Hannibal The Summoned. Episode 8

Dorcha.

Hannibal sat up, unsure of where he was, cracking his neck. He fixes the plaid better onto his waist. He looked around, trying to see anything, but all he could see was darkness.

But as he sat there and got used to the dark. He heard a faint clicking sound, as if a person snapped their fingers. Once the sound stopped, as if a strong gust of wind swept by, it lifted the fog and dispersed it, leaving a watery glass floor-like surface under him.

Looking down at the floor, all he saw was his reflection and nothing more. However, the interesting thing was that his eyes were open. His blue eyes, he looked at his reflection in shock as if he had never seen them before.

Getting to his feet, he again looked around, seeing only fog reappear in front of him. However, that same fly flew around his head and stopped a foot in front of him, just watching.

He took a step forward and noticed that with each step, the fly moved the same distance away from him. he also noticed that there was a dome around him as if a bubble of clean air was around him, he took another step and looked to his feet and the watery glass-like floor rippled which each step.

He decided to continue following the fly as he had no clue what else to do.

Continuing forward, he's oblivious to what’s happening, but continues forth, walking forward, starts to hear a deep echoing voice that was neither male nor female but both as one, “It took you a while to recognise my call.”

Confused, Hannibal says, “Hello, hello, is anyone there?”

As he walked, he waited to hear a response, but no luck; all he could hear was his feet hitting the strange-looking floor.

He stopped and looked around once more, blurting out, "No one called for me?"

However, this time an echo called back, “Of course I did, it's just you weren't listening, this place you are in. Is it familiar to you?”

But as Hannibal says a word the voice continues, “Although in a matter of fact no dought you see only fog in front of you, I wonder what emotions you got first is it anger, no, because this place would be burning or is it sadness, it's not that either hmm, I wonder.” Hannibal says nothing, continuing to walk following the fly.

Eventually, as he walked, he came across a dark figure in the fog, the same height and build as he.

Hannibal stops, as does the fly. He stays silent as the figure steps out, uttering, “Welcome home.”

This man that stood in front of Hannibal had arms that were cut of above the muscle, long black hair, clean shaven, with his eyes also closed, this man, if you would call him that, simply smiled at Hannibal rather creepily as if he had seen him somewhere before.

Then he turned his head to his right and without moving his mouth, he said, “Oh, hello there, I am, well, someone you don't need to know just yet... You can't see what is going on, can you, so I'll do this.”

To Hannibal's confusion, seeing this man look to his right, for a moment. The man then created a blueish magical arm without saying a word. With that done, he just clicks his fingers.

The fog dissipated, revealing a clear area that stretched for miles in each direction, and again, the man gave a smile, putting his magical handout. Up came a chessboard on a table and two chairs.

This being says rather sinisterly, “Let's play a game.”

Hannibal remarks, “No, I must get back to...”

This being simple, utters “No, no you don't, you don't have a choice in this."

This angered Hannibal with this being saying "I'll tell you this, this place here, your home is not like out there, time doesn't work the same, way here as out there, one second out there is a thousand years in here, well it can be whatever you want it to be, so there's no worry with time.”

Again, Hannibal says, “No!”

Smiling, the other being says, “How's this then, I'll give you this place and I'll tell you about your powers.”

Thinking for a moment, why would he give this place as a prize?

Sighing, he reluctantly accepts, realising that he had nowhere to go, nor did he know how to leave, so they both sit down opacite of one another.

The being with no arms magically set up the board with Hannibal having white pieces and the man having black pieces.

This being says, "Before we begin, there are a few claws to this game..."

Hannibal remarks, "And what would that be?"

The being says while picking up a piece, "Each one of these pieces is special, each one on your side holds your memories."

Hannibal narrows his eyes, "And what about yours?"

Smiling, the being utters, "Ah, where are you even paying attention? I lose and you gain this place as a reward."

This being simply says, “You take the first move, or do you not know how to play?”

The book explains, "In a simple phrase, the object of the game is to checkmate the opponent's king by placing it in a position where it is under attack and cannot escape."

Hannibal sighs and somehow knows already how to play. For the first move, Hannibal moves a pawn to e4, while this is responded to with a pawn move to c5, with Hannibal remarking, “Hmm, interesting move.”

So, Hannibal decides to just develop by moving the knight to f3, and this being developed also moves another pawn to d6.

This being asked sarcastically, “It's funny... It's funny how you know how to play this game, though you know not your name.”

Hannibal looks at him with in angry, saying, “My name is Hannibal!”

Shaking his head, the being just smiles once more. “No, my boy, I'm talking about your real name, who you truly are.”

Feeling frustrated, Hannibal moved the bishop to b5, checking this being king, this being blocked by his knight, moving it to d7.

Calming down somewhat, Hannibal thinks for a moment and moves another pawn to d4, and so this being moves his other knight to f6.

As Hannibal thinks on the next move, this being looked to his right, smiling at you, the reader. Hannibal decides to castle king's side, so the being takes the pawn and on d4.

He smiles, saying, "That memory, now, is gone forever."

As the being took that piece, a sharp pain coursed through Hannibal's skull he put his hands on his head, groaning in pain.

Seeing this, the being just smiled in satisfaction.

The pain dies down with that. He looks at the board once more and starts to think, believing the move this being did was a mistake. Hanibal takes the pawn on d4 with his queen.

The other being, moves another pawn to a6, with the being remarking, “What's the matter, afraid to take a piece?”

Again, feeling frustrated, Hannibal takes the knight on d7, feeling he is in control. This being takes the bishop that put him in check with his bishop.

However, as he thought about his next move, Hannibal could hear a voice although quiet, he could hear it, it was unintelligible to hear what was said. He turns around looking for the noise, but this being said, “What's the matter, worried about your memories, no name?”

Getting his head back in the game, Hannibal moves his second bishop to g5, looking away for a second to calculate. This being moves his pawn to h6. Hannibal thinks for a moment before taking the knight, as he did. Hannibal remarks, “This power is what.”

This being laughs, “You are asking me on your power, that's utterly ridiculous... fine, fine if you're asking a brilliant mind like me, I guess I cannot refuse, hmm, let me think.”

As he thought, he moved his take the bishop with his pawn on g7 while looking away, confused Hannibal thinks for a moment but decides to play it safe, so he moves his pawn to C4.

Coming to a thought, the being remarked, blurts out, “Oh, I got it, how about Dorcha, it's as simple as that, if you want it, giving up a piece of yourself, so what will you give?” moving a pawn to E6.

Again, Hannibal heard a voice, this time louder. He gets up and jumps, looking around himself. The being laughs once more, uttering “Well, boy, aren't you paranoid?”

Hannibal was thinking that something was off here; however, he had no proof, so he sat back down, and the game continued. Hannibal moves his knight to C3, and with a smile.

This being without a second thought, moves his rook to C8, and as he did, Hannibal could feel pressure on his shoulder as if a person had placed their hand on it.

Suddenly, Hannibal feels as if a hand is holding onto his leg. He looks down, but before he could realise what was happening, he got pulled away from the being, with the being smiling as it gets further away.

He wakes up lying on the tree, with Shera shouting at Hannibal to wake up as Angus throws rocks at him.

As Angus through a stone, none of them hit Hannibal, though they got close; the stones made him sit up rather abruptly, smacking his head into another tree branch. He gets up with a groan, and Shera holds her head also as the pain transfers over to her.

Rubbing his eyes, he looks down at the family getting ready to eat, so he jumps down to the ground, having pins and needles, as he hits the ground with a thud.

Angry Shera goes up to Hannibal, saying, “Why didn't you stay awake as I commanded, useless bloody summoned, there's food for you.” walking off to the campfire for breakfast.

Angus looks at Hannibal as Shera passes him, and then he follows her to the campfire, feeling his eyes, he feels the lump of the eyeball, however, trying to force it open, yet it wouldn't move whatsoever.

Hannibal felt his closed eyes, feeling the lump of an eyeball in each socket; however, trying to force them open, he couldn't.

Turning around, Hannibal leaves through the trees, seeing this, Shera narrows her eyes and Angus says, “See, he’s just leaving.”

The elder waddles out, saying, “Oh, he’ll come back, that's in the summoned nature, they can't leave their summoner's side for long.”

The elder sits down on the remade chair, placing a fresh loaf of bread on Angus’s lap. She says, “Cut that up, would you?”

Doing as he was told; Shera looks at Kaira, who is still sulking. Shera looks away as Angus hands out pieces of bread. She thinks of what to do with Kaira, would she allow her to train, or does she only allow her to study?

As she ate the thought through, one by one people got up to leave to do stuff for the day, first was Samson then Angus then the elder and the last to sat, was the two of them, Kaira finished her food and as she got up to leave, Shera says “Kaira sit for a second.”

Kaira does as Shera continues “I’m sorry for giving out to you yesterday, but darling you see I only want the best for you, and I never want to see you hurt that's why I don't want you training to fight, but now thinking on it would be better if you’d learn so what I want is to teach you how to fight with weapons...”

Kaira blurts out excitedly, “And draíocht?!”

Nodding her head, she confirms, “Yes, and draíocht too. But there's one thing: to start learning, you must fight me. As I want to see what you are capable of.”

Excitedly, she runs to her father and exclaims What's happening, picking her up with a smile, Samson places her onto his shoulders and starts to run around the camp, having fun.

Sighing in relief, she thinks to herself that now she needs to thank Hannibal for putting this into her mind, although she doesn't want to thank a human for anything.

Meanwhile, in the forest, Hannibal walks around looking for something. As he looked, Hannibal went through that dream he had, or was it a dream he thought, he couldn't tell.

Moments passed of him thinking as he thought, and then he found it, a spruce tree where he grabbed a small piece of a branch and walked back to the camp without any hassle.

Getting to the camp, Hannibal looks at Shera and Kaira standing off, both holding sticks, Kaira pointing hers at Shera.

Shera didn't even have it raised. Hannibal walked behind Angus and Samson, not making a sound.

Shera says, “You have to win this fight for me to teach you, and you must win at that.”

Knowing the stakes, Kaira runs at Shera just basically flailing the stick at Shera not having a solid plan, each swing was easy to deflect for Shera.

Wanting to start what he was doing, Hannibal asks Angus for a knife, and without thinking, he pulls out a knife and hands it to what he thought was Samson.

Getting it, he goes to a log that stood next to the elder, as all the Tieflings were enamoured with the fight that is in front of them.

As he cuts the leaves of the branch, Kaira swings hard down with Shera stepping out of the way and tapping her on her back, saying, “Got you.”

Angry Kaira, not saying a word, lit up a stick with fire using draíocht. Shera didn't defend against the attack, allowing it to hit her on her hip.

A smile forms on Shera’s face with pride. She picks Kaira up, hugging her. “I am so proud of you, Kaira, you cast a geasa without a word, which is rare to do.”

Hannibal looks at the elder, asking, “What's the story with that?” Simply, the elder replies, “Now for a triumph.”

Curiously, he asks, “What's that?”

Sighing from tiredness, she says, “It's just a formal party in a way, that will take a while though.”

Nodding his head, he goes back to cutting the leaf's every Tiefling celebrated her first geasa, Hannibal looks at the fire that was nearby out, so he grabs a few blocks putting it on the fire making the flame larger, he then turns to ask “do you have a metal pot type thing?”

Nodding her head, she utters in tiredness, “It's in my tent, go if you want....” She fell asleep as she was speaking.

Hannibal gets up and walks into her tent unbeknownst to the others, he gets in and looks around until he finds the pan in one of the boxes, grabbing it he heads back outside putting water in it, realising he needs sticks to hold the pan up so he put the pot of water down next to the fire and goes to grab vines from the trees around him.

He does, and as he is about to put it all together, Angus turns around, seeing what Hannibal is doing, believing that he is up to no good, he shouts out, “You human, what do you think you are up to?”

Hearing him shout, he nearly drops the pot of water, so he hooks the pot with one arm, putting his index finger to his mouth, shushing him, and pointing at the elder.

Angus gets close to the elder, hearing her snore; he turns to Samson, gesturing for him to help bring the elder back to her tent.

They bring her back as Hannibal continues with what he is doing, the vine he cuts in two and with two spare sticks he sticks the vine on the ground planting it in with the stick then he wraps it around the pot’s handle and places the vine across the vertical sticks, so he sticks the vine on the ground in the other side keeping it down in with another spare stick, leaving the pot to hang by its handle to boil.

Getting up, he leaves it and goes to Shera and Kaira, saying to Kaira, “Well done with the bout and casting your first Geasa, that's a rare one, isn't it, casting without words.”

Shera says with pride now in her voice, “Yes, it is, very rare, it's like one in every thousand has it.”

Smiling, he turns to Kaira, saying, “You are a special one, aren't you, so in the spirit of you I'll make tea.”

Confused, Kaira asks, “What's tea?”

Shera explains, “Well, it's a warm drink that uses leaf's.”

Kaira walks to the pot as Hannibal is about to walk away. However, as he turned, he felt a hand on his shoulder; it was Shera, looking at the ground, murmuring something incoherent under her breath.

Hannibal leaned in, unable to hear her asking, "Can you repeat that?"

She repeated herself slightly louder now, “Thank you.”

Tilting his head, he asks curiously, “What do you mean?”

Sighing, Shera explains, “For... for last night, you slapped me in the face with reality, and made me realise that she does need to learn draíocht for her protection.”

Smiling gently, he takes her hand from his shoulder and places it into his hand, saying, “No need to thank me, I am nothing but your servant, you thought of this yourself, so praise yourself, thank yourself.”

As he said that, the pot started to boil, with Kaira saying, “It’s boiling”

Nodding his head, Hannibal says, “ok, ok, young one, be right there.”

Both go over to the campfire with Hannibal now tossing the leaf's into the pot to let it simmer in the hot water meanwhile in the elder's tent Samson and Angus lay down the elder in her bed, Angus looks at Samson saying silently “Here Samson I have what you asked for finished, there in the back of the camp if you want me to show you.”

Excitedly, Samson nods his head and they both quietly and quietly out of the tent and like children they walk off giggling, to the confusion of the rest.

Behind some trees and in some bushes were two wooden crafted training sticks that had handles having a wooden guard, it was a simple short sword with nothing special, but what was requested.

They wrap it up in a makeshift box with leaves covering it. Angus hands it to Samson, with him getting nervous now, even though it was his wife. It shows how much love is in this man's heart.

Smiling, trying to calm Samson down, “It will be fine, brother, she will love this gift, so go, give this to her.”

Feeling more courageous, Samson walks to the campfire holding the box and holds it out to Shera, with her being confused. He takes the box and places it on her lap, pushing aside the leaf's.

She gives a smile picking them up and admiring the wooden sword, she then puts them down beside herself and gets up thanking him as she gave him a hug “you big buffoon, you didn't have to....”

He whispers happily, “An ndearna tú dearmad cén lá atá ann?”

Realising then what day it was, “But I don't have anything for you.”

Samson placed both his hands on her arms, “Is leor do aoibh gháire.” placing a kiss on her lips.

As they both kissed Kaira, her father picked up one sword and started swinging it. They both looked at her with Kaira having an idea, “Hey, Mom, Dad, can you have what you call a bou...”

Shera says, smiling, “About?”

Nodding her head, uttering, “Yes, that, can you please?”

Shera and Samson look at each other, thinking it would be fun, they both pick up their training sword and go to the edge of the cliff.

Then they stood back-to-back, then they took a few steps away from each other, turned around, pointing the swords at one another.

Angus, Kaira, and Hannibal just watch with intrigue. Angus looks at Kaira, saying, “Who do you think would win, wee one?”

Kaira says, “I don't know, I want both of them to win.” Hannibal asks, “Do you have cups?” Angus remarks, “What for?”

Kaira says, “he made tea.”

Knowing what Angus was thinking, “And no, it's not poisoned.”

Hannibal remarks. Sighing, Angus remarks, “At my tent door, no need to enter it.”

Hannibal walks to the tent with a chest in front of it, which is not locked. He opened it, and there were only wooden plates and cups in it. He grabs three cups and brings them to the pot, pouring the tea into the cups.

He gives two cups to Kaira and Angus, remarking, “Be careful, it's hot,” and gets a cup for himself.

They took a step forward with both giggling. Shera swings and hits Samson's swords, then as quickly she hits his chest playfully, smiling, he takes a step back, going down in a slight squat, showing his back slightly.

She holds out her stick wanting to hit him, but Samson smacks it out of the way with Shera saying, “I want to hit it.”

Shaking his head, he allows it, so he turns around as she pokes his but with Shera uttering “yes.”

They get back into fighting stances, but rather than take it seriously, Samson lifts his foot, and in the confusion, Samson taps Shera's head, “Buail.”

They continue messing around sparring for a while until Shera does a vertical cut down, and Samson blocks it, steps in and places his hands around her waist, and with that done, Shera says giggling, “What now?”

They both smile at one another as they stand there for mere seconds. Samson's smiles grow wider, so he leans in and places a kiss on her lips.

Fed up seeing this, Angus walks off to the campfire, sitting down, pouring himself another drink. Seeing this, Hannibal walks to him as Kaira goes to her parents.

Sitting down beside him, Hannibal asks, “Could you pour me one?” Giving him a side-eye, he does as requested and as he pours, Hannibal asks, “Did they ever fight before, like a full-on fight?”

Responding rather harshly, Angus remarks, “Who?”

Pointing over at the others, “Those two, of course, our clans were at war once, her and the elder on one side and me and my brother there where in the other, although she doesn't like talking about the elder, although why am I telling this to you?”

Trying to get some answers, Hannibal asks, “I don't mean to pry, but how did this come about, I mean, the humans attacking you?”

Sighing, he explains, “Well, the story goes is that a rumour started from who no one knows, but the rumour says, oh what was it.”

Samson walks over, helping remind him “tá na daoine adharcach i léig leis an duine olc,” sitting beside Angus.

“Yes that, we were considered devils, demons even and because of that... they started to massacre our people and there's very few of us survived, that's what brought both our clans together, but before all that, the rumours that are we were close to humans we were advisors for kings, but now where... yea.”

And so back in the leader's palace in June's room, sitting next to June's bed, Ella noticed June was asleep, so again for the second time, she tucked her in and left the room to hers.

To be Continued

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Written/Story by: Ethan McCloskey