Lost City of Gold

by Rai Aren

  About one hundred feet ahead, the path took a sudden, nearly ninety-degree turn, towards a vast sheer wall where they were once again met by a massive glyph.

  Rick stopped in his tracks, inhaling sharply.

  Sergio stopped behind him.

  This time the giant glyph was only the head of the creature they had seen before, its misshapen face contorted in pain, its eyes wide with terror, its mouth frozen in a scream. Above it was the same orb and lightening-like emanations surrounding and piercing the head.

  Rick shuddered. It was as though he could actually hear the creature screaming in agony. It was a terrifying image. “A final warning, I guess,” he said. “An ancient ‘Do Not Enter’ sign?”

  Sergio stepped around him to face him. “Will you not heed this warning?” His dark eyes burned with urgency.

  Rick looked down, and placed his hands on his hips.

  “I cannot protect you from what might be out there,” Sergio asserted.

  Rick looked back up and gave a half-smile. “I know. Besides, that’s not your job.”

  Sergio looked taken aback.

  Rick patted his shoulder. “I knew what the risks were.”

  Sergio looked away.

  “Come on,” Rick said, as he readjusted his rucksack on his aching shoulders.

  They headed onward, Sergio again trudging behind. The path ahead changed from what they had travelled over the last three plus hours. The ground was smoother, less littered with loose shale, and the walls had an almost polished look to them. On the ground, the crystal formations had returned. These were short, only a few inches tall, and were more uniformly grey in color. They were nearly grown over by wild grasses. The rocky walls took on a darker color, more like that of the tunnel they had traveled through before encountering the crystal gorge.

  They walked forward. From somewhere ahead the sounds of the jungle were returning once again. It was a welcome sound from the intimidating isolation and echoing winds of the mountain passageway. Rick could hear birds singing in the distance, intermingled with monkey shrieks and the rustling of leaves. He smiled. They had to be close to the passageway’s exit now, he surmised.

  As they walked onward, the jungle sounds growing louder, closer, Rick noticed the walls seemed like they had been chiseled. Large grooves were cut from them. He ran his fingers over the grooves. They weren’t as rough as the rest of the rocky walls. Then he spotted it...gold. This area held veins of gold like the tunnels. He looked closer at the grooves. He suspected the gold had been mined from here. ‘That meant people,’ he thought to himself, ‘and I bet this leads to the Lost City of Gold.’ He was thrilled.

  “Oro,” Sergio said, his voice flat.

  “Si, Sergio, oro,” Rick said, smiling. “Cheer up, this is great news. We must be getting close now.”

  Sergio just stared at what remained of the golden threads.

  Rick took note that the elevation had started to level off. No longer were they climbing at such a steep incline. He welcomed the change as his legs continued to tremble and burn with exhaustion.

  On they walked, taking note of the larger and larger grooves cut out of the walls, where the gold had been mined. Large recesses had been cut into the walls. Small wisps of residual gold could be seen around the excavated areas.

  The sun started to beat the clouds away, shining down on them, its light catching the tiny bits of gold left behind, giving the walls a sparkling effect.

  After another twenty minutes of walking, the path leveled off to an almost flat plane, and went on that way for a while. Eventually, they detected a slight descent in it. They marched on as the sun now shone brightly overhead, as though all was forgiven from the temperamental storm earlier. The path took another turn to the right and suddenly opened up. Spread out before them was the lush green of the jungle.

  “Finally!” Rick said as he hurried forward. “That’s a welcome sight.”

  The long mountain passageway led into to a sprawling valley below. It was vast, and thick with jungle life. It looked impenetrable. ‘No wonder people got lost here,’ Rick thought to himself. It went on for miles and miles in every direction.

  Sergio sidled up to Rick. “Another valley.”

  “Maybe the valley,” Rick answered, as he surveyed the area. “At least, I can hope.” He took off his rucksack, and fished out his binoculars. The sun was bright in his eyes, so he put his hat back on to shield his vision.

  Sergio took a seat on a large boulder as Rick scanned the area.

  Rick kept refocusing the lenses on various areas, taking them on and off to get perspective. He knew they’d have to have a clear direction before they ventured forward. He kept scanning the area, but all he could see was miles and miles of thick and foreboding jungle.

  He bit his lip. The area was huge. He was beginning to feel foolish for only bringing a single guide with him. He looked back at Sergio, who was sitting dejectedly on the rock, staring down at the ground.

  Rick had tried to find others to accompany them on this expedition, but with no luck. Maybe he gave up too soon, letting his impatience get the better of him. He’d had a lifelong problem with leaping before he looked. He guessed he’d never learn. Still, he chided himself. He should have tried harder and found three or four more people to come along, in case something happened, and someone was badly injured or worse. He felt very vulnerable right now.

  ‘What the hell am I doing?’ he wondered. What lay before them was an invitation to disappear forever. They had no maps for this area, no eyewitness guides, no locals of the area to show them the way, nothing but a sketchy description in an old manuscript. He heard Valerie’s voice in his head, telling him how reckless he was, how one day it would get him killed.

  He had no idea what to do next. Searching the vast jungle before them would take weeks, and they didn’t have nearly enough gear and supplies to survive that long and attempt a return journey. His shoulders sank.

  Sergio remained quiet, showing no interest in what lay ahead.

  Rick was frustrated that his only guide was becoming increasingly uncooperative. Sergio seemed more like an unwilling participant on this journey, rather than a paid guide. He needed his help. He needed any kind of help right now. Rick closed his eyes, feeling the warm sun on his face, and said a silent prayer. Just then, he heard a far off hawk’s cry. He opened his eyes and looked in the direction of the sound. He spotted the majestic bird soaring overhead. He watched it circling above.

  Suddenly, it dove down into the jungle, spotting its prey. As Rick followed its path, a bright light flashed in his eyes for a split second. He instinctively closed his eyes. He re-opened them, placing his hand over them. He looked back in the direction of the flash. He frowned. He couldn’t find it. He scanned the area again. There it was. The sun was glinting off of something far off in the distance. He smiled. An answer to a prayer.

  “Sergio, over there,” he pointed. “Can you see that?”

  Sergio half-heartedly looked in the direction that Rick was pointing, then shrugged his shoulders and looked away. “I see nothing,” he said flatly.

  “Oh, something’s there,” Rick said as he peered through the binoculars again, sharpening the focus. Then he saw it. It was huge. It was gold.

  CHAPTER

  7

  Rick sucked in a deep breath. That had to be it. The Lost City of Gold. Just as it was described. He took another look through the binoculars. It was unmistakably a manmade structure. And it was big. His heart pounded in his chest. He felt electric. The jungle obscured most of it, but something was definitely out there. He hung the binoculars around his neck and took out his compass. Finally, it was working again. He breathed a sigh of relief. Whatever it was, it lay in a southwesterly direction. About three miles in, near as he could tell. He looked up. The sun was just beginning to drop now.

  “We won’t have enough daylight,” Sergio said, reading his thoughts.

  “No, we won’t,” Rick replied. He was disappointed. Par
t of him wanted to charge forward. Three miles would be relatively quick if it was a straight shot, but this was nestled deep in an unfamiliar jungle. He had no idea what kind of obstacles they might face on the way there. He sighed. “Ok, let’s make camp for the night.”

  * * *

  The next morning, Rick and Sergio had broken camp, and were descending into the valley. The two men hadn’t spoken much the night before. Rick had tried to make conversation, but was met with short replies and answers, the kind that don’t invite follow-up. He was beginning to think the bartender hadn’t been very forthcoming or truthful about Sergio’s skills and expertise as a guide. But there was nothing he could do about that at this point, so he swallowed his disappointment and carried on. ‘Life is full of letdowns and setbacks,’ he told himself, ‘I should know that better than anyone.’

  The day was starting off hot, and though the jungle provided some cover, the humidity was already nearly suffocating. They were in very deep jungle. They tried to take as straight a path as possible, but the jungle had other ideas. They met with areas too thick to pass through, warning signs of large predators, and a swampy area too unstable to cross.

  After several hours of trying to navigate through the unforgiving terrain, they stopped near a small clear creek to get their bearings and cool off. Both men were drenched with sweat and breathing heavily.

  Finally, they reached an area mostly blocked by tall trees and thick shrubbery, but beyond it Rick could make out the outlines of some manmade structures. They had reached the city. He felt a rush of excitement.

  He looked to Sergio, who appeared tense. His face looked slightly flushed.

  Rick tried to catch his breath. “I think this is it!” he said, smiling broadly. He patted the big man’s shoulder. Sergio didn’t look at him and Rick could have sworn he had pulled his shoulder away ever so slightly. “Are you OK? You aren’t still nervous, are you? I’m sure those glyphs were only meant to scare people away.”

  Sergio’s face was turned away from him.

  “They’re not literal, you know. They couldn’t be.”

  Sergio just grunted in reply, still not making eye contact with Rick.

  ‘Maybe he’s just scared and way out of his element and is too proud to admit it,’ Rick thought. “Well, I say let’s check it out.”

  He again took the lead. This time Sergio hung back a little farther. Rick sensed his tension. He glanced back at him. Sergio’s face was stony.

  They stepped forward, making their way through the trees. Just beyond was an incredible sight.

  “Unbelievable,” Rick said. “The lost city...” he said, his voice trailing off. “At last.”

  In front of them, about thirty feet ahead, was a circular light brown stone wall, about ten feet high. It was constructed of interlocking blocks, each about two feet wide, by one foot tall. Every ten feet or so, it had a depression in it, where a stone was left out. No doubt for guards to keep watch over the jungle at night. Beyond it loomed several structures of varying heights.

  But it was the central structure that caught Rick’s eye. It gleamed in the sun. It was a stepped pyramid, huge, with an open, two-story temple at the top. It soared far above everything else. It was an imposing structure, close to one hundred feet tall, meant to convey power and authority. It shone with a golden brilliance that was breathtaking. It looked as if it was covered in melted gold. Time had not dimmed its beauty, its magnificence. It was as though it stood apart from time, and from nature. Abiding by its own rules.

  The surrounding structures were half as tall as the main temple, and were mostly flat-roofed, stone structures with rounded columns set in front.

  Rick couldn’t see much more with the stone wall in the way. They had to find a way in. He turned to Sergio, a smile spreading across his face. “I can’t believe we found this!”

  Sergio stood there, expressionless.

  “Sergio, man, seriously what is it?” Rick asked. He expected some kind of reaction. “Isn’t this incredible? We found a huge part of your people’s history. Our names will be remembered forever. This is one of the greatest moments of our lives.” He beamed. His eyes were alight with the thrill of discovery. “We’ll be immortalized!”

  Sergio stared straight ahead. “We should find a way in.”

  Rick was taken aback at his reaction. ‘Maybe he’s just overwhelmed,’ he thought. “Sure. Want to take a walk around the perimeter?” he asked. “There must be some kind of entrance, a way in somewhere.”

  Sergio pointed to the left. “Let’s head this way, see what we find,” he said flatly.

  Rick looked off in that direction, then back at his guide. He looked at him for a moment, perplexed by his reactions, then shrugged his shoulders. It’s not like he knew him real well. There was probably a good explanation for the way he was acting, Rick considered. “Why not? It’s as good a start as any.”

  They headed closer to the wall, with Sergio again following behind. The ground around it had been cleared of jungle vegetation and was instead covered in four-inch tall wild grass. The odd rocky outcropping could be seen, but other than that, it looked almost manicured. Rick frowned. He stopped, then looked back in the direction they had come. Full on jungle. “Weird,” he said. “Really weird.”

  “We should continue,” Sergio said, sounding just a little impatient.

  The hairs stood up on the back of Rick’s neck. Something wasn’t right. It all seemed odd. He glanced back towards the city. Then he realized what it was that was off, way off. The city showed no signs anywhere of having been reclaimed by the jungle. From where he was standing, the structures looked in almost pristine condition. No tangled vines, no overgrowth.

  Just then he heard a click. He turned back around. Sergio stood there. Holding a gun.

  CHAPTER

  8

  Rick looked at Sergio, then to the handgun his guide held, which was pointed directly at him.

  “Um, Sergio?” he asked, taking a step back, holding his hands out in front of him. “What the hell is going on?”

  “You will follow me,” he said, his Spanish accent now markedly less pronounced, and his English more clearly spoken. “Don’t even think about running.” He pulled out a hand-held radio from inside his rucksack, and clicked it on.

  Brief static was heard, followed by a sharp crackle. Then a voice. “Sergio? Are you and your guest here?”

  “We are,” he replied, “ready to come in.”

  “Understood.”

  Just then Rick heard a commotion coming from the other side of the protective wall. He looked over to see over a dozen Brazilian men appear over the top of it, rifles in hand, all pointed at him.

  Rick was dumfounded. “Son of a...”

  Sergio quickly ripped the rucksack from Rick’s back. “Go,” he ordered Rick, “that way.” He motioned to the left with his gun just as a large gate opened.

  Two armed guards emerged from inside the walled city, rifles at the ready. “Hands up, gringo! March!” one of them shouted as they headed out to meet them.

  With no other choice, Rick held his hands up and did what he was ordered.

  He strode in silence with Sergio close behind and the guards now flanking him. He couldn’t believe what just happened. “So, this was all an elaborate trick?” Rick called behind him. He turned around, walking backwards, his expression incredulous. “You knew all along and just led me into a trap?”

  Sergio smiled slyly. “Si, señor,” he said mockingly, his smile full of menace.

  Rick turned back around as the guards glared at him. “You have got to be kidding me!”

  They reached the entrance to the city. The gates, stretching the identical ten-foot height as the surrounding wall, were covered in the same stone, but only half as thick. The backsides of the gates were constructed of a heavy wood.

  They motioned Rick through. Directly inside, providing a grand entrance, were three graceful stone archways. The tallest was the central arch, the same height as
the outer wall, close to ten feet, while the two flanking it were nearly seven feet tall. The center arch was adorned with carved symbols.

  They marched Rick forward, through the archway, along a pebbled reddish-colored pathway. The grass lining the path was shorter than outside the city and well-manicured.

  A flock of colorful macaws flew overhead, adding to the beauty of the area.

  Beyond the archway, Rick took in the incredible sight before him. The stepped pyramid rivaled in craftsmanship and grandeur anything he had seen from the ancient world. The steps of the structure, a bit rough in some places, spanned all visible sides, wrapping around at near perfect angles at the corners. He couldn’t tell what kind of covering it had, but it had the effect of a golden coating, which shone brightly against the green backdrop of the jungle outside the city walls. The pyramid’s sheen seemed barely weathered or damaged by time from what he could see, so brightly did it shine in the sunlight. At the top, appeared to be a wide platform, and in the center, the pyramid’s apex, was the two-story, open temple. It had thick walls and an even brighter shine to it than the rest of the structure. He took a deep breath. It was the most impressive ancient monument he had ever personally laid eyes on.

  He felt a hard shove in his back. “You’re not going to be sight-seeing on this trip, I’m afraid,” Sergio said. “Move.”

  “I’m going,” he said, grimacing.

  Sergio grunted and again shoved him in the back.

  The four of them walked towards the interior of the city. A wide circular roadway, midway between the central city and the outer wall, wound its way around the city, following the curve of the wall. Radiating out from it, like the spokes of a wheel, were narrower roads that crossed through the center of the city.

  From here, Rick could see six other buildings, two on either side of the pyramid, and two behind. Around them, were several smaller structures, previously not visible behind the outer wall. He figured they were residences. They each had a small terrace in front and rectangular windows open to the air. Wooden chairs were placed on either side of the doorways, giving them a homey feel. All were made of smooth, dark beige stone blocks.