Epic Unearthed

by Thomas Turner

  Chapter XXVI

  Dying for Empires and Gods

  Nearing nightfall, the Atlantean second gate is seriously jeopardized by the wall bombardment from Sabathean munitions. Projectiles from the Atlantean artillery are not affecting the tightuses. Under Ryeland’s leadership, the Sabatheans and Ladoneans are well organized.

  Finally, the second gate falters. As the Continental Alliance storms through the Atlantean defense, Aten orders the second gate abandoned. His warriors retreat to defend the third barrier into the peninsula. Some of the Atlantean infantrymen do not escape and are left to die.

  Aten fears that the word of God and his culture will be destroyed. There are too many warriors to fend off. The weight of the world is at Aten’s doorstep. He thinks of his wife, and the warriors that have died for him. The Atlantean Emperor imagines his sons and his future grandchildren, understanding he must fight to the last man to allow time for whatever his son might plan. Even if it is Aten’s last day on earth, he knows his warriors are with him and God will give him strength.

  Aten chooses to forfeit the third defensive gate, and regroup his men where supply lines have shortened. This should give them time to organize and intensify their fighting at the fourth defensive fortification. The Atlantean men take every artillery piece and fall back.

  Ryeland watches the Atlantean soldiers relocating and wonders why Aten is giving up a stronghold so easily. The Sabathean and Ladonean armies are slowed for a few hours as they clear a pathway for the tightuses.

  The Atlantean generals advise Aten to return to Atlantis, but he has decided to not leave. He will lead his men, protecting the walls of Atlantis. If he and his army put up a strong fight, the Atlantean cities will have additional time to prepare for a more formidable defense.

  Aten’s forefathers made Atlantis into the greatest empire on earth, and he fears he may be held responsible for its destruction. He also feels he must forfeit his life because of Edicus’ writings. Aten believes he is fighting for God according to prophecies of five-hundred years ago.

  Although Aten has lost two-thirds of his men, he fights the attackers forcefully and with determination. Almost twelve hours later, the enemy takes the fourth Atlantean defense. As Aten is driven to the fifth and final gate, the bells sound, informing his empire of the dire circumstances.

  Daygun assembles his generals to develop a strategy to defend the cities. Atlantean messengers travel back and forth between the Great East Wall and the capital. The Prince has heard nothing from his army in Valtear or Mantineia. Because of broken communication, Daygun has no idea if his brother is dead or alive.

  At the fifth Gate, Aten’s remaining warriors fend off invaders for another two days. This is the final stronghold, since the walls are fortified and well-armed. The enemy dead pile up as the Atlantean archers rain arrows toward their foe. The Atlantean corpses outside the last defense are cast aside and trampled by the enemy. Hundreds of thousands of men, mammoths, giant rhinos, and elephants lie dead on the battlefield. Aten wonders if his body will be thrown to the side when all is said and done.

  Although the fifth gate will soon fall, Aten refuses to retreat. Fewer men now protect this last barrier to his homeland. Knowing he will die here, the Atlantean Emperor considers everything he will miss while in the afterlife: the love of a woman, the affection of his sons, and the devotion of his men. He is proud to be fighting alongside his fellow countrymen.

  The Atlanteans now have only two divisions to hold off the enemy. These elite warriors of Atlantis scream for the chance to die with their emperor. Aten promises to die with them as they fight for God.

  The Atlanteans open the last gate for an offensive attack; as fifteen-thousand infantry rush through the gate, the battle begins. Every last Atlantean arrow is bowed, every last projectile is fired from the fifth wall, and insufficient supplies are arriving at the last defensive barrier into the peninsula from the city-states.

  While Atlantean warriors fight outside the gate, Aten speaks to his officers and generals, “They will refute our belief in God. They will halt our breath, but they cannot destroy our faith. Death is a stepping stone to God. Let us take that step honorably for Atlantis, and for Him.”

  After hours of fighting, the Atlantean warriors outside the fifth gate are compromised, and the last gate into Atlantis is destroyed. The Sabatheans come running into that final defensive stronghold. Aten’s infantry charge their enemy to protect the gate. Aten remains in the center, encouraging his men in battle. In the background, the Atlantean grandmasters stand at attention, ready to protect the man they have vowed to guard with their lives. The thirty-three best fighters in Atlantis have been trained for this. While defending their emperor, the grandmasters feel that they are fighting for God and this is one way to affirm that commitment before dying.

  Atlanteans are losing ground, and Sabatheans and Ladoneans surge through the gates. Atlanteans have no choice but to fall back and regroup. As Aten and his men fight, he sees the Ladonean flag being carried through the gate. His heart fails as his mind realizes that he has been betrayed.

  Atlantean ranks continue falling. Aten has only six-thousand men. At a bell outpost, an Atlantean General asks Aten to retreat. The Emperor yells, “No! I will perish here with my division to gain time for my son to prepare! Every second counts for the survival of our civilization.”

  Another general says, “We must send a message to Atlantis before the bells are destroyed. What is to be said to your people, my Lord?”

  Aten says, “Tell my sons I love them, and now is my time to die. Tell our people to fight for God. It is up to Daygun to protect the Empire, since he is now the Atlantean Emperor. As of right now, assure our people that I am a warrior of God and will die honorably for Him.”

  The bells sound across the Atlantean Empire. Deciphering the message, Kaydence and Daygun can hardly believe their ears. Above the noise of fighting at the Great West Wall, Persephone, Quentoris, and Laptos hear the message near Akco.

  Being trapped by mountains, Aten scans the battlefield from atop a hill and sees the Ladoneans rushing toward him. The Atlanteans always thought the Western defenses would fall first because it had only half the strength of the East. The Great West Wall was never the main thrust. The Atlanteans thought exactly what Ryeland had expected.

  Aten tells one of his generals, “The Great West Wall was merely a diversion. Send a message to my son. Tell him to reinforce Halotropolis and for everyone to stand their ground. Tell him the Ladoneans are involved.”

  The general responds, “Yes, Sir.”

  Atlanteans are able to sound the bells one last time. The whole Empire listens to the message that Aten sends, knowing the Emperor will never return to Atlantis. Daygun stares in the direction of the bells, wishing they were delivering a different message.

  No one on the peninsula wants to believe what they are hearing. The Atlanteans thought their outer defenses would never be breached. The Great East and West Walls were constructed to be indestructible.

  Aten has only one-thousand men to fight the enemy. The Ladoneans’ and Sabatheans’ generals are pushing nearer to the outpost where the Atlantean Emperor and his grand masters have decided to make their last stand. The enemy annihilates the Atlantean infantry quickly, despite the valiant fighting of the elite warriors from the peninsula. The Sabatheans want Aten dead; they wish to destroy the Atlantean leader and demoralize the inhabitants of the imperialistic civilization.

  When the time comes, the Atlantean generals put themselves between their enemies to protect their emperor near the outpost. Aten’s generals stand their ground, giving their lives for their empire and for their beliefs. The grandmasters use their daggers and swords in close combat, defending each other and their emperor. As one is about to die, a dagger flies through the air, giving another grandmaster time to regroup and take on another enemy warrior. They can withstand only so much; more grandmasters die, one by one.

  Aten and a few grandmasters are ba
cked into a room inside the mountain. The elite fighters of his empire are becoming fatigued, and cannot fight as they had earlier. The Atlantean Emperor sees a Ladonean general and runs to attack. A circle of warriors follows the skirmish. The Ladonean general accepts the challenge to fight Emperor Aten one-on-one. Swords fly, and Aten runs his weapon through the first general. A Ladonean archer shoots the Emperor in the right side of his chest. Aten breaks off the arrow, and continues fighting other enemy warriors, killing each one he encounters; as he fights another enemy general, each sword blow weakens him. The wound from the arrow bleeds through Aten’s armor, and incapacitates him. He cannot breathe. The Emperor continues fighting and goes on the offensive with one more Ladonean general, then his combatant counters, slicing through Aten’s chest armor. Knowing this is his last fight, Aten is aware of every breath, breathes his last, and dies.

  At the Great East Wall, not a single Atlantean surrenders, or survives. Twelve Atlantean divisions have been completely obliterated.

  Every Sabathean general and warrior kicks Aten’s dead body. Hatred of the Atlanteans has festered for years, and the madness is unleashed here. Detestation has filled the room. The remains of Aten’s corpse lie on the floor, in the darkness of dishonor.

  Ryeland walks into the room where the dead emperor lies and begins kicking the body of the man he once loved as a father. Aten’s bones are broken and his face is caved in. Ryeland knows if he does not do the unthinkable, the Sabathean and Ladonean warriors will suspect him, thinking that he is retaining loyalty to his homeland. Ryeland’s mission is still to save the handful of Atlanteans who will survive the war, and he must do the dishonorable act exactly as the enemy is expecting.

  Ryeland ponders the results of this battle. By sending the Sabatheans as the first wave and the Kyrenians to Atlanteans’ Great West Wall, Ryeland’s army will be the world’s most powerful after the war. Thus far in this campaign, the Ladonean Empire has lost the least amount of warriors. Thanks to the Atlanteans killing so many Sabathean warriors, the Ladoneans will be the superpower of the world, and Ryeland will be the most powerful person on the continent.

  Ryeland assembles the Continental Alliance’s generals to discuss their battle plan into Atlantis. Their abhorrence for the peninsula causes the Sabatheans’ desire to be remembered as those who defeated the Atlanteans’ City of God, and they agree to be the ones who attack Halotropolis first.

  Once assembled, the Sabathean and Ladonean warriors will advance to Halotropolis, but the Atlanteans will not let the City of God fall without a fight. Every man, woman, and child that remain inside the city’s walls are willing to die to protecting their homes.

  In the Atlantean capital the next day, a scout rushes to the Atlantean Military Council as Daygun is preparing a battle plan to protect the fatherland. The scout kneels at Daygun’s feet and says, “An Atlantean division is coming from our enemy; they have the colors of Ryeland’s command, and are marching alone.”

  Daygun replies “Sound the bells and tell Ryeland’s division to remain five miles north of Halotropolis until further orders.”

  Hearing bells ring, Ryeland’s division stops north of the City of God. Daygun sends a general to Ryeland’s division to inquire about their survival.

  An hour later, the bells sound in emergency military code. An interpreter deciphers saying, “Miro reports Melercertis did not want to dishonor a favor from such an honorable emperor, but was required to join the fight because of religion and politics. The Atlantean division sent to Ladonea has returned unharmed.”

  Daygun asks the interpreter, “Where is Ryeland?”

  “There was no report of his whereabouts,” the interpreter replies.

  Confused, Daygun does not know where Ryeland might be, but wants and needs answers before allowing Ryeland’s division to join the battle. He knows that the enemy will unable to proceed to Halotropolis for several days.

  Six hours later, another messenger approaches Daygun and says, “Ryeland and Acteon have gone to Valtear to assist in that battle. Only two captains are in the division we sent to Ladonea. Miro is the highest-ranking Atlantean officer, and they bring the Atlantean sword that our emperor gave Melercertis.”

  Daygun says, “Tell the division to ride to Halotropolis and await our enemy. Also tell them to return our sword to our capital. They are true Atlanteans, and they will defend our fatherland.”

  Daygun knows the whole world is against him, but he is prepared to die for Atlantis. Daygun is the new Atlantean Emperor and no other emperor has ever been in such a complicated situation. Because of his father’s death, he stands alone contemplating why Ryeland went to Valtear, and what to do next.