As he walked he said, “This will be a big year for you Charles. You just turned fifteen and you are going to be a sophomore in high school. We’ve noticed you are a very mature and sensible young man. Nana and I thought the time was right to reveal something very important to you.”
Carson halted before reaching the vault and glanced up at the ceiling. Then looking at Charles, he said, “I was sixteen before I learned what I am about to disclose to you. Looking back, I don’t think at sixteen I was old enough to learn the truth. However my father believed I was ready, so I must have been mature enough or he wouldn’t have revealed the secret to me.” He shrugged. “I guess he had no sure way of knowing when I would be ready. He took a leap of faith, and that is what I am going to do Charles. I’m going to teach you about things that most people can only dream about. They contemplate it as being an unattainable fantasy that they can only abstractly visualize in their mind. They consider it to be impossible, even though it’s not inconceivable for a select few. There is a good reason that those who know of it have kept it a fiercely guarded secret for centuries. This secret is not safe for everyone to know about. Only a select few are chosen to be enlightened of the truth. You have to have the right genes and be blessed by good fortune, or you would never know about its existence. In the past it was considered a mystery why some could experience Utopia and others couldn’t. Back then those who weren’t physically able to experience it, perished along the way trying to get there.”
Charles briefly scowled at the last part. “I’m not sure I want to know the secret.”
Carson placed his hands on Charles’ shoulder and looked him right in the eye. “I would never put you in danger if I wasn’t positive beyond measure you would be safe.”
Charles nodded. Carson turned and continued to walk over to the vault. Charles followed him.
They stood in front of the vault door. Charles inspected it very closely. It was a deep rich almost sparkling charcoal grey. It had beautiful intricate silver etchings that covered it. The door had two locks on it: a shining golden wheel with handles that looked like rays extending from the center of it, and a lock which could be opened with a key. Charles stepped closer to inspect the wheel. It had embedded gems of various colors around the wheel.
Carson said, “It’s a one of a kind.” He inserted the key and turned the lock. He tugged at the massive door and pulled it open. The light inside came on revealing rows of silver polished drawers. Charles could see a section of gold drawers in the very back of the vault. In certain sections the drawers were different sizes. Each drawer had a lock.
Carson stepped inside and Charles followed. Once inside out of curiosity Charles brushed his hand over a few of the drawers. The metal was cold and solid. Carson watched him and thought about his first time in the vault, how he had experienced the same awe of it. Charles observed that the drawers were marked by colored labels that had dates and codes on them. Carson walked over to the first drawer on the top row and opened it. Inside was a large ring of keys. He took it out of the drawer and held up the keys.
“The keys on this ring unlock drawers in the vault.” He found a certain one and showed Charles. “Start with this one.” It was the darkest key on the ring. It had a skull at the base of it. “Pirate treasure--some Sojourners just collect coins that can be traced back to long lost forgotten treasure given up by the god of the sea, or hidden within the earth. They are called Treasure Sojourners.” Carson went on to say, “This key has the same color on it as the labels that are on the drawers in this section. There is one master key to unlock all of the drawers in that section. They are all similarly marked.”
He turned back to the drawer that housed the keys and took out a single golden key. “This master key unlocks the only section of golden drawers.” He returned the key to the drawer and closed it.
Then Carson walked Charles over to a rectangular table at the far end of the vault. On top of the table was a small wrapped package. He smiled at Charles and enthusiastically said, “Happy birthday Charles.” Charles just stared at it. “It’s your birthday present Charlie. Aren’t you going to open it?”
Charles was contemplating Carson’s earlier words. He didn’t fully understand what test he may have to undergo and was reluctant to try.
Carson prodded, “Hurry up Charles! I’ve been waiting a long time for this moment.” Charles looked at him and back at the gift. Carson was confused as to why he hesitated. “You don’t want to open it?”
Charles stared at it. “I do, but I don’t want to die.”
Carson put his hand on Charles’ back. “You’re not going to die because you opened your birthday gift.” Charles looked up at him. Carson continued, “I’ll explain things in more detail after you open your gift. Please trust me and open it! I can’t take the suspense any longer…”
Charles picked up the package and tore away the wrapping very slowly revealing a dark burgundy box. He opened it. As soon as Charles saw what was inside of that box, he knew he’d never forget that gift as long as he lived.
Not only was Carson a collector of rare books but he was also a numismatist, a collector of rare coins from all around the world.
Charles understood that the coins in the box were something special just by the look on Paw Paw’s face. Charles smiled at Carson. “Thank you. They are beautiful!” Carson nodded in agreement. Charles noticed both coins were encased in clear containers. He picked them up one at a time looking them over very carefully. There was no doubt in Charles’ mind that these coins were ancient. On the obverse side of one of the coins were symbols that got larger as they came out from the center of the coin. The reverse side of the coin had an image of a winged mythical creature that appeared to be breathing lightning. Charles was fascinated with it.
Carson pointed out the symbols at the bottom of the coin. “This may be a date of some sort. I don’t really know what the symbols represent.”
The other coin was not as thick and had cutouts of stars on it. The coin had raised small stars in random places on the obverse side and engraved stars on the reverse side. It looked as if the coin could be used to decipher coded messages.
Charles looked at Carson. The look on Carson’s face and his demeanor told Charles that he was very proud of the coins. Charles was curious about the coins’ history and said, “Please tell me about these coins. They’re magnificent.”
“These are the only coins of their kind in the world. Each is a real treasure individually, and to have the set is unbelievable. Although the one with the cut outs was only rumored to exist, we were actually the owners of the coin for generations. It came to be in our possession when an ancestor of ours, Jules London, won it in a poker game.
“It became well known that Jules was an extremely lucky poker player. His luck began to be attributed to a gold coin he won in an earlier poker game. Every time Jules played poker he would hold the coin on top of his cards. The story that’s been passed down for generations refers to an unknown gentleman who, for over a year, would inquire around the surrounding towns about the poker games Jules would be playing in. During the game he would walk up to the poker table and stand behind Jules so he could watch him play. Before the game was over he’d leave. The rumor was that the observer might be doing this because he wanted to eventually challenge Jules in order to have a chance to win his lucky coin. One violent stormy night just before the poker game had ended, the man turned to depart. As he walked by the table he withdrew a book from his overcoat pocket and set it down on the corner of the table where Jules was sitting. The man walked out the door right as a roar of thunder shook the building and lightning struck the ground nearby. The stranger was never seen again.
“When Jules went to bed that night he tossed and turned. He had nightmares most of the night about losing his lucky coin to the mysterious visitor. When he woke up before dawn he was exhausted from lack of sleep. He sat up and turned on his nightstand lamp. He walked across the room to retrieve the book the man had left
for him. As Jules read he wondered what a book about a lost civilization might have to do with his coin. As he kept reading he discovered a drawing and description of a coin with its purpose. It was to be placed on top of another coin that had symbols etched on it. The symbols would match Jules’ coin inside its cutouts. He read the book from beginning to end before he could put it down. When Jules realized what he possessed, he spent the rest of his life searching for and trying to obtain the other coin. It’s been centuries since the coins have come back together. The pair of coins completes one of our collections. It’s a miracle we were able to obtain the set in a thousand life times. Sometimes coin collections never become complete.”
Charles asked, “How did you acquire it?”
“A long time ago I discovered through word of mouth, an up and coming talented coin tracker. I made an appointment with him and hired him on the spot. He has a reputation for being able to locate rare coins for individuals who would prefer to avoid an auction and would rather conduct private transactions.
“His job was to find specific coins that would complete several of our collections. It was worth the investment when he heard through the grapevine that a certain wealthy numismatist was going to have an estate auction. He arranged for a friend of a friend to introduce the two of them. The tracker learned that the individual in charge of the estate auction was an avid collector of rare books. She was very appreciative of his expertise. Through their correspondence he gained her trust and asked if he could view the coins she intended to auction off.
“Upon viewing the collection he came across one of the coins I’d been searching for. He notified me and I made her an offer she couldn’t refuse. I traded one of the books from our family library.”
Charles scowled knowing that the books in the Jones’ family library were treasures themselves. Nana and Paw Paw from time to time would entertain an agent working for a client or another collector wanting to purchase a book from their collection. This was the first book Charles had ever heard of his grandparents actually letting go from their library.
Carson said, “It was okay to let the book go for this coin. The book was a treasure but having the pair of these coins together once again was of far greater value. The book that was traded wasn’t part of ‘the collection’.”
Carson began pointing out the details of the coins. “They are both solid gold. The symbols on the front are from an ancient civilization.” He turned one coin over. “The dragon carved on the reverse side of this coin was thought to have made its lair within a hidden remote cavern nestled in the mountains. Folklore states that the dragon spent most of its time in the mountains when on land, but occasionally it would come out of the mountains and into the clearing of a kingdom. When the dragon came near the kingdom it would use its wings to move the air to create wicked dust storms and destructive tornadoes. As soon as the dragon’s storm was identified from the lookout towers, the sentries would sound the trumpets warning the people of the kingdom to take cover in order to avoid injury. The dragon’s violent tempests terrified the villagers.
“When the dragon searched for food it hunted the wild game native to the surrounding mountains. After the dragon lived in the mountains for a long period of time, it would become increasingly difficult for it to find enough meat to sustain life. That’s when it would take to the air and fly over the sea to supplement its diet. The villagers speculated that the skilled hunter used the cloud cover it would create for camouflage as it flew out over the sea. As the dragon soared above the water it could spot schools of fish from the air. Once the fish were in its sight it would breathe lightning from its mouth out over the water. The lightning would shock the fish so they would float up to the surface. The dragon would then swoop down and gather its meal in its mouth before retreating back to its cave. When the wild game in the mountains became too scarce the dragon would leave its lair in the cavern to live under the sea in the deepest part of a canyon. It would stay there making the sea its home long enough for the native wildlife to repopulate the mountain.
“The story continued that even though the dragon never hurt anyone; the villagers in the kingdom were frightened by its presence. The famers were afraid for their livestock. The fishermen were fearful that while they were out to sea in their boats the dragon might mistake them for its food source. The local fishermen would come back to the taverns and tell their tales. One fisherman said he’d spotted the reptile beneath the ship from the crow’s nest. His accounting reported the dragon was larger than the ship. It was feeding on the lesharcs that were following the vessel. (From what I’ve read lesharcs are similar to our sharks.) He witnessed it using its long retractable talons to spear lesharcs before devouring them. Rumors began to spread that if you found the dragon’s treasure it was hoarding, it would try to eat you or drag you down to the depths of the sea to its grotto.
“The unrest throughout the kingdom forced the King to send his bravest knights on several missions to slay the dragon, but they could never get close enough to harm it.
“However, a sorcerer named Leiandros claimed that he had come face to face with the dragon while wandering through the mountains, searching for the plants he needed for potions. One evening he grew tired from his long journey scouting the mountainside for the ingredients he needed. While scaling the mountain Leiandros spotted a large boulder. He made his way to the stone in order to hide behind it and rest. To his surprise, behind the jagged stone was the hidden entrance to a cave. Out of necessity he took shelter there. He used twigs he had gathered in his pack to make a fire for warmth. Leiandros fell into a deep sleep until he was awakened by a storm raging outside the cave. From within the storm he heard the distinct sound of the dragon returning to the mountain. He used a makeshift torch and stumbled deeper into the winding cave to hide. As he went deeper into the cavern he could hear and feel the vibration of the dragon’s footsteps following. Suddenly when he came to the end of the cave he realized he was in the dragon’s lair. The legend states the dragon must have been tired and satisfied with its prior meal because it wasn’t interested in the sorcerer. It curled up on top of its amassed treasure to guard it. Two coins fell from the mound. It wasn’t until Leiandros picked up the two golden coins that the dragon eyed him suspiciously. The sorcerer used his quick wit and began to sing a spell that lulled the dragon into a deep sleep. Once the dragon soundly slept he fled the cave with the two coins.
“After the sorcerer fled from the dragon’s lair he carved the likeness of the dragon on the back of one of the coins. When he finished the carving, he cast a spell on both of the coins. It has been said that he made the coins into a sort of cryptogram puzzle in which he locked away all of his spells within the two coins.
“At that time Leiandros was the only human known to have come face to face with the dragon in its lair, and lived to tell about it. The complete superstitious tale is told in the novel Jules was given. The novel is in our library. It now belongs to you.”
Charles looked at Carson and thanked him. “This is a very special gift. I will treasure the coins for the rest of my life.”
Carson nodded. “Because of their value I think we should put them in the vault drawer with the others for safe keeping.” Charles agreed, and Carson returned the coins to the box. He walked over and unlocked the drawer where the coins would be kept. He motioned for Charles to come over and stand beside him to see what was inside the drawer.
Charles peered into the drawer and looked at all the catalogued coins. He bit his bottom lip, and said, “Paw Paw, you have a lot of coins in this drawer. I didn’t know there was so much treasure to be found in the world; or if there was, that we’d have it in the family collection.”
Carson replied, “There is a lot of treasure in the world left to be discovered.”
He closed the drawer and locked it. He turned and replaced the key ring in the original drawer. Carson walked out of the vault with Charles right behind him. Carson closed the door to the vault and spun the wheel lo
cking the door. Then he walked across the room, returned the golden key to the secret compartment in his desk and closed the drawer.
Carson turned and said, “I’m glad you liked your gift.”
“I can’t believe the coins are actually mine.”
Carson sat in his chair very still for a moment in deep thought before he said, “That wasn’t the only reason I brought you into our office. Charles, you know Nana and I are avid collectors. Our family has been doing this for generations. I want to share a secret with you about our family. What I am about to tell you requires an open mind and imagination.”
Carson put on his glasses and handed a pair to Charles. He then stood up and walked over to the bookshelf. He ran his finger along the spines of the books until he came to a specific journal. Carson removed the journal from the shelf. He held it in one hand and opened it with the other. Charles came, stood beside him and put the glasses on. Charles noticed it was a handwritten journal. The writing was in unusual script. Carson began reading out loud. As he read the journal, moving holograms sprang from the pages.
Charles blurted out, “Wow, how did you do that?”
Carson held up his pointer finger while he continued to read. When Carson finished he closed the book and replaced it upon the shelf. He turned to Charles and answered, “The excerpt I just read to you was written by a young man about the same age as you. He wrote about the coins he was researching in his father’s collection.”
Carson turned to the bookshelf and explained, “These are our memoirs of collecting coins which span from the beginning of our family’s collection to the present date. We are considered an elite type of coin collector and time traveler called a Sojourner. We are not typical coin collectors in that we belong to a secret society. We are able to travel through time using what science calls a wormhole to the planet Bridgeiro. We as Sojourners call it a Weary Travelers’ Passageway.” Then Carson walked over to the coin sculpture on the opposite side of the room. At this time the cuckoo clock struck the hour. He spun the large sculpture clockwise creating a vortex within the center of the coin that gradually expanded outward until it reached the iron rim.
The Xidoran Prophecy Page 2