Atlantis - Return of the Nation

by Steven Cook

  ‘I think we might be able to get past it. Let’s get back to the others.’

  The two dropped to their hands and knees and moved back from the crest. Once they were a safe distance back they rose to a crouch and jogged back to the recovered group. Before they joined the others they saw Coran and Dingo jogging up.

  Fisher looked up at the sky before he spoke.

  ‘OK Dingo, how long before they get here?’

  ‘Sorry LT. They caught on to what we were up to and spread out. They nearly outflanked us before we got out. They are down to eighteen though.’

  ‘We should be easily able to get into the valley. I believe it is just beyond this rise.’ Said Coran.

  ‘It would be if there were not another two hundred Minoans camped on the other side of the rise,’ stated Sophia.

  ‘I think we have about half an hour before Minotaur and his buddies catch up to us,’ said Dingo.

  ‘Damn.’ Fisher thought for a moment. ‘What’s our ammo status?’

  Dingo hunkered down and quickly checked the magazines for the team’s weapons.

  ‘It’s not looking too good. We have eight full mags in total for the three M4’s, three each for our Sig’s and five grenades. After that it’s down to swords and harsh words.’

  ‘We can not fight past twenty Minoans, let alone two hundred,’ said Coran.

  ‘We will have to split into two teams. One goes for the temple of Zeus whilst the other causes a distraction.’ Saraph stated.

  The others looked at him. Fisher nodded and looked at the group.

  ‘Danny, Sophia, Saraph. You take M’Varak and go for the temple.’ Fisher said.

  ‘Coran will go in my place,’ said Saraph, ‘he is also of the ruling class.’

  ‘Brother, I will stay with the diversion team. It will give them a better chance of escaping. You go to the temple.’ Coran stated.

  Eraz gently laid his hand on Coran’s shoulder.

  ‘Escaping is not the plan. It is giving you chance to get to the temple.’

  ‘Let’s get started, we haven’t got much time,’ said Fisher.

  Danny stood and handed his M4 to Wallace.

  ‘You’ll be better off with this.’ Wallace took the weapon wordlessly.

  Coran stood and faced Saraph.

  ‘Zeus is with you.’

  ‘And with you.’

  The brothers embraced briefly.

  Hernet sat on his haunches watching the procedures. A slight frown slowly crossed his youthful features. In a split second he went from casual indifference to frenzied action.

  ‘I need the answer!’ He pounced across the dip where the team had gathered.

  Eraz was effortlessly shouldered aside as Hernet leapt at Danny. The sailor’s eyes widened as the sphinx charged him. In panic he turned and threw himself flat.

  Hernet caught him around the waist with his front legs before he hit the floor and the sphinxes wings instantly flashed out, catching the air and taking them both into the air. Hernet started flapping his powerful wings and slowly began to gain height.

  ‘Do not struggle,’ ordered Hernet.

  ‘What the hell are you doing?’ shouted Danny.

  ‘Look down.’

  Danny complied. He was surprised to see how high they had got in such a relatively short time. Below he could see the dip containing the team. Moving quickly up the far side of the crest were at least seventy heavily armed Minoan warriors.

  Back down in the dip Dingo had snapped up his M4 to aim at Hernet as soon as the sphinx had snatched Danny. He tracked the circling creature through the low powered scope.

  ‘He doesn’t look to be in distress.’ Dingo commented.

  A frown creased Dingo’s face, followed by resignation as he deciphered Danny’s frantic downward pointing.

  ‘Oh shit!’ He turned and faced the crest.

  ‘They’re on to us.’

  The rest of the group snatched up their weapons and turned in the same direction.

  M’Varak saw the tips of horns approaching and quickly spoke quietly.

  ‘You have to surrender to me now.’

  Dingo looked back over his shoulder at the Minoan.

  ‘Trust me.’

  Dingo looked at Fisher then Saraph.

  ‘I think we’re screwed if we don’t trust him. Besides, if we fight we’ll all die.’

  ‘Please let me save you,’ said M’Varak.

  Reluctantly the humans piled their weapons in front of M’Varak and sat on the ground. At his suggestion they placed their hands on their heads. The Minoan drew his sword and placed its tip on the ground. He rested his massive hands on the pommel and watched the Minoans advance over the crest and down towards him.

  ‘I am M’Varak. I have prisoners.’

  The approaching Minoans bellowed in joy.

  ‘Good, you have the Outworlders.’

  M’Varak turned and saw Minotaur and the remains of the column descend from the rear of the dip. Three of the warriors dragged Carl, Craig and Darath. He noticed that a number of the warriors were sporting bandages over wounds.

  ‘Which is the one who killed my warriors?’ Minotaur hissed.

  Dingo bowed his head.

  ‘These are all that I have seen. Whoever killed the warriors must still be out there,’ suggested M’Varak.

  Dingo raised his head and smiled at M’Varak.

  *

  Temple of Zeus 26th May

  Agesilaus woke with his head pounding. The last thing he remembered was the blinding light followed by an almighty concussion. This was nothing like the storms he remembered from when Arcanadia had been on the surface.

  ‘Oh Lord Zeus, you must be very angry.’ Agesilaus was surprised that he couldn’t hear anything.

  He rolled his head and looked up to stare upwards. Motes of dust in the air sifted through the columns of late afternoon light filtering through from the series of six feet wide holes that punctuated the high vaulted ceiling.

  Slowly he levered himself into a sitting position and looked around. Less than ten feet away he saw his colleague Tymarias. Agesilaus attempted to stand, but the damage to his ears had ruined his balance. Instead he satisfied himself by crawling across to him.

  ‘Ty,’ he called out.

  He reached out his hand and touched Tymarias’ shoulder. His friend and fellow priest slowly overbalance and fell backwards into him. Agesilaus slowly lowered him to the ground and looked at him.

  A lump of rock had smashed Tymarias in the chest, crushing his ribs and internal organs.

  ‘May Zeus take you to the Elysian Fields my friend.’ He gently closed the dead man’s eyes.

  Slowly he dug in his pouch and withdrew a couple of small coins that he reverently placed on the eyelids. After a brief prayer to Zeus he stood up and surveyed the greater destruction caused to the temple.

  The majority of the damage was limited to small pieces of ancient rock that had been dislodged from the ceiling. The main area of the temple and the altar were clear, courtesy of the aura that surrounded the most holy space.

  The temple was housed within a cave complex. The outermost linked caverns and niches were used as living quarters and storerooms. Over hundreds of years the various natural caverns had been linked by a series of narrow passageways that snaked through the mountainside. As well as letting in air some of them also provided a means for the priests to get to the upper valleys to gather the rare herbs and plants needed in their rituals.

  Realising that the damage to the network of tunnels wasn’t critical and that the ceiling wasn’t about to fall on him Agesilaus ducked into one of the niches and came out with a broom and a length of cloth. He returned to the body of his compan
ion and began wrapping the cloth around the corpse.

  A shadow fell across him and he looked up at the cause. A wave of dread swept over him, as did the thought that Tymarias had been fortunate to be killed instantly.

  Hernet cocked his head to one side.

  ‘I don’t think he heard you.’

  Danny stepped into the priest’s field of vision and waved his hand back and forth.

  ‘Hello. Can you understand me?’

  Agesilaus looked stunned as he finally saw Danny. He noticed the stranger’s mouth move.

  ‘I can’t hear at the moment. The noise has damaged my hearing,’ he shouted.

  ‘Brilliant,’ said Danny to himself.

  Hernet looked at the partially wrapped body and sniffed the air. He then stepped past to look at the rest of the temple.

  ‘Why are humans fascinated with building things?’ he asked.

  Danny followed the sphinx slowly, looking up and around at the splendour of the cavern. The two followed the gently sloping passage down to where it opened into the main temple. They both stood still in awe at the spectacle before them.

  Instead of the six columns in the Temple of Poseidon there was a ring of twenty-four half columns of Orichalcum. A pulsating ball of white-blue light crowned each of the twenty feet high columns. Between the columns a sheet of flickering energy created a barrier, partially obscuring the altar inside the one hundred and twenty feet diameter circle.

  The altar was also different to the one beneath Atlantis. Four waist high domed pedestals faced a large crescent shaped table of Orichalcum. To each side of the table a pair of statues of eight feet tall warriors stood mute guard. Each sported rudimentary features but the grounded shields and short stabbing spears were remarkably accurate.

  Agesilaus walked up to stand alongside the odd couple. He had his right forefinger shoved deeply in his right ear and was wiggling it vigorously. A look of concentrated pleasure was on his face.

  He removed the finger with an audible pop and smiled at Danny.

  ‘Hello. I am Agesilaus, custodian of the Temple of Zeus. Why are you here?’

  ‘I take it you can hear now?’ asked Danny.

  ‘There is a buzzing noise but I can hear clearly.’ Agesilaus slowly circled Hernet, examining him.

  ‘Is there a problem?’ asked the sphinx.

  Agesilaus looked shocked at the question.

  ‘I apologise. I have never seen a live sphinx before. Very interesting.’

  The priest slowly reached out a hand to touch Hernet. The surprised sphinx backed away.

  ‘Do you mind?’

  Danny cut in.

  ‘I’m sorry, we’re short of time. There is an army of Minoans outside who want to change the face of the earth so that they are the dominant species. We need to stop them.’

  Agesilaus smiled again.

  ‘So it is true that Arcanadia has risen for good.’

  ‘Yes.’ Danny looked at the smiling face. ‘The Minoans,’ he prompted.

  ‘Yes, Minoans. Follow me.’ Agesilaus turned and strode directly towards a gap between the columns surrounding the altar.

  Danny and Hernet slowly followed. As they passed through the energy barrier every hair on their bodies stood on end. For a split second Hernet looked like a prize poodle.

  Agesilaus moved behind the table part of the altar. Clapping his hands together he smiled at the bewildered pair before him.

  ‘Right then. Let us get started.’

  *

  Priest Hamlet 26th May

  Minotaur strode triumphantly into the centre of the small hamlet to the acclaim of the Minoans. Carl, Craig and Darath were huddled in a small crowd together with Fisher and the rest of the team. To one side the remaining inhabitants of the hamlet were congregated under the wary guard of several Minoan warriors.

  Minotaur did a circuit of the grassed area then threw his head back and bellowed at the darkening sky. Satisfied he turned to M’Varak.

  ‘How did you capture so many?’

  M’Varak looked into the gleaming eye of his father.

  ‘Their weapons are empty and they realised it was futile to continue fighting against us. They chose to surrender rather than fight.’

  ‘They should have fought for the honour. But never mind, they will be the first to see the Minoan race become supreme before they die.’ Minotaur chuckled.

  He turned to the gathered Minoans.

  ‘To the temple.’

  With a roar the Minoans turned and moved to the barrier of fallen and blasted stone that blocked the valley. Throwing their weapons to one side they attacked the blockage with their bare hands.

  As the light slowly faded Minotaur ordered that torches were made, and the Minoans continued their task under the flickering flames held high to shed as much light as possible.

  ‘I wonder what he’s up to,’ mused Dingo as he watched M’Varak observing the work.

  ‘I can’t believe you surrendered to that thing,’ said Craig.

  ‘He has a plan,’ said Sophia, ‘everything he has done suggests he has more honour and integrity than Minotaur. He has had chance to observe us and must realise that we do not hate Minoans.’

  ‘He may believe it but I guarantee Minotaur does not feel the same,’ said Eraz.

  ‘There are funny things going on,’ muttered Fisher, ‘look at what Hernet did with Danny.’

  ‘What happened to Danny?’ asked Craig.

  ‘He made friends with a sphinx and it has carried him off,’ explained Sophia.

  ‘So he’s dead too?’ Craig’s voice was full of anguish.

  ‘I don’t think so,’ said Dingo.

  ‘Look out, something is happening,’ said Coran.

  The Minoans working at the rock barrier gave a cry of triumph as a large stretch gave way, tumbling down the far side of the blockage. A narrow path had now been opened into the valley.

  ‘Bring the prisoners,’ called Minotaur.

  The group slowly got to their feet and were herded towards the gap. Each of them walked without bindings to enable them to negotiate the path and they were soon scrambling over the remains of the barrier. The darkness made the climb treacherous.

  As he reached the top of the barrier Coran turned to help Sophia. She pulled herself up, stepped past him and let him aid her down the other side. She looked down to make sure she placed her feet securely then turned to help Coran down.

  Instead she found herself facing Eraz.

  ‘Where is Coran?’ she looked around wildly.

  Eraz grinned and placed his finger across his lips.

  ‘Keep moving,’ he whispered.

  Sophia took another look around before shrugging and resuming her scramble through the rocks.

  The group finally congregated at the foot of the rock barrier. The Minoans that had preceded them were looking at the destruction caused by the falling missiles. Every living or growing thing had been blasted by the concussion. The ravaged stumps of a few trees remained as testimony of how green and peaceful the valley had once been.

  Minotaur climbed down into the valley and looked around. He ignored the devastation, instead pointing upwards towards one of the valley walls.

  ‘There. The entrance to the temple.’

  A faint blue glow could be seen emanating from a partially obscured cave entrance one hundred feet above the valley floor. The light of the torches carried by the Minoans barely lit a five-foot wide track that switched away and back up to the entrance.

  ‘M’Varak, lead the way.’ Minotaur ordered.

  M’Varak made his way to the front of the formation, passing close by the prisoners. His eyes swept over them, noticing their faces looking at him. It took him a second to realise that one of their number
was missing.

  He locked his eyes with Dingo and noticed a smile crease the corner of the Ranger’s eyes. M’Varak raised his head slightly before lowering it as he walked past.

  ‘Follow me,’ he ordered to a group of Minoans.

  They followed him in single file as he began to ascend the ramp to the temple entrance.

  One hundred and fifty feet above the valley floor Coran lay flat on his stomach, his eyes tightly closed. His stomach was still churning from the wrench of him being lifted into the sky.

  Hernet was lying in the classic sphinx repose, watching the proceedings below.

  ‘How are you feeling?’ he asked quietly

  ‘Like my insides are about to explode,’ Coran replied weakly.

  The scout opened his eyes and looked down.

  ‘Gods, I wish you had warned me.’

  ‘There was no time. Danny told me to grab you or Saraph and you gave me the ideal opportunity.’ Hernet smiled at Coran.

  ‘Alright. What now?’

  ‘Head back down this passage. There is a turning on the right after two hundred paces. Take that. It will lead you directly to the temple.’

  ‘See you later.’ He patted the sphinx on the head, surprising both himself and Hernet.

  Coran raised himself onto his hands and knees and crawled backwards until he was out of sight. He then turned around and rose to his feet. Hunched over he walked into the tunnel. As the darkness enveloped him he rose to his full height he placed one hand on the right hand wall and held the other at head height in front of him.

  Hernet watched him go then turned his attention back to the events below.

  ‘Eraz or Sophia. Eraz or Sophia,’ he whispered to himself.

  *

  Temple of Zeus 27th May

  M’Varak strode up to the top of the pathway with a group of twenty Minoans in close order behind him. He turned and looked behind him. Minotaur, the prisoners and another twenty warriors were following at a slower pace. The remainder of the Minoan detachment gathered the shattered pieces of wood and created a bonfire near the base of the ramp.

  The scout paused, peering into the darkness of the tunnel ahead. The faint blue light that Minotaur had spotted still leaked out. At this distance it no longer appeared as a steady light, but flickered, casting shadows over the dark walls.