Elixir of Life: A Novella (A Hank Boyd Adventure - Book 4) (The Hank Boyd Adventures)

by Matthew James

  “But…how?” I ask, still frozen in shock.

  He breathes in deep and I watch as his eyes flash gold and then settle back into his natural blue. He looks weak but knowing these guys—Atlanteans—he’ll be fine in a minute. I remember what it felt like to use my powers beyond their limit. It almost killed me a couple times. His silence tells me he’s mulling over whether to tell me or not. He steps up to the cenote and looks out of the circular chamber.

  “Just like Gerard did with the red jaguar,” Nando says.

  “Not quite,” Rand corrects. “Without the pure Elixir, he can’t take another human’s form. Only I can do that. I’m afraid he’s relegated to that of another, simpler species. He can’t reproduce his mind in another human. It’s just too complex a system to do so.”

  “Then how does he do it?” I ask.

  “Over the years, the Order has collected samples of my blood from various confrontations, producing a synthetic version in their many labs. It is very powerful, but nowhere close to mine. It’s also how they’re keeping themselves alive for so long.”

  He breathes in deep again and continues his impromptu lecture. “The legend of the Elixir of Life was one I told in order for the Order to stay preoccupied while chasing ghosts. There has never actually been a fountain or well or any other body of water. While some waters do have natural healing capabilities, they are not the same as the mythology indicates.”

  “What is it then?” I ask.

  He turns around, his eyes flashing again. He places his hand on his chest. “The Elixir is, and has always been…me.”

  8

  Beneath El Castillo, Chichen Itza, Yucatan

  “You?” I ask, both shocked and confused.

  “Yes, me,” Rand replies, “or rather, my blood.”

  “Your blood?” Nando asks, grossed out.

  He nods. “Yes.” He looks at me. “What you need to understand is that you three are the only people outside Thoth and myself to know this. We both thought it was too much of a risk otherwise.”

  “What exactly is it, though?” I ask.

  He turns around again and faces the cenote. “I was An’tala’s historian and Thoth’s closest advisor—a friend, really. But I was also his head researcher in private. I knew more about our people than anyone else.” He turns and faces us. “One night, he asked me to look into something.”

  “What was it?” Nicole asks, hands on hips.

  “He gave me a vial of liquid. It pulsated with a brilliant light, like the Aurora Borealis, but gold in color. I was confused about what he was asking me to do. But…”

  “But what?” Nando asks.

  Instead of telling us, he showed us.

  Rand held up his hand and jabbed it with a small pocket knife. We all expected it to bleed, but instead, it oozed a golden mire consistent with molten lava.

  “The Elixir of Life…” I say, my voice trailing off in wonderment.

  We watch as Rand’s eyes again light up. Then, the Elixir begins to move, floating in the air like a liquid does in space. The golden blob continues to dance as Rand focuses harder on it.

  “Ever wonder how we made so much orichalcum with nowhere to mine it from?”

  Huh… It never actually thought about it.

  He blinks and immediately after his eyes close and reopen, the Elixir morphs into a gold block, perfectly cut. Then it slowly lowers to the ground with a clunk—solid. We continue to watch as Rand again blinks. The stone melts and quickly soaks into the ground, spreading like an oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. As the rocky surface changes into a golden bronze alloy, solidifying before our very eyes, none of us breathe, unable to.

  “Amazing,” Nicole whispers, kneeling and cautiously touching the solid orichalcum. Nothing happens as she rubs it, her eyes as wide as I’ve ever seen them.

  “So, you make it with your blood?” Nando asks, the nauseous look on his face increasing as he speaks.

  “Some of our ways weren’t always as romantic as people today think. An’tala, like many kingdoms and governments today, had a public perception that didn’t necessarily reflect what really went on.”

  “Like Thoth wanting to invade the countries beyond An’tala’s borders?” I ask.

  Rand looks at me. “You know quite a bit about our history, don’t you?”

  I shrug. “When you’ve fought as many of Thoth’s enemies as I have, you learn a thing or two. I also know that he was conflicted and not always the perfect ruler.”

  Rand agreed. “Thoth relied on the Order for advice often. He was strong in his convictions but not always in how to proceed with those beliefs. He was honestly scared to death to make a wrong decision and hurt those that believed in him without fault.”

  “So he was living a lie?” Nicole asks.

  “No,” Rand replies, “I wouldn’t call it that, but like I said before, he wasn’t the flawless ruler he was made out to be.”

  “Right…” she says, “Nannot and the destruction of the island. That was Thoth’s fault in the end.”

  Rand nods, saddened by the memory.

  “And I guess we have you to thank for his successes?” I ask, knowing I’m right.

  “Of course,” he replies. “I would do anything for him. Thoth confided in me like a real friend would and not just a submissive dog. There were quite a few times that he made decisions based entirely on my recommendations.”

  “Really?”

  “I knew what he wanted but he didn’t. He was vulnerable and a warrior at heart. His human upbringing exposed him to a lot of death at a young age. It’s all he knew. It’s all anybody in those days knew. You either killed or you were the one being killed. As a result, diplomacy wasn’t natural for him. It wasn’t until after the original settlers of An’tala took root in his kingdom that he calmed his barbaric tendencies and learned to become the leader he became.”

  “Speaking of that,” I say, “the first wave of settlers… How did they come to be if Thoth was the first and only recipient of the Source’s power?”

  Rand looks at me funny. He doesn’t know about the Source…

  Nicole jumps in and explains. “The Source Stone was the power source to Enki’s ship. It was a type of alien supercomputer that held the knowledge of the entire universe. It’s the stone that Thoth experimented on.”

  “When the craft crash-landed,” I continue, “it buried itself deep in the ground in Iraq—Eridu, actually—with only the tip of its engine sticking out—the Source. Thoth didn’t have the ability to dig it up or move it, so instead, he took pieces of it back with him.”

  Rand nods, thinking. His face looks hurt—betrayed. “Why wouldn’t he tell me this?”

  “Like you said,” Nicole replies, “he had a great many secrets.”

  “The people,” he says, stuttering as he speaks, “the first settlers… Those that followed him out of the desert received a gift—an understanding.”

  “I don’t follow,” Nando says.

  “Thoth had the ability to get inside people’s heads and imprint his thoughts into theirs. He wouldn’t control them, mind you, only suggest things. But he never used the gift for wicked purposes.”

  I look at Nicole, knowing what having our minds taken over feels like. Enki did it to me and Phoenix her.

  “He gave the people his own truth and showed them his plans for the island. Then, he commissioned me to figure out a way to transfer a small portion of the Elixir’s power into the food within the necropolis.”

  “The fruit trees,” I say, remembering the apple I ate.

  “Yes,” Rand replies, “I would occasionally replenish the trees with my blood and therefore give the people of An’tala their long lives.”

  Well, I think, that’s ONE mystery solved. Now there’s only another million, or so, to go.

  The conversation stalls and I recall why we’re where we are. “We need to move, Rand. I assume there’s an exit nearby?”

  He blinks out of his internal struggle. “Yes…there is.
Follow me.”

  We quietly follow Rand through a nature split in the cenote’s right-hand wall, taking us further to the northeast—I think. Direction aboveground is sometimes tricky, but underground, it’s mostly impossible.

  It’s a tight fit, but we all make it through the fissure unscathed, caking ourselves in dust and dirt as our wet clothes scrape against stone. My night vision has become a blessing many times over, this time included. There are countless obstructions that I’d have surely tripped on, or at least stumbled over. But now I just step over them like any other obstacle, as do Nicole and Nando.

  “What makes this place so special to you?” Nando asks from behind.

  Nicole looks at Nando. “Why is it special?”

  He shrugged. “Why would he go to all the trouble and build a way back down here if it wasn’t?”

  Both Nicole and I think for a second and end up agreeing, wondering the same.

  “Rand?” I ask.

  “You’ll see soon enough,” he replies, softly.

  “What about the pyramid itself?” Nicole asks. “If this cenote was so unique, why would you let them build over it in the first place.”

  “There are many things I tried to prevent and many more I began,” he explains. “But I couldn’t always succeed with my plans without bringing unwanted attention to myself. Some things were out of my control.”

  “Like the building of El Castillo,” I say. “That’s why you were involved in its construction. If you couldn’t prevent its raising, the least you could do was help design it and conceal whatever is down here.”

  “Very good, Hank,” Rand says. “I can see why Thoth trusted you. You are very clever, and apparently, a brave soul. Giving a mortal that kind of power would normally be advised against.”

  “Why is that?” Nando asks.

  Rand stops and glances over his shoulder. “Not everyone would’ve used that power for good.”

  “A literal god complex,” Nicole adds.

  Rand nods and moves off. “Some would’ve seen themselves as above everyone else and started to question why they weren’t the one's ruling. They’d then take action and expose everything we attempted to cover up.”

  “Like what?” I ask.

  “The existence of the Elixir, Hank. The Order wants the ability to make more orichalcum. Gerard was here for me—my blood.”

  “Then they could wield it like I did,” I say. “Or control it like you.”

  “Exactly, yes… But on a grander scale,” he adds. “Could you imagine what a group of warmongering monsters like the Order could do to the world with pure orichalcum at their disposal?”

  “I can imagine,” I say, “I found and used Thoth’s sword against Coaxoch. Its power is incredible and it’s just a simple blade.” I then start to picture all kinds of weapons built of the stuff, wielded by those who can. What could a bomb made of orichalcum do? Would its might increase exponentially if activated?

  “You have his blade—Kypstrix?”

  “Kypstrix?” I ask.

  “It means, Inferno, in our tongue. But you still have it?”

  I nod. “I do.”

  “Where?”

  “Nowhere.”

  He tilts his head, confused.

  “It’s somewhere safe,” I say, picturing it hanging in its display case in my office. Nowhere is guarded around the clock by Commander Davis “Davey” Griggs and his top-notch ATLAS security detail. He’s still on loan from the military with special permission from people I’ll never meet per Kane and Director Rollins’ recommendations. We have every type of early warning system plugged in and around the grounds too, just in case someone of Terra’s abilities decides to visit us from beneath. We even have an air defense system for those of Anu’s ilk.

  “How pliable is the orichalcum?” Nicole asks, getting Rand’s train of thought back in the now.

  “Very,” Rand replies, “If the Source was what you say, and the orichalcum has a way to match our brain’s wavelengths, then anyone who can control it could do just about anything with it.”

  “So it’s real-life magic then?” Nando asks. “Like an illusionist moving things with their mind.”

  Rand’s head tilts to the side a little, taking in what Nando said. “Actually, yes. That’s a very apt comparison. Some people think they are tuned to the universe around them.”

  “Are they?” I ask.

  “Some, yes, but it’s not on accident.”

  “Atlantean blood?”

  “Yes, but most don’t even know they have it coursing through their veins. Most have such a diluted sample over years and years of breeding that nothing happens. And as you know, it can’t be detected.”

  Oh, I know. None of the scientists studying my blood could find anything wrong with me when I had it in me.

  “What of those that have a stronger blend?” Nicole asks. “Like Hank.”

  Rand stops and turns, staring at her. His eyes swirl with gold and flash. “They are the most dangerous of them all, becoming an uncontrollable powder keg of unthinkable power. Imagine an infant with a hand grenade. They don’t know what they have in their possession—”

  “And are extremely dangerous to themselves and everyone around them,” I finish, understanding. “What then?”

  He turns. “I haven’t just been spreading rumors and lies during my life, Hank.” We step into a massive chamber and stop. “I’ve been preparing for the inevitable. I can only hide for so long. Eventually, we will have to fight back, and when we do…we’ll lose.”

  Lights flick on overhead, illuminating the room in front of us. It looks like the cenote behind us but is completely void of water and aging. It almost looks new. “Terra?” I ask. He doesn’t answer, which means, yes. Looks like she knew a lot more than I thought. Then again, she lived her life above ‘and’ beneath the surface of the world. She should know about places like this. She’d be able to feel it.

  The color of the cave is what gets my attention next. It’s made of orichalcum and the Atlantean alloy lines every surface, floor-to-ceiling.

  “You’ve been busy…” I say stepping forward. It’s then I see man-sized pieces of orichalcum lining the walls, encircling the space around us. They also stand erect in the waterless sinkhole twenty feet below us, looking like bricks of gold standing on their ends, like giant dominoes.

  “Oh, God,” Nando says, stepping back.

  Bodies are encased within the material, hovering in what looks like a state of suspended animation, reminding me of the run-of-the-mill deep space, science fiction movie. But instead of floating in a viscous liquid with a breathing apparatus strapped to their faces, they are encased in it, looking very much like Han Solo frozen in time.

  “How could you?” Nicole asks, stepping away from Rand.

  I turn towards him and ball my fists but before I can do anything, he quickly explains what we’re seeing. Which is good, I think. I could’ve put a bullet in his head but he’d probably just heal and then tear my arms off.

  “They were already dead before I collected them,” he says, “I swear to you. Some are hundreds of years old—thousands even.”

  “And that makes it okay to just steal away their bodies?” Nicole asks, appalled.

  “Considering who they were, yes.”

  “What does that mean?” I ask, backseating my rage for the moment. He brought us here peacefully for a reason and he’s not attacking us. It might be worth hearing his reasons for stealing all these corpses.

  “Everyone you see here is of An’talean blood,” he explains. “I needed their DNA samples to confirm some of my long-brewing suspicions. Plus, I brought you here for your own safety. I could’ve just as easily left you to Gerard. But instead of leaving you to the wolves, I thought you’d understand and help me if you hear me out.”

  “Help you do what?” I ask, glancing at Nicole and Nando.

  “To kill myself,” he says, deadpan.

  “Excuse me?” Nando asks.

  He turns awa
y from us and looks out over his morbid collection. “There comes a time in everyone’s life when you start thinking about the afterlife. Most humans live a lifespan that’s just a blink in time. But I’ve been alive for thousands of years. I’ve seen millions of people pass on before me. While some of the vain believe immortality to be a blessing, I can tell you firsthand it is no blessing. It’s a curse and a terrible way to live.”

  “Why us?” I ask.

  “To be honest, I’m not sure,” he replies. “I’ve been searching for a way to negate the Elixir’s effects for a long time but have been unsuccessful for just as long. The only surviving people within my bloodline are either unwilling to help or trying to take it for themselves.”

  “The Order?” I ask.

  He nods. “Both sides. My allies from the council don’t want to get involved and as you know the other side wants it for themselves.”

  “How many members of the council are still alive?” Nicole asks.

  “Six total,” he replies. “Two, of which, are currently not trying to capture me.”

  “Okay,” I say, thinking aloud, trying to formulate a plan. “First off, where are they?”

  “One of my allies is in South America and the other in South Asia.”

  “That’s a little vague, don’t you think?” Nicole comments, looking for a more exact location.

  “Why should I tell you more if you haven’t agreed to help me yet?” he asks, gazing at her hard.

  “Fair enough,” she replies, not wilting even a bit.

  “What of the other four?” I ask.

  He turns his attention back to me. “One is in Northern Africa and another in Russia. The other two…”

  “What—where are they?” I ask, getting anxious.

  “They’re in the U.S.”

  I close my eyes and shake my head. Just great…

  Opening my eyes, I look out over the collection, being able to see the state of some of the bodies from here. Most are old—very old. Others not so much, though.