Atlantis: The Beginning (The Atlantis Saga Book 1)

by A. Royden D'souza

  ''Not if we return before sundown''.

  We roamed the streets for some time, entering whichever shops that struck our liking.

  We were standing on the side of the street when I felt a hand on my shoulder. It was Chrissy.

  ''Look! guards!'', she gasped, pointing at a group of men in armor, who were walking in our direction.

  Alice looked around frantically. She grabbed our hands and pulled us into the nearest building. It was an old Inn. Almost all the tables were taken.

  We found an empty one at the corner, near the counter. We watched with wide eyes as the group passed by the window.

  The waiter walked towards us and we let Chrissy order the food. It was probably better to wait till it was safe to go outside.

  Suddenly, the door opened, bringing in a cold breeze. I looked over my shoulder and saw two men entering the Inn. Chrissy gasped, holding a hand to her mouth.

  ''Blast it!'', swore Alice. ''Cover Scar'', she told Chrissy, as she readjusted her seat.

  They were fully clad in black, their faces hidden in the shadow of their hoods. They walked over to the counter and tapped it to get the Innkeepers attention. I felt a creepy aura emanating from them.

  ''We are looking for a red haired girl with blue eyes'', one of them asked in a strange guttural voice.

  I looked the other way, trying to hide my face, peering through the corner of my eyes.

  The innkeeper blanched and drew back, before he stuttered, ''I...I ain't seen no red hair in here. You can search elsewhere. Get outta here. You are scaring my customers''.

  They gave him a long piercing stare, before glancing around the room. The innkeeper gripped the counter, his face covered with sweat.

  As the cloaked men walked out of the door, my gaze fell upon the red crest on their backs. It was a crow with an eyeball in its beak.

  Chrissy and Alice were looking at me with ashen faces.

  ''We need to get out of here'', said Alice. ''Now! Let's go''.

  Chrissy was frozen with fear. ''Th......The crest'', she gasped. ''It belongs to the Witch, Zelda, of the Imperial Guard'', she said with wide eyes.

  ''That is bad'', replied Alice, anxiously. ''Wait here'', she said, as she went outside to check the streets. She returned after a few seconds.

  ''There is no sign of them'', she informed. ''Let's go, before they decide to come back''.

  We slowed our pace as we neared the gates. The guards gave us a suspicious glance as we passed through, but they did not bother to stop us.

  ''Hey!''.

  ''Please tell me it is not the guards'', whimpered Chrissy.

  I spun around and saw a man marching towards us, his eyes fixed on me. He looked like a sailor.

  ''You!'', he said, pointing his finger at me. ''I was at that inn. You are the girl they are looking for''.

  ''No, she is not'', said Alice, looking coldly at the man as he advanced towards us.

  ''Yes, she is. I recognize her from the wanted posters at Kingsport. I am calling the guards'', he said, turning towards the gates.

  ''Wait'', said Alice. ''Before you go, I have to apologize''.

  We gawked at Alice as if she had lost her mind.

  ''For what?'', he asked, puzzled.

  Alice lunged forward, burying her knee into his groin, before finishing off with a downward elbow. A grunt of pain escaped his lips as he collapsed on the beach.

  ''For this'', said Alice. ''Let's go'', she said, looking at our shocked faces.

  ''Alice! That was awesome'', exclaimed Chrissy, as we headed back to the cavern. ''You should teach me how to do that''.

  We had just started climbing up the stairs, when I heard a noise behind us. I looked over my shoulder and saw two silhouettes at the bottom of the stairs.

  ''Run!'', I shouted.

  ''They are back'', panted Alice, as we bounded up the stairs.

  The two cloaked men were gaining on us. Finally we reached the entrance to the tunnel.

  ''Go! Go! Go!'', I urged, as I climbed inside after Chrissy and Alice. We crawled along as fast as we could, scraping our knees and elbows.

  As soon as I was out of the tunnel, Alice pushed the cabinet, closing the hole.

  ''That was close'', whispered Chrissy.

  ''We cannot stop. They are still behind us'', said Alice.

  We were halfway along the corridor, when we heard a crash. I turned my head and saw them crawling out of the tunnel. They brushed the dust off their cloaks and started forward. It was impossible to escape now.

  ''Chrissy, go get help'', I shouted.

  She gave a terrified glance at the cloaked strangers, before running towards the stairs.

  One of them lunged forward, trying to catch Chrissy, but I grabbed the cell door beside me and swung it by its hinges.

  It crashed into the cloaked stranger, who stumbled and fell flat on his back. The other one stepped over his comrade and advanced forward.

  I recoiled when I saw the face beneath the hood. It was not human, at least not anymore.

  It looked as if they had been burnt in a pit of black fire and it was still burning underneath. Their skin was covered with a black smokey substance, which made them look like they were made of shadows.

  Everything about them was pitch black except their eyes, which glowed fiery red. They were more like dark creatures sent from hell.

  It pulled out a knife and advanced. Alice drew her sword and charged, but it sidestepped and parried the blow with ease. It did not even appear fazed.

  ''Alice, don't'', I warned, as she jumped back and thrust her sword at its shoulder.

  It grabbed the blade with its gloved hands and kicked her in the stomach.

  I groaned as Alice crashed into me and we tumbled to the floor, in a flurry of limbs.

  ''Sorry'', she whispered, jumping back on her feet.

  Suddenly, I heard a canine growl as something huge jumped over us. It was the same gray wolf I had seen in the clearing, but smaller. I guessed he could control the size of his transformation.

  The werewolf, which was Alistair Talbot, pounced on one of the creatures, pinning it to the ground under its paws. It snarled, baring its dagger like fangs.

  ''Look out!'', I shouted, when I saw the flash of steel as it raised the blade and stabbed the werewolf's flank, which enraged it further.

  It gave a terrifying growl and snapped at the creature, grabbing its head in its fangs, and pulled, separating it from the torso. Black blood started pouring out of its severed neck.

  The other one had retreated. Before it jumped back into the hole, it looked straight at me and said, ''We will meet again, Scarlett Ironfang''.

  ~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

  5. The Imperial Feud

  I glanced up at the castle, as the ship started pulling away from the docks. I raised my hand and waved, sure that Chrissy was watching from one of the windows.

  She had wanted to come to the docks, but her father had refused to let her out of the grounds, especially after the incident.

  She had been sulking since the ship had arrived from Westerport, but had cheered up when I promised her that we would meet again soon.

  ''I'm already starting to miss that little pixie'', sighed Alice.

  ''I hope we will see her again''.

  I felt the salty breeze caressing my face as we sailed towards Westerport. The ship swayed in the wind, but I had gotten used to the motion. I did not feel seasick anymore.

  The words, 'Flying Wolf' were painted on the bow, below the wolf figurehead of the ship. It was slightly smaller than the Dark Angel, but faster. The water was dappled in blue, reflecting the clear sky above. I was able to see the mainland from starboard.

  ''At least we are not chained or locked up in the brig'', said Alice, throwing a furtive glance at the giant, who was sitting below the mast.

  ''Yes, especially after what happened'', I grinned.

  Alice shivered at the thought, ''I hope we will never see those creatures again''.

  ''Do
you think we should have escaped when we had the chance?'', I asked, looking at her.

  ''I think it is better if we stay with them until we can figure out a plan to rescue your parents. Besides, the whole Empire is after you. At least you will safe from the Empire's soldiers while we are with them '', she said.

  I nodded in agreement. I had no idea how I was going to rescue my parents from Aregon. My instinct kept telling me that going to the Capital was suicide, but I had to try.

  ''Don't worry, Scar. We will rescue them'', reassured Alice, clutching my hand.

  The weather remained favorable for a couple of days, but that did not last very long. Around noon, black clouds had started rolling in from the west.

  The air started to grow cold and the sea turned rougher. Huge waves lapped against the hull, rocking the ship. The sails flapped wildly in the wind, pulling at the rigging.

  ''ALL HANDS ON DECK! BATTEN THE HATCHES AND DOUSE THE SAILS! '', shouted the captain.

  ''And I was expecting a good night's sleep'', shouted Alice, over the howl of the wind, as we pulled on the ropes with the crew.

  ''I hope she doesn't capsize!'', I shouted back.

  I gasped, as a huge wave washed over the deck, dousing me from head to toe.

  ''Great!'', I muttered, dripping from head to toe.

  Lightning flickered across the sky, as the ocean heaved underneath. The ship groaned under the onslaught of the violent storm, which continued for another day.

  It was almost noon, the next day, when the clouds started clearing. We had barely gotten any sleep, what with the roaring thunder and the howling wind, over the rocking of the vessel.

  The sun was already in sky overhead, when someone shouted, ''Land ahead!''.

  I ran over to the railings and peered over the side.

  ''There'', said Alice, pointing at the faint outline of an island on the horizon.

  The ship changed course and headed towards the island. The outline slowly started getting more defined and I was able to see a small village near the beach.

  The houses were surrounded by farmland, beyond which stretched a dense forest. The docks were lined with a large number of fishing boats.

  ''Looks like a fishing village'', observed Alice.

  ''DROP ANCHOR AND LOWER THE LONGBOATS !'', shouted the captain.

  I watched as the Wolf Lord and a few crew members rowed towards the village. Even Julian was on the boats and of course, we were not allowed to go ashore.

  I watched as they moored the boats at the beach and entered the village. Stonearm was staring at us suspiciously from his seat at the mast.

  Suddenly, I heard something whistling through the air. Instinct took over and I pushed Alice aside, jumping out of the way.

  A couple of knives embedded themselves on the deck, on the very spot where we were standing a moment before.

  ''Who is that?'', whispered Alice, glancing over my head, her eyes wide with shock.

  I looked up and saw a man sitting on the yard of the foremast. Stonearm was already on his feet, glaring at the figure above.

  ''You!'', he snarled in rage.

  ''Yes, me'', sneered the man sitting above. ''Why is the girl still alive? Weren't you supposed to kill her already?''.

  ''Shoot him down!'', ordered the giant. The remaining crew grabbed the bows and aimed at the stranger. As soon as they fired, he disappeared into thin air.

  ''He is a teleporter mage'', gasped Alice.

  Suddenly, a hand grabbed my shoulder. I screamed, trying to find a handhold, as I was pulled into a void. I fought back and felt the grip loosen.

  ''No'', I gasped, as I was thrown out of the dimensional vortex. I wildly flailed my arms as I fell headlong into something soft. It was sand. I had landed on the beach!

  I jumped back to my feet, thanking the gods for my luck, and looked around. I was standing at the edge of the village. I could see the ship anchored at a distance.

  ''You are quite a fighter, aren't you?''.

  I whirled around and saw him smirking at me. He had dark hair and was wearing a brown cloak. His belt was lined with small throwing knives.

  ''Who are you?''.

  ''You don't know me?'', he asked, raising his eyebrows. ''After all, I was inducted into the Guard as your father's replacement''.

  He lazily picked a knife from his belt and started twirling it by the circular ring at the pommel. ''You were supposed to be dead by now. I don't know what those two are playing at. If Viktor found out about this, he would have their heads. I guess I will have to finish you off myself'', he said, clutching the knife, ready to strike.

  Suddenly, something huge darted past me and crashed into him, throwing him to the ground. A gigantic gray wolf growled and snapped at his head, but before it could attack, he disappeared again.

  Julian rushed to my side, ''Are you alright?'', he asked and I nodded.

  ''I see you have met Ronin, the newest member of the Imperial Guard'', he said. ''Be wary, he is highly dangerous. He was a mercenary before he joined the Imperial Guard. There is no telling from where he will strike, so be on you guard''.

  The teleporter had reappeared a few paces back from where he had been standing. The werewolf stood in front of me, growling at the teleporter.

  ''It has been a long time, Alistair. You have grown'', he said, grinning wickedly at the werewolf.

  He charged forward, a knife in each hand, but just as the werewolf lunged, he disappeared and reappeared again to the left.

  ''Watch out!'', I screamed at the wolf, but it was too late. The werewolf yelped in pain as the two knives pierced its flank.

  ''Now it is your turn, Scarley'', he crooned, winking at me. He grabbed another knife from his belt and charged.

  At that very moment, chains shot out from the sand and lashed around his legs, pulling him to the ground.

  I glanced around and saw someone walking towards us from the village. He was young and good looking, with green eyes and black, shoulder length hair. I felt my heart skip a beat when he smiled at me.

  ''Who are you?'', snarled Ronin.

  The newcomer ignored him and made a gesture with his hand. The chains tightened around Ronin, making him unable to move.

  Alistair Talbot turned back into his human form and pulled out the knives from his side. The skin around his wounds pulled together as they started healing. Julian handed him his cloak.

  ''Who are you?'', asked the Wolf Lord, looking at the newcomer.

  ''My name is Morgan, an ally. You have to hurry. The Emperor grows suspicious. Lord Hector Talbot has already sent the first and second packs to capture the base at Westerport''.

  Alistair nodded and sent Julian to gather the crew. The prisoner was loaded into a longboat. I climbed aboard, along with the Wolf Lord and Morgan.

  Alice rushed forward as we boarded the ship. ''Are you alright?'', she asked, anxiously.

  ''Yeah'', I nodded, reassuringly.

  Stonearm growled in anger when he saw Ronin. The giant strode forward and grabbed his neck, lifting him up. ''You have nerves, playing with me, boy'', he snarled, glaring into his eyes.

  ''Viktor will have your head'', gasped Ronin, his face turning blue.

  ''Viktor can go to hell. I will be happy to send you before him, but I might need some information first'', said Stonearm.

  ''Lock him in the brig'', he said, throwing the teleporter at Julian's feet. ''Make sure he doesn't escape''.

  A day had passed since the incident at the Fisher's Isle. Ronin was locked up in the brig. The ocean remained peaceful and the sky was bright.

  I was lying in a hammock on the tween deck near the galley, staring at the wooden ceiling.

  ''Are they ever going to stop'', sighed Alice, as Ronin screamed again.

  Alistair and his men had been torturing him since yesterday, trying to get information about the Empire's movements, but I guessed they had not gotten anything out of him yet.

  ''We have been dragged into a war between monsters''.

&n
bsp; At last the screaming stopped. I climbed out of my hammock and walked towards the ladder.

  ''I'll be back in a few minutes'', I informed Alice, before I went down into the hold. Julian was standing guard near the cell where Ronin was chained.

  ''What are you doing here, Scarlett? You are not supposed to be here'', said Julian, looking at me suspiciously.

  ''I couldn't sleep'', I replied. ''Can I speak with him?''.

  He nodded, pointing at a cell at the back. ''Be careful''.

  Ronin was lying on the floor, his clothes stained with blood . His hands were shackled to the bars. He raised his head when he heard my footsteps, ''What do you want?'', he groaned.

  ''Why were you trying to kill me?''.

  ''I was just following orders. The werewolf and the giant were supposed to kill you. The Witch found out and informed Viktor that you were still alive. So I was sent to complete the job instead'', he said. ''Anyway it doesn't matter now. I am as good as dead anyway. The Emperor does not forgive failures''.

  ''Do you know about my parents?'', I asked.

  ''They are locked up in the dungeons of the black castle'', he replied.

  ''Are they still alive?''.

  ''Yes''.

  Suddenly, he clutched his stomach and doubled over, coughing blood.

  ''Leave'', he said, waving his hand.

  I climbed back to the upper deck and found that Alice was already asleep. I slid into the hammock and closed my eyes, pulling the blanket over me.

  The ship swayed in the wind, as storm clouds slowly started gathering overhead. We were standing at the forecastle, when I saw the tip of a mountain poking through the clouds.

  ''The Glair peaks. We must be near Southfay''.

  It was Morgan. He was standing behind us, staring at the horizon.

  ''Thanks, for saving my life. I am grateful'', I smiled.

  ''I did what I had to do'', he said, returning the smile. ''Anyway, I came here to warn you, Scarlett. Your life is in great danger. Aria is on the brink of a civil war. Staying with these warmongers will only bring you grief. You must escape before they throw you into the midst of a war that is not yours to fight. I can arrange a ship to take you back to Atlantis. This is your only chance''.