The Royal Pursuit

by Ruth Ann Nordin

  Several Nicals gasped.

  The man smiled to himself. Yes, they knew all too well that Raz and Pale were an impressive threat.

  “They are going to kill us, but we will die if we give the stone back,” a Nical softly cried.

  “Either way, we are doomed,” another one agreed.

  “It would appear that way,” the man acknowledged. “Unless…” He dangled the suggestion in front of them, waiting for them to take the bait.

  “Unless what?” the ruler asked, no longer trying to hide his fright.

  “Unless I come to your aid,” he offered, smiling benevolently at them. “I am greatly impressed with your knowledge of the beings in this universe, and in exchange for unlimited access to your library, I will save you from annihilation. Do we have a deal?”

  They took a moment to look at each other, quietly seeking out another possible solution. When none presented itself, they nodded, one by one.

  The ruler resigned himself to the man’s proposal. “Yes, we will do as you ask. Only, how will you protect us?”

  “Minor details. Don’t worry yourself over them.” The man stood up. “I will do my part. All you need to do is follow my instructions.”

  He proceeded to fill them in on the part of his plan that they needed to know. The rest, he would use at his own discretion.

  ***

  Royal Palace

  Planet: Raz

  In her and Hathor’s bedroom, Ann quickly dressed in one of her combat outfits. She wasn’t sure what material it was made of, but it was designed to resist abuse. She decided on a dark green outfit since Lone was full of trees and it would be easy to blend into the background, just in case she needed to hide from the Nicals.

  She wasn’t sure what to expect. She had already been to Olympia to announce her plan to go to Lone with the Palers. Now she was getting ready to leave. She wished Hathor was going with her. She always felt safer when he did. She liked Athen and was glad he was going, but it wasn’t the same as having Hathor there. She stared at her reflection. Forcing aside her lonely feeling, she pulled her long brown curly hair back into a French braid.

  She hated it when she and Hathor argued. They didn’t agree on everything, and she knew disagreements were bound to happen in a marriage. Still, the timing couldn’t have been worse.

  She pulled on her black boots, aware of how they conformed to her feet, then stood up. The Palers were due to arrive soon. She didn’t have time to waste.

  She opened the door. When she saw Naomi was in the hallway, she called out to her.

  Naomi bowed. “Yes, Queen Ann?”

  She smiled at the elderly woman. “Do you know where Hathor is? I need to speak to him before I leave.”

  “He is waiting with Katherine and Matthew for your departure,” she replied.

  Ann breathed a sigh of relief. She thanked Naomi and ran outside. As soon as she saw Hathor smile at her, she smiled back, glad to be on good terms again. Katherine stood by him while Matthew picked up rocks on the ground beside him.

  “I thought if I brought the kids with me, you couldn’t stay mad at me,” Hathor said.

  She closed the distance between them. “I’m not mad at you.”

  “I’m sorry I reacted the way I did earlier.”

  “It’s okay. I understand.”

  She glanced at the sky. She could already see the Paler spaceship in the sky. She bent down to hug Katherine and Matthew. Katherine, understanding that her mother would be gone for a while, hugged her back. Matthew, too young to understand, struggled to get out of her arms so he could continue playing with his rocks.

  She smoothed her outfit as she stood up. She hugged Hathor who held her tightly to him. “I wish you were going with me,” she whispered.

  “I know.” His breath felt warm against her ear.

  She reluctantly pulled away from him. She took out an emerald jewel dangling on a thick gold chain. “When you are done talking with the Augurs, I want you to join me. Athen will be taking the Book of Spells, so you can use this to go to Lone and find me.” She put it around his neck. “The Augurs never said you couldn’t help me when they left.”

  His smile widened.

  The Paler ship was getting closer. They would be landing in the next couple of minutes.

  Hathor cupped the side of her face and kissed her.

  She wished the kiss could have lasted forever, but Katherine’s excited cries over seeing the Paler ship brought her attention back to the matter at hand.

  “Be careful out there, Ann,” he whispered.

  “I will,” she promised.

  Athen walked out of the palace, holding the Book of Spells.

  They watched as the Paler ship landed.

  Ann took a deep breath and turned toward the spaceship. Athen took that as his cue and said good-bye to Hathor.

  “Take good care of her,” Hathor said.

  “I will protect her with my life,” he replied.

  Second Commander Jaz exited the spaceship and walked up to them. “Greetings, Ann and Hathor. Are you ready?”

  “Actually, Athen will be coming instead of Hathor,” Ann told her. “Hathor has to attend an important meeting with the Augurs tomorrow.”

  Jaz’s eyes widened. “The Augurs? That is a high honor. They are very selective about who they visit.”

  “Really?”

  “Yes. Pale has never been blessed by their presence. They are widely known for their benevolence. Even if they may seem uncompromising, they do so for the benefit of those they associate with.”

  Ann felt much better after hearing this. It reaffirmed her decision to have Hathor stay behind to see them.

  Hathor patted her lower back and kissed her cheek. “It looks like you were right.”

  She returned his smile. “For once,” she joked.

  Jaz waited for a moment before saying, “Falon will be going with us as well. It seems pointless to send a large group to confront thirty-seven Nicals.”

  “How are things with you and Falon? You have been married for a year now, correct?” Ann asked.

  “You have a good memory. Things are wonderful. Thank you for asking.”

  Ann was glad to see Jaz with Falon. They were good together. “Well, standing around here isn’t going to save the Olympians. We better go.”

  Athen and Jaz nodded and walked to the spaceship.

  “You’d better join us as soon as the Augurs leave,” she told Hathor.

  “I’ll be on Lone before they leave the atmosphere,” he assured her. “I love you.” He squeezed her hand.

  “I love you, too.”

  She followed her friends to the spaceship. As she climbed the steps to the ship, she looked back at her husband and children. She hoped that everything would be alright. She could tell he was worried about her. He had done what he could in sending Athen in his place. She loved him all the more for protecting her even when he couldn’t be with her.

  She slowly turned back to the spaceship and walked up the rest of the steps. She hoped the Augurs wouldn’t be too long in their meeting with Hathor. The sooner Hathor was there with her, the sooner she could feel safe again.

  Chapter Five

  Planet: Earth

  Galaxy: Average

  The United States naval submarine glided swiftly through the water. It was designed for a small group of people, and it wasn’t built for war. This particular group who inhabited the submarine for the past couple of weeks was on a quest to find a land only heard of in myths and legends.

  Atlantis. Stories and movies were created in man’s desire to speculate what such a land had been like. In all of them, a common theme emerged: Atlantis’ technology far surpassed anything any other place had managed to attain.

  Atlantis was a place of dreams and hopes. It was a place for man to reach his full potential. At least that’s what Stacey Russell had theorized in her thesis as a graduate student studying Anthropology at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio.

  Intrig
ued by her master’s thesis, her teacher wished to show it to the dean. The dean, in turn, related it to a personal friend who had searched for such a place but never imagined he might be fortunate enough to find it. Had it not been for Stacey’s thorough research and strong thesis, his hope would never have materialized.

  Stacey did not know the identity of her benefactor. She only knew he funded her expedition to search for the legendary land. With the exception of the captain, she got to choose the three members of her team who would assist her on her quest.

  Among them, she chose her husband, Kent Russell, whose expertise was Astronomy. He had begun his college career with an interest in Physics Education, but one course in Astronomy convinced him to change his major. A master’s degree later, he found himself on board the most exciting adventure of his life. The remaining two members of her team were Mark Ryan and Stephen Kyle who would help them navigate their way through Atlantis.

  Stacey sat at the small kitchen table, writing in her daily journal, which recorded their journey. She hoped to publish it if their trip was a success. Though she’d devoted two years of her life to studying Atlantis, she couldn’t help but wonder if that was enough preparation.

  “Penny for your thoughts,” Kent said as he walked into the tiny room.

  She smiled. “I’m just putting my thoughts down on paper.”

  He pushed his glasses up his nose. “The captain says we can expect to reach Atlantis early tomorrow morning.” He crossed his fingers. “Here’s hoping your years of study will pay off.”

  Her heart pounded with excitement. “The closer we get, the more I fear I’m wrong.”

  “Even if you are, then at least you will get to pursue your dream. Some people spend their whole lives never realizing their goals.”

  “I suppose I should be grateful for that, but part of the fun is dreaming. After we’re done, I’ll miss the hope.”

  He stared thoughtfully at her. “In that case, you will have to dream something else.”

  She nodded. She knew he was right. She just couldn’t imagine how anything would be as thrilling as searching for Atlantis.

  ***

  Palace Grounds

  Planet: Raz

  Hathor stood outside the palace, waiting for the Augurs to arrive in their spaceship. He wore a purple silk suit, which was what kings usually wore when entertaining guests.

  It was mid-morning on Raz, or noon on Earth in Ohio, which was where Ann was born. He figured that Ann would arrive on Lone by that afternoon.

  He knew the chance the Augurs would finish this meeting by afternoon was slim to none. With luck, he would be on Lone by this evening. He touched the emerald under his shirt. He was relieved she had given it to him so he could protect her. This meeting shouldn’t take too long, he hoped.

  The Augur spaceship was a circular black disk that moved smoothly through the sky. It was remarkably fast compared to any other spaceships he was familiar with. He straightened as he watched the ship land on the ground.

  Four Augurs left the ship. Their straight black hair complimented their black polyester uniforms, which had gold trim along the edges. By the way they shook his hand, he was reminded of how formal they were.

  “I am Gaius,” the Augur said, although the introduction was unnecessary considering his name was sewn onto his uniform. “It is a pleasure to meet you in person. I would like to introduce Amalia, Manos, and Dimitris.”

  “I am Hathor, king of Raz,” he replied, his style more relaxed.

  “We are sorry the queen had to depart on an emergency, but it is good you stayed.”

  Hathor was about to ask him why he had been so insistent that he stay behind, but he chose to remain quiet. If Gaius wouldn’t tell Ann, why would he tell Hathor? “Will you come with me to the Grand Oak Room?” Hathor asked instead.

  “Yes, we will,” Gaius agreed.

  Hathor noted that Gaius seemed to speak on behalf of the other Augurs. Hathor led them to the room with a large oval oak table and matching chairs.

  Hathor sat at the head of the table, which was normally the position reserved for the queen, but since he was acting in her place, he was allowed to sit there. He motioned for them to sit as well.

  One by one, they sat down.

  A servant entered the room and asked if anyone needed anything to drink or eat. It wasn’t something that had always occurred when guests arrived to talk to them, but Ann had insisted it was the proper way to treat their guests to refreshments, so it became standard Razian procedure.

  Gaius nodded. “Whatever you serve to drink will be fine for all of us. We will be requiring dinner as well. This meeting may continue through tomorrow.”

  Hathor sighed but hid his disappointment. Instead, he consented to the notice and made arrangements for their overnight stay at the palace.

  After the servant gave the Augurs lemonade, something Ann taught the cook to make, Hathor cleared his throat. “May I ask why you chose to come to Raz?”

  “We wish to be allies. Before we do, we need to discuss the terms and conditions of such an alliance,” Gaius said, smiling. “Amalia, do you have the book of those terms and conditions?”

  “Yes, Gaius,” she replied as she took a large book out of an object that looked like a suitcase.

  Hathor’s eyes widened as she placed it in front of him.

  “We will have to go over everything in here,” Gaius said. “We have to ensure you are agreeable to all we ask.”

  Hathor opened the book and flipped through it, overwhelmed and disheartened at the task ahead of him. The book was 1038 pages long. It was going to take them a couple of days to get through all the rules in it. How was he supposed to go to Lone and help Ann if he was stuck here reading through this boring stuff?

  I’ll do it for Ann, he told himself. She wanted to make an alliance with them, so he would honor her wishes and trudge through it, no matter how much he dreaded it.

  ***

  Aboard the Paler Spaceship

  Galaxy: Mythical

  “We are nearing the Lone atmosphere,” Falon announced as he steered the ship expertly around the stars. “I advise you to get ready for the landing.”

  Ann strapped herself into her seat and watched as Jaz and Athen did the same. The ride to Lone had been uneventful. She had anticipated an offensive attack from the Nicals but none came. They must be waiting for us to get there before they do anything, she thought as she peered out the window next to her.

  Everything looked so peaceful up here. It was hard to imagine that conflicts were going on when it was so quiet and still in space. She wondered what the Nicals were like and what had compelled them to steal the Olympians’ immortal power. The Olympians didn’t have any dealings with them, so it couldn’t be personal. It had to be something else.

  She took a deep breath as they entered Lone’s atmosphere. It looked remarkably like Earth, she noticed. Earth wasn’t the only planet in the universe that contained human beings on it. The Nicals could be similar to humans, if not human, she thought. Hathor and Athen were humans. The gods and goddesses on Olympia were humans. They had other creatures on their planet that weren’t full-blooded humans. Some of their creatures were animals. She often wondered how those creatures, such as the Sphinx, got to be the way they were but never took the time to ask the gods about it.

  She forced her mind back to the impending landing on Lone.

  Falon glanced over at Jaz. “Do you see a suitable landing spot?”

  Jaz studied the terrain below them. She was ready to shake her head when a clearing among all the trees came into her view. “There’s a good place.” She pointed to it.

  He veered the ship toward it.

  Ann tightened her hold on the armrests of her seat in response to the ship’s sharp turn. She squinted through the bright sunlight. She spotted many wooden houses and buildings among the trees. She frowned. It didn’t seem like the Nicals were very technologically advanced. By the looks of the place, it was amazing they mana
ged to do any kind of space travel.

  The Paler ship was quickly approaching the clearing up ahead.

  “We’re due to land in three minutes,” Jaz said.

  Ann shifted in her seat uncomfortably. Maybe it was her imagination, but she swore her seat felt unusually warm. It could be nerves.

  “The wheel feels hot,” Falon said.

  “So do these controls,” Jaz added.

  Okay, so it wasn’t her imagination, Ann realized with growing alarm. “Is this ship supposed to warm up as you land it?”

  “No,” he replied. “Something’s wrong.”

  She glanced at Athen, who remained surprisingly calm.

  “We need to evacuate,” Jaz said. She jumped out of her chair and grabbed some parachutes then handed them to everyone. “This ship will blow up in thirty seconds. We need to act fast.”

  Startled, Ann grabbed her parachute and unfastened her seatbelt. She struggled to put on her parachute but was having trouble getting her arm through one of the straps.

  “Here. Let me,” Athen said.

  She jerked. She didn’t realize he had finished putting his on and had walked over to her.

  Jaz and Falon already had their parachutes on. Falon raced to the door and kicked it open.

  “Count to five and push this string,” Jaz told her and Athen.

  Ann hesitated. She’d never been skydiving before, and she didn’t exactly relish the idea of doing it now. But her feet burned from standing on the floor and the walls around her began to glow a bright red color.

  Athen grabbed her hand. “I’ll help you. Come on.”

  She felt like such a moron. She was the Queen of Raz, and yet she remained completely helpless in dangerous situations. She never realized how much she relied on Hathor until that moment. Her mind shut down in an emergency, and she didn’t like it.

  Athen led her to the door, and they jumped out of the spaceship together.