Tomb of Atlantis
Page 27
Barely detectable at first, the four men heard the soft sounds of sand passing through recesses deep within the walls of the chamber. As the sounds grew louder and more distinct, they heard the grinding of rock surfaces slide across other rock surfaces behind the heavy door.
Slowly, the great door began to move and they watched in awe as it slid across the entrance. As the new chamber began to be revealed, the four guards scanned the interior of the dimly lit room, captivated by the mystery of the unknown.
As the door disappeared behind the wall, all sounds ceased. King Orion smiled a great smile and stepped forward to the entrance of the new chamber
“Men, if you will notice, there is another doorway at the back of the room. Step forward and proceed through it to the King’s chamber,” King Orion said, now motioning with his hands.
The four men eagerly hurried into the chamber. Nervous excitement turned to subtle alarm as they scanned the inscriptions on the walls. The deadly meaning behind the curses now began to fester in their subconscious. As they turned from wall to wall, they eyed each other with apprehension. Once again, the four heard the sound of the sands. Turning to King Orion, they wondered quietly about his position outside the chamber.
Slowly, steadily, fear began to penetrate their thoughts. Staring through the doorway into the far chamber, they suddenly realized they were conspicuously alone. As the sounds of the sand quickly grew louder, beads of nervous sweat formed on their brow. Their eyes shifted from one to the other in search of answers, hoping for reassuring stares… there were none to be found.
Fear raged within them. They felt paralyzed to take action. If they challenged their great king, they would surely suffer for their insolence. If they ignored their intuition, they felt sure their lives were in jeopardy.
The men’s hands wept with sweat and their stomachs churned as they began to think about the possibility of their mortality. As the rushing sound of sand grew to a deafening climax, they heard their king’s voice call from behind.
“Hereafter awaits!” King Orion shouted loudly.
The four men spun on their heels and stared into the eyes of evil. King Orion gazed back at them and a great sadistic smile spread across his face. He watched worry and fear invade the four men’s helpless eyes as they frantically searched for a way to save themselves.
The sands stopped and grinding sounds of rock on rock took its place, sending vibrations throughout the chamber. Instantly, the room began to shake and the floor rocked slightly, causing the four men to lose their balance and fall. They now waited in horror for the next signs of their impending deaths.
Looking up, exuberance and excitement gleamed from the eyes of their king. He was enjoying every moment of the morbid sight.
Suddenly, the ceiling began to drop. Looking up, the four men screamed for their lives as the massive wall of rock hurled down upon them. In a moment of desperation, one tried to crawl to safety, but it was of no use. The ceiling quickly descended and struck them where they had fallen. As the force impacted their bodies, the sheer weight of the massive stone crushed their bones and flesh into a thin layer that spread across the chamber's floor. For a moment, there was only piercing silence.
What seemed like minutes, in reality was mere seconds. As sudden as the deadly spectacle had started, it was over. King Orion stepped back from the entrance and surveyed the results. The ceiling now lay as one large tile across the floor, while the far doorway to the next chamber was now blocked by another door.
“Impressive… good work Keidis,” he said boldly, still staring at the carnage that lay in front of him. Turning back to Keidis, he continued, “Now, reset the chamber.”
“Yes, my king,” Keidis replied in saddened tone.
Keidis walked to the altar and lifted the crystal globe from the table. Instantly, the round column began to rise. In seconds, it stabilized at its original height and the sound of flowing sands and grinding stone roared through the chamber.
King Orion watched in curiosity as the heavy stone ceiling began to rise. As it moved through his eye level, he gazed upon the remains spread across the floor that were once four human beings. Nodding in satisfaction, he turned to Keidis.
“Did you see the fear on the faces of those men?” he asked with callous detachment.
As the large door began to slide across the doorway, Keidis swallowed hard as he struggled to hold back his emotions. Unable to look his king in the eyes, he stared at the floor and replied simply, “I did, my king.”
“Those faces of fear will be the same for anyone who dares to rob the king’s tomb,” he said proudly. He paused a moment, then continued: “Let it be forever known, these words, these inscriptions, are not idle phrases uttered by common scribes. They are the curses of a great king that carry the promise of death. Pay heed to their message.”
“Yes, my king,” Keidis replied once more, unable and unwilling to say much else to someone so repugnant.
~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~
As the two exited the pyramid, King Orion breathed in a great satisfying breath of air. He looked down upon the valley that was his city, the city of Atlantis. He surveyed his kingdom and felt energized by its greatness and beauty.
Turning to Keidis he said, “My Empire is great, greater than the mighty Zeus. I will expand it and reign as king of the world… and all will know me as god.”
“Long live King Orion,” Keidis replied in an obligatory tone.