“Hunting and fishing involve killing animals with devices (such as guns) for which the animals have not evolved natural defenses. No animal on earth has adequate defense against a human armed with a gun, a bow and arrow, a trap that can maim, a snare that can strangle, or a fishing lure designed for the sole purpose of fooling fish into thinking they have found something to eat”
― Marc Bekoff, Animals Matter: A Biologist Explains Why We Should Treat Animals with Compassion and Respect
The Arcadians watched as the Romantians were released from their manacles and went about their business as if nothing had happened.
“Should we allow them to move around like this? I mean they could cause us a lot of trouble in the future.”
Chief Serra said, she looks like she wanted to go down there and kill every last Romantian overseer.
“Don’t worry.”
Tabitha said with a smile.
“The overseers and all of the Romantians are under my control.”
“Is it mind control my Lady?”
Tabitha looked at the questioner, a strong looking young man who resembled the Vales’ Chief looked back at her expectantly.
“You must be Strike, your sister Sandra told me a lot about you. To answer your question, it’s not exactly mind control. I simply dampened all thoughts in their mind, and place one primary thought in their heads. When they report back to the Holy Church of Romanto, they will proceed as they always have. Except, they will say all is well and add a few inflexions in their report. Because those are the thoughts that I have placed in their minds.”
With Tabitha’s explanation the Arcadians were a bit at ease, they understood that their Devil Queen had full control over the overseers. But they would be vigilant. After all, it is best to be cautious than relaxed. Tabitha then clapped and rubbed her hands together saying.
“Now, Sudan. They’re all yours.”
Sudan stepped forward and bowed, then she turned to face the Arcadians who were looking at her with awe and reverence.
“I am Sudan of the Vales Tribe of Tutoron, and First Warrior of Olana. It has been 5,000 years since I walked the mortal lands of the Arcadians. Raise your heads in pride, because today we hunt, and you will hunt with us. This is Vander of the Arrow Heart Tribe of the Sigma Beta Sector. He shall be your Hunts Master, follow his instructions. His words are law, do you understand?”
“Yes ma’am!”
“Understood!”
“Yes!”
All their voices stated with one answer or another. Sudan nodded in satisfaction, Vander was one of the most mean looking Harkuns she ever had the pleasure of knowing. He was ten and a half feet tall, with eyes of grey and alabaster skin. His wings were ebony, but the membranes had small holes in them. His tail looked like a grey steel wire. Plus, his black horns were diamond hard to the touch.
“Good, I and 29 other Harkuns will be hunting this day. Your shamans from the tribes that are here will choose four or less members. We have brought 30 demon saber cats to be your winged mounts. Once you have chosen your hunting party, we will teach you how to mount and ride the demon saber cats.”
Serene did not take long in choosing, she was going of course. Her sister Sandra was the next obvious choice, and then her brother Strike. She wanted to choose her mother and father but decided against it. Instead, she chose another male and female of her tribe. Her parents would have another chance at another time. The other shamans chose quickly as well. Like Serene, most of the shamans were going themselves. How could they not, this hunt would be glorious? Told at campfires for ages to come, only one shaman who was very old chose not to go on the hunt. With the hunting party from the various tribes chosen, the Harkuns taught the Arcadians how to saddle, mount, and ride the demon saber cats. Seeing that things were progressing well, Sudan turned to Tabitha and said.
“Lady Olana, we have everything under control.”
“I see, then I’ll head back to open more portals into the other realms. The next hunting party should have already assembled in the Realm Room.”
With a wave good-bye, Tabitha went back into the Great Pyramid of Avalon and through the still open realm gate.
………………………………..
Sudan and Tufa, the male Arcadian chosen by Serene dived out of the sky with the sun at their backs on a herd of wild elks. The animals could not see them, but they still heard the growls of the demon saber cats. The herd took off in a frantic stampede. But, no matter how fast the elks ran. They could not outrun those with the power of flight. Sandra’s demon saber cat Rad used his fore and hind claws to grab a large buck, lifting the frighten animal off the ground. Rad immediately bit down on the back of the elk’s neck and shook his head once. Even with the air whipping past her ears, Sandra could still hear the crack of bones. The elk went limp in an instant, the demon saber cat Nene who Tufa was riding did the same to her elk.
Sandra smiled with satisfaction as she loosed an arrow and took out another elk through the creature’s heart. This was the greatest hunt she could have ever imagined. She could pounce on her prey from the sky, as long as she had Rad. Sandra was the ultimate predator, flying through the air on wings of death.
“I’ve never hunted like this before! I don’t think I could go back to hunting on foot ever again!”
Tufa shouted his joy.
“I know what you mean! This is so exhilarating!”
Sandra replied with a big grin on her face. The two gathered their game and headed back to the staging point. The other hunters were already there, and they too had good luck on their hunts. There was a collection of deer, bison, buffalos, and even rhinos. There was enough game here to feed a hundred tribes…twice over.
“Good, you’re back and with a great haul too.”
Sudan said to Sandra and Tufa with a smile for a greeting.
“Yeah, it’s a lot more fun and easier to catch prey when you’re flying a demon saber cat.”
Sandra stated with an equal smile and patting Rad behind the ear near the back of his head.
“These are the days my friends. After The Fall, I thought we would never hunt in the lands of the Arcadians ever again.”
Vander said, skinning one of the deer with a razor-sharp hunter’s knife.
“Shouldn’t we wait till we get back before skinning the game?”
Tufa asked.
“It’s okay, once we’re ready. We’ll signal one of the shamans standing by in the Crystal Pyramid.”
Vander stated, peeling off the fur as his knife sliced through tendons and muscle.
“The shaman will open a portal into the Crystal Pyramid. Specifically, into the kitchens where we can load half the game into our large freezers. The other half with go to the tribes as thanks for participating in the hunt.”
The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
“What are freezers?”
Tufa looked at Vander as he asked this question. But it was Sandra who answered.
“Think of them as big giant metal rooms that turn cold like you’re in the north. While I stayed in the Crystal Pyramid, I did a lot of exploring. You can’t imagine the wonders I saw, so much of the things we lost in The Fall. With these specialized rooms, the Harkuns can preserve meat for a very long time. They can even make ice cubes from water. Trust me, you haven’t lived until you had a cold drink.”
Sandra had a faraway look on her face, as if she was remembering something pleasant. Another Harkun walked over to the group, having heard their conversation and said.
“After The Fall, when the Crystal Pyramid lost power. Everything lost power, and the freezers went dead. If it wasn’t for the fact that we Harkuns never needed to eat or drink. We would have all died of starvation and thirst thousands of years ago. Now that Lady Olana has returned, the Crystal Pyramid is now back to full power.”
“Oh, hello Jude, I see that your hunt was successful too.”
Jude nodded and smiled at Sudan.
“Wait a minute.”
Tufa said with a bit of confusion on his face.
“I thought Olana was killed. Did she leave for some reason?”
Everyone rolled their eyes in exasperation, but a new voice answered the question.
“Olana did not leave.”
Serene said as she approached the group with Strike by her side.
“She died, but she promised to return. She said that she would return more powerful than her previous self. And she would gain vengeance and justice, and she would bring back glory and honor to the Harkuns and the Arcadians. It was called Olana’s Promise, and we have waited five thousand years for her promise to begin.”
“And now that Olana has returned, we will stand with her as she gives new life to the Crystal Empire.”
Strike said with a look of share anticipation. All of the Arcadians and Harkuns were looking forward to new glory and honor.
………………………………..
While the hunting party of Arcadians, Harkuns, and demon saber cats were busy skinning the animals. Unbeknownst to them, they were being watched from a far. Deep in the forest several pairs of yellow eyes watched with dissatisfaction and fear.
“I cannot believe my eyes.”
One of the figures hidden in the shadows of the trees said in a whisper.
“Believe it, my grandfather told me the story of how his grandfather fought them in the siege of Durando.”
“But the Harkuns haven’t been seen in the world of Avalon for 5,000 years. Much less demon saber cats. How can this be?”
Another shadowy figure demanded with anger.
“I do not know, I hate to think how this could have occurred.”
Said the second shadowy figure.
“What do we do?”
Asked the first shadowy figure.
“For now, we watch.”
Said the second shadowy figure firmly. And so, the three pairs of yellow eyes watched. Half an hour later, the hunting party finished preparing their game. Then a portal opened before them leading into another realm. The hunting party loaded their game into a room through the portal. It only took several minutes, even though there were a lot of animals. The hunting party were quick, and once they were finished. They all went through the portal which closed behind them. The three shadowy figures waited for ten minutes before getting to their feet. Slowly and cautiously, the three figures stepped out of the safety of the forest and into the light of the sun. The figures were revealed to be two males and a female. All of them had the same skin complexion, gold or yellow skin and hair coloring. All three stood at the same height of six feet, and they wore the same clothing. Hunting tunics and trousers of green and brown, to meld with the background of the forest.
“They can open portals now, but where exactly did they go?”
The female asked.
“Back to the Nether Realm I assume, probably back to the Crystal Pyramid itself.”
One of the males guessed.
“I ask again. What do we do now Lothar?
Asked the second male.
“We alert the High Lords, that’s what we do next. If the Harkuns and demon saber cats have returned, I fear she has returned as well.”
Both the male and female stiffened in fear, and the female said in a shaky voice.
“The Prime Evil cannot be back. She was slain and has been dead for so long now.”
“Never-the-less Cindra, whether the Dark One is back or not. The High Lords must be made aware of what we saw today. What is going on in the Shattered Lands?”
Lothar asked this question of himself, then he turned to the female and said.
“Cindra, go to the outpost. Have them send a message to the High Lords. Let them know what we saw here today.”
“What will you do?”
Cindra asked, getting ready to move out.
“Hen and I will scout on; we will go further into the Shattered Lands. We need to know what the Arcadians are up to, and we need to discover what happened to the Romantian overseers. I doubt they would have been pleased to have Harkuns and demon saber cats in their midst.”
“Good luck and be careful.”
With those parting words, Cindra ran back into the forest. To their winged mounts the Pegasi which were waiting for them deep in the forest. Cindra hopped on a brown and white mare, the Pegasus galloped through the forest. Looking for an open area where it could take off and fly faster to their destination.
………………………………..
For the next three days, Tabitha was pleased with the results. Plenty of meat was being stored in the freezers, and the Harkuns were able to obtain other supplies for the swearing feast. Tabitha, having opened multiple gateways into Centron, Tutoron, the Sigma Beta Sector, Elonis, Arca, and many more realms. Supplies such as bread, liquor, various leather hides and clothing, vegetables, and even plants and herbs were delivered to the Crystal Pyramid every few hours. The stores and warehouses that were empty for five thousand years, were being quickly restocked. Lydia and Nanina stood by their mother’s side watching as another group of hunters brought in food and supplies.
“Where is Kasca? I haven’t seen her in a while.”
Nanina asked after looking around for the marilith.
“Oh, Kasca left two days ago. Said she had to go and see some long-time acquaintances.”
“Is that safe? I mean, even though Kasca now has wings. Didn’t you say this Lord of Lust Eldest is still looking for you? If they spot Kasca, she could be in danger of getting captured.”
Lydia said with some concerns.
“Worry not, I am linked to Kasca. If she is threatened, I will know of it and will teleport to her side in an instant. Besides, Kasca is a greater demon, almost an Archdemon. She can handle herself in a pinch.”
With most of her friends gone, doing their own thing. Lydia and Nanina have spent the majority of their time by Tabitha’s side. And the Devil Queen enjoyed their company. At first, when Tabitha learned that the Cambion Twins were her daughters, or Olana’s daughters. She did not know how to feel about that, it was strange to find out that she was a mother. Even though she had not gone through the whole giving birth and raising the pair. When Tabitha was human, she knew instinctively that she would not live long enough to have children. Living under the shadow of the Holy Church of Romanto is a short-term existence. Seeing how the Romantians love to burn heretics, blasphemers, and resistance fighters or anyone they deemed a threat to their power.
After spending so much time with the twins, Tabitha was getting use to the idea of being their mother and them being her daughters. It was not your typical mother and daughter relationship. But all of them had fallen into a friendship type relationship. That was good enough for all parties involve. After all, the twins were over six thousand years old. While Tabitha was still a 17-year-old girl going on 18. Technically, she was over a hundred thousand years old as Olana. But Tabitha did not count those years, even though she is Olana reborn. Too much of her human life was still in the forefront of her nature. Slowly though, Olana’s memories were growing day after day. It was nothing to be nervous about, it was not like Olana’s memories were replacing Tabitha’s memories. No, the memories of Olana and Tabitha were being compartmentalized. In one part of her mind, there are memories of Olana and in another part are memories of Tabitha.
But the memories of Olana and Tabitha were not the only ones being compartmentalized. There were other memories, other human memories other than Tabitha’s. That is when she knew, these are memories of her past human lives on earth.
“What’s the matter mother?”
Nanina was concerned seeing a change come over Tabitha’s face.
“Olana did not die, not truly.”
Tabitha answered off-handedly.
“What do you mean?”
Lydia’s curiosity was aroused at hearing this.
“When I or Olana was killed, I or she activated the Reincarnation Effect before I or she died. It changed me or her soul, made it lesser that it originally was. But at the same time made it more versatile as well, I have memories not just of Olana or Tabitha. I have other memories of other human lives, memories that I am beginning to recall.”
Tabitha was still paying attention to the Harkuns and Arcadians loading and unloading goods. So, she did not see Lydia’s and Nanina’s eyes widen with surprise at hearing her words. Tabitha continued.
“So many lives in five thousand years of living on earth. I was once a slave in one life, and an empress in another. I was a thief and then a law woman, a villain and a hero, and explorer and a scholar. It did not matter whatever lives I lived, it did not matter whether I was good or bad. Rich or poor, beautiful or ugly, smart or stupid. I gained knowledge in all of my lives, and each time I died and was reborn. My soul grew in power and strength, and now I have all these memories, all of this knowledge in my head. Knowledge that can be applied in certain cases to benefit us all.”
Tabitha smiled and then frowned.
“But, I cannot access all of the memories of my past lives. I believe it will take time to learn how to do it. Till then, my mind will continue to compartmentalize the memories. And we can work on increasing our powers, which includes the Harkuns and the Arcadians.”
Both twins nodded in agreement, it was a wise decision. Lydia and Nanina gave each other knowing looks. The twins have not spent every moment with their reborn mother. They would wake early in the mornings and train and learn with the Harkuns. Both knew that sooner or later, Olana would move forward at a rapid pace to secure her power base. To increase the standings of the Arcadians, and to make the Harkuns a force to be reckoned with once again throughout the multiverse. Lydia and Nanina were looking forward to a hell of a ride.