explained. “We’re all feeling it and like it. That’s why I was drawn to Hannibal to begin with. I could feel his light and goodness even though he didn’t seem to feel it himself. Now, with his mutation into Hanna, he’s now learning to see what I saw in him, and to make peace with who he is.”

“I cannot argue with that, princess,” Hanna agreed. “Since my mutation, I’ve learned to look very closely at my mind and soul. Making peace with it is proving to be a challenge though. At times, I still have difficulty seeing what all of you see in me, especially when that Rage gets on me.” A deep, solemn sigh escaped her lips. “I know what I must do, but I fear doing it,” she admitted.

“You fear what you’re becoming, don’t you?” Izanami asked bluntly.

“I do,” Hanna stated grimly. “In a way, I envy all of you. You know who and what you are, and what you’re capable of. Me, I’m different in ways I still don’t yet comprehend. What am I supposed to be...a human or something else? What is with this 24th chromosome that I have, not to mention the alien DNA spliced into my human DNA? Furthermore, this power surging through me scares me tremendously. No human or anything else for that matter should wield this power. There’s a saying on the surface that goes like this: Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. I’m getting dangerously close to wielding absolute power and I fear it will corrupt my soul and send me back into the Darkness for all eternity. I don’t want to lose my soul again, or hurt anyone with this power.”

“Ah,” Izanami chimed in understanding. “Now, we see what’s truly troubling you.” She sat up and shifted position, letting her feet hit the floor. Leaning toward Hanna, Izanami put a caring hand on her shoulder as she sat beside Myra. “Hanna, I can’t say I understand your plight, but I can feel your fear and doubt,” she stated calmly. “You must not fear this: not who you are, or the power you’re awakening to. The Ancient of Days saw fit to make you this way and to imbue you with great power. The Emperor didn’t do this to you, neither did Josephine. Your genetic structure, including the 24th chromosome you say you possess, has been yours since you were born. It’s who you are. The Ancient of Days decided to make you different from the rest of us because it pleased Him to do so. He knew you’d eventually tangle with the Emperor and his infernal legions, so the Almighty made you this way to act as a counter to the Darkness that the Emperor represents. He made you a warrior born and has equipped you with all the tools you need to act as His mighty Hand. Do not fear who and what you are. With each action you take, you prove to us and the world you are worthy to wield this power. We believe in you. You should believe in yourself. You’ve done something no one has done since the 1st Age. You challenged the Emperor in the heart of his own domain and not only bested him; you also freed us, and every soul who wished to be free of his evil. You’ve shown us that the Emperor is not almighty...that he can be defeated. Don’t shy away from the power the Almighty has given you. Don’t shy away from your destiny. You are the Caverias of prophecy and legend. Believe in yourself as you believe in your God who set you in this position.”

“You should listen to her, Hanna,” Selina stated bluntly. “You know Izanami speaks the truth. We all know you fear what is happening to you because you don’t understand it. It’s time to face this fear head-on as you did with your initial fear of letting me in. Beat this fear into oblivion and do what you need to do. We’re all behind you. Find peace with yourself and become the completed soul you so passionately told us about while we were prisoners in the Harem. It’s time to unchain Hannibal and awaken the Beowulf. Become who you are meant to be.”

A deep sigh escaped Hanna’s lips as both Selina’s words and Izanami’s words penetrated her fear, settling deep into her heart, mind, and soul. The still small voice of the Holy Spirit bore witness to their words. Reaching out and putting her hand on Izanami’s shoulder, Hanna declared, “I am so blessed to have such true friends and family who care enough to show me the way through the Darkness. Your words have given me hope and have stifled my fears of the unknown staring me in the face. Thank you all for your uncanny words of wisdom and candor, especially you, Selina. This fear is not of our God, but of the enemy. I shall smash it to bits when the mutation reversal is successfully completed. Until then, I shall battle it with all my heart, mind, and soul.”

“And we shall be here to help you fight this fight,” Myra chimed, giving Hanna a warm embrace. “As a member of our sisterhood, you have earned our love, honor, and loyalty. We have your back always.” Everyone present reaffirmed Myra’s declaration.

“Thank you, sisters,” Hanna said softly, moved deeply by the proclamation of support from the Harem sisterhood. “You don’t know what it means to me to hear that. It means I’m not alone in this.”

“You were never alone in this fight with the Darkness,” Izanami replied. “Every soul who resists the Darkness is with you, especially your mate Selina. She is your greatest ally and strength. You and she are a team put together by the Almighty Himself. Don’t push her or us away in your fear of the unknown. We are family.”

“Very well said, sister,” Selina purred. “We’re family and Hanna needs to call on our strength and help when she needs it. And not just our strength and help as her sisters, but all our family...Enoch, Kida, and their entire family. Even our closest friends and allies are in this with her. Hanna, look at me.” Hanna looked at Selina, seeing a most serious expression. “We are in this together...all of us, and you are our leader. We need you as much as you need us. Don’t kick against the pricks. You are the Caverias of legend: the Beowulf. Embrace the destiny the Lord has given you and you will find the peace you seek. Your fear, doubt, and hesitation are in part due to your stubborn refusal to completely accept your destiny. Remember the hill outside of Acheron. Don’t make the Lord chastise you again. Just accept your place and let Him finish what He started in you. Become the completed soul you were meant to be. We all have faith in you, the Lord, and your ability to do what He wants of you. Trust Him as you once did.”

“Once again, my sin finds me out,” Hanna murmured, her sorrow at her failure evident in her voice. “Like an idiot, I keep refusing the burden. God, I’m so fickle. Please forgive me for not sticking to my guns, and may the Lord forgive me too. Thank you, Selina, for showing me where I failed again. Maybe this time I’ll get it right.”

“It’s why I’m here, my prince,” Selina chimed. “The Lord knew you needed me to help keep you straight. I wouldn’t be much of a wife and help meet if I didn’t, now would I?”

“So true,” Hanna agreed, feeling the weight of her fear and doubt lifting again. “It’s time for me to find out who I truly am and finish what the Lord started. Izanami was right in saying I’m a warrior born. It’s time I embraced that warrior.” A gasp suddenly escaped Hanna’s lips as she remembered the dream where she merged with the strange version of Hannibal in the platinum armor.

“What’s wrong, Hanna?” Tasha asked.

“I just remembered a horrible nightmare I had while I was in the Harem with you,” Hanna said, awed by what she remembered.

“What did you see in this nightmare?” Izanami asked. “Would you care to share it with us?”

“The nightmare happened the night I was brought to the Harem after you and Selina helped me become Hanna,” Hanna stated. “I was standing in front of a large mirror. I saw my reflection split into my male and female halves. Then the female side of me became Selina. They lured me with a provocative display of affection, trying to get me to touch the mirror. But a strange voice told me to not touch it, so I refused.” Hanna shuddered visibly as she remembered the gruesome thing that followed. “Both Hannibal and Selina became incredibly evil and merged into a single monstrous thing,” she stated, her voice shaking. “They kept insisting that I couldn’t resist FATE and that they would assimilate me whether I liked it or not. A knife appeared in my hand, so I shattered the mirror with it. A creepy fog arose out of the pieces of the mirror, coming after me so I ran. I don’t know how long or how far I ran.

“The next thing I knew I was standing in a circle of giant crystals on top of a high mountain. It was obviously a temple of some kind. The fog was powerless to penetrate it. The fiend I saw in the mirror reappeared in the fog, raging about assimilating me into FATE’s matrix. Then, the same voice that warned me about the mirror told me it was time to reawaken my power. That’s when I saw me...I mean my male side appear in a strange platinum-colored armor. But he was different. He had this distinctly feline look to him. He told me that only together we could counter our enemy. The strange voice told me it wasn’t a trick of the Emperor so I hugged this strange version of myself. Somehow, we merged and I felt empowered and completely fearless. Selina...the real Selina suddenly appeared with me in the crystal circle and stood up for me. The fiend with my and Selina’s features cursed her and something happened for which I have no explanation. I literally became this strange feline version of Hannibal in the armor and obliterated the fog and the fiend with the most powerful Inferno strike I’ve ever let loose. It vaporized the fog and the fiend, after which I returned to my form as Hanna. That’s pretty much the whole nightmare.”

“Whoa,” Myra breathed. “That’s one strange nightmare.” Everyone agreed with her.

“But what do you make of this armored version of your male side?” Izanami asked, having an instinct about it. “Is this why you suddenly gasped in astonishment? Do you think this avatar of your male self could be the warrior you really are?”

“It’s very possible,” Hanna said softly. “I never really considered it, but when I said I needed to embrace that warrior, I suddenly remembered the dream and this version of me in particular. I think he’s the real me. I need connect with him to beat this fear and hesitation in me.”

“That’s very likely,” Izanami agreed. “That’s what I thought as you shared the dream. I couldn’t help but feel your response to him. You felt safe with him, didn’t you?”

“Yes,” Hanna admitted. “I did, even though he was part cat and very powerful. He emanated such love and compassion that I wanted to be with him forever.”

“I find it ironic that this image of yourself is part feline,” Selina stated. “You said the Healer showed that you have large segments of Lynxian code in your DNA. Maybe this avatar you dreamed about is how you will finally look like after Josephine reverses you mutation?”

Hanna’s expression rose in surprise. “I never thought of that,” she admitted. “You don’t suppose I was allowed to see my future self in that dream? You know when I discover who and what I truly am?”

“It’s possible,” Izanami chimed with a smile. “I could easily see you in such a form. Come here and look me in the eye, Hanna.”

“Okay,” Hanna replied, leaning close and looking Izanami in the eye.

Izanami stared for a few moments, looking into Hanna’s ice-blue eyes. A gasp escaped her lips when she saw Hanna’s eyes fluctuate for a fraction of a second, becoming almost Lynxian before returning to human eyes. “By the Elder Gods,” she breathed. “Josephine may be right about you still evolving in spite of the mutation.”

“What did you see?” Hanna asked, feeling an icy chill race down her spine. “It’s not serious, is it?”

Izanami smiled warmly and patted Hanna on the cheek. “Not at all, sister,” she chimed. “It’s just a sign of who you are.”

“What did you see, sister?” Tasha asked.

“I saw Hanna’s eyes fluctuate for just a moment, briefly looking like Selina’s eyes,” Izanami stated. “It was only for a split second, after which they returned to normal. You said Josephine tweaked your genetic code, particularly your alien code when she mutated you, right?”

Hanna nodded as her complexion paled from the news. “Yes,” Hanna said in a worried tone. “She did. She admitted activating certain dormant genes when she mutated me. Is it possible that I’m becoming a cat?”

“It’s too early to tell,” Izanami stated. “But don’t worry about it. It couldn’t be all that bad. You admitted the avatar of your male self in the crystal circle had a feline look to him. This could be the beginning of your final transformation into the Beowulf. The prophecies do say the Caverias...the Beowulf is slightly feline in appearance. I’m now really curious to see what you’re going to look like when Josephine reverses your mutation.”

“Me too,” Jasmine chimed. “Even now, you seem to exhibit a slightly feline look. It makes you and Selina really look like sisters.”

“It does,” Myra agreed. “You and Selina really do look like feline sisters. Only you don’t have that luxurious fur she has.”

“I agree,” Tasha declared. “The resemblance is uncanny. Put a coat of silver fur on her and Hanna could definitely pass for Selina’s sister.”

“I’d love to have that kind of fur,” Sakura stated. “It’s so sensual and soft.”

Hanna abruptly chuckled as her concern evaporated. “That it is,” she agreed. “Selina’s fur is one of her best attributes. I love that fur. It’s so loveable and touchable.”

“Thank you so much; but you’re really making too much of my fur,” Selina chided, almost chuckling.

“No really,” Hanna replied, laughing. “How do you keep that fur so soft and beautiful?”

“A lifetime of work,” Selina chimed sarcastically. “If I didn’t spend most of my day preening myself, I’d look like those greasy beasts the Emperor sicked on us.”

“Really?” Hitomi asked.

“No,” Selina admitted with a chuckle. “Not really; I’m teasing. Fact is I don’t spend any more time keeping my fur up than you do keeping yourselves clean. My hair actually takes the longest to keep up.”

“That is so right,” Hanna agreed. “I can vouch for that. I didn’t think I’d ever figure out how to keep my hair clean. Thank god for Electra, Kida, Emma, and Elle. They showed me how to deal with it before I came for you guys.”

“You’re feeling much better now, aren’t you, Hanna?” Izanami asked. “I can sense it.”

“Yeah, I guess I am,” Hanna admitted. “Just getting that other stuff off my chest really made feel better. Thank you, all of you, for helping me out.”

“It was our pleasure,” Myra replied, patting Hanna on the shoulder. “It’s what we do for one another. After all, you helped me deal with that terrible vision of the Abyss. Now, you see how we’ve operated for all those cycles as prisoners in the Harem.”

“I do indeed,” Hanna agreed. “It’s your love and friendship that has kept you all alive and sane in that insane asylum. I’m honored to be counted among you.”

“We are all honored to have both you and Selina as part of our sisterhood,” Myra stated. “Now, why don’t you tell us about some of the people you have brought here? Are there any good men out there?”

“Absolutely,” Hanna stated, smiling, “...isn’t there, Selina?”

“There sure are,” Selina chimed, “...but Hanna here has more experience with them. Go on; tell us about the guys you’ve worked with, Hanna.”

Hanna blushed. “Well, okay,” she replied. “I’ll tell you what I know about the ones I’ve encountered.” With that, Hanna began telling everyone about the people she’d brought to Antilla, starting with the Caverias family. In a way, it relieved her to change the subject to something more pleasant. For most of the afternoon, Hanna told them about the Caverias family, the people of Arionath, Cushar, Cimmeria, even the hybrids she rescued from beneath Acheron. She fielded questions from the others and had a great time just talking with them as friends. Many amusing anecdotes were shared along with some sobering tales of tragedy. By the end of the afternoon, Hanna truly began to understand the Harem sisterhood.

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