As Cody walked behind the pack, Wolfrick apparently decided that no more supervision was needed, and had trotted off to ride beside some of his peers, leaving Cody alone. Cody spent the next hour making systematic lists of all the ways Jade had mistreated him over the years. Only when Dace trotted up beside him on his paw-footed horse was Cody’s focus distracted. Dace coolly dismounted the horse with a single hop and began walking alongside Cody. “Rough morning, eh, brother?” Cody glared at the guard captain irritably, but the good-natured smile on his face slowly dispelled his frustration.
“I’ve had better.” Dace followed Cody’s eyes toward Jade. “Ah, things not so peachy with the lady friend, I take it. Chin up; once we arrive at the capital, you’ll have enough to divert your mind.”
“The capital? Of what? It seems like I have three million questions but no one ever answers them. So you guys have cities down here in the center of the earth?”
The captain ran his fingers through his long, sweatdamped hair. “Well, unfortunately, I must add to your growing list of disappointments, as I am still the captain guard and you are still my prisoner. However, I do think you have earned some explanation. Besides, things are a bit tense in the capital of late and it’s best that you are prepared.”
Dace clenched his jaw as he debated where to start. Cody waited anxiously, eager to finally receive some understanding. At last Dace began, “Okay, much of this will probably not make sense to you right now . . .”
“Don’t even think of telling a story about fish,” snapped Cody.
Dace raised his eyebrows in amusement before continuing, “Just bear with me and be patient. Also, there are several crucial details that I am unauthorized to divulge, further adding to my inability to explain things to you. However, I will do my best with what I have. As to where you are, as I informed you yesterday, you are in the center of the earth, or as we locals call it: Under-Earth. You arrived here from Upper-Earth through the Second Passageway . . .”
“So I’ve heard several times. If the water well within Area 51 was the Second Passageway, then where is the First Passageway?” Cody questioned. A mysterious smirk molded onto Dace’s lips, “Where is it, indeed? And furthermore, where are the Third, Fourth, and Eleventh Passageways? Our two worlds are not as divided as you may think. However, the exact location of these passageways is restricted information; so much so, that I am unaware of them myself.” An image of a groundhog’s complex network of tunnels flashed in Cody’s mind.
“Well, why would you keep an entrance in the middle of Area 51? It’s impossible to get in or out of there!”
Dace grinned. “True. It is. I believe the answer is already in your question. The difficulty of entrance is precisely why it is there. Sometimes the best way to keep something hidden is to hide it right under the nose of those searching for it. We don’t even bother with guarding it; you people are doing a fantastic job of that already. You also assume that the passageway was placed within the complex, and not vice-versa, with the base being built around the passageway . . .” Cody had to admit it was clever. Area 51 was the destination for supernatural objects once they were found, not a place where one looks to uncover them.
Cody believed Dace was telling the truth. His mind rattled around, brimming with all the other countless questions that haunted his mind. “What about these people calling themselves CROSS. Are these your people? Why are they trying to kill me?” The question produced a blank stare on Dace’s face. “If there is a group called CROSS, then it is news to me. I know of no such group.”
Cody was now shooting rapid fire: “And how could a water well possibly bring us all the way down here alive? What did Randilin do that was so bad as to be treated this way? And what kind of unholy creature is this . . . demonlike Beast that’s been chasing me . . .” Dace’s face became deadly serious. Cody noticed Dace’s fingers had made their way around the hilt of his sword.
“What was that you just said?” Dace’s voice was shaky and sullen. Cody bit his lip. He did not mean to disclose any information that might lead to the discovery of the book. He stammered, “Um . . . the beasty man in the CROSS robe I meant. He’s a monstrous killer.” Cody knew his lie had fallen completely flat. Dace sat perfectly still, his intense gaze unbroken. Cody was trapped. Thankfully, luck was once again on his side. The rest of the company had stopped at the top of a large rock dune and Wolfrick was calling out for him, “Hurry up, son, come feast your eyes on the breath-taking beauty of the capital!” Dace gave Cody a nod to go, but the look in his eyes revealed that their conversation was only temporarily on hold.
Cody ran up the dune to join the guards, thankful to at least be momentarily liberated. When he reached the top, he gasped. Resting at the peak of a giant sand mound was the capital. In fact, it did not look like a city at all, but rather a gigantic walled fortress. A thick, stone wall rose forty feet high and stretched out for miles. Situated periodically behind the walls were giant towers. At the front of the wall was a thick stone gate. Encircling the wall’s perimeter was a water-filled moat the size of a small river.
From his position, Cody could not see much behind the walls, only the odd roof tip or tower peeking over the fortifications. However, two structures towered above the rest. One was a large, white-walled building constructed in a circular shape, forming into a large red dome on top. But this structure was not that which stole Cody’s gaze. A giant oval-shaped formation dwarfed the rest of the structures. The unorthodox building resembled an egg resting on a golf-tee. It was made from some smooth, shiny metallic substance that Cody couldn’t pin-point. Along the sleek surface of the structure were large engravings and designs. The base of the structure must have stood thirtystories high. In all, the futuristic design looked noticeably out of place within the otherwise ancient, medieval looking city. A blinding light glowed from the oval causing Cody to squint his eyes.
“Never seen anything like it before, have you?” whispered Dace. It was not a question, but a fact.
Cody kept his eyes fixed on the marvelous metropolis. “What is this place?” Lights shone from within the city as it began to wake for the day. Dace held his hand out. “Believe it or not, I have no doubt that at some point in your life you’ve actually heard about this great city before. It’s the most famous city in the world, surface or not. . . .” The comment startled Cody.
“No way. I have never heard of anything as amazing or beautiful as this before. What do you mean?”
“Oh, don’t be so sure of yourself. It is commonly known in Upper-Earth, or at least speculated about. To you surface-dwellers it is simply known as the Lost City. However, for us underlings, we know it by another name. It is the illustrious capital city of Under-Earth . . . the majestic city of Atlantis.”
The Rumblings of War
Atlantis. The fabled city. Lost since the beginning of time—now found. The sight was surreal to Cody. Humankind had scoured every inch of the globe in search of this legendary metropolis, and as Cody’s caravan inched closer and closer to the colossal city he realized they would continue to search forever in vain. Atlantis was not a city of the earth, it was one within it. Now Cody found himself thousands of miles underground approaching the greatest archeological discovery in history.
He desperately longed to share the excitement with Jade, but he wasn’t going to give her the satisfaction of watching him crawl back apologetically like a meek child. The moment she decided to come apologize to him for mistreating him in front of the guards, he would be happy to resume the friendship. Until then, he was on his own.
The closer to the city the convoy reached, the more Cody began to appreciate the immensity of it. However, he also had the foreboding sentiment that the scarlet ‘A’ on the cover of the Book and Atlantis were somehow linked. Did the Book belong to them? Was it written by them or about them? Should he return it? Or keep it hidden? These questions remained undecided, but Cody knew he was running out of time.
Cody looked up at the immense stone door
s and then down at the moat which now separated them from the city. From a distance the moat had seemed flush with the ground, but now that Cody stood directly in front of it he could see that the water was actually at the bottom of a twenty-foot crevasse. Cody imagined that any attempts to siege the city would be ill advised and disastrous for the attackers. The city was an impenetrable fortress.
Dace trotted ahead and stopped at the foot of the moat. Suddenly the heavy doors began slowly creaking open. Dace reared his horse and brought it alongside Cody. “When we get inside,” Dace commanded, “I want you to follow close. Don’t stop moving for any reason. Understood?” Cody nodded in affirmation. He didn’t need to be told twice; not after the fiasco in Area 51.
There was a loud thud as the city doors were opened fully. The sound that followed was a cranking noise of something sliding over a pulley or some such contraption. Cody watched in amazement as a large wooden plank began emerging through the doors. It was a retractable bridge that slammed into place. Dace whistled loudly and the caravan began filing over and into the city.
Walking through the gate Cody felt like he was passing through a time machine into some forgotten ancient era. All the accounts Cody had ever heard of the fabled city told of its far superior advancement. They spoke of how it had evolved into a higher form of species than any on earth. And yet, as Cody stepped through the gate, he saw a dusty, oldfashioned city. The houses were constructed of stone and latched with straw roofs and the streets were comprised of primeval cobblestone. Along the walls torches were mounted, wielding flame. The most advanced city in history doesn’t even have electricity?! The thought stunned him.
The houses and buildings seemed run down and poorly kept. Cody felt a tug on his pant legs and turned to see an elderly man sitting against the wall. He shoved a tin can in Cody’s hands. “Spare some coins for a poor man? Spare some coins?” Cody’s mouth went dry.
Wolfrick knocked the can back to the man. “Leave the boy alone, Gelph. He ain’t from these parts.” The old beggar grinned, revealing several lost teeth. “Wolfrick, you know me. It matters not where the boy’s from, just as long as they have coins there!” Wolfrick laughed and placed a copper coin in the man’s can. “Now scram! And if I find out you’ve spent my coin on booze I’ll have your head hanging on the wall of Yanci’s pub!” The beggar scampered off.
Wolfrick leaned down to Cody. “Atlantis is divided into three tiers; this here is the Outer-City. It’s Dace’s domain to oversee. It’s full of dust, beggars and thieves. But, I’ll tell ya, here are some of the greatest people in all of Atlantis. Just people who need to catch a break.”
As they passed through more of the Outer-City, Cody couldn’t help but have increasing respect for Dace. He seemed to know all of the residents on a first-name basis, and despite his government position, treated each of them kindly and with dignity. It was clear that Dace did not receive the obvious admiration of the residents by chance. It was also clear that his mousey features were not an oddity in Under-Earth. All the citizens they passed were equally short in stature and rodent-looking.
Suddenly, a loud gong rang over the city. Instantly each of the guards dismounted their horses and knelt down on one knee. The citizens of the Outer-City joined in the action, all facing toward the massive oval structure towering above all the other buildings. Cody felt like a giant soaring above the mob of kneeling people so he hesitantly bent down onto his knee. All at once the people raised their voices to chant in unison, “Hail, the Orb of holy light, humbled we by its eternal might. Hail the Orb, let it shine forever bright.” The chant repeated seven times before the crowd uttered, “Amen” in unison.
The guards stood and remounted their horses and the citizens resumed their business as though nothing had happened. Raising an eyebrow, Cody looked to the burly mustached guard, Sheets, for some kind of explanation. The guard grinned. “You will quickly come to understand that Atlantis has its own share of rules and customs. All in good time my boy. No worries; even the AREA won’t put an ignorant Surface-Dweller behind bars until you’ve had the customs fully explained.”
“The AREA?” questioned Cody.
Sheets grunted and leaned in close to Cody. “I keep forgetting you Surface-Dwellers are a little slower than us Underlings. The AREA is a powerful lot down here. It stands for the Atlantis Rule Enforcement Association. They ensure that the religious rituals are performed up to snuff; as well as stick their pointy noses into everyone else’s business. A bunch of pompous pigs, if you ask me, which, of course, you didn’t. Superficial rules and codes are more useless than a legless horse at the racetrack out here in the Outer-City where folks are scraping just to get by.”
“Then why do people follow them still?” asked Cody.
Sheets gave a sarcastic laugh. “Because all are created equal, and then live according to class systems. You will soon see that not all folks in Atlantis are like us Outer-City misfits. Trust me; the General was doing Dace no kind favors by expelling him and our troop out here. Ol’ Dace has never been a soul constrained to his commands or orders; he lives by his own strict code of principles. Admirable, but not a great recipe for promotion! However, in the Inner-City the AREA is supreme. Not to mention that the price for disobedience is a good flogging or a date with the gallows. A monopoly on the death business has a curious way of enticing people to obey.” Cody looked to the dusty faces of the citizens with tattered clothes scurrying by in the shadows. This is the mystifying, great city of Atlantis?
The caravan stopped as it reached another gateway that was closed with a solid iron cage door. Dace nodded to the two guards peering down from the overhanging lookout towers. The gate slowly elevated. As Cody followed the troops away from the Outer-City, he saw a wooden sign on the wall: Mid-City.
The contrasts between the Outer-City and the Mid-City were significant. Whereas the Outer-City was dirty and rundown, the Mid-City was clean and well maintained. The streets were crammed with people going to and fro. Actually, Cody suddenly realized that most of the residents were heading in a unified direction—they were following directly behind them. The dissatisfied looks on their faces made Cody uneasy.
Sheets leaned toward Cody again. “Here in the Mid-City are the working folk. It is here where the gears of the city turn. They’re a hard-working lot, but not the most pleasant of people as you’ll find here in Atlantis. They’re in constant tension with the AREA. Claim they have too much work to worry about such strict, fluffy religious practices. Industry is the divine being in this part of the city.”
Every glance back over his shoulder revealed to Cody that the assembly of followers had increased. There were now almost thirty men and women behind them. He noticed that all of Dace’s troops had casually brought their hands to rest against the hilts of their swords. Cody glanced behind him again. One of the followers was carrying a sign above his head. The words on the placard read: THE TIME FOR WAR IS NOW!
“If we don’t strike first, they will!” yelled the man with the sign. His cohorts echoed his cry. A woman with frizzy hair tossed up her hands, shouting, “It’s time for the king to stop hiding in his castle and face reality!” More cheering. A large man in the crowd called out, “Let the people vote! As for me, I vote war!” The man received a loud burst of applause for his statement, and slowly the loud chant, “We vote war” was picked up by the mob. “We vote war! We vote war! We vote war!”
Hex and several of the other guards starting yelling back at the mob. Cody heard the sound of swords being pulled from their scabbards. Wolfrick appeared by Cody’s side wielding his giant axe, “Not everyone is seeing eye to eye in Atlantis these days; things are a bit . . . unstable.” As the yelling behind him continued to escalate Cody inched closer to the bulky guard. “What do they mean, they vote war? War with whom?”
Wolfrick shook his head. “Don’t mind them. As long as our good king remains on the throne, you need not waste your time worrying about war. Besides, we’re almost at the Inner-City.” They soo
n reached another gate similar to the one between the Outer and Mid-City divisions. However, Cody noticed that this gate was blockaded with several armed guards and that two fortified towers flanked each side. Cody could see the tips of arrows aiming down at his company from within the small, slit-windows of the turrets.
The gate opened and they filed through a door that was just wide enough for two men to pass simultaneously. Cody guessed this was yet another defensive mechanism. The moment Cody passed through the archway his jaw dropped. The towering futuristic, circular structure that appeared to be visible from any part of the city was even more magnificent up close. The structure was gigantic. The base was constructed in a massive hourglass shape. Even so, the foundation looked minuscule compared to the structure itself. The immense oval’s smooth metallic surface glimmered in the light. Actually, Cody realized that it was producing the light. Bright beams of illumination were being broadcast across the city and beyond. What’s inside there?
Cody was still lost in thought as the company reached the long stone staircase ascending to the grand domeshaped building he had seen from the sand dune. He noticed that a crowd of people had gathered to witness the commotion. The residents were clean and dressed in long tunic-like garments made of fine fabric. Compared to the citizens in the Outer-City, they looked like royalty. Cody’s eyes halted; at the edge of the crowd was a girl. She had flowing blonde hair and ruby red lips. She stood out in the crowd like an angel among a pack of ogres. Her eyes were staring directly at him. He felt his skin heat up and his palms become clammy. Blushing, he dropped his gaze to the ground to break the stare. When he glanced back up, the girl was gone.
Legend of the Book Keeper Page 13
