by Gloria Mur
A few yards away, a wounded Tina fell to the ground.
- "Tina! Tina!” Cried out Doro, throwing himself at the servant-girl. Yala managed to grab him by the leg and forcibly dragged him back to the shelter.
- "Mama! Tina's there!"
- "I know, my boy," whispered Yala, pressing him to her chest, "but if we help her, the sorcerers will find us."
The Prince nuzzled his nose to her and sobbed.
- "We must leave," proclaimed Guria. "Within a few minutes, the flügs will fly away. They'll run out of ammo and fuel. But I don't hear another cohort coming."
- "What does that mean?" Asked Greta.
- "That means that Gorr is playing some kind of game. Perhaps the main army is going to the shore to bomb the ark. Or something has stopped the remaining cohorts from taking off. Look, they're flying away," answered Guria.
The thin, trembling old man with bloodied hands, squeezing a dead cobra in no way resembled the powerful Keeper of the Relic. He squeezed out drops of blood, covered the Stone with them, carried it through the flames of a lamp and watched the viscous liquid boil and steam away. He did this again and again, cutting the snake with the silver-handled knife, repeating the ancient spell. Nothing happened. The Stone dimmed. The magic had no effect. The pale, dying old man had been unable to resurrect the Protector. Shonith La shouted at the ceiling in desperation:
- "Curse thee, Rigden Djapo! You are a God of sorcerers. You only help them! You allow them to do anything they wish! You gave Lemuria only one magical spell, and it turns out that it's no more than some old children's limerick. It doesn't work! Doesn't work! Lemuria has died! The City of the Sun is no more! You have tricked us! Take your damned Chintamani!" He threw the Stone away, and fell to the floor in helpless despair, sobbing. His tears fell on the Stone. And suddenly a miracle happened. The gray, lifeless metal began to shine. But instead of blue light, violet-pink rays blinded the poor old man. The flustered Shonith La sat in silence for several seconds, look at the light of the Stone and suddenly whispered:
- "Water! Water! I forgot the water..."
Everyone that had survived the terrible bombing was transferred to the palace square. Tina was among them, bloodied, but still alive. Also there were three servants with heavy burns and two members of the Council. Shonith La had disappeared without a trace. Guria, who was sure that the sorcerers wouldn't touch the flüg they'd stolen from Groix had been right. The black ball was covered in soot, but remained unharmed. The wounded were taken in the ship. Yuma looked around. Olmolungring had disappeared. Where there had been a blooming garden, there was only char, where there had been statues and fountains, there were now ruins. And the air was filled with the smell of burning meat, that brought nausea all the way up their throats. Only the upper part of the palace remained- the Sanctuary. The flügs hadn't managed to reach it. Looking through the smoke into the window, Yuma noticed a blue glow. The chintamani? But it couldn't be, if it had been, Lemuria would have been protected. That meant that Shonith La had died before he was able to restore the Protector's power. Yuma sighed and shot Guria a hostile look. "This is her fault! If she hadn't stolen the Stone..."
When Aleur and Tamil finally reached Lemuria, a terrible picture met their eyes. There were no streets, no gardens and no squares, just ruins, among which ambled a few sheep, blackened from soot, bleating pathetically.
For several minutes, the friends couldn't get even one word out. They stood and looked at what remained of their beloved City of the Sun.
- "Aleur! I don't see bodies. They were able to get out," and just then rebutting his words came a groan from behind a rock. The friends rushed to clear the rubble and found a royal servant there.
- "Lourin! Lourin! Wake up! Where are all the people! Have you seen the Queen?"
- "Stop, Aleur. He's lost consciousness."
- "Taa-miil," whispered Lourin, "your Greta..."
- "Greta? What happened to her? Where is she? Lourin, speak, I beg you! What happened to Greta?" Tamil raised Lourin's head, and crouched down so he could hear the whisper.
- "Greta... and Queen Yuma, the Prince, Queen Yala... and the Black Princess... some more servants... they ran into the palace when the sorcerers flew up... They did not manage to fly away... The others are on the ark... Leave... They are no more... The damned sorcerers burned everything down," coughed Lourin, trailing off into nothing.
- "Yuma!" Exclaimed Aleur. He tightened his fist so much that his fingers cracked. "Yuma! Yuma..." he said, repeating the name of his beloved like a madman, looking straight forward.
- "Aleur!”
Tamil's voice came out, surprisingly quiet.
- "Let's go, Aleur! We'll find them. I know that my Greta is near. Let's go. I won't leave until I find her. Alive... or... we'll find them," said Tamil, pale and quiet, raising his vimana up.
And the friends flew above the ruins of the City of the Sun in the direction of the place where the pink palace of Lemuria had been standing just a few hours ago.
Guria landed the flüg on the deck of the ark. There wasn't a soul around, neither in the ship or next to it. Well, in any case, the ship was in tact. That meant that Guria's suggestion that Gorr had flown to bomb the ark had not come true.
Yuma got out of the flüg, and the ship came to life as if by magic.
- "The Queen! The Queen is here!" Was heard from all sides. People began to come out from the decks, and circled around Yuma and her companions, looking with hope and anxiety at the matriarch.
Yuma deigned to help the wounded. When they had been taken down, the Queen scanned over her subjects. Men, women, children and the elderly... They had all become her family, dear people, united by the tragedy. She took some air into her lungs and said:
- "Friends... Lemuria is no more... The City of the Sun has been destroyed. People died... Shonith La died... The sorcerers have burnt everything down... we have no where to return to... We must be courageous... We must leave. We will find another island."
Moans and sobs rang out from the crowd. Women sobbed upon noticing that their husbands were missing, and children wept when they saw their mothers crying.
- "We haven't time to cry!" Suddenly called out the ringing voice of the Black Princess. "We must leave! The sorcerers will return!"
- "The Black Sorceress!" Came voices from all around. People gathered in a circle around Guria. She felt uncomfortable being surrounded by the tall Lemurians. "She's a sorceress spy!"
- "Leave her!" Ordered Yuma. She parted the crowd and stood next to Guria. "This sorceress is my sister. She helped Yala and I escape from Groix. She saved our lives. She can be trusted. - "She stole the Stone and it's all because of her that the war started.” “She stole Aleur from me," added a voice inside her. But Yuma said: "We must be magnanimous. We must forgive all sins committed against us. Our ark will only move if our souls are clean. Please! I implore you! I know that it must be very hard to think about good things right now. But we must. Otherwise we will remain on this shore for Gorr's amusement. Let every one of you remember the good that you've had in your lives, and thank God for it!"
The Lemurians hung their heads and sauntered into their cabins. There, every bed had its own "captain's bridge," a wooden stand with a blue triangular crystal. Every person from the City of the Sun, be it a three year old boy or a gray-haired man directed their pure energy to move the machine. The little "bridges," were all connected with the main, royal one with a very thin, almost invisible thread.
- "Why is our bridge different than the others?" Yuma asked Doro in a whisper. "Is it a matter of royal regalia?"
- "We are stronger," explained Doro simply. "Because we are of royal blood. Long ago, the Lemurians chose their rulers from the very best citizens, those with the strongest souls. We are their descendants. And it is thus that our crystals are larger. The ship won't move without us.”
Yuma glanced at the crystal. Concentrate on the good... Before her eyes swam pictures- a mountain river, her friend's
mermaid eyes, her bellowing laughter, the embarrassed smile on the boy's face who was sitting opposite her in the boat...- how far away these thoughts seemed now... - after that she seemed to see in the triangle a small bear cub in a silver box... and finally, she clearly saw the face of her beloved. Aleur's face...
All the other royals were looking into their own crystals. Yala, her advisers, Doro and the servants were all calling to mind their best memories, and willing the thoughts of war, destruction and death to disappear.
For several minutes, nothing happened. Yuma thought that there wasn't enough energy to tear the ark from its sandy captivity. But at that very second, the ship trembled, and slowly, light as a feather took off across the sand, then on the perfectly calm water crept away from the shore.
- "Rest!" Commanded one of the Advisers.
- "Rest?" Asked Yuma, not understanding.
- "Those few minutes were enough to charge the laradas. We'll be able to fly until the end of the day.
- "Laradas?" Yuma asked Doro.
- "These boxes... They hold energy. I'm sure it'd be better to ask Aleu..." Doro stopped himself and answered with his eyes.
- "Aleur. He wanted to save me. He and Tamil. They never came back from Groix. They are no more," pronounced Yuma with difficulty believing in what she was saying.
- "Tamil is alive," called out Greta, standing not far away.
Yuma approached her and embraced her around the shoulders.
- "Tamil is alive," repeated Greta. - "I just heard him. Here," she touched her head.
Yala and Doro looked at her, worried.
- "Sweetie, you're tired, you need to rest," Yala stroked Greta's shoulder, "in your condition..."
- "She hasn't lost her mind," interrupted Guria. "Her husband lives. He and Aleur. They are in the ruins, searching for your bodies." Said Guria, taking her crystal ball from her pocket.
- "We must return for them!" Exclaimed Greta, whose cheeks turned red upon seeing her husband.
- “We can't leave anyone, Greta," said Yuma, wishing to be next to Aleur more than anything in the world.
- "The ship is charged until the end of the day. We have a flüg. We'll make it! We'll get them and come back to the ship before..."
- "We don't have enough fuel," interrupted Guria. "We will die under the sorcerers' fire."
- "Then I will fly alone," came Greta, biting her lip. "I'll save Tamil or die with him."
Guria eyed her, looked at her, and fell silent.
- "Remember yourself, girl!" Said Yala, taking Greta by the arm, "you're about to have a baby."
- "If we must die, then we will cross into the other world all together- me, Tamil and our boy," answered Greta.
- "But you don't know how to drive a flüg!" Exclaimed Doro.
- "Is that your love, mother? That which is stronger than all else?" Guria asked her mother. Tears welled up in Yala's eyes. "I'll drive the flüg," offered Guria. "My presence on the ark is not necessary.
- “Don't believe her, Greta!" Said Doro, "she wants to return to the sorcerers!"
- "I will fly with them," said Yuma, and putting a stop to Yala's objections added, "I must, mom," calling Yala “mom” for the first time. "You and Doro can care for the people."
- "He betrayed you, Yuma!" Cried Doro, tears streaming down his face. Guria shuddered.
- "Everyone makes mistakes, Doro! Now is not the time for revenge. If we do not return, you will rule Lemuria.
They said their goodbyes. A minute later, the flying ball took off.
Chapter 27 In the Ruins of Lemuria.
Aleur and Tamil, tired by their searching, covered with soot, and scratched by the stones, were sitting on a column that once held up the roof of the palace.
More than two hours had gone by.
- "The sorcerers will return soon, Aleur."
- "Tamil, don't fool yourself. There's nothing for them here. They flew to the shore," answered Aleur.
- "The ark must have gone out to sea long ago. They won't be able to catch it," expressed Tamil. "They will come to burgle the ruins."
- "What will we do?" Asked Aleur, then fell silent.
- "We need to get to our people... I've got an idea. Do you see, the Sanctuary of the Stone has survived?" Asked Tamil, pointing at the small tower at the top. "Could be the crystal ball also survived."
- "Grino's engagement present?" Exclaimed Aleur in joy. - "If the crystal ball has survived... We can know where the ark is going! And catch it on our vimanas! Let's go right away!" What is that? Did you hear that?"
- "I hear it. It's Gorr.”
Aleur took his friend by the armpits and dragged him to a shelter. They hid behind a piece of stone wall. Aleur broke his vimana and aimed it at the approaching flüg.
The flüg had almost landed when a sheaf of bright light flew out of the vimana. Sparks flew and smoke poured out. The flüg shook, lost its balance and plopped down to the earth.
Aleur aimed at the doors. "The pilots will come out any second now. Tamil won't go down so easy...” The hatch snapped, flew back, and together with lots of smoke, emerged... Yuma.
- "Yuma!" Exclaimed Aleur, throwing himself at her.
Behind her appeared Guria and Greta. They were coughing and waving their arms.
- "Yuma!" Having seen Guria, Aleur stopped.
- “Tamil!" shrieked Greta, throwing herself at her husband.
- "Greta! Greta! You're alive!" Tears flowed down Tamil's soot-stained face. "What are you doing here? You aren't allowed to be here!" Confusing his words, he embraced her, kissed her face, and arms...
- "Something happened to the flüg," said Guria, coming to herself, "we've lost control. We must repair it immediately if we want to catch the ark.
- “We knocked it out," explained Tamil. "We mistook you for Gorr's army."
- "Weapons?!" Came Guria, in shock. "Lemurians with weapons?!"
- "Yes," answered Aleur, proudly raising his head, "we can go to war as well!"
- "You allowed the city to be bombed to ashes, and had weapons all along? Why?!”
- “Oh, God!" Suddenly Greta fell to the ground. Everyone turned to her. She clutched at her stomach. "It seems..."
Guria rolled her eyes. "You can't be serious!"
- "Maybe it will pass?" Asked Yuma.
- "No," said Greta, looking at her legs, down which water was beginning to flow, "it will not pass. My boy is begging to come out..."
Tamil embraced his wife.
- "All the same, we need to try and take off," frowned Guria. "If that eager beaver is really trying so hard to get out, let him be born in the sky..."
- "Guria is right," said Yuma. "Greta, let's get in the flüg."
They set Greta down on a couch covered with animal skins. Guria closed the hatch.
- "Take off!" The flying machine grumbled, gave off a piercing clang, and went silent. The motor stalled.
Guria opened the door. Everyone went out. The flüg had been hit by the vimana ray right next to the instrument responsible for height control.
- "Aleur! Maybe you can fix it..." asked Yuma in horror, looking at the smoking flüg. Together with the smoke, their hope of being saved disappeared.
- "I'll try," said Aleur, climbing inside.
- “Tamil!" Shrieked Greta, "Tamil, I'm afraid! We're gonna die..."
- "No, Greta! Think about the little one," said the husband, comforting her.
- "Agghhh!" Came Greta, huddled in pain.
- "Lord! Does anyone know how to deliver a baby?"
- "It's easy," said Guria. "I've seen lambs delivered. Tamil, give me your shirt."
The Black Princess took a small knife from her pocket.
- “Tamil!" Sit next to Greta, take her by the hand. "Yuma! Don't make a fuss!"
Yuma looked angrily at Guria, but said nothing.
- "I forgot the water... Blood, fire and water!"
The Keeper squinted from the unbearable light. A shining star emerged around the Chinta
mani. The Stone became even brighter, the rays became wider and wider. The air began to vibrate. There came a dull roar...
The bright light ripped through the walls and began to ripple over everything in waves. Soon it had covered the whole island, crossed the channel and reached the castle walls of Groix. A flüg,that had been flying toward Lemuria tipped and fell into the water. One after the other, Gorr's soldiers fell, struck by the deadly rays of the Chintamani.
- "This is the end of the sorcerers," smiled the Keeper, barely able to speak. Those were his last words. The cobra's poison reached its target.
Chapter 29. There Is No Death
Greta had a son. The baby, wrapped in his father's shirt was quietly suckling. And everyone who was there for his birth looked on in silence. Greta was exhausted, but happy. Tamil was bursting with pride, and Aleur, Yuma and Guria were surprisingly confused. They had been witness to the birth of man on earth. War, fear and death retreated. The miracle of birth was stronger.
- "We'll call him Shonith. In honor of the Keeper. He will become a hero of the Lemurians," said Tamil.
- "For that to happen, we'd want to go back to the ark," exclaimed Yuma. "Aleur, how's the machine?"
- "I'm trying..." answered Aleur, disappearing once again in the belly of the ball.
- "What was that sound?" Asked Greta. "Do you hear it? Something is buzzing..."
Tamil and Guria looked around.
- "I don't see any sorcerers," said Guria. "It's as if the sound is coming from under ground..."
