by T. S. Hall
“Any indication that this was perpetrated by a terrorist organization?” the newscaster asked.
“As of right now, no one has taken responsibility for this,” the reporter replied. “An anonymous source within the State Department believes that the sophistication and yield of these explosions were far too great to be a small-time terrorist organization.”
“So then they believe that this was a state-sponsored attack?”
“It’s honestly too early to tell,” the reporter said. “The FBI has flown in a special team of explosive experts, and they will be leading the investigation into these attacks.”
“No, that’s not good enough,” Milly said, her voice echoing from the hallway. “This was not done by humans. This is the work of Titans. Salazar is trying to destabilize Earth.”
“I’d like to take a moment of silence for the victims and their families of this atrocious tragedy,” the newscaster said, putting his head down.
“Fine, fine,” Milly said angrily. “I’m coming to Shangri-La.”
She pressed the off button aggressively on the com bracelet and stomped back into the living room.
“What’s going on, Mom?”
She looked worried as she gave her daughter a hug. The television continued to show images of all of the bombings. Allora’s heart sank as she watched the blood-and-dirt-covered faces of those who tried to get away from the fallen buildings.
“Things have become much more complicated,” she answered, gripping Allora tightly.
“Why would they do this?”
“Because Salazar wants the humans to destroy each other. If this world is thrust into a war and military resources are depleted, Salazar will have a better chance of invading. An already weak and war-weary people will be easier to destroy.”
Milly let go and headed for her room.
“Mom, I’ve got to go with you to Shangri-La,” Allora said apprehensively.
Milly stopped in her tracks and turned.
“Does this have to do with Ben’s memories?” Milly asked.
Allora nodded.
Milly took a pause, thinking about how to respond. She glanced at her sister, who simply raised her eyebrows. “Fine, but you will follow all of my instructions. No taking off in the night or running around without protection. Shangri-La is dangerous, and we don’t know who to trust right now.”
Allora jumped up and hugged her mother.
* * *
A few weeks later, in the middle of December, Allora, Katie, Dax, and Tanner followed Milly to Sas’s cave. Sas led them down behind the crystal-blue waterfall into a chamber lined with thirteen arched doorways. Seeing the similarities to a certain room underneath Crater Lake, Allora glanced happily at the others. Sas sparked one of the doorways, which opened up a portal.
Popping through the portal, Allora exhaled. Her whole body ached from the severe pressure. Katie arrived a few minutes later, sucking in the cold air that greeted them. A sharp, cold freeze stung their exposed skin. Curious by the sudden change in temperature, Allora ventured into a lit cavern opening. The cave curved, and an arctic wind pushed her backward. Rubbing the goose bumps forming on her arms, she kept walking against the blowing wind. The air became even colder, and the light blinded her as she reached the edge of the cave.
“You guys stay here while we scout ahead,” Milly said, disappearing with Sas into the whitewashed, snowy exterior.
Looking out over the edge of the cliff, she tried to see where her mother and Sas had taken off to, but the path was invisible. For a brief second, the snowy-white landscape opened in the distance, revealing the expansiveness of the Himalayas. They glanced around, noticing the numerous other caves that branched off. From one of the dark passageways, a soft growl echoed in the chamber.
“Did you hear that?” Katie asked.
They stood rigid, with ears trained toward the darkness, listening for movement against the constant howl of the wind. The icy air bit into their skin, like razors. The crunch of grinding rock sounded, followed by the distant image of two eyes peering at them from the dark.
“What the hell is that?” Dax asked, moving closer, and placing a foot behind, preparing for an attack.
Allora did the same, forming two hadron bursts within her palms as the two eyes quickly bobbed in the darkness, moving at lightning speed toward them. The creature burst into the light and growled loudly with arms outstretched. It was eight feet tall, white and grey fur, with jagged teeth, dark brown eyes, and sharp claws. They all screamed.
“Abe!” A voice uttered from behind, walking briskly through the dark cavern passageway. Another identical creature peered out from behind the terrifying warlock. “Don’t mind him. He always likes to terrify the newbies.
The other warlock was slightly smaller with beautiful crystal blue eyes.
“Who are you?” Allora asked.
“My name is Yeti, and this big oaf is Abominable.”
“I told you not to call me that! My name is Abe.”
“Well, when you act like Abominable, I’m going to call you Abominable,” Yeti said.
“You can be such a pain in the—”
“I see you’ve met the twins,” Milly said, popping around the corner of the cave opening. Yeti ran over, and squeezed Milly profusely, lifting her into the air. “Nice to see you too Yeti.”
“Milly, oh Milly!” Yeti placed her back down and rubbed her head. “It has been way too long.”
“Hi Yeti,” Sas said, awkwardly standing behind.
“ Sas!” Yeti screamed, launching herself at Sas, and tackling the warlock. They careened off the cliff into the white snowy void.
“Let’s go,” Abe said, rolling his eyes.
“I need you four to follow my instructions while you’re here,” Milly said sternly. “No arguing, no exceptions. Got it?”
They nodded in agreement and then followed her out the opening, along a narrow ledge, and into another cave. Milly proceeded to spark the interior wall, and then walked through the liquid. After following her through, they arrived in a grandiose cavern with huge stone pillars. Lining the walls were elegant lanterns that jutted out from the dark marble rock wall. The air had become much warmer, and a sweet smell of lavender overcame the aroma of dirt, snow, and moist rock.
At the end of the tunnel, a winding staircase of stone brought them into a large marble chamber. Along the wall, intricate carvings of ancient battles protruded from the rock. Spears, swords, and arrows of marble clashed along the wall like a still movie. Allora followed the entire carving until the end, where two large figures stood facing each other, as if they were the only ones left in this epic story. Sas and Yeti came bumbling into the chamber, laughing like two school children.
“That is Kronos and Zeus,” Yeti said, pushing through the group, and putting her arm around Allora. “They were the rulers of Sonora long ago, and this hall is a tribute to their conflict, which almost destroyed both worlds.”
“What happened?” Allora asked.
“Wouldn’t you like to know?” Abe interjected.
“None know the truth,” Yeti replied, sneering at her twin brother. “Most of it is only depicted in fairy tales and myth.”
At the end of the hallway, four guards were posted at a barrier-like entryway. They were clad in metallic black bodysuits. Their helmets were also black with bug-eyed goggles, and multiple weapons were attached to their every limb. Their posture grew tense when they approached.
“That is the elite guard,” Milly said, gently placing a hand in front of Allora and pushing her behind. “They’ve been a little edgy lately, so it’s best you stay out of the way and let me do all of the talking.”
“Stop,” one of the guards said. His voice was muffled and sounded somewhat electronic from being filtered through his lower mask. He stepped forward, brandishing his side arm and pointing it toward their feet. “One at a time, come forward, and place your arm underneath the scanner.”
To the guard’s right was an indent
ed metallic shelf with a round hoop that glowed red in the dark corridor. Abe walked forward, sat down on a short stool, and placed his hairy arm on the shelf. The round, glowing hoop shot back over his arm. A sheet of red light covered his forearm, scanning as it moved forward to Abe’s hand. Once there, five lasers hit his fingers, producing a small hadron ball in his palm. Abe winced slightly. Suddenly, the hoop returned to its original position, and the guard behind the scanner gave the leader a head nod.
“These four are not to be scanned,” Milly said, blocking them.
“Everyone gets scanned,” the guard leader said. The visor on his upper mask came down as he walked forward. “There are no exceptions. We are on high-alert status.”
“I don’t care if Salazar is here,” Sas uttered. “We be guardians of the high council, and you answer to us, got it?”
“I answer to High Commander Yeren, and these are his orders.”
“Well, you’re going to have to make an exception for them,” Milly said.
“Sir, we’ve been given strict orders to scan everyone who comes into Shangri-La.”
“Do you know who I am, soldier?” Milly asked.
“Yes, Commander. My brother served and died under you during the Rebel Wars.”
“What is your name?” Milly asked, searching his face for recognition.
“Lieutenant Mylar, sir.”
“Your brother was a very brave individual,” Milly said, reflecting on a past memory. “I was sorry to hear about what happened to him at the Battle of Omega.” The guard leader remained stoic. “You still remember the chain of command, do you not?”
“Yes, sir,” the guard said, his answers becoming louder and more pronounced.
“And who ranks above you?” Milly asked, walking around the guard leader with her hands behind her back.
“You, sir, but you are not my commanding officer and therefore have no authority here. Now step aside before I have you arrested and thrown in the cells.”
Milly stared down at the young officer. The other guards moved their hands slowly to the hilts of their sidearms and inched forward, preparing to make a move. Milly’s head turned slightly as her knees bent, and her right foot slowly moved along the tile floor, like a predator preparing to defend against the aggressive motions of the guards.
“Stand down!” a booming, authoritative voice came from the corner hallway behind. The guards slowly backed up, while Milly continued to stare down the guard leader, who had his pistol almost out of its holster. “Stand down, Lieutenant.”
“Yes, sir,” Lieutenant Mylar said, shoving the pistol into the side holster and stepping backward with his shoulders pulled back. “May I at least know the reason? I was given strict orders—”
“No, you may not, Lieutenant,” the captain answered. He was now within inches of the young officer’s face. “Do I take orders from you?”
“No, Captain Theus.”
“Then why are you giving me lip service?”
The lieutenant remained silent, trying not to make eye contact with the captain.
“I can see that some things haven’t changed after all these years,” Captain Theus said, catching up to the group. Milly couldn’t help her proud lip as it raised on one side.
“I see that you’re still the arrogant pretty-boy that I once knew,” she quipped, crossing her arms.
“Oh, you think I’m pretty?” Captain Theus said, smiling charmingly. After a few seconds of glaring, they embraced each other and then continued down the long passageway.
“Do you have the security escorts that we discussed?”
“I’ve got two men who I’d trust with everything I have,” Captain Theus responded sternly, placing his hand on Milly’s shoulder. “They’ll be safe with them. I promise you.”
Captain Theus was tall with very broad, muscular shoulders. He looked like he was of oriental descent, with dark hair, and bright-green eyes. His chin was sharp, and he had a long scar down his neck. He was very attractive, and the two girls couldn’t help but stare. Even Milly seemed to have a soft spot for him.
When they got to the end of the long corridor, the cavern opened into an expansive view of an underground city, which made the newcomers drop their mouths in shock and excitement at the grandiose landscape in front of them.
“Welcome to Shangri-La,” Captain Theus said, extending his hand.
Nine
SHANGRI-LA
The elevator was like a large glass bubble. A door closed, and they dropped down through rock and ice. The interior of the transport smelled of metal and mahogany. After a few seconds, the rock angled and opened into a large, expansive cavern. Beautiful waterfalls cascaded from the walls, crashing down into rivers and pools that flowed among the immense city below. Allora pressed her hands up against the glass wall, watching as the transport descended into the underground city.
A small drone zipped past the window, landing on an outcrop within a large, metallic building. The interior of the cavern was the filled with flying vessels. They flew across the expanse, maneuvering with unnatural precision. The elevator descended underneath arching rock lined with windows. Jutting from the interior walls of the cavern were large buildings made of rock, marble, and metal. As they went further into the city, the buildings became more extravagant, with varying types of architecture.
“I need to tell you a few rules about Shangri-La,” Milly said, as they descended.. “The reason I forced you through the guard outpost without getting scanned is because we don’t know who can be trusted here. We have to remain under the radar.”
The circular city surrounded a monumental marble building that looked like a mix between the Roman Coliseum and a space station. Columns of beautiful marble and limestone stood one hundred feet high, like sentries on guard. On the top of the structure were large marble statues, each one depicting an ancient god who’d protected Earth against the invasion of the Titans.
“That right there is the acropolis,” Milly said as they continued their descent. “It is the meeting place of the guardians.”
Allora pressed her hands pressed against the glass fogging up the surface with her breath as she gazed upon in wonder. Surrounding the acropolis were hundreds of other buildings of differing sizes and shapes. Large walkways ran between the buildings and crisscrossed throughout Shangri-La.
The elevator transport slowed to a stop, and the doors opened up into what felt like a customs area in an airport. There were a few warlocks that looked like Sas, along with other creatures that Allora had never seen before. The strangest of these creatures was a four-armed man with vertically blinking eyes.
“Now I really feel like an alien,” Allora whispered to Katie.
Milly had her security badge scanned by another guard, and they went in through a side gate. They proceeded along a conveyor belt that took them under a marble arch with beautiful carved horses ingrained in the rock. Large limestone statues guarded the entryway. After navigating the crowds of warlocks, uniformed officers, and council delegates, Milly instructed them to follow Captain Theus while she joined the flow of the crowd heading through monstrous double doors that led into the main chambers of the acropolis.
“How do you know my mother?” Allora asked as Captain Theus led them toward a side door.
“We actually grew up together,” He answered as they walked down a narrow corridor made of black obsidian. “I was good friends with your uncle too. We went to the academy together.”
“Do you know what he was doing here?” Allora asked as they got to a security checkpoint. Two guards stood still with their hands on their sides. Captain Theus leaned down next to her ear.
“Not here,” he whispered softly, his eyes darting around the corridor. “Too many hidden ears and eyes in this city.”
Once they passed through the checkpoint, Captain Theus took them through another doorway and into a small room that seemed like an elevator. He placed his hand on a metallic ball on the side console and sparked it. They were pulled in
ward and arrived by portal into a room with a large round table at its center. The clear side panels gave them a panoramic view of the entire upper city.
“Where are we?” Tanner asked, walking in circles around the room. Outside the lights of the city numbered in the thousands, lighting up the expansive cavern, like fireflies in the night. Transports flew across the interior in precise patterns, navigated by auto-piloted computers.
“This is the conveyance room,” Captain Theus said, walking around the large table. “It’s at the very top of the acropolis and is very secure. You’ll be able to witness everything that goes on inside the main public chambers without physically being inside. Go ahead and have a seat.”
Once seated in the marble chairs, the material began to form perfectly to the curvatures of their bodies in an optimal comfort level. Captain Theus plugged a few codes into a side panel, and suddenly they were transported into the chamber room, right next to Milly, who was seated in front of a long table.
“Whoa,” Allora said, reaching out toward her mother. Upon her touch, the image swirled like colored liquid and then reformed into Milly’s image.
“This is totally epic.” Allora could hear Dax’s voice but couldn’t see him.
“Why can I hear you but not see you?” she asked.
“It’s a fully immersive, real-time, first-person virtual reality,” Captain Theus said. Allora felt a hand on her shoulder but couldn’t see it. She stood up and was transported out of the chamber room. “While you’re in the seat, you are able to see and hear the proceedings. When you step away from the chair, the synaptic connection to your visual cortex is severed.”
“Totally cool,” Allora said, smiling emphatically. “How did you do that?” Captain Theus showed her the user interface that reacted to his finger motions and then sat back down into the virtual reality as the guardian meeting was called to order.
Above them there were four levels of stadium seats, like an opera house. Milly sat down at a wooden table facing the thirteen chairs. Sas took his place on the lower level, along with Yeti and Abe. The room was filled with all sorts of different creatures and men.
