Atlantis Rising

by James E. Wisher

  He kept that thought buried as deep as possible lest Tanidel pick it up. She still treated him kindly, but his lack of enthusiasm for the mission had made her distant. And to think he’d once deceived himself into believing she might be his future wife.

  The stupidity of that notion was now obvious. What was less obvious was what he was going to do about it. Or even if he was going to do anything. With his feeble abilities he wouldn’t last five seconds in a fight with his so-called allies.

  A fourth town, the biggest one so far, appeared on the horizon. The spire of a church jutted up, marking the center of the town. Even with his enhanced vision, Merik saw no people out and about. Maybe they had spotted the army approaching and were hiding. He hoped they’d run far and fast away from here. Not that hiding did much good. Somehow the Atlanteans sniffed them out no matter where they went.

  “We’re going to scout ahead,” Tanidel said, he assumed for his benefit. Larry and Curly hadn’t spoken to him since they left the archbishop’s palace.

  The crystal boat zipped forward. They made a full circle around the town and it turned out to be as empty as he’d hoped. No one would die or be changed, not today anyway.

  They landed in the town square, a small park with a fountain in the center, and got out. “They must have gotten wind of our approach,” Merik said.

  Curly shot him a withering glare. It was an obvious thing to say, but the constant silence wore on him. It wasn’t natural, at least for living people. Living statues, on the other hand, seemed to revel in it.

  We’ve hit a setback. The voice of one of the Atlanteans that remained behind jabbed into his brain with all the subtlety of an ice pick. After our initial success in bringing down one of the islands, our remaining negation crystals were destroyed in battle.

  With who? Curly demanded.

  A male wizard and his ally. His power was considerable and though no direct threat to us, it was enough to destroy the crystals and one of our flyers. The city has also been discovered.

  A ripple of surprise and concern passed through the link.

  Already? That was Tanidel’s psychic voice. We assumed it would take months for the wizards to locate it.

  We assumed wrong. The technology available now is greater than we realized. They have made no move against us yet, but it is only a matter of time. As such, we must act quickly against the wizards, put them on the defensive. How many soldiers have you gathered?

  Eight hundred and seventy. That was Larry. He seemed to be primarily in charge of controlling the crystal soldiers.

  That will have to be enough to begin. I have dispatched transport ships to collect you. Merik and Tanidel, you will need to collect our sister stranded on the floating island. We have two primary targets, the largest collections of wizards in the world.

  As suddenly as it appeared, the voice vanished. Tanidel and Merik got back in the boat and took to the air. No further words were exchanged. Or if they were, Merik wasn’t included in the conversation.

  When they were high in the sky he asked, “What will we do after we rescue our marooned sister?”

  “Return to Atlantis. There are two targets, one for each of the others. They are more than capable of controlling that many crystal soldiers on their own. Our duty is to keep the city safe. Should the wizards be stupid enough to attack, they will learn just how powerful we have become.”

  She sounded confident, but through their connection he could feel her doubts. The early discovery of the city had thrown her. Merik found himself in the strange position of not knowing who to root for.

  The flight didn’t take terribly long and before he knew it, they were landing in the middle of a field that looked like a herd of mad elephants had dug it up. Standing as still as the statue she resembled was the stranded Atlantean. The remains of her boat lay scattered across the torn earth a few paces from where she stood.

  “What happened?” Tanidel asked as she stepped aboard.

  “I found a male wizard and his companion here when I arrived to place the crystal. We fought. While they were no match for me, the male did manage to destroy the crystals and my transport.”

  “Conryu Koda,” Merik muttered. “To think you’d run into him of all people.”

  Tanidel and Moe – Merik figured he might as well keep with his naming convention – stared at him as they rose up and off the island.

  “What? There’s only one male wizard. Everyone knows who he is. Apparently, he’s the most powerful wizard in the world and on the outs with the Alliance government.”

  “If he is the strongest wizard this world can muster,” Moe said. “Then we have little to fear.”

  Merik figured that was kind of arrogant given that Moe was the one left stranded, not Conryu, but he kept his opinion to himself.

  No matter who was right, it seemed the battle was going to begin in earnest.

  Chapter 21

  Conryu and Kai checked the remaining islands and destroyed one more obelisk. No more of the crystal people showed up and he allowed himself to hope that they had dealt with all the magic-negating crystals. Having one less danger to worry about was a pleasant feeling, though, he expected, a temporary one.

  They returned to the library to travel back to the Academy. The others weren’t going to believe what had happened. Living crystal statues, that had to be a first.

  “Chosen, I require a new weapon,” Kai said.

  “Yeah, where does one go to buy new magical ninja swords?”

  “I can get one from the armory at our village. The black swords are strong, but hardly unbreakable.”

  “You don’t think the others would have brought them to the monastery?” he asked.

  “The grandmaster said she intends to maintain a small presence in our ancestral home for as long as possible. Spare weapons will have been left behind for those on guard duty.” Kai looked away, staring at the library floor. “I don’t wish to tell Kanna of my failure, not until I have redeemed myself by taking that crystal woman’s head.”

  Conryu put a hand on her shoulder. “You have nothing to be embarrassed about. My magic wasn’t much more use than your sword. She can’t complain about you losing to an enemy powerful enough to beat my death incarnate spell. Come on, let’s get you a sword. Without that hilt over your shoulder you look half dressed.”

  She offered him a pity smile for his lame joke and Conryu willed the library to shift to Ninja Island as he’d named it. The doors opened in the middle of the village rather than at the circle where they first arrived. Nothing had changed in the last few days which argued his barrier was holding and the Iron Emperor hadn’t settled on a way to bypass it. Maybe he didn’t have any flying constructs.

  A trio of ninjas appeared and took a knee in front of him. “How may we serve, Chosen?”

  “Kai needs a new sword. All quiet here?”

  “One wave of stone soldiers appeared but were felled by your spell. Other than that, all is well.”

  “Great. Do what you have to, Kai. Prime and I will check the wards on the Hell gate just to make sure everything’s secure.”

  Kai hesitated and one of the other ninjas said, “We will watch over him while you rearm, sister.”

  She bowed and ran off to one of the smaller huts. Conryu hardly needed protection out here, but if it made her feel better, he wouldn’t complain. He found the path into the jungle and set out. The Hell gate threw off so much dark energy he could sense it easily.

  “From a distance all seems as it should be,” Prime said. “Given the power of your wards, they are hardly likely to deteriorate this quickly.”

  “I know. Kai seemed like she needed some time to gather herself. If I’m not around, maybe she’ll relax a little.”

  Five minutes later they reached the clearing. The black disk of the Hell gate looked exactly as he left it. Nothing was coming out of it that wasn’t supposed to, and the tendrils running to his barrier were solid and unwavering.

  “Told you,” Prime said.
/>
  You survived a brush with the Atlantean. I’m impressed.

  The Reaper’s voice surprised him less than the information it conveyed. “Atlantean? That crystal woman was from Atlantis?”

  Indeed. The spirits’ agent has failed to prevent their return. Now the war will resume.

  “We need to have a serious, face-to-face talk. Can we meet somewhere in Hell?”

  Come to my palace in the Black City. Either of your bonded demons can guide you. The injunction has outlived its usefulness. If your world is to survive, you must be told everything. Do not delay.

  “I’ll be there as fast as I can. But I need a favor.”

  “Master, this isn’t—” Prime’s words were cut off by the Reaper.

  You dare ask me for a favor? I am not your friend or your servant. I am a god.

  “Come on, it’s just a little thing. Kai was really close with the former grandmaster. From what I understand, she’s supposed to be serving you as a dark angel. I just wanted to arrange a few minutes for them to talk, give her a chance to say goodbye. That’s no problem for you, is it?”

  Why I ever chose such a soft-hearted fool is beyond me. You’re lucky you’re powerful, boy, or I might cut you loose and find another.

  “So you’ll arrange it?”

  Yes, now hurry.

  The Reaper’s presence vanished and Conryu grinned. He was finally going to get some answers.

  “You’re lucky he didn’t kill you on the spot,” Prime said. “Bargaining with the Reaper isn’t healthy.”

  “I suspect he needs me. He said it himself, there’s no reason for me to be his chosen. Our personalities are too different. Come on, let’s find Kai and go. The longer we make him wait, the crabbier he’ll get. What’s the Black City like?”

  “It’s a huge city at the center of Hell. There are demons everywhere, souls are traded the way you humans trade stocks, and there are no laws beyond the strong can do what they want. It’s basically the most dangerous place in existence.”

  “So you’re saying we shouldn’t look for a vacation home?”

  Prime snorted, drawing another grin. The most dangerous city in existence, what could go wrong?

  Jemma was with the king in the secure ops center when Atlantis’s crystal ship crossed into Kingdom airspace. A second drone had been dispatched to shadow the vessel. It was shaped like a flat-bottomed landing craft, fully sealed. The only thing visible was the shiny outer walls. What was inside remained a mystery. Somehow, she doubted it would be anything good.

  “Do we have any way to communicate with them?” the king asked the room at large.

  “They’ve remained silent despite hailing them on all radio frequencies,” the lead comms officer said.

  He looked to Jemma who shook her head. “We’ve tried magic of all sorts. Our spells just bounce off the hull. Much as I dislike agreeing with the Ministry of War, I fear force is our only option to stop them.”

  The king looked hopefully around the room, but all stations remained silent. He sagged and said, “So be it. Have the RAF scramble fighters. That drone is armed, correct?”

  “Yes, Majesty,” the pilot said.

  “Fire at will.”

  The image on the main screen turned and the crosshairs changed from green to red. A missile shot out, a trail of white smoke hiding its path. A second later it slammed into the side of the crystal ship. Silent flames erupted and died almost as quickly.

  When the drone completed its turn, they got their first clear view of the impact site. The side of the enemy ship didn’t have a mark on it.

  Stunned silence filled the room. That missile carried a five-hundred-pound warhead. It should have at least chipped the hull.

  “Hit it again,” the king ordered.

  The image shifted as the drone came around for another shot. Three-quarters of the way through, a protrusion grew out of the hull. It glowed red and shot out a lance of energy.

  The screen went blank.

  “Drone down, Majesty,” the pilot said.

  The king looked at Jemma, eyes pleading. “Tell me there’s something we can do to stop them.”

  Jemma wished she could, but everything they’d seen indicated that magic was useless against the Atlanteans. If conventional weapons were equally ineffective, she was out of ideas.

  The main monitor came back to life. The enemy ship continued to make its way through the sky at a steady pace.

  “New drone on station, Majesty,” the pilot said. “Shall I make another attack run?”

  “No, just observe for now,” the king said. “Status of our fighters?”

  “On the way,” the RAF liaison said. “Contact in under a minute.”

  “Tell them to try bullets instead of missiles,” Jemma said.

  “Why bullets?” the king asked.

  “We already know missiles don’t work, so why not? Besides, I want to see something. Bullets will answer my question better than missiles.”

  The liaison was looking at the king. He said, “Do it.”

  Orders were relayed and they all waited for the jets to come roaring in. They didn’t have to wait long. The first Firehawk came in at high speed and raked the ship with 12mm rounds before banking away to avoid an energy blast.

  No damage was done, but now Jemma understood why. The bullets were stopped short of impact by an invisible energy field. It must have stopped the missiles the same way. It was an impenetrable barrier much like the ones surrounding the floating islands.

  “I need to make a phone call,” Jemma said. “Excuse me, Majesty.”

  Not waiting for permission, she hurried out of the command center and down a hall to where her phone could get a signal. Dean Blane’s number was in her contact list and she dialed it.

  “Are you tracking the crystal ship?” Jemma asked.

  “Yes, it’s halfway across the Atlantic and coming fast. The Air Force is getting ready to intercept before it reaches land.”

  “Tell them not to waste their time. Those ships are protected by a barrier. It turns aside bullets and missiles. We have one over our territory now and it’s turned aside everything we’ve thrown at it. I was hoping you might have an idea what we might try.”

  “Just a sec.” The silence dragged on for what felt like hours but couldn’t have been more than a minute. “Jemma, Mrs. Kane suggests you try hitting it with something slow and heavy.”

  “Why? And what’s Conryu’s mother doing there?”

  “She’s consulting. She says it’s something to do with velocity and vibrations. It’s science stuff and I don’t really get it. It’s also all we’ve got right now. If you do try, let us know how it goes.”

  “Okay, thanks.” Jemma hung up.

  What was she supposed to do? The RAF didn’t have low-speed weapons. Maybe the experts would have an idea.

  She hurried back to the command center and told them what Dean Blane said. “Anyone know what we could hit them with that’s slow and heavy?”

  “How about the drone?” the pilot said.

  “Explain,” the king demanded.

  “I could fly it straight up and kill the engine. It weighs about half a ton. If that’s not heavy enough I don’t know what would be.”

  Before the king could give an order one way or the other, the radar operator said, “Enemy craft is slowing and starting to descend.”

  “Location?” the king asked.

  A map of the island appeared on one of the side monitors. It zoomed in and Jemma’s heart lurched. The ship was almost directly over the Kingdom’s wizard school.

  Jemma needed to evacuate the students. “I have to go.”

  “Do what you must,” the king said. “And God go with you.”

  Chapter 22

  Cerberus raced through the darkness of Hell with Kai and Conryu on his back. The invitation, or perhaps summons would be a better word, to attend the Reaper at his palace had left Kai speechless. Conryu supposed it wasn’t every day you got to meet your god, especially
when you were still alive.

  “Is there any protocol I should know about?” Conryu asked.

  “I don’t know, Chosen. A living Daughter of the Reaper being called to the palace has never happened, at least not as far as I know.”

  “Besides,” Prime added. “You wouldn’t follow it even if there was.”

  “I might, if it wasn’t too ridiculous.”

  Cerberus barked, drawing his attention away from his companions. A light appeared in the darkness ahead, or maybe it was many lights fused into one. He couldn’t fully grasp the size of the city from this distance, but it appeared to cover much of the horizon. That would make it even bigger than Tokyo.

  “The Black City has no defined size beyond what the Reaper wishes it to be,” Prime said. “If he so desired, it could cover the entirety of Hell, right up to the border of the mortal realm.”

  “Wow.” Conryu knew the Reaper was powerful but being able to change the size of a city at will was amazing.

  “Powerful isn’t the right word, Master,” Prime said. “In Hell, he’s omnipotent. The Reaper’s will controls everything.”

  Conryu swallowed. Maybe he should have been more polite.

  Too late now. The edge of the city was only moments away.

  There was no subtle transition from darkness to city, it was basically nothing then a road lined with three-story stone buildings that wouldn’t have looked out of place in a medieval town. The stone was dark and grungy and cloth canopies dangled limp in the still air.

  On the roof of one of the buildings, a bat-winged demon leered down at them, its red eyes gleaming. A bark from Cerberus sent it fleeing deeper into the city.

  He and Kai climbed down. Cerberus gave a worried whimper.

  “Don’t worry, we’ll be fine.” Conryu patted his flank. “Hopefully this won’t take long.”

  They hadn’t even started down the nearest street when a familiar presence approached. The Dark Lady appeared in front of him looking lovely as always.