by Jay Penner
Pretty little deer.
Ready for butchering.
Eurydice jumped behind the vault, causing Alkimachus to lurch with his hand extended. Then, in lightning speed, Eurydice smashed the gold seal on Alkimachus wrist. He gasped in surprise and pain and drew his hand back. The smile vanished, and his face scrunched in rage.
Eurydice sprinted around the vault forcing Alkimachus to turn to face her.
She did not stop.
Instead, she lunged at him and in the final moment slid and slashed Alkimachus’ tendons below the knee.
He screamed but swung his sword with impressive precision. The tip of the blade scraped Eurydice’s shoulder and sliced her skin. She flinched but sprung back and ran again in the opposite direction. Furious, Alkimachus hurled abuses—he had never faced this tactic and worse, this was a woman!
“You will regret this you fucking whore,” he screamed. He chased her, slashing his sword in the air hoping to connect.
But Eurydice was quick on her feet. She changed direction and forced him to turn again. Alkimachus had forgotten all his training—anger fueled his actions now exactly how Eurydice wanted.
As he turned to face her, she aimed and launched the gold seal at his unguarded loins. As a teenager, she was an expert at throwing pebbles on a lake’s surface, and her pebbles traveled across the water farther than any of her friends’. Alkimachus grunted, and he withdrew to a guarded position. Eurydice sprinted to his side for an attack from behind, but Alkimachus swung and caught her hair.
She felt his powerful grip and pain blinded her as he pulled her towards him. She turned, and before Alkimachus could swing his sword, swung her dagger low and stabbed him in the side.
Alkimachus’ mouth opened in soundless agony. Eurydice did not stop—she withdrew the dagger and swung upward under his cheekbone. The serrated blade slid into his cheek like animal fat and punctured his eye.
Alkimachus' sword fell on the stone floor.
He collapsed screaming and covered his face as he rolled around.
She bent close to him, her chest heaving. Her dark hair dropped in front of eyes and glistened with blood that sparkled under the amber light. As Alkimachus flailed about, she smashed a knee on his chest and plunged her dagger into his chest. She heard his final tortured breaths and gurgling as blood welled up his mouth and nose. Alkimachus grunted and quivered until his body finally stopped movement. Eurydice stopped to regain her faculties and took a breath as the surge of strength in her body began to ebb. She then found the gold seal nearby and picked it up. It was time to find Deon.
She followed the sounds of struggle to find the two men on the ground. Nekh-Aser lay on the floor with Deon on him—his back on Nekh-Aser's stomach. Deon was struggling as Nekh-Aser choked him.
Eurydice approached Nekh-Aser and raised her dagger again. His fist exploded with stunning speed and smashed into her face. The force hurled Eurydice backward to the stone wall of another vault. The taste of blood in her mouth and sharp pain in her shoulder melded into a swirl of darkness.
KNIFE’S TIP
❖
The world darkened as Nekh-Aser squeezed my throat with brute force. Blood rushed to my ears, and my eyes bulged. I sensed someone come near us, and Nekh-Aser relaxed his pressure as one hand released to hit someone.
I heard a loud thud and a gasp—a woman’s gasp.
She was alive!
A heavy object dropped, rolled, and touched behind my knee. I crooked my leg to push it towards me and grasped it in my right hand as Nekh-Aser tried to regain his balance. I then smashed it to the metal cage that protected Nekh-Aser’s jaw. The impact jolted my wrist, and Nekh-Aser screamed through the contraption.
Enjoy that the second time, you piss drinking pig fucker.
I rolled off him and gasped to regain my breath and clear my head. I had no time to search for my kopis. Nekh-Aser punched me hard on the ribs. It felt like a hammer slammed into me, and I doubled in pain. I mustered my strength and scrambled to my feet. The Egyptian was standing up—he looked like a beast rising from the underworld. I leaned back and kicked him hard on his chest, and he toppled over. I rushed and stomped my foot on his face again. The metal hinges snapped, and I heard the crunching sound of bones and teeth. The brute lost consciousness.
I crawled to the slumped figure of Eurydice. She was still breathing, but there was slick wetness down her lips and nose. She was injured but alive.
Where was Alkimachus?
I found Alkimachus lying dead in an expanding pool of blood, his face unrecognizable. Another in the extensive list of fools that underestimated Eurydice. I tended to her—she woke up after I wiped her face and dripped some water on her lips from the water bladder. She was groggy and tensed, but she relaxed once she felt my face with her palms. I tied the Nekh-Aser's hands and feet using necklaces and braces from the treasury.
Satisfied, I took a gulp of water and sat down to rest and regain my strength.
It was time to introspect.
Nekh-Aser finally regained consciousness. I sprinkled water on his face, and he came to clarity. Rage and fury burned in his eyes as he fought the restraints.
“If you nod your yes or no I could ease your way to the afterlife,” I said, as I pressed the tip of my kopis on his chest. He did not respond.
“Are there people waiting for us outside?”
No response.
“Does anyone else know of this place?”
No response.
“Have they sentenced Eumenes to death?”
No response.
“Is Eumenes nearby?”
No response.
"Is Ptolemy nearby?"
No response.
“You gain nothing by silence. But your truthful answers can ease your suffering.”
No response.
“I will even pray for your journey,” I said, though my heart protested.
He grimaced. I persisted.
“If you have a last wish—a token to your wife—I could fulfill that for you.”
Nekh-Aser strained to look at Eurydice who watched him. Then the Egyptian thrust his hips up and down while smiling through his blood-crusted, crushed mouth. His demonic eyes then turned on me in defiance.
I knew then that Nekh-Aser sought no redemption and no love existed in all the world to mend his dark heart. Eurydice struggled to stand, and I held her as she swooned. She whispered, “Let me…”
Nekh-Aser thrashed against the restraints when he saw Eurydice with her serrated blade. His muffled screams dissolved in the hollow of the immense dome. But as she was about to exact her vengeance, she hesitated, and I sensed a revulsion sweep over her.
She sat down first, and then she slumped on the floor.
Nekh-Aser’s eyes smiled. I clubbed his head, and he lost consciousness.
I was not done yet.
Eurydice had lacerations on her arms, injured nose, and a dislocated shoulder. I wondered if the ancients had miraculous medicines. But we had seen no evidence, and I was not about to begin a new search in this condition. We limped to the central dome. No one else was here—it seemed Nekh-Aser and Alkimachus pursued us themselves. We ate some of the packed meat and drank more water. As energy returned, I let Eurydice rest and made a trip to the treasury with our bags. I threw out the heavier gold ornaments and filled our bags with exquisite gold coins. Those would still fetch a handsome sum if we survived long enough to barter.
After I came back, I had one more thing to take care of—Eurydice's shoulder. Physicians had taught me how to fix a dislocated shoulder. She screamed as I probed the joints and snapped her shoulder back. She recovered quickly, and it was time to move.
That was when it dawned upon me that we might be heading out to an ambush. Why would just Nekh-Aser and Alkimachus come here? Why were there no others backing them up? I knew Ptolemy was no fool—it was entirely possible that the Governor had someone else watching Nekh-Aser all the time. But we were exhausted—Eurydice was in no condition t
o fight, and I was hurt in many places. I could handle one man or two, but no more.
I had no choice but to try something I never wanted to.
I carried Eurydice back to the armory passage and let her lie in the darkness. Then I headed to the weapons chamber. The mute pictures on the walls watched me as I ran to the corner that had the magical cylinders and spheres that spawned fire. I picked one of the cylinders—it was about three feet long, heavy, and had a shiny metallic tint on it. Fine grooves were etched all along the circumference. On the side of the pipe was a lever, which, I imagined, was the mechanism to trigger it to bring forth its destructive power. I did not know what do with the sphere, but I dropped two of them to a bag fashioned from cloth that adorned the statues. I ran back to the central dome and told Eurydice to stay where she was at the passage entrance.
Then I waited. It did not take long before I heard faint noises at the entry passage.
“Stay where you are,” I whispered to Eurydice, and I moved a few feet from the entry. Nine men stepped out from the dim light — all of them Ptolemy’s men. I did not recognize any of them, but the leader asked everyone to stay close and eyed us from across the steps.
“Where are they?”
“Dead, and you will be too,” I responded. The leader's eyes went to the cylinder in my hand.
“Well, we have orders to arrest you and take control of this—whatever this place is,” he retorted, looking around. His men had not fanned about, and that was an advantage.
“I know you will kill us at the first chance,” I said, as my finger played with the lever. I had no idea what it would do, but I would find out.
One of the men laughed. “You are a smart one!”
“And you will be a dead one if you don’t turn back.”
The leader’s expression changed from amusement to seriousness. “We can make this quick,” he said, and they began to move forward.
This was it.
I rushed them—they were all bunched around their leader and still near the mouth of the exit of the entry passage. I pointed the cylinder just as I had seen in the wall panels—now I would find out if this weapon was endowed with magical powers or if I was only a fool—soon to be a dead fool.
The lever on the side did not move at first, but then it slid slightly. I felt the tension in it, and I pulled it hard again. There was a distinct metallic click—they froze in a surprise of what this “thing was” and I stared at the end of pipe hoping for something to happen. Nothing happened.
“Are you going to club us all to death?” The leader laughed. Then they drew their swords and began to advance—panic rose in my belly. “We’ll slaughter you like we did your men down there!”
I raised the pipe and pulled on the lever hard again. But this time the metallic click had a different tone to it, and the cylinder vibrated violently in my hand. The back end of it rammed into my shoulder, and vibrant yellow flame shot from the tip. The leader’s head exploded in an instant, and two men next to him flew back as if slammed by an invisible hand.
I stood in paralyzed disbelief and stared at the remaining men—and they looked at me in horror. I pulled the lever hard again, and another fiery explosion followed, this time dropping two more men. Blood, pieces of flesh, and bone fragments flew into me. The remaining four turned and took flight, but in that instant, I knew what I had to do. I knew running after them would be futile, for my injuries prevented me from catching up. I tried to trigger the weapon again, but it would no longer shoot the fire.
I remembered the cloth-bag. I reached in and pulled out a cold, metallic sphere. The surface was smooth with no etchings or any triggering mechanism. With all my strength I launched it in the direction of the receding backs of my attackers, hoping that something terrible would happen when it struck them. The sphere arced in the narrow passage, the surface reflecting the golden light of the lamps, and contacted the wall just in front of the lead runner. And just as I imagined an angry Zeus launching fiery thunderbolts from the sky, white-hot fire exploded from the point of impact and engulfed every man around it. But no man ran screaming; it was as if they had all vanished from the earth—the fire had evaporated their flesh, and all that was on the floor was charred bones and bits and pieces of their garments. The acrid smell of burnt flesh filled the passage. The explosion had done something else too—pieces of wood and other material on the walls had caught fire and was beginning to spread on the roof the passage. Like snakes of fire, flames licked the walls and climbed up, creating a spectacular sight like an orange blooming flower on the ceiling.
I leaned on the wall and composed myself—my mind finally coming to terms with what this unearthly power would give its masters. I returned to Eurydice. She held me and would not let go until I calmed her and that it was all over. She had heard the sounds and feared for the worst—and I told her what I had experienced.
“Why did the gods bestow them with such power and then destroy them?” She asked. I had only one answer—
“Perhaps the gods wanted to test the Atlanteans ambition, and the Atlanteans failed,” I said, unconvincingly.
It was time to return. When we returned to the passage, we realized our perilous state. The passage roof was enveloped in a sheet of fire, and the tongues were reaching into the corners of the dome, lighting up wood. We had to rush, or risk being burned to death.
I hurriedly placed two more metallic spheres in my bag. We gave one last look at the magnificent dome and hobbled back to the entrance, our hair singed from the flames just above our head and skin on the forehead burnt in places. We ignored the pain and goaded each other. Once we reached the entrance, we turned back to find the entire passage engulfed, and it was as if the gods had once again decided to punish the Atlanteans. We closed the stone door using the levers and slipped out of the narrow oblique opening. But before we exited, I flung another sphere through the passage. It exploded, and a great breath of fire emanated from the point of explosion and spread on the walls—the fire rushed at us like a monster with no form, but just before it reached us it arced upwards into an unseen crack. As we stood shocked, a great vibration began and caused the walls to collapse inward, burying most of the chamber with the levers to open the stone door to the inner passage.
I managed Eurydice with care and helped her onto the ledge and got her to safety. Sadness washed over me as I looked at the narrow opening on the side of the cliff. I had spent a life fighting, killing, maiming. And this discovery would only lead to more of it.
I then helped Eurydice farther back on the ledge and asked her to sit. I then reached into my bag and removed another sphere—I turned back to look at Eurydice who watched me quietly. Even in the cool air, sweat rolled off my neck and back. And then I aimed at the edge of the ledge and threw the sphere. It exploded on impact, and the fragile ledge collapsed. I rushed back as cracks appeared near my feet. Eurydice and I ignored our pain and rapidly moved to the narrow cliffside path. From where we stood, the narrow opening was now invisible, hidden in the fold of the mountain. There were other supporting structures on the ledge, and they collapsed as well. I also suspected that the shadows would no longer paint the complete picture as they did before.
We had found what we were set to do, and yet there was no joy in it. I looked wistfully in the direction of the second Atlantis—now hidden again, for how long only the gods knew. What we had seen was nothing short of remarkable—only a fertile mind could imagine what still lay undiscovered in the hidden city if it had not burned entirely. Surprisingly, there was little smoke from anywhere in the mountain, and it was as if the second Atlantis was hiding its secrets again. But for now, the wars of the Diadochi loomed to pit friends and fellow men against each other for years to come. The second Atlantis, if discovered, would only power the flames of destruction and turn it into a conflagration.
I returned to the location of the battle in the narrow cliff passage. There was death all around us—my men had fought bravely, but Alkimachus’ treachery had end
ed their lives. We made way to our hidden campsite and ate. I applied medicine to our injuries, and we rested for the night. The next morning, we embarked on our journey home—and in the narrow paths of the cliff, we met some Nabatean traders. What had happened here? They wanted to know. “Some soldiers thought there was a treasury in the stones,” I replied, and they shook their head. In hindsight, our plan of what to do after we found this was laughable. There was no way for me to get back to Eumenes and have him divert an army to this location. If the news I heard was true, Antigonus was on Eumenes’ heels. Ptolemy had his men to our South. Seleucus was flexing his muscles in the East. How could Eumenes march an entire army, undetected, and hold and protect this location? The only thing that would happen was that the second Atlantis would fall into the hands of one of those men.
Plato was right.
Some secrets are best left unrevealed.
Part V
Now
“Revenge is not always better,
But neither is forgiveness”—The Mahabharatha
MACEDON
❖
Krokinos eyes me from across the courtyard. I count ten armed men who wait for his command. I had interrupted his dinner, but I was not bearing gifts for my lender. Today is the culmination of my long journey from the second Atlantis. I had tracked Krokinos to his villa and hired hardened mercenaries, once Alexander’s soldiers themselves, to put an end to this story. I had put to good use what I had secured in the second Atlantis. Hiring a skilled force is extraordinarily expensive and I wished I had the backing of a general to help me free my family—but that was not to be. Whether this foolhardy mission would succeed or if my years of perseverance would end in all our demise was yet to be seen.
But I have no choice. I have to do this now before it is too late.
Six of my men stand behind me, and Eurydice is behind them, hidden. Her shoulder is much better, and she has regained full mobility.
“Not the visit I was expecting—" he says, as his eyes dart like a snake’s.
