The Seal of Solomon

by Jeffrey Ellis

  “That is exactly what I must do. Right is right, and he saved me and that must be acknowledged. Where can I find a stable to get a horse in this city?” she asked.

  “We will go together but a horse will not do. We are many thousands of miles away and a horse will have trouble carrying you across an ocean. I will ask for one of their flying chariots to take us,” said Ra.

  “Do you remember the hidden land Merlin told us of, the one with the savage natives that lay across the great ocean?” said Ra.

  “I remember Merlin’s stories of it. Merlin set up enclaves there,” Nefertiti replied.

  “Sometime after the Seal was formed, non-magic people finally discovered the land. We are on the eastern shore of that land in a place they call New York and are thousands of miles from Cairo where Sebastian is at,” Ra told her. “You must also know something else. If Arthur survives, his intent is to stop the Council from reforming. Merlin has already bent his knee to him, though I sense some deception there and Arthur has asked me to do the same, but I have given him no answer.”

  “You would consider kneeling to a mortal?” said Nefertiti, appalled.

  “Arthur is different now. I have seen him do things extraordinary and I think he is right. The Council failed to stop Mordred countless times and did nothing more than slow his advance, our Seal nearly destroyed the world twice. The single action of creating the Seal has caused more death than Mordred did a thousand times again. Arthur is right, the Council was bad for this world and Arthur’s Wardens are the answer. I feel this to be true, but I cannot do this on my own. We act as one. Do not answer now Nefertiti. Observe him, observe the world then decide. I trust your judgment more than my own. You have always been the wiser of us and once you decide, your decision will be mine,” Ra said.

  “There is one other thing you must know. Merlin thinks Mordred has returned. I do not know if he is right though his reasoning is sound, but we lack proof. The Wardens know they have an enemy but have not discovered his identity yet. They have made an interesting discovery though. He uses magic that may be ancient, even older than me and they want my help with this. I have some limited insight but only rumors and second-hand information from my childhood. Do you remember the old stories of Atlantis?” Ra asked.

  “I do indeed. It was said to be ancient and glorious and powerful and then destroyed by its own people. They think Mordred’s magic is rooted in Atlantis?” she asked.

  “We cannot be certain but if it is, that would explain a great many things. He used magic that time and again defeated us. We had the greatest Masters in the world fighting against him and he brushed us aside even when we had numbers on our side. The evidence is unclear, but I think this may be the right path and the path to finally removing his filth from existence,” Ra told her.

  “I hope so, Ra,” she said.

  “Is this the nature of your deal with Sebastian?” she asked.

  “It was but it was bluster. If my attempts to recover you had failed, I would still have helped them. I would not let the world suffer because of my own personal feelings,” Ra said.

  “You surprise me, Ra. You have found humility during your slumber and that is a good thing. Your one fault was always your ego and your own desires, and you are looking past that now,” she said.

  “I did not find humility in my sleep. I found it at the hands of a thrashing by Arthur. I was pompous and arrogant and with a single action he held my life in his hands and I saw in him the fierceness we knew he possessed but did not yet knew when he was Arthur,” said Ra.

  “I cannot say what tomorrow brings and I must observe Arthur for myself. I will judge him on his actions in this life, not his past,” she told her husband.

  “That is essentially what I told him. Also, he is called Sebastian in this life and his lover goes by Chelsea. They have new names in their new lives and are similar but not the same. They were but kittens when we knew them last and they have grown now into the lion and lioness you once said they would become,” Ra told her.

  “I am glad they have finally come into their own. They have great potential and it is good they may finally live up to it though I would judge this for myself,” Nefertiti said.

  “We will go then and see Sebastian and Chelsea and do what we can to make right the wrongs we have visited upon the world. When do we leave?” Nefertiti asked Ra.

  “I will inquire about a flying chariot once I finish eating,” he replied.

  “I will die of old age before you finish eating and I am immortal,” she laughed.

  #

  The shuttle landed at the hospital and Abraham met Ra and Nefertiti on the landing pad.

  “Well met Abraham,” said Ra. “How is your son?”

  “He is going to be fine but is still weak and unconscious. Fortunately, modern medicine can work miracles and he should make a full recovery in a few days. He’s asleep right now though.”

  “You are the father of Sebastian? I am in your debt as well then. Your son saved me and for that, I am in his and your family’s debt,” said Nefertiti as they walked in.

  “We can wait in the family room,” Abraham told them as they went inside, and he led them to the waiting area. Anna walked up to them.

  “Hi. I’m Coordinator Anna. Pleased to meet you,” she said.

  “She is the leader of the Wardens and in charge of the garrison, we were at. It is her graciousness that gave us the use of her chariot to fly here,” Ra told his wife.

  “Then I thank you, Coordinator Anna. I am told it is not magical but a machine,” Nefertiti said.

  “That’s correct. Why don’t we sit and chat while we wait for Sebastian to wake up?” said Anna.

  “I would like that,” said Nefertiti and the two women sat down.

  #

  Sebastian opened his eyes and saw Chelsea sound asleep beside him. He started to move but realized he had an IV in his arm. He was confused for a moment from the fog of sleep then his mind cleared, and he remembered the rockfall. After looking around the room he realized he was in a hospital. The signs on the walls were in Arabic and since they were at Karnak when the accident occurred, and Cairo was the closest major medical facility, he concluded that was where he was. He didn’t want to wake Chelsea, so he just lay there quietly. A moment later a nurse came in.

  “The Warden awakes,” she said, and he gave her an odd look.

  “The diagnostic machine registered the change in your bio-signs and we were alerted when you woke up,” she said.

  “How did you know I’m a Warden,” he asked, his voice hoarse.

  “You’re kidding right?” said the woman while laughing.

  “I just wanted to make sure you didn’t try to get up and pull the IV loose,” she told him as she checked the connections.

  “Am I okay?” he asked.

  “You’re going to be fine. You lost a lot of blood from the accident and a lot more in surgery, so your red and white counts are very low. That IV is helping your body regenerate the lost blood cells but otherwise, you’re okay. All of your breaks were successfully knitted, and all of the internal damage has been repaired or regenerated. You’ll have a few scars and no other long-term effects,” she told him.

  “In three to four days, you’ll be good as new but until then you’ll need to stay here and get more intravenous platelet boosters. We replaced the plasma, but synthesizing blood cells can’t be done until the laboratories are repaired so until then, you get old-fashioned IV drips of platelet regenerators. Oh,” she pointed at the sleeping Chelsea, “No strenuous activity until you’re cleared. You nearly died. Your body is weak, don’t push yourself,” the nurse told him.

  “Yes ma’am,” said Sebastian, forcing the words out through his dry throat.

  “That hoarseness is from the anesthesia and dehydration. It will clear up in a few hours but in the meantime, I’ll bring you something to drink and that should help. If you feel tired, then sleep. Don’t fight it, you need rest,” she said and walked out. />
  Chelsea smiled at him as the nurse left. “She’s no fun,” she said.

  “I didn’t realize you were awake, sweetie,” said Sebastian.

  “I could say the same for you. I’ve been worried sick about you,” she said.

  “Is this where you tell me if I ever do anything like that again you’ll kick my ass,” he said.

  “No. This is the part where I kiss you and tell you I love you and I can’t begin to tell you how happy I am you’re alive,” she said and kissed him.

  “Hey, none of that,” the nurse said as she brought a tray in with a pitcher and a cup.

  “This is an enriched nutrient liquid. It tastes mostly okay and will help you build your strength. Drink as much as you can and if you want solid food just hit that buzzer and tell the orderly. I promised them the old man won’t yell at them again if they come in here so can you ask him not to please. He scared them,” she said.

  “Old man?” said Sebastian between gulps.

  “Your dad was in here earlier,” said Chelsea. “He scared away a couple of young orderlies when they tried to take this bed back out”, she told him.

  “Oh, I’m sorry nurse my dad can be a bit...abrasive. He’s blunt at times but he means well. I’ll talk to him,” he said then added, “If you need the bed for other patients you should take it, right Chelsea?”

  “No, it’s fine. They were just doing their job to keep the rooms organized,” the nurse told him.

  “I’ll let dad know you’re awake,” said Chelsea and got up and left the room.

  Abraham walked into the room and looked at his son. “If you ever give me a scare like that again, I’m going get your wife there to kick your ass because I’m too old to do it myself,” the man said.

  “You know we’re not married yet, dad,” Sebastian said.

  “Don’t give me that technicality bullshit. You don’t need a legal document to tell everyone what we already know. You two were meant for each other and that’s just the way it is. You’re as much married to her as I was to your mother and no signed forms or lack thereof will change that. Now, what the fuck were you thinking, you dumb shit?” said Abraham.

  “I was thinking that her life needed protecting and I bet you would have done the same thing in my place,” said Sebastian.

  “Yea, I probably would have but that’s not the subject. You’re not allowed to risk your life and scare your dad, I forbid it,” Abraham told him.

  “Well that changes everything,” said Sebastian. He looked at Chelsea. “Dad says I can’t scare him anymore so I’m going to have to go on desk duty,” he said.

  “Dad knows best,” said Chelsea laughing.

  “Yea, yea laugh it up. Son, I’ve not had to face this before. When you were in the military you had some cushy post on the moon, but I have to face this now. You’re a Warden and we all know what that means. I haven’t said this enough, but I am going to say it now. I love you son. When I got that call I was scared because you’re my child and whether or not I’ve shown it I love you,” Abraham told him.

  “I love you too dad. I really mean that. I became a Warden because of you and only ever wanted to make you proud,” Sebastian told him.

  “You have, son. You have more than you may ever know. I’m proud of you. I could care less if you lead the Camelot office or defeat this unknown wizard or anything else. In my life, the only thing I’m actually proud of is you,” Abraham told him. “In the end, your family is all that matters and if I hadn’t been a dumbass I would have learned that before I lost your mother. I’m damn proud to have you as my son,” the old man said.

  “And I’m damn proud to have you as my father,” said Sebastian.

  “Did Nefertiti survive, is she okay?” asked Sebastian.

  “She’s fine. She and Ra are in the lobby waiting to see you,” Abraham told him.

  “Anna, William, and Bruce are also here. Bethany came as well but had to leave. She is fighting morning sickness, so she went home for a while to rest,” Chelsea told him then added, “Or at least that was the case when I went to sleep.”

  She looked up at the clock. “Have I been asleep for twelve hours?” she asked Abraham.

  “You have. I told anyone if they woke you they’d have to answer to me,” he told the two. “You don’t have to see anyone right now, son. You can rest and relax, and I can go tell them you’re tired and going back to sleep.”

  “I appreciate you running interference for my dad, but time isn’t on our side. If Ra and Nefertiti are ready, then I’m okay enough to talk,” Sebastian told his dad.

  A few minutes later, Ra and Nefertiti entered the room and walked over to the bed and Ra stared at the IV.

  “It’s medicine. I lost a lot of blood and that is helping my body make produce it faster than it could on its own,” Sebastian explained.

  “The marvels of this world never cease to amaze me,” Ra replied. “I saw you crushed by stones, yet here you are, alive and well and I am told in a few days you will be as if it never happened. This is a great thing indeed. You saved my wife and we owe you a debt of gratitude,” Ra told him.

  “I thank you for your sacrifice. You could have died to save me because you put the value of others above your own. You are a rare man Sebastian,” Nefertiti said.

  “Nefertiti, I can’t lie to you. Ra made a deal to help us and that was contingent on recovering you. We are dealing with something unknown and need his help, so you were a means to an end,” Sebastian said but Nefertiti held up her hand.

  “You cannot lie to me. I was there and while this is all true, you and my husband struck a bargain which we will both honor and not just him, you did not have time to analyze the situation. You saw someone in danger and reacted on instinct. Any time given to thinking about the risk and your deal with Ra would have cost my life and you didn’t take the time to do that and from what I am told, had there been no bargain and you had time to think about it you would do it anyway. You could have died to save me because you put another’s life above your own and for this, I owe you a great debt,” said Nefertiti.

  “You owe me nothing. I didn’t act in anticipation of reward. I did what I did because it was the right thing to do and I absolve you of any real or perceived debt from that action,” Sebastian told her, his voice cracking again from dryness.

  “I am humbled and honored by your actions,” Nefertiti told him.

  “Please excuse me a moment, recent events have left me dehydrated and I must put aside my manners for a moment. Forgive my rudeness for not offering you a drink, it’s a form of medicine, not a pleasant drink,” he said as he downed another glass of the liquid from the pitcher.

  “There is no slight. A thirsty man should drink,” Ra told him.

  “I will be brief. You are recovering and should rest. We made a bargain which I will honor, and I will work with your Wardens and provide all assistance I can in solving this magical puzzle. I fear I may not offer as much help as you desire, my knowledge is limited. The rumored kingdom of Atlantis was thousands of years before my time if it indeed existed, but I was among the earliest to create a system of magic that drew upon the ancient ways so if those ancient ways are indeed Atlantean in origin, then I am possibly your closest link. If the magic is not Atlantean, I may still be able to help piece together the original magic. I can also assist in finding the other Masters. I understand Socrates is considered to be an expert in this field, so I can focus those efforts on locating him if he still lives,” Ra told him.

  “I thank you, Ra. I can ask nothing more than that and thank you for your assistance in my fight,” Sebastian said.

  “It is not your fight, it is our fight,” said Nefertiti.

  “There is a power that is unknown to us and has already broken the Seal. The strength to do that, considering the world was nearly devoid of magic is incredible and poses a great threat. We live in this world as you do and will do as we can to protect it. Now, you must rest, and we will take our leave,” Ra said, and the pa
ir walked out.

  “It’s a start,” he told Chelsea.

  “If Bethany is up for it, ask her to work with Ra as much as she can but she and the baby come first. I don’t want her stressing herself out right now because Ra isn’t pregnant and seems to have the energy of a hyperactive child. Make sure she doesn’t let him push her past her limits,” Sebastian said.

  “Good luck getting Bethany to listen. This project has engrossed her, and she doesn’t like to admit she has limitations now, or at least will soon, she’s barely along so other than some nausea she doesn’t really show it yet,” said Chelsea.

  “Well, she joined my team so I’m her boss. Tell her it’s an order,” said Sebastian.

  “Yea, good luck with that,” laughed Chelsea.

  When he didn’t reply she looked over and realized Sebastian had fallen asleep again. Abraham left the room and Chelsea lay quietly beside Sebastian. She took his hand again and dozed off.

  #

  The trio flew on the pegasi to a large open area on the southern side of the city. As they flew, Morgana joined them and the four of them circled the island approaching a huge amphitheater that was filled with what must have been tens of thousands of humans and a myriad of other species. She recognized many as fey, but some were unknown yet familiar. They landed the mounts on a platform above the main dais of the amphitheater and walked down the stairway to the platform below. Sebastian walked to the front of the stage and tapped his staff. A loud thunder echoed around the area and the crowd grew silent.

  “Welcome my brothers. Today we come together to celebrate our alliance as we have for a thousand years. It was on this day our ancestors formed the pact between the various races of this world and created this city as a place for the advancement of our shared heritage under the guidance of the dragons. Atlantis is what it is because of you and it is my honor to serve as your king and begin the celebration,” Sebastian said.