Atlantis - Return of the Nation

Atlantis - Return of the Nation Page 28

by Steven Cook

  M’Varak opened his eyes then crawled slowly to the front of the boat. He held tightly to the gunwales on either side as Wallace reversed the boat slowly in to deeper water.

  ‘Take us to the dam,’ ordered Fisher.

  Wallace turned the control yoke and pushed the throttle forward. The Guardian accelerated, taking a northwest heading. Eventually M’Varak dared to open his eyes and looked forward. The boat became more stable as it picked up speed and soon the Minoan was enjoying the sensation of the wind rushing through his fur. He was soon making a wide bovine grin.

  ‘How will we get past the dam?’ asked Saraph.

  ‘We have two options,’ shouted Fisher over the roar of the wind and the engines, ‘over or through it!’

  ‘How do you mean over it?’ asked Coran.

  ‘What is the dam like?’ Fisher replied.

  ‘It is a low structure, less than a man height above the lake surface. It is a strong design, well shored on both sides with gentle slopes down to the river and the lake. The top is wide enough for two carts to pass each other side-by-side. There are guard posts at each end.’ Coran gave a brief description.

  Fisher turned to Wallace.

  ‘What do you think?’

  ‘I’d need to have a look but based on that description I reckon we can skid over.’ He grinned in anticipation of the possible stunt.

  ‘Slow down and take your look,’ said Eraz. He raised his hand and pointed into the distance.

  Wallace pulled back the throttle, causing M’Varak to let out a moan of disappointment. He took the pair of binoculars Fisher held out to him and focussed on the low dam half a mile away.

  He was pleased to note that Coran’s description was accurate. The early morning sun was sparkling on the surface of the lake and also on the banks of the dam. He lowered the binoculars and turned to Coran.

  ‘What’s the dam made of?’

  ‘It is marble like every other construction. We like our buildings to be beautiful.’ Coran replied.

  ‘That’ll make it easier, less friction,’ said Wallace to himself.

  He turned to Fisher.

  ‘Lieutenant, I’m going to need you and somebody else to lift the engines at the right moment. The mechanism is too slow for what we plan.’

  Fisher called for Danny and together they moved to the rear of the boat. Wallace instructed everybody else to move as far back as possible and to hold tight.

  ‘Everybody ready?’ Without waiting for an answer he pushed the throttle to the stops.

  The Guardian surged forward, its bow raised out of the water as the powerful engines dug into the water. Wallace set a course directly at the centre of the dam.

  As the boat sped towards the low structure Wallace could see activity as several guards ran along the roadway along its top to stand at even intervals. As the boat roared closer he could almost see the panic as they turned their heads to look for an escape route.

  The Guardian arrowed directly at a gap between two of the guards at a speed approaching fifty miles an hour.

  ‘Hold tight,’ shouted Wallace, ‘now!’

  He pulled back on the throttle, using the speed they had gathered and wanting to protect the engines.

  At the back of the boat Fisher and Danny heaved at the engines, pulling the props out of the water. The bow slid up onto the marble on a tide of water. The momentum carried the boat up, over and down the other side, into the river beyond.

  As soon as water was beneath the hull the props were dropped back into the water. Wallace pushed forward on the throttle and with barely a pause the guardian continued up river, leaving the pair of guards looking in astonishment at each other and the trail of water between them.

  ‘How do we explain that,’ asked one of the other.

  *

  North of Atlantis 25th May

  Carl and Craig were roughly dragged into wakefulness straight to their feet. They were held by their arms until they had gathered their senses enough to support themselves.

  Craig slowly looked around. The butchered bodies of the warriors lay where they had fallen. The variety and severity of the wounds turned his stomach and he turned to look away from the camp.

  The two seamen’s arms and legs had been released in preference to a leash secured around their necks. A Minoan gave them a chunk of bread and a water skin to share. It then took their leash and dragged them through the camp.

  They stumbled after the Minoan until they were brought before Minotaur. Another Minoan came up dragging Hildar and Darath. They also had ropes around their throats to keep them in line.

  ‘Listen to me,’ said Minotaur. He paused to get their full attention. ‘We are going to be moving fast and I do not want you to slow us down. If you resist you will be beaten. Resist again and you will be mutilated.’

  He looked at each of them in turn, waiting for their heads to drop in resignation.

  ‘Remove everything but your footwear and small clothes.’

  The Minoan guard slipped the leashes from their necks and started tugging at their clothes. They looked at him before reluctantly discarding their clothes and armour into a pile. Craig tried to retain his football shirt but had to relinquish it when the guard drew a long knife and threatened to cut it from him.

  Finally they stood in boots and underwear. Their leashes were once again tied around their necks.

  Minotaur laughed at them then signalled to the Minoans.

  ‘Move out.’

  They fell into line two abreast and began marching. The humans struggled to keep up. They were forced to jog to keep pace with the long strides of their captors.

  Before the final Minoan had left the camp the carrion birds started to descend from the sky.

  *

  Chapter Fifteen - The Wilderness

  North River 25th May

  Fisher, Coran and Saraph were standing in discussion with Wallace on the aft deck of the guardian. Danny was carefully navigating the boat, keeping to the centre of the relatively deep channel. The rest of the crew were sat in the prow of the boat.

  ‘The Temple of Zeus is in this range of mountains. The approach is through this canyon.’ Coran traced his finger over the high-resolution aerial photograph Wallace had brought with him.

  It had taken only a few moments for the two Atlantian warriors to grasp the concept of the images they were viewing, although the quality of the picture and the smooth surface of the paper were still a wonder to them.

  ‘The closest we will be able to navigate to on the river is this point here.’ He continued, tapping a point on the photograph. ‘Then it is simple to follow this tributary to the canyon.’

  They studied the area of the image between the river valley and the outcrops of rock surrounding the canyon.

  ‘Who lives in this settlement?’ asked Fisher, pointing to a small hamlet at the mouth of the canyon.

  ‘That should be the village that supports the needs of the priests. I have not been there but I understand they will be able to guide us to the temple.’ Saraph replied, checking with Coran that he was correct.

  ‘So based on this it should take a day to get as far up the river as possible.’ Fisher traced the loop of the river. ‘Then a days walk to the village and maybe half a day into the canyon to the Temple.’ He looked at the others.

  They agreed with his estimate.

  ‘OK. Wallace, take over from Danny. Let’s get a move on.’

  Wallace turned and moved towards the console. Motion from the distance caught his eye.

  ‘Lieutenant, over there.’ He pointed in the direction of the commotion.

  A short distance away a mass of birds could be seen circling upwards from some unseen event. The speed of the bird’s flight gave the impression that they were fleeing something.

  Fi
sher triggered his radio.

  ‘Hometown, this is Angler. Can you have a look at an area half a mile east of our current location? Over.’

  Fisher listened to the reply on his radio then waved at Wallace.

  ‘Take us in to shore.’ His voice was full of concern.

  The rest of the crew looked up; even M’Varak from his position at the prow of the boat gave up his position as a living figurehead to watch.

  ‘There is sign of a battle about half a mile east of the river in a small clearing. It needs checking out.’ Fisher announced.

  Coran started gathering his equipment, closely followed by Sophia. Danny took a look at Dingo and saw that he was still not in a position to leave the boat. He started to pick up his own gear.

  Dingo joined Danny and gave him a pep talk.

  ‘Let Coran and Sophia lead the way. They are experienced fighters and Coran is an excellent scout. Remember to take it slowly and relax if you need to use your weapon. If you can get by without using it do, but if you do need it use the burst option. That’ll give you a better chance of hitting.’

  Danny nodded.

  ‘Keep the safety on until you’re certain you need to shoot.’

  ‘Got it,’ Danny took a deep breath to calm his nerves.

  ‘You’ll be fine. Coran and Sophia will take care of you.’ Dingo tugged on Danny’s harness to make sure it was secure, and then slapped him on the shoulder.

  ‘Keep in touch.’ Danny raised his fingers to the throat microphone strapped around his neck.

  As soon as the boat touched the shore the three dropped over the gunwale onto the bank.

  ‘If you’re not back in two hours we’ll pull off and come back in a further four hours. Just take a look. Don’t get into a fight.’ Fisher issued final instructions.

  Danny waved a salute as he followed the two warriors into the woods. Coran and Sophia were now dressed in mottled tunics instead of their plain white uniforms. They had selected small bucklers instead of the large infantry shields, but retained their swords, javelins and helmets. The shield and helmet were dulled instead of pristine parade ground equipment to cut down on reflections.

  Danny followed in his dark overalls covered in the enhanced Rangers utility armour. In addition to the M4 Carbine he had picked up a couple of grenades and had strapped a holster holding a 10mm Sig Automatic to his waist.

  The three moved cautiously through the trees in a loose formation. Coran leading the way, his eyes and ears alert for any disturbances. The bright morning sunlight filtered through the trees, creating mottled patches of light and shadow, perfect camouflage for the three to pass through.

  As they approached the column of birds they slowed their pace. The trees were starting to thin out. Coran gathered them in a small huddle and whispered final instructions.

  ‘Danny, I want you to move to the west of the clearing and give me cover. Sophia, you go with him to protect him. I will go in and investigate. Like Fisher said this is a scouting mission, not a fight. We pull out if there are any problems.’

  Danny keyed the throat microphone.

  ‘Fisher, this is Danny. We’re at the edge of the clearing. Sophia and I are deploying to cover Coran, over.’ He whispered.

  ‘Danny, this is Fisher. Keep me informed, over.’

  Sophia nodded to Coran and moved away in a low crouch. Danny followed, carefully placing his feet to minimise noise. Coran gave them a few minutes to get into position then started moving slowly towards the clearing.

  Just short of the edge he paused to examine the area once more. The remains of a camp could be seen. Several of the carrion birds had returned to the floor and were now feasting on the bodies of the slain warriors.

  Coran looked to the west and eventually picked out the location where Sophia and Danny had hidden themselves. Satisfied that they were well hidden he took a deep breath and edged out from the tree line to walk into the camp, his javelin held ready in his hands.

  He knelt carefully by the remains of one of the fires and felt the heat still in the ashes whilst still scanning the area. He stood and moved over to the body of one of the warriors. A crow cawed at him before taking a couple of half hearted hops away to another body.

  Coran lifted the shoulder piece of the warrior’s armour and noted the Crossed Swords Insignia of the Sixth Border Phalanx, Hildar’s detachment. Standing erect he took a quick count of the bodies. It was almost the full complement.

  Moving quickly he started looking through the bodies. He recognised most of the faces, having been undercover in the unit. The thought saddened him. It didn’t take him long to realise that the detachments commander was not with the bodies. Neither were those of the two sailors.

  Coran was about to call Danny and Sophia out of cover when a flash of motion in his peripheral vision caused him to spin around. He twisted around desperately to bring the javelin to bear. A tawny shape sped towards him from the trees.

  From the safety of the trees Danny watched as Coran attempted to brace his weapon. The creature moved amazingly fast and reached him before the javelin was halfway around. It reared up, slapped the javelin away and pushed Coran onto his back, and then followed the move and slammed its front paws on his chest.

  Winded, Coran looked up at the snarling face of the creature and realised he was doomed. As his javelin was out of reach he knew it was capable of slaying him even if he could get his hand onto his sword and free it.

  Danny and Sophia watched helpless from the trees. The creature pinning Coran to the ground was massive. Its body was that of a lion, with its shoulder standing four feet from the ground. A pair of wings sprouted from the shoulders, with an impressive twenty-foot span.

  What shocked Danny most was the almost human face looking down from the shoulders. He was about to raise his carbine to take aim when Sophia grabbed his arm. A pair of additional Sphinxes stalked out of the trees with feline grace, their wings folded neatly across their backs.

  One of the new sphinxes cocked its head to one side and regarded Coran. It was decidedly male, with wisps of fur on its chin in place of a beard, and a glorious mane flowing down its shoulders and back.

  ‘What have we here?’ its voice was almost a purr.

  ‘A live human,’ replied the female sphinx pinning Coran to the ground.

  The first Sphinx moved closer, daintily stepping around the bodies of the warriors.

  ‘That will be so much nicer than this carrion.’ It looked in distaste at the bodies strewn around it.

  The third, a younger male, settled to the ground away from the bodies and started grooming itself.

  ‘Have you asked it?’ it asked, almost bored by the event.

  ‘I was about to,’ said the female.

  She flexed her claws, causing them to dig through Coran’s armour and dig into his skin.

  ‘Listen human. If you answer my riddle you may go free.’

  Coran nodded in resignation, realising he had no hope of solving the riddle.

  ‘What goes on four legs in the morning, on two legs at noon, and on three legs in the evening?’ asked the sphinx.

  In the trees Sophia took a better hold on Danny’s arm and attempted to pull him back into the trees.

  ‘You will not want to see this,’ she whispered.

  ‘Why not?’ he replied, ‘surely he knows the answer?’

  Sophia looked at him.

  ‘Nobody has ever known the answer. Come on.’

  Danny resisted the pulling.

  ‘I know the answer.’

  Sophia dropped his arm. She looked at him in confusion.

  Danny reached for his throat mike.

  ‘Fisher, this is Danny. Some sphinxes have captured Coran by the look of them. I’m moving in to free him, over.’ he ignored Fishers negative answer.

  Pulling th
e earphone from his ear Danny stood and moved boldly into the clearing.

  ‘Danny. No!’ Sophia held her position for a moment before following.

  The sphinxes reaction to Danny appearing was stunning. They went from lazy relaxation to alertness in a fraction of a second. Each unfurled their wings and crouched, ready to attack.

  Danny held his hands out to his side, palms facing the creatures. The carbine was slung securely over his shoulder. Sophia followed more cautiously, her hand on the hilt of her sword.

  ‘Hi there,’ he stopped and smiled.

  The large male scanned the tree line behind Danny and Sophia. Satisfied that there were no more surprises it narrowed its gaze on Danny.

  ‘You are foolish human.’

  ‘Not really, I know the answer to your riddle.’

  The sphinx looked like it had been slapped in the face.

  ‘Do you? What is your guess?’

  Danny smiled at the sphinx. The confidence in his manner caused the creature to take a small step backwards.

  ‘It’s no guess. The answer to your riddle is Man. In the morning it crawls on all fours as a baby, walks unaided on two legs as an adult, and relies on a stick in old age.’ He explained.

  The sphinx pinning Coran to the ground removed its paws from his chest and stood back. The stunned warrior lay still, nervously watching the sphinx.

  ‘That is correct. You are the first creature to get the answer.’

  ‘Actually I’m not. Your riddle is well known in the outside world.’ Danny replied.

  The sphinx looked even more shocked.

  Danny thought for a moment.

  ‘How about I ask you a riddle? If you three can’t get the answer you let us go, and you never attack a human again.’

  The three sphinxes quickly exchanged glances.

  ‘Agreed.’ the large male answered for all three. It sat back on its haunches, confident in its riddling capability.

  Coran rolled to his all fours, grabbed his javelin and scrambled to stand beside Danny and Sophia.

  ‘OK.’ Danny thought for a moment.

  ‘This is my riddle. I have many keys and three locks, the keys do not fit any lock but the locks can unlock themselves. What am I?’ He crossed his arms and looked as the faces of the sphinxes frowned in concentration.

 

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