by Maira Dawn
Ian slowed at the cave-like entrance to the Atlantis Memorial Park. If he wanted her to understand his people, it was best to start at the beginning. Sonora slowed, seeing only the dim interior. She shot Ian a troubled glance.
It was getting easier to read her emotions, as his people could do with their Jata Ara, and Ian imagined her internal conversation. The look said it all. Why had she come out here with him? To her, he was a criminal, and just because he hadn't hurt her so far, didn't mean he wouldn't.
Ian gave Sonora the time she needed to become comfortable with the situation, encouraging her to examine the grand entrance of the park. The delicate latticework his people were known for arched in gleaming silver over and down the sides of the dark stone. Each side ended in a small waterfall whose cheery bubbling echoed lightly around them. Entwined in the metalwork were pale green vines interlaced with flowers. Aquatic blooms floated in the small pools at the bottom on either side of the archway.
Sonora ran a finger over the silver metal and smelled the flowers before she spun back to him. "It's beautiful!"
Ian was struck, dazed by Sonora's radiant, smiling face. His heart quickened. How could he have ever been disappointed in her?
Her eyebrows raised at Ian's slow response. He cleared his throat before answering. "Yes, it is. My mother had a hand in tending it."
"She does lovely work."
Ian nodded as he stepped toward Sonora. When she didn't dance away, he put one hand on her shoulder and waved her in with the other. Ian let her take the lead in the winding, stone corridor. With its rough-hewn walls and subdued lighting, it was darker than the hallway, and he wanted Sonora to feel safe.
Ian's voice echoed as he explained." These walls started as a small, cramped entrance one could only crawl through. We enlarged them long ago. Each painting hung along the walls have a story of their own. I'll share those with you another day."
Sonora nodded, flashing him a look. He knew what it meant. She was going home, and there would be no time for stories.
Ian's heart softened. She didn't know it yet, but there would be stories, their stories, and decades in which to tell them.
Ian watched Sonora's face as they walked into the central park. The water features, greenery, and flowers continued here but on a much grander scale throughout the open area. As lovely as any park one could see on land, its beauty tumbled in organized chaos across their field of vision. Flowers and ivy-draped terraces of various heights could be seen throughout the large open garden, and small trails led off to more secluded spots along the uneven walls.
Ian's gaze traveled from her long, golden hair to her full, blue eyes enhanced by the color of the thin wrap she wore. Entranced, as he knew she'd be, Sonora raised a hand to her lips and stilled like some beautiful statue.
Then she spoke, his Jata Ara breathed out his name for the first time. "Oh, Ian!"
Ian's knees weakened, and emotion almost overcame him from the sound of his name on her lips. He turned away, taking Sonora's hand and leading her to a smooth-as-glass oak bench sitting on a low platform surrounded by the freshest blooms in the garden. It was here Ian wanted to start the story of his people.
The Beginning
Chapter Seventeen
Ian looked from the garden to Sonora. "Only a few of my people survived the great destruction. Twenty-three souls. And only because of the disobedience of a few boys.”
Sonora settled on the bench, her hand folded in her lap as she listened. ”The boys were young and had been told many times to stay close to home. But, as growing boys do, they misbehaved. Unbeknownst to their families, they would take an old boat out to sea. Some days they would fish, and others they would dive, as the clam divers of old, holding their breath for a long time under the water.”
Ian leaned to Sonora, and her eyes brightened. “While diving, they found the entrance to this place, the very place where we now sit. They would play in this cave, never knowing the vital role it would one day have in their people's survival.
"When the earthquake came, it shook the city to rubble. Those who survived knew it was not over, a tsunami roared their way. It would be massive.”
Sonora clenched her hands together, intent on Ian’s story as he continued. ”Some took to the highest buildings, but the force of the waves would topple the remaining structures. Some chose boats, many of which would be overturned. Others ran in scattered confusion. The water would soon rush over them, dragging them out to sea.”
She straightened in her seat. ”The boys grabbed the hands of those close to them and called for others to follow. Many didn't listen as the boys headed into the water, instead of away from it. They could not see a way to salvation there.
"Some did perish as they attempted to follow the boys. They were unable to hold their breath long enough to reach the entrance. But twenty-three made it. The only known survivors of Atlantis.
"The cavern easily held that many people. The air in the cave was not trapped but from a naturally occurring air shaft hidden in the island above. To their great relief, they found that rainwater flowed in small amounts down the inside of the air shaft, and they could fish. They would survive. After a while, survival became more than simply day-to-day existence, and this became their home."
Sonora looked around the room. "Why didn't they go back to land?"
"Nothing was left of their beloved city. A swamped island, unusable. No ships or boats, only debris, and no one looking for them. Within a few days, it became dangerous to venture out of the cave because death had gathered the predators.
“When it was safe and for a long time after, they sent someone up. Then they stopped. On that day, they quit looking at what was behind them and started looking at what was in front of them. It was on that day, they started to build this city.”
Family Fights
Chapter Eighteen
Sonora sighed in wonder. "I wouldn't believe a word of that story if I wasn't literally sitting here in the middle of it. That's amazing." She waved at the room. "This is amazing!"
Sonora stood. Unlike the others, the path to her right was marked, and she wanted to see why. It led directly to the stone wall. Atlantian writing fanned above her head, and a tall stand with a display case sat below it. The plants had been planted further away from the dais, giving it a sparser appearance than other areas. It had been done deliberately. Here the case was the focus. Sonora scanned the garden. The vast cave was a tribute to their past, and this display, the crown jewel.
And the case was empty.
Sonora turned to Ian, a question on her lips, but his demeanor had changed from the eager storyteller.
"We don't talk about that," he said through stiff lips.
"As in, you and I don't talk about it, or no one here ever talks about it?"
"You and I don't. The rest of us avoid the subject whenever possible."
Sonora swallowed an exasperated sigh. Moody men didn't really bother her. Her father had his emotional days, and her grandfather was the moodiest person she knew. The family often teased him he was the grumpiest grandpa alive. Not only could his emotions change on a dime, but they were sometimes extreme, to the point her grandfather would remove himself from his family to spare them his low spirits.
Despite that, her grandfather had also always been the most loving, giving person she knew, and they'd always had a special closeness. He'd often told Sonora her bright personality coaxed him into a better frame of mind.
But why did she play nice with moody Ian? Why wasn't she railing against him at every opportunity? These questions she couldn't seem to answer. Maybe because she'd fought him all the way here and gotten nowhere. Perhaps because she somehow knew, he wasn't evil. He didn't wish her harm.
As Ian moved ahead of her back to the middle of the garden, she studied him. He was clearly a confident man, and yet, there was an apology in his eyes every time he looked at her. There was hesitation in every move Ian made near her. He had told her he didn’t mean to take her, a
nd whatever that meant, she believed him. Ian needed her for some reason. She just needed to find out why.
A movement at the park's entrance caught Sonora's eye. Three women stood there, similar enough in looks to Ian she assumed they were relatives. Though each expressed their own style, all wore mid-length dresses that flowed from the waist. The gowns were sleeveless on one side, showing off their own shimmering tattoos that ran in a pattern much like Ian's.
Sonora tapped Ian's shoulder and tipped her head their way. He turned and broke into a smile. "It is my mother and sisters. I am eager for you to meet them."
Going to the oldest woman first, Ian hugged her before welcoming his sisters. Then Ian turned back to Sonora, putting a hand to her shoulder to encourage her to step forward. "Sunny, this is my mother, Aleena. My sisters Cascadia and Talise."
After the awkward encounter with his father, Sonora's voice trembled a bit as she said, "I'm pleased to meet you."
Aleena nodded, a polite expression on her face. Ian's sisters offered a guarded smile.
"I hope you are enjoying your stay here," Aleena said.
Sonora blinked. Like she'd booked a weekend vacation? She took a big breath. "Actually—"
Aleena interrupted her. "Actually, I need to speak to my son, so excuse us if we switch languages."
Sonora glanced at Ian, who shrugged and indicated it would take only a moment. Are you kidding me? They both had to have known she was going to complain about being kidnapped. She looked at the sisters, who both seemed to avoid Sonora's narrowed gaze.
Ian's eyes lingered on Sonora, who was disconcerted by his mother's rudeness. His Jata Ara kept trying to tell on him, and no one would listen. He couldn't help but find the whole situation rather, well, humorous. When Sonora's gaze sought his, Ian sobered up. It wasn't funny to her, the little lady had no idea what was going on. He would have to tell her soon. The thought terrified him.
Aleena cleared her throat to get Ian's attention and waved at his scratched face. "She had to be aware she didn't stand a chance."
Ian rubbed his face. "She realized, but she is more than she looks. She's a fighter." Ian changed the subject and asked, "Where is Father?"
"Still at the council meeting. The one about that one's people." Not to be sidetracked, Aleena complained, "You should have brought her to your family, you practically had us tracking you down."
Ian scoffed. "I live down the corridor from you, Mother. Besides, I wanted some time with her myself."
Aleena tapped her foot as her gaze scraped over Sonora. Ian's mother, usually so nurturing, was not herself. He understood, his match was enough to shake anyone.
"You were right, Mother. Of course, you all were. But I doubted, given up hope. Yet, the moment I saw her, I felt it."
"But Son," Aleena hissed, "she is human!"
"I know." He looked down for a moment and squinted his eyes. "I was disappointed at first, too. I'm not sure why it's her, but it is."
"No, Son." Aleena entreated him as she threw horrified glances at her soon-to-be-daughter-in-law. "You are mistaken, it is not possible. Remember the last Atlantian who got messed up with the human world? We are still cleaning up his mess. You are still cleaning up his mess." Aleena put a hand on Ian's shoulder. "You are attracted to her because she is different. I see the appeal. She is beautiful and dainty, and I am sure she has some kind of charm about her, but she is not for you. You need to take her back."
Ian's stomach tightened. "Mother, I have explained almost everything to her."
"She wouldn’t be able to get back here and which of those air-gobbling land-worms would believe her, anyway. Take her back." Aleena crossed her arms.
"Mother, I have respect for you as a person, as the woman who gave me life and as a Lady of our Clan. But as you are fully aware, it is my decision. I have told you I felt Valltrik, and I have decided."
Aleena broke. Tears flooded her eyes as she reached out for her son and pleaded with him. "My son, I love you, and I do not want to see you hurt. There is nothing to decide. She is human, and Valltrik is for our kind, not theirs. Don't let your attachment deepen. Release her."
Ian put a gentle hand on Aleena's. "Mother, it is already too late."
The devastation in his mother's eyes was too much for Ian. He held her for a moment, then turned to his sisters.
Talise had a particularly arrogant expression on her face as she asked Sonora, "Are all your people so scrawny and little? I'm surprised my clothes fit you at all." Cascadia's lovely giggle seemed out of place as they bullied his lady.
Ian's voice hardened. "You know exactly how large humans are. Enough of your trouble, sisters, slithering around like a couple of eels. She is mine now, and you will show her respect."
Talise and Cascadia's eyes widened, but one glance at their teary-eyed mother and they believed his news. Aleena nodded at the girls, and they apologized to Ian and Sonora for their rude behavior.
Ian gave his family a steely stare and taking Sonora's hand, strode out of the park. So distraught, he hardly noticed Sonora’s difficulty keeping up with him, or the curiosity lighting the eyes of the few people who passed in the hallway. No one said a word to him though, his dark face and the little human girl telling them all the needed to know.
Once the door to his home was shut, Ian went to the large window. The ocean always soothed him. Ordinarily, he would have left his home for its silky embrace, but he didn't want to leave Sunny alone. His mother's words had allowed all his doubts to resurface. Not for the first time, he wondered how all this would work out between him and the one intended for him.
Still breathing heavy, Sonora stepped up beside him. "I'm sorry for whatever you fought about. Family fights suck."
"Yes, they do." Ian glanced down at her before looking back out at the ocean.
"Let me guess. They don't like me because I'm human?"
Ian glanced at her and away. "Something like that."
"Well, I guess they'll be happy when I go home then."
Ian tensed, tired of this debate. She wanted to go home. His family wanted her gone. This wasn’t the way it was supposed to be.
She was his Jata Ara. Couldn't she feel that? Something, anything? If she were an Atlantian, there would be no debate. One glance and she would have eagerly gotten to know him, and within hours, drifted into his arms, and only days later vows would be pledged.
Of course, some couples waited longer, had waves in their relationships, but nothing like this. And no one, absolutely no one ever gave up easily. Neither would he. He couldn't.
Ian gave Sonora a stern stare. "Who said you are going home? I am tired of hearing about it."
Sonora sputtered at him, at a loss for words.
Ian softened and took her hand. "Perhaps it will be better if you do not. Better for you and me. We will ask Father to talk to the council. They may have some advice for us.”
The Vow
Chapter Nineteen
The large council chamber sat in the center of Atlantis' tallest tower, which lay in the very center of the city itself. Although there had been no deliberate plan for this at the beginning, Jorah felt it held significance, if not for others than for him.
The tower's watch overlooked the entire city, keeping the community safe. The council which met in the heart of that tower had its citizen's welfare as their central goal. Both positions held a reminder of the weighty responsibilities each had taken on.
An oval table sat in the center of the room. Constructed of dark maple, Atlantian words rounded it along the edge in a light caramel color. This piece of furniture had sat here in this room for over two thousand years. One of the first distinctive items of furniture made for their underwater home, and as such, it was maintained continuously to keep it in pristine condition.
Jorah sat at the table along with the eleven other council members, each representing their own clan, and wondered how much of the table was original. But it didn't really matter. It was the idea behind it that held value; th
e idea written on the table itself. Justice and Brotherhood, Love and Compassion
Jorah watched the men and women raise their voices and wave their hands. He questioned if they remembered what the table said or even cared at this point.
The meeting had started calmly enough, though he’d seen the agitated faces. They'd opened the gathering, announcing of names and clans so they could be marked present in the book. He'd been last in declaring himself, Jorah of Clan Orca. At that point, all had worked at controlling themselves. Jorah put a hand to his forehead. He wished that was still the case.
After discussing a few trivial matters, Jorah introduced the more serious item. Once it was, disagreement rolled like a rogue underwater wave causing the chaos around him.
Jorah understood their anger and frustration. He felt every bit of it too. But no one seemed to agree on the solution, and that was a problem. The wild voices of the men and women on the council swirled around him.
Tiburon, larger than most and of the Great White Clan, waved an arm and said, in his gruff voice, “The humans are killing us!"
"I say that we just let the future take the humans as it will."
Mako of Cirrina Clan’s clear voice rang out, her straight blue-black hair swinging as she quickly stood. ”We were commissioned to help the humans survive! It has been my entire life’s work.“
"Yes, but how can we do that without the artifact?" someone questioned.
Akami from Mysticeti Clan, usually quiet, took Jorah’s side. “Ian is searching for the artifact and the one who stole it."
"It has been decades, and there has been no progress,” said Tiburon.