Zurumu released a giant hiss. “I thought you didn’t bargain, Belial?”
Belial’s face twitched. “I don’t. This is a one-time offer.”
“I don’t need you!” She revealed her fangs and struck at Belial.
In the blink of an eye, he disappeared in a cloud of smoke only to reappear behind her. Belial jabbed her hood with the spear. Zurumu twisted and hissed, her long tail pulling the satchel closer. “I believe you do,” Belial said mockingly.
As the ground rumbled, Zurumu snapped at Belial again, only to receive the same outcome. He vanished, materialized behind her, and stabbed her again, this time with more force. “I can do this all day, Zurumu, can you?”
Her reptilian nostrils flared, and she flicked her forked tongue. “Very well, I wisssh to rule by your ssside.”
“Do as I bid, and then we’ll talk, Zurumu,” Belial sneered. He pointed at Lilith. “Take care of the spiral dancer first.”
She nodded sharply. The end of her tail wrapped around the satchel’s strap and held it tight. Then she let out a monstrous hiss and slithered toward Lilith. Tau rolled across the tiles to pick up the closest discarded orichalcum spear. Zurumu snapped at him before he had time to attack and yanked away the spear, leaving him at the mercy of her wicked whims.
“Tau!” Mica threw him his flute. “Play your heart out!”
Tau snatched the flute in mid-air. He screeched out a tune, sounding like a cat with its tail caught in a chariot’s wheel. Zurumu threw back her hooded head and hissed. Her arms were too short to cover her ears, so she twitched and writhed, and crawled away from him.
“That’s music to my ears,” She-Aba said, clapping.
Suddenly, Zurumu’s tail whipped around. With the satchel still in her possession, she whacked Tau across the head with it and sent him flying over the quaking compound. Mica’s flute smashed against a statue and broke in two. She hissed in victory, then turned on Lilith and spit a venomous stream at her. Lilith twirled around and ducked. The venom hit a marble post next to her. Lilith’s chest tightened, watching the poison bubble and foam, devouring the marble, and weakening the post enough for it to crumble. Some of the poison dripped onto scattered crystal shards, but instead of dissolving like the marble, the crystals neutralized the venom and turned black where the venom had landed. An Atlantean principle her mother had taught her stirred Lilith’s memory. The human body is like liquid crystal. This is why crystals have such great power to affect our bodies and our souls. She reached for the longest, sharpest, most pure shard.
Fight fire with fire, Etan whispered, as soon as Lilith touched the crystal. His voice instantly calmed her. Even with all the rumbling and tremors and screaming going on around her, Lilith took a deep breath, stood up, and turned to face her biggest fear. Knowing she needed to get closer to Zurumu, Lilith exhaled and did the only thing she could think of to charm a snake. She took a few steps forward and began to rapidly move her hands around in the air like Mica had done with Kheti. “You are nothing but a weak, pathetic, poisonous woman, Zurumu!”
“Is that ssso?” Zurumu hissed, moving her head back and forth in an attempt to focus on her.
“It is,” Lilith said, now bobbing her body up and down, and waved her hands faster. “And you know what else, snake-face?” Come on, that’s it, just a little closer.
Zurumu’s reptilian eyes narrowed. “Do tell.”
Lilith was within three strides of the transformed high priestess. She stopped bobbing and weaving long enough to yell, “You make me feel ashamed of my Atlantean roots!”
“Then allow me put you out of your misssery!” Zurumu lunged at Lilith.
Ducking, Lilith squeezed the crystal, then plunged it into Zurumu. She rolled far enough away from Zurumu’s coils to stand and yell, “Poison in, poison out!”
The crystal shard pierced the base of Zurumu’s scaly throat. Her screaming hiss rivaled the earth’s relentless rumblings. Small, reptilian arms scrambled to yank the shard out, and she pitched it across the trembling tiles. Gasping for breath and clutching her bleeding throat, she bent her body forward, as if trying to catch something precious. Zurumu shuddered once, twice, thrice, before her face started to vibrate and transform back into her human features. Strangely, her cobra’s hood and serpent body remained intact and unchanged.
Shu-Tu picked up the crystal. She smiled wryly and held up the crystal shard to show Lilith. The once white crystal had changed to the darkest black. “Too pure for Zurumu to handle, I see.”
The red-headed cobra unfurled her hood, rolled onto her coils, and charged at Lilith. Mica jumped her from behind. He wrapped his legs around her scaly torso, held onto her red hair with a hand, and pulled the crystal trident from his sash with his other hand. He plunged the trident deep into the back of her neck. Her turquoise eyes widened in disbelief, and she released a primal scream, sounding more animal than human. She balked and threw off Mica just before going into convulsions.
“And this is for Tau!” She-Aba stabbed the high heel of her shoe into the end of Zurumu’s tail. She flinched, and her tail loosened its grip to release the satchel. She-Aba scooped it up and scuffled away.
“Thanks, She-Aba,” Tau said, staggering up behind her, rubbing his head. “I’m getting to like your new shoes more and more.”
She-Aba roped the leather satchel’s strap over one shoulder, and winked at him. “There’s hope for you yet.”
The earth suddenly ceased trembling and shaking, but Zurumu continued to tremor. Holding her chest, she wiggled and writhed until her tail forked to a pair of shapely human legs and her cobra’s hood shriveled into oblivion. Then Zurumu’s arms lengthened and green scales changed to pale skin leaving her exposed and helpless like a newborn baby. With a shaking hand, she reached over her head and wrenched the crystal trident out of the back of her neck.
“Oh…my…Ra! The crystal trident…it turned black!” She-Aba yelled.
“W-Will that still work to get us home?” Tau asked.
“I…I don’t know,” Lilith said, clasping her hands. A large, tanned hand took up both her hands and unclasped them. Mica looked down at her.
“Don’t worry, Lilith. Whatever her plans, Istulo will make sure we get back,” he said with assurance.
“I…I curse you all!” Zurumu seethed, pointing to Lilith, Mica, She-Aba, and Tau with the black trident. “I curse you, your children, and your children’s children to be trapped by the dark ages of time forever!”
“Very strong words for a high priestess who’s about to be banished,” Belial said, skulking up behind her. He ripped the black trident out of her hand.
“Banished? But...but we had a deal!”
“And I’ve had another change of heart.” He sneered, wiping the black trident across Zurumu’s face to remove her blood. “I don’t need you. I only need your book. Now leave, before I decide to curse you.”
12
The Point of No Return
“Give me the satchel, girl,” Belial commanded, thrusting the trident’s pointed end at She-Aba’s throat.
She-Aba’s eyes bugged. Her bottom lip quivered as she hugged the satchel to her body.
“It’s all right, She-Aba. Give it to him,” Lilith said, touching her shoulder. She eyed Belial, and smirked. “After all, it will come back to its rightful owner eventually.”
Belial’s upper lip curled. “Not where I’m taking it!” He waved the black trident in Lilith’s face. “With this bewitched trident, I now have power over the arches. I’ve decided to leave Atlantis, and I’m using the seventh Arch of Atlantis as a portal for my means of departure.”
Lilith stiffened. “But…you can’t do that.”
Belial’s nostrils flared. “I can do whatever I wish. That’s the benefit of being me.”
“Why would you do this?” Shu-Tu asked, ambling up behi
nd them. The other seers remained back a respectable distance.
“You said it yourself, Shu-Tu. There is the known and the unknown. I am the unknowable, and Atlantis obviously cannot handle the power I wield. To assure the survival of Atlantis, I must leave. Besides—” Belial’s nostrils flared, his eyebrows lowered and pinched “—I need a new country to rule, new blood to conquer. And the Book of Mysteries will help me get what I want.”
Belial reached out to coil his hand around the satchel’s strap. He wrenched it from She-Aba’s shoulder. She winced, clutching her life seal brooch that secured her spotted animal skin around her shoulders. “Fine, but don’t mess with the outfit.”
The sound of Elie trumpeting caught Belial off guard. The white tusked beast charged into the Temple of Poseidon with Anapa sitting on her back. He kicked behind her ears, guiding her toward Ajax-ol. What was left of the chain that had imprisoned Elie to the giant tree trunk dragged behind her, broken links tinkled across the polished temple tiles with each stride. Bus-Lu shrieked, seeing the huge creature storm across the compound toward him, and he pushed Rhea into the chasm in the stairs.
“Rhea!” Ajax-ol yelled, grabbing the spear off the ground and throwing it across the open stairway.
Rhea bounced off the opposite side, her hands clambering over the stairs, trying to claw, to reach the spear before her body slid down the deep crack. With a loud gasp, Rhea pushed her body away from the ledge far enough to seize the spear and keep her safe.
Anapa led Elie to where Rhea dangled. Elie’s long snout wrapped around Rhea’s slim waist and pulled her up and away from the fissure. Ajax-ol’s arms were around Rhea the moment Elie gently placed her on the tiles.
Bus-Lu crawled to the top of the stairs of the second tier with no sacrifice to show for his efforts. He wiped his fat face, then stood and raised the staff of Ajax-ol he had used to restrain Rhea. Bus-Lu shook the staff vigorously, screaming blasphemous words down at the embracing couple. Mount Atlas rumbled and red lava exploded from its top, causing the earth to tremor again.
Bus-Lu lost his footing and plummeted down the stairs. He released Ajax-ol’s staff, trying to grasp onto a stair, and it clattered down in a straight line to land at Ajax-ol’s feet. Bus-Lu slid sideways toward the chasm where he had tried to toss Rhea. The spear Ajax-ol had thrown for Rhea was still lying across, so the Black Priest reached out to grab it. Catching it with one hand, he pulled himself up enough to grasp the spear with his other hand. He laughed maniacally and swung his thick legs like a pendulum in an attempt to scale up one side. Bus-Lu missed the edge, and twisted his body enough to dislodge the spear from the stairs. With nothing to hold onto, Bus-Lu plunged down the chasm, screaming all the way. Another quake summoned the earth to move in another direction, closing the fissure until the stairs fit together again.
“Bus-Lu was true to his word,” Belial said with a hint of amusement. “I did get my sacrifice.” Then he laughed and swirled his black robe around him, disappearing in a cloud of greenish smoke.
Tau coughed, covering his mouth. “Where’d that sneaky serqet go?”
“Over there,” She-Aba said, waving away the smoke. She pointed toward Zurumu crawling slowly across the floor toward a side aisle of the temple.
“I said serqet, not snake, fire-head.”
Lilith fanned the air. “Belial’s probably going to the second tier of the temple to the Chamber of the Arches. That’s where the seven Arches of Atlantis are kept. He’s got the trident, so he’s probably going to try to use it.”
“Then that’s where we’re going,” Mica said, grabbing her arm.
Shu-tu placed a hand on Lilith’s heart before she left. “Remember, know when to act, and when to think.”
“I will.” Lilith placed her hand over the old seer’s wrinkled hand. “Please, leave Atlantis, and go to the Black Land. You’ll be safe there.”
Shu-Tu pressed a finger to the middle of her forehead. Her eyes juggled around in her skull, then crossed. “I will stay here as long as I am needed.” She removed her finger. “Do not worry, Lilith, the prophecy is now clear.”
“We must go,” Mica urged. “The earth will shake again.”
Elie trumpeted. Lilith jumped, releasing Shu-Tu’s hand. Ajax-ol and Rhea were hand in hand as they joined them. Anapa, still on top of Elie’s back, loomed behind the couple. Ajax-ol saluted them with his decorated gold staff. Anapa climbed down, using Elie’s thick, wrinkled leg for support. Tau smiled. “I thought hybrids weren’t allowed in the Temple of Poseidon?”
Anapa shrugged. His gold earring flickered mischievously. “I weighed the consequences of my actions, and all was balanced. Besides, I owe a debt again to Etan. I will watch over Ajax-ol until the debt is repaid.”
“We’ve decided to go to the Black Land,” Ajax-ol announced, squeezing Rhea’s hand. “Atlantis no longer feels like home.”
“You wish to leave with him, Rhea?” Shu-Tu asked, though it sounded more of a blessing than a question.
Rhea placed her hands together and bowed before Shu-Tu. “It is my destiny, to be with Ajax-ol. I know this, feel this in my heart.”
Shu-Tu nodded sharply. “Then follow your heart. Go, do, be, Rhea.”
“Here,” She-Aba said, retrieving her snake-skin satchel from underneath the spotted animal cape. She slid off her gold bracelets and rings and stuffed them in it. “You’ll need this to get you all to the Black Land safely. You’ll also find items inside that any sensible young seer could use.”
Tau frowned. “You’re giving her your make-up satchel?”
“What can I say, I’m in the giving mood,” She-Aba replied, shrugging.
Rhea accepted the satchel with a bow. She peered inside it and nodded. “Your generosity will be rewarded. Know this, trust in this.”
An intense tremor rolled through Lilith, signaling to her that the end of this first major quake was near. “You need to go—” Lilith pointed to the arched entrance. “—before the bridges are no longer passable.”
“We shall travel around the channels,” Anapa announced. “I know of a docked barge big enough that will take us out to the ocean.” He stroked Elie’s long snout. “All of us.”
Ajax-ol left Rhea’s side and hugged Lilith fiercely. Her feet dangled for a moment before he placed her down. “I’ll never forget you or your friends.”
“Well, I am pretty unforgettable,” She-Aba said, winking.
Tau groaned. “That’s for sure. And believe me, I’ve tried.”
“Come on, before this quake gets worst,” Mica said, pulling Lilith away.
“Wait, here, Tau,” Ajax-ol said, untying the life seal from his staff. “I believe this belongs to you.” He placed it over Tau’s head.
“Thanks, Ajax-ol,” Tau said, placing his seal next to the Babel. “I felt naked without this.”
“Now there’s a vision I’ll need the healers to wash from my mind,” She-Aba said, grimacing.
A strong, vicious jolt shook them. “You must go,” Shu-Tu said, backing away and pointing to the second tier of the Temple of Poseidon. “Go. Banish evil.”
Stumbling, then sprinting toward the stairs, Lilith, Mica, Tau, and She-Aba raced across the tiled compound, dodging dead bodies, fallen statues of kings and their queens, and crystal shards. She-Aba’s heel got caught in a gap of broken tile, and she tripped and fell. Tau skidded and went back to help her up. Her shoe was stuck, so he undid it and released her foot. She tried to yank her shoe free, but it was no use, as the ground continued to move and shake.
“Leave it, She-Aba,” Lilith yelled from the bottom of the stairs. “It’s just a shoe!”
Swirling her spotted animal skin around her shapely body, She-Aba pulled off her other shoe and bolted toward them. “I’ll never see another pair of shoes like that in my life!”
“For Ra’s sak
e, just make a pair!” Tau yelled in exasperation. He grabbed her arm and led her up the stairs.
At the top of the second tier, several high priests scurried around collecting priceless Atlantean artifacts and covering statues with purple cloths. Two priests wearing black robes and silver laurels were tending to a fire in the long pit at the base of the sacrificial pillar, stirring up the charred remains of a bull’s skull and other unfortunate victims. The set of golden chains hanging from the pillar vibrated along with the earth’s movements while they chanted Atlantean prayers.
Lilith quickly scanned the rest of glittering room, then spotted the most beautiful statue in the Temple of Poseidon, positioned in the center of the room. Her shoulders drooped, her chest ached. This would be the last time she’d ever lay her eyes on it again. The huge golden statue of Poseidon standing on a chariot pulled by six winged horses sparkled amongst the chaos going on all around them. Smaller statues of graceful sea nymphs riding on the backs of golden dolphins surrounded Poseidon’s magnificent effigy. Walls of ivory enhanced with gold, silver, and orichalcum brightened the enormous area. Lilith’s whole body tingled and she lightly touched her chest, suddenly feeling like a princess returning home.
“Which way, Lilith?” Tau asked, breathing hard.
“I think the chamber where the arches are kept is that way,” Mica said, pointing toward the left. “I’m sure that’s the way I came through when I was searching for Zurumu.”
“Belial, I beg of you! Noooo!” a voice cut through the rumbling.
She-Aba raised a red brow. “I believe your suspicions have been confirmed, Mica.”
Lilith nodded. “Just follow the sound of fear.”
Lilith’s eyes watered from the heavy smoke of burning incense. She led them down a corridor lined with silver and gold entwining serpents to the Chamber of the Arches of Atlantis. She hadn’t been in this room since they had left Atlantis. It all seemed like a blur to her, this life here. A solid gold archway with a sculpted orichalcum serpent motif over its top marked the entrance to the chamber. Diamond eyes in the serpent twinkled ominously. Mica and Tau pushed open the heavy gold-lined double doors. Lilith almost tripped over the dead body of a high priest. His bloodshot eyes were open and lifeless, and his bulging face was blue and blotchy.
Legend of the Timekeepers Page 13
