What is that orichalcum stuff anyway?

In trying to capture the authenticity of Plato’s description of Atlantis, I opted to keep the word orichalc as opposed to coming up with some translation, though many readers probably have no idea what it actually is. I hoped that those same readers would pull out of context that it is an metal of sorts.

Here is how Plato dscribes the elusive metal in Critias (translated by Robin Waterfield):

“In the first place, they [Atlanteans] had everything, solid or fusible, that could be mined from the ground, and in fact in many parts of the island there was dug up from the ground something which is now no more than a name, although in those days it was an actual fact and was second in value only to gold – orichalc.”

“They [Atlanteans] made some of their buildings plan, but to avoid monotony, thay paterne others by combining stones, which gave the building a naturally pleasant appearance. They covered the entire circuit of the wall around the outermost ring with a paste, so to speak, of bronze; they smeared a layer of melted tin on the wall of the inner ring; and for the wall around the acropolis itself they used orichalc, which gleamed like fire.”

Waterield notes “orichalc was a perfectly acceptable word (meaning literally ‘mountain metal’) in ancient Greek for copper alloys, or for the yellow copper ore used in such alloys. As such it was certainly ‘more than just a name’ in Plato’s time, so he is using the term to refer to some more precious (and more fabulous) metal.”

I wanted to promote the shine that Atlantis had possessed, which would impress all of its foreign visitors. When I had first read about orichalc, I was amazed that a culture would go to such lengths to beautify their city. The cost must have been enormous and the procedure difficult. However, Atlantis, as per Plato, was technologically advanced, so it is feasible and fitting. They flaunted their superiority.

The use of orichalc (or orichalcum as I called it) in Son of Atlantis showed wealth and/or status. Kylos has a polished mirror made of it, and flakes of teh precious metal are used to accetuate pictures in the Temple of Omphalos, the great crystal of Altanis.  I gave enough to stir the reader’s imagination and my hope is that the reader saw in their mind’s eye a brilliant city . Also, because orichalcum shines and is so precious to Atlanteans, it is only natural that I gave a glimmering shine comparable to orichal to Ellena’s eyes.

Although gold and silver are the major metals of currency used in Atlantis, orichalc is the metal of the Atlantean soul.

Click the image to see more about the book

Son of Atlantis: Chapter IV

Chapter 4

Hope

 

Kylos’s father had been in a coma for three days, and despite Kylos’s teen years being a blend of tenseness and anxiety created by his father’s presence in the house, emptiness now lingered at home with his father away in the hospital. Amblix still carried out his duties by attending to Kylos’s needs for food and conversation, although Kylos did not take much of either

Going to school was the last thing on his mind, though he missed Peleus and Chiron’s fascinating lessons. He even missed the sour scolding of Akadia. But he was glad to get a break from Ballero for awhile. The more time that passed between their previous encounter and their next meeting, the better he would feel.

Every day, Kylos went to sit by his father’s bedside in the private room. His father seemed so calm in the unnatural sleep. Kylos gazed down and realized that he had never really looked at his father in the face for longer than a few moments. Over the past years, Kylos had cowered with downcast eyes for fear of unleashing some verbal accosting or raging outburst.

But Kylos noticed that his father’s serene features had a striking resemblance to his own. It was mostly in the shape of the eyes and mouth. Also the high forehead was another trait they shared. The rest must have come from his mother.

The blue robes and medallion of office of Royal Astronomer and Scientist hung on a peg on the white stucco wall. It was the first time since Kylos was young that he had seen his father not wearing them. Their daily routines scarcely coincided, which brought Kylos relief and happiness. But in his heart, he hated seeing his father like this and wished his old man would just get up and go home.

With tears starting to form, he took his father’s hand. It was soft, but felt like it had well-developed muscles. Kylos could not imagine how it got that way, as his father’s position did not lend itself to physical strains and labors. He always thought his father a soft knowledge seeker who cared more about his brain than body.

A knock came at the doorway, startling Kylos from his thoughts. Galen, his father’s twenty-year-old apprentice, bowed and said, “May I enter?”

“Yeah, Come on in.”

Galen shuffled to the opposite side of the bed and looked down with tearful eyes. Galen clearly respected Ziustros. Maybe if Kylos had decided to pursue the path of knowledge, he may have felt the same reverence and respect for his father. At least their relationship would have been more stable. But that was not his path.

“I’m sorry about your father.”

“Thanks.”

A long awkward pause followed.

“I was with him that night.”

“I thought as much… So, what happened, then? The physicians knew nothing, just that he was doing astral projection and something went wrong. They had no details.”

Galen looked down at his feet. “Umm, yeah. That’s what I told them when we brought him here in the medical transport.”

More pause.

“Well?” Kylos said, his voice gaining a cutting edge from Galen’s evasive talk.

“Well, the truth of the matter is, I didn’t say much because I didn’t want him to lose his position.”

“What do you mean?”

Galen paced back and forth rubbing his chin. “He’s a great man—and a gifted scientist.”

Is he talking about Father?

“I’ve been apprenticed to him for two years now and I’ve heard so much. He’s a good teacher.”

“Get to the point.”

“I’ve come to truly respect your father. He follows the rules and protocols set by the Royal Astronomers before him. He’s always been cautious, even when training me in astral projection. Even though I wanted to jump right in and travel the stars, he wouldn’t let me. He was trying to protect me. I see that now.”

“Protect you from what?”

Galen’s thin long fingers stretched out towards the comatose Ziustros.

Kylos’s blood boiled. “Tell me what happened right now!”

Galen gestured for Kylos to calm down. The apprentice walked to the door and looked into the hallway. He nodded and gestured for silence. This dancing about in some secrecy made Kylos’s fist clench and his eyes target Galen’s long nose.

“All right, I’ll tell. But please don’t tell anyone. It might ruin his career and royal standing. Do you understand?”

What’s this apprentice getting at?

With a stern tone, Galen clenched his jaw. “Do you promise, as an Atlantean?”

“Yes!”

“Okay,” Galen said. He lowered his voice and his tone to a whisper, and it had on edge of conspiracy behind it. “On that night of the incident, your father said he wanted to project himself to Mars. Everything was going well. I sat at my desk to take any notes, as usual, in case he had anything to report.”

Kylos sat back with arms crossed and Galen started to pace again.

“Your father must have arrived at Mars, but he never said anything. His face tensed up and he looked worried, like he saw something that scared him. The next thing I know is—BOOM!”

Kylos jumped in his seat.

“Your father flung himself out of The Chair. He looked panicked. I asked him if he was all right, but he didn’t answer. I figured he didn’t follow protocol and rejoined his body too quickly. The shock must have been painful.”

Galen looked at Ziustros with pity, closed his eyes, and shook his head. He looked at Kylos and continued by saying, “Anyway, he managed to crawl a bit muttering something that I couldn’t make out. He got to his desk and tried to get himself up. He said, ‘Stylus,’ and so I gave it to him with some parchment. His look hadn’t changed. His eyes were wild and lost, like he was mad with fever. He took the stylus and started to draw a line, and then a circle, but collapsed into the coma.”

The pacing stopped and Galen peered into the eyes of Kylos. “So, do you see now why you can’t say anything? Your father may lose his position if they discover that he didn’t follow protocol.”

Kylos nodded.

“Good,” Galen said with an exhale of relief. “Well, I have to get home and get some sleep before tonight’s shift. I just wanted you to know the truth.”

He made his way to the door but stopped midway. He turned to Kylos and said, “The observatory hasn’t been the same since the incident. It’s empty and lacks passionate energy. Your father’s a remarkable man. At times… at times I’m jealous that he’s your father.”

“Then you’re a damn fool! Go back to your observatory.”

With gritted teeth, Galen turned and huffed out of the bed chamber.

Kylos looked to his father. His fist clenched ready to strike the sleeping Royal Astronomer. How could he be that caring and warm to that worm Galen? Why doesn’t he make his own son feel the same way?

His fist opened and his arm released the tension. He closed his eyes and took in several deep breaths. He was calm and composed. He got up from his chair and strode to the door. “See you around, Father.”

The next morning Kylos decided to go back to school. It was better than sitting around and waiting. Also, he really missed Peleus.

The two friends planned to meet in front of the bakery. Kylos arrived earlier than his friend and looked for Ellena. Once he saw her, all of his hard feelings of the past week melted away. Her glowing smile conjured a smile on his face, and he realized he had not used those face muscles that way for many days.

“How are you today, Kylos?”

“I’m all right. I’ve had a pretty hard week, though.”

“Well, you don’t look like it.”

“It’s because of you.”

She blushed at the flattery. With a coy look she went to the door of the bakery and said, “Hey, I’ll be back in a few minutes!”

Acknowledgement came from a back kitchen area, and Kylos saw her curious mother’s face peek out from behind a corner. Ellena also saw her mother, laughed, and pulled Kylos’s arm. They jogged away from the shop and Ellena said, “Things can be so busy at our bakery… and my family can be nosy.”

“Well, my household situation is the complete opposite.”

She looked at Kylos, and he could see the concern on her face. He smiled and gave a reassuring laugh. “Well, let’s not worry about it. I don’t want to ruin my good feeling now. And I’d rather see your smile.”

She obliged him with a huge silly toothy grin. They both laughed.

“So, when’s your next Pelota match?”

“Oh, probably not for awhile, I’d guess. We still have to recover from the last game.”

“Do you go to school?”

“Yeah. My friend Peleus and I are going there this morning. I’m meeting him here soon. I wanted to get here a little early… ”

He took a chance.

“To see you.”

Again, his words brought about a blush, but she did not try to retreat or shuffle away from awkwardness. Maybe she liked him.

“Well, I’m happy you did,” she said. Her light brown eyes met his and he was transfixed. The attraction tugged at him.

“I was wondering,” he said with a nervous cough, “umm… would you like to do something with me sometime?”

Her face gave him the answer. He did not even have to hear her say, “Yes.”

“Great. Well, let’s—”

“Hey, Kylos! There you are!” Peleus said as he hustled to meet Kylos “I’ve been looking for—oh, sorry.”

Peleus nodded to Ellena, who smirked at the remnants of breakfast clinging to his cheeks. Peleus said, “I hate to interrupt, but we’ve got to go.”

“Yeah,” Kylos said, “in just a minute.”

“Oh, Okay. I’ll just wait over there,” Peleus said while meandering towards a display stand with a variety of tarts.

“You’d better get going,” Ellena said. “I don’t want to get you in trouble with your teacher.”

“No, it’s not a problem if I’m a little late,” he said with a smile.

She cocked her head to one side and touched his arm. “It’s all right. Go. We’ll meet again.”

He shivered with anticipation and then sighed. He said, “I’ll see you soon then.”

He gave a little nod and ran over to his portly friend and took him by the arm, pulling him along to school. After a few minutes, Peleus—brimming over with excitement—said, “Hey, it’s been so long! How’ve you been? I wanted to call out to you, but with your father and all, I thought you needed some time.”

“Thanks. It’s been tough, but I’m doing all right. What’s new with you?”

“Well, Master Chiron was asking all of us about the night that you and I saw Omphalos. Thank the Gods they didn’t catch us then. I guess the Royalty is tying hard to find us. I don’t know why. I’m sure we weren’t the only ones who’ve ever seen the crystal.”

“Yeah, it’s strange. Did you confess?”

“Gods, no! Old Chiron looked around and said, ‘Besides the supreme virtue of never taking a life of an Atlantean, the next weighty virtue is the truth. A good Atlantean owns up to the truth even if it costs him his life.’”

“That’s a good impersonation of him,” Kylos said with a smile.

“Thanks. Well, it was the usual speech. But the thing is, he looked right at me when he was saying it, like he knew it was me. Of course, I didn’t say anything. I’d rather be alive and not in trouble than be killed by either the King or my dad.”

“Yeah, this’ll be our little secret.”

As they jogged, they clasped arms and shook three times to seal the bargain. Soon they arrived at the school and did the usual routine to get in. The class was boisterous inside, but went quiet when Kylos entered the study chamber. Murmurings and stares were the only communication going on. Kylos was well aware now that the news of the fight had spread. He could feel the burning glare of contempt from Ballero without even having to look at him.

Akadia strolled in and beat the floor with his staff. Kylos had never been so happy to hear that sound as he did at that moment. Master Chiron was announced, and he entered with his usual confidence. He invoked the Gods for inspirations, and after the solemn silence, he turned to the class and looked to Kylos. “I’m deeply sorry to hear about your father.”

Kylos bowed his head and said, “Thank you, Master. He still lies in a coma.”

“I see,” Chiron said. He scratched his bearded chin and addressed the class, “Boys, in honor of our stricken Royal Astronomer and Scientist, I’d like to talk about a subject today that your fellow classmate here should know a lot about…”

Kylos shuffled in discomfort on his stone seat. He knew what was coming next.

“Kylos,” Chiron said, “could you please tell us about the stars?”

With a lowered his head, he replied, “Sorry, Master. Actually I can’t.”

“Can’t?” Chiron said in surprise. “Your father is the Royal Astronomer! What do you mean you can’t?”

“We had never discussed the stars, Master,” Kylos said, still looking down.

The class broke into a laugher. Chiron lowered his head and shook it. Kylos looked up and saw the disappointment on his teacher’s face and shared it. Old Akadia pounded his staff on the floor calling for silence.

“Well, then,” Chiron said, once the clamor had stopped, “what do you know about the stars?”

Kylos looked to Peleus and looked back to the ground. “They’re the Gods and heroes.”

“As hard as it is for me to believe my ears, and, especially coming from you, I realize that I must educate you and your fellow classmates about those ‘Gods’ in the sky.”

Chiron started his lecturing pace around the arena and said, “No, Kylos, they are neither the Gods nor heroes that you are thinking of, or may have been told about. In fact, they’re great spheres of fire of different sizes and colors. Contrary to what the superstitious leaders would have you think, there aren’t merely the hundreds that you might see on a clear night from the savannahs of Atlantis, but rather there are billions upon billions of them. There’s probably one star for ever grain of sand on Plate Beach… perhaps for every beach in the world.”

The students looked to each other wide-eyed.But Kylos caught Ballero staring at him with a satisfied grin. Kylos knew that his troubles with his classmate had only just begun.

“The Gods may have made the stars, but most certainly they are not the stars themselves. We’re only beginning to map out our cosmos. It will probably take many generations to finish that task. This generation’s stellar cartographer is in peril of his life even as I speak. We need to pray to the Gods for his quick recovery so he can carry on with his honorable work.”

“Master Chiron,” a student said, “I thought you just told us that the Gods aren’t the stars. Where are they then? Who are we praying to?”

“Good questions. I’m glad you were paying attention. They aren’t the stars, but I can say with some certainty that they reside in our hearts and minds, where they are most needed. We aren’t immortal, we aren’t infallible. We need their wisdom, guidance and support from time to time, when our own abilities fall short of what is required. Never ask the Gods for what only you can do for yourself. Only consult them when what you ask for is beyond your own power to make happen.”

Kylos understood Chiron’s view.

“Now, once again, let’s pray for Master Ziustros’s swift recovery,” Chiron said with his face lit up by the sunlight from the portal. The students bowed their heads in silence. Kylos sat unsure as to whether he actually wanted to pray. Perhaps he was better off without his father.

A nudge directed Kylos’s attention to his knowing friend. Peleus looked at Kylos, and gave a solemn nod.

Kylos closed his eyes, sighed, bowed his head, and prayed to the Gods for his father’s swift recovery.

 

 

***Special****

If you would like a comlimentary copy of Chapter 5 or if you would like to become a Fan of Atlantis, please send a request to christopherpelletierauthor@yahoo.com. Be sure to include your name. Thanks for enjoying the journey so far. and I promise you that the adventure has only begun…

Son of Atlantis: Chapter III

Chapter 3
Journey

Ziustros arrived at the Mount Atlas Observatory and de-energized his bronze crystal-powered motor carriage. His eyelids closed and his head bowed low. Then his throat went dry and started to constrict. He slapped the steering lever in frustration. Kylos’s plans of joining the Nereids brought back memories of the hard time, and now this fighting…

What’s becoming of that boy?

He lifted his head and saw the sun was dipping under the ocean, painting the sky a fiery red with deep purple clouds. The last mournful cries of a nearby gull sang, stabbing Ziustros in the heart.

His heavy steps carried him to the gray brick building with the large unpolished bronze dome on the roof. The spacious gas-lit chamber reflected light on the blue-tiled floor. His sandaled footsteps echoed in the silent space. The giant hunk of white crystal in the center of the chamber gave off a warm energy, and scroll-filled shelves, which were as high as two men, stretched along the length of the far wall.

Ziustros made his way to one end and took out a rolled parchment and brought it to his chestnut-stained oak desk. The soft leather cushioning on his chair creaked as he sat down. After his long drive to the observatory, the seat comforted his aching spirit. Emotions lingered, so he took five deep breaths, like pearl diver’s breaths, to clear those feelings. Now he could relax and try to focus on tonight’s work.

A door to another chamber opened and Galen, Ziustros’s apprentice, entered the observation chamber. “Oh! Greetings of the evening, sir. I didn’t hear you come in.”
Ziustros shook out the heaviness in his mind and looked at his pupil. “Greetings of the evening, Galen. Oh, could you get me the planetary chart? I think that I’ll take a look at what’s out there tonight.”

The assistant bowed, grabbed the scroll without a pause, and gently placed it on the desk. He took a step back and bowed once more.

“Thank you,” said Ziustros while examining his records from his last jaunt to the planets.

Galen cleared his throat and broke the silence. “It’s a beautiful night, sir. Perfect for the telescopes.”

“You go ahead and check out the northern quadrant. I know it’s not as exciting as The Chair, but soon you’ll be ready.”

“I can’t wait.”

Why can’t Kylos be like Galen? Ziustros thought. He unrolled the scroll with the planets of the solar system. The chart had been done in color with quite a bit of detail and had many notations written on it. Galen stood by, bouncing on his toes. Ziustros smiled. “Maybe later tonight we’ll do some more cosmic astral training.”

“Really? Thank you, sir,” Galen said, his grin displaing his misaligned teeth. He trotted away to dust the shelves and organize the scrolls.

Ziustros gazed at the chart and eyed Mars, especially since it was so bright in the sky that night. The red planet with its immense canyons, deeply-cut canals, enormous volcanoes, and pristine polar ice had always intrigued Ziustros. Many times he wondered if it had life on it at one point, some time long before he had been born, perhaps when the Gods were young. Inside, he yearned to visit the planet in his physical body. But he was a realist and knew that his dream would go unfulfilled, as long as Atlantis lacked space-faring technology.

Maybe in a thousand years, he mused to himself. Astral projection will have to suffice for now.

He looked up and saw a younger version of himself in Galen. Maybe Ziustros had been a little more extroverted and social-savvy than his apprentice, but Galen’s mind swam in the same pool of star exploration. Ziustros recalled that his own love affair with astronomy had started during his teens. He had often gazed upon them over the ocean. His dream of studying them had come to pass and he could not have asked the Gods for more… except for two things.

But it was not time for relive all of his life’s tragedies. Now was time to explore. A youthful feeling energized him, the anticipation of getting out into the void and unknown. He never grew tired of it, and hoped he could do it for the rest of his life. He wished Kylos would take enough interest to join him one day.

With a push, he got up from his comfy desk chair and made his way to The Chair, which was a longer seat that had a tanned lion’s hide stretched over a frame made from elephant tusks. The tips of the tusks served as legs of the seat, and bits of crystal ran the length of each piece of ivory to enhance the power for astral travel. He had so much reverence for that particular piece of furniture. It allowed his spirit to soar through the heavens. The Chair seemed like a gift from the Gods.

Galen noticed him getting up and scrambled to fetch the astral chime and his own scrolls filled with notes from Ziustros’s previous travels. The assistant put both onto a desk near The Chair.

The milky crystal glowed with a dim light. Ziustros could feel its energy flowing into his blue crystal on his chest and into the crystals surrounding him, due to the proximity to the powerful rock. He eased himself into the lion skin, which had been set at a 45-degree inclination to promote more of a relaxed state.

Traveling through space always sapped energy from Ziustros, as it had done to his many predecessors. He had to mentally and emotionally prepare for the physical drain by clearing away the anxieties that troubled him. He had more today than usual. Galen took his post by the chime and Ziustros nodded. The apprentice then struck the instrument which produced a pure vibration. The pitch resonated in the chamber, perfectly matching Ziustros’s bio-rhythms. He closed his eyes and rolled them back. It was not long before he felt weightlessness within his body.

Astral projection always started with the sensation of being swept away, as if caught in a fast-moving river. The soul always felt convinced that the body was dying, so once the process began, he had to loosen the reins on his will, which wanted to keep the connection between body and soul. This allowed his essence to slip out.

As soon as he became separated, he saw with his astral eyes that Galen was sitting down at his desk with a stylus and inkwell near the scroll, watching Ziustros’s unmoving body on The Chair. The boy waited with his arm resting on the desk for any words that his Master may say. The crystal glowed with a bright illumination.

After confirming that all was well, Ziustros left the observatory through the ceiling in his astral form. The power of the observatory’s crystal enhanced his vision. He paused in his flight to take in the view of the night sky. So many stars to explore, so little time in a life to do it in.

The orange glimmering of Mars was easy to spot. With a focus of his will, the power of the crystal shot him through the atmosphere and into space. He streaked through the silent void of the physical universe, but he felt the warmth of cosmic energy which filled the space. He had explained to Galen that it was like swimming without the resistance of water, and yet always surrounded by something akin to water.

Within hardly any time he arrived at Mars. He stopped a few hundred miles away to take in the sight of that red world which had sandstorms of such ferocity that the storms of the Atlantic seemed like breezes by comparison. The beautiful sphere in front of him floated like a ball on a black ocean. The scene reminded him of a fresco that someone had painted on the ceiling of one of the rooms in the observatory. But the painting did not match the beauty before his eyes.

If only Kylos could see this. Then I know he’d want to become an—

Something disturbed the cosmic harmony. A pressure was building up in the astral realm, something moving fast.

Ziustros looked around and saw a wake in the astral sea. The trail was easy to follow, and Ziustros soon discovered the cause: an enormous chunk of ice was racing through the void of space. He tried to recollect what it could be. For a few moments he was puzzled. Then realization hit him.

Ah, so you’re Typhon’s Comet. You’ve been away for awhile, haven’t you? You’re a beauty, though, that’s for sure.

All thoughts of Mars disappeared. Ziustros looked at the comet with wonder. Typhon was the first comet he had ever seen. He raced ahead of the Gods’ work of art, appreciating its crystalline structure. The purity of its formation inspired awe. A tail had started to form, which served like a weather vane indicating the direction it headed in as it neared the sun. It was a silent snake sneaking its way through the garden of worlds.

Wait a moment. Where exactly are you going?

He aligned his essence with the direction of the comet’s tail and shot ahead of the cruising ice. He stopped within the area of Earth’s orbital path. He spotted and smiled at his lovely blue planet crawling along on its steady trek. In the quiet of space, it seemed so serene, compared to the bustle on life in Atlantis and—realization struck him like a lightning bolt.

By the Gods…

Ziustros took mental notes on the comet’s path relative to Earth’s position, turned towards his home world, and raced back to the observatory.

This could be serious. I’ve got to check this out. I must get back now!

His astral body streaked towards Earth, and he started to panic with the possibilities. His observations could be spelling out the end of everything on the planet. No time for protocol now. He shot down through the sky and slammed into his body, throwing it out of The Chair.

Galen jumped up from his own seat and shrieked. After a moment’s recovery, he scurried to Ziustros’s side. “What is it, sir? Are you all right?”
Ziustros had a throbbing headache and could taste blood in his mouth. A slow, wet trickle came from his nostrils, too. He clutched his weary head and thought he was saying things. But he couldn’t hear any words.

He staggered about in confusion and disorientation, but by sheer will managed to get to his desk. His leg strength was depleted from the astral travel and from the abrupt return to his body. Despite the drain, he had to press on. This was far too important to stop.

Typhon.

He needed to write the calculations down. He had to figure it out. But his head hurt so much.
Need to find out if Earth will be hit—

Ziustros collapsed on the floor with a stylus in one hand and a scroll in the other. His eyes closed one last time before he was released from the pain.

…..

Sleep was the last thing that Kylos could do. His ribs hurt with every breath. The bleeding had stopped, but the memory of the afternoon’s ordeal with Ballero kept on acting itself out in his mind without stop. His vivid dream of a week ago had come true on two accounts now, thanks to that beating from that damned Ballero.
In the darkness of his room he stared at the ceiling. Flickering orichalcum stars and constellations, which his father had put up when Kylos was an infant, glowed from the dim light of the gas streetlamps that crept in through a gap in the curtain. He tried to take his mind off the events of the day and lose himself in the thoughts of the Gods.
As he suppressed his tears, he half-uttered a prayer to Kronos asking for revenge against his enemy. He wished Ballero’s death.

Warmth flowed from his crystal and spread through his chest, so he opened his mind. The familiar feel of Peleus’s thoughts came through. “Hey, Ky. Are you awake?”

“Yeah, it’s kind of tough to go to sleep after what happened today.”

After a long pause Peleus asked, “Do you want to meet tonight and go on a prowl?”

Kylos gave it half a moment of thought. “Yeah, I’ll meet you in thirty minutes.”

The merge ended and with a sigh from pain mixed with exasperation, Kylos sat up and went to his boudoir. He rummaged through his tunics, and pulled out his dark one that was to be used during somber holidays and events, such as funerals. The window was his only way out, so he opened the curtains and unlatched the lock, like he had done many prowls before in the dark of night. He pushed the panes open, and the cool night air swirled around him. He jumped up from his bed, pulled himself to the window sill, and dangled his feet outside. The full-moon showed the sleeping city and the gas lamps lit the streets.

Kylos could not hear any sentry patrols nor any midnight rovers, so he dropped to the flagstones like a cat, scurried away from his house, and made his way to the rendezvous point.

Kylos thought about his other nocturnal excursions in the past and the near run-ins with sentries. He and Peleus always managed to hide in the shadows like thieves. If they had been caught, the sentries would have turned in the pair to their parents, creating more of an awkward situation for Peleus. Kylos doubted his father would even have noticed if his only son had been locked away in prison.

Prowling heightened all of Kylos’s senses, especially since sight could not always be relied on in the dark. He liked to imagine he was on a special Myrmillo mission, maybe as a spy. He focused on the sounds and smells that he would ordinarily not pay attention to. Every noise indicated possible capture, and a good Myrmillo does not get captured.

The journey was quiet, and soon he arrived at the meeting point, but Peleus was nowhere to be seen. A large shadowed recess of a building provided protection, and from there he looked and listened. As he focused his mind on Peleus’s psychic frequency and started to transmit his thoughts, a hand grabbed Kylos’s shoulder. His heart nearly stopped! Kylos spun around and saw the smiling face of Peleus.

“Gods, don’t do that! You scared me half to death.”

“You should have seen your face,” Peleus said with a chuckle. “I’ll make a good Myrmillo, yet. You didn’t even know I was here.”

“Well, if you keep eating those pastries, you won’t fit into the armor,” said Kylos with a jab to his friend’s belly.

“True enough,” Peleus said smiling. “Where to?”

Kylos thought about it for a moment. “Let’s see the main crystal.”

“That’ll be a challenge, but sounds fun.”
The hurt in Kylos’s body melted away with the thrill of adventure. The sharp aches turned into a dull throb as he and Peleus scurried through the streets.

The pair came to the first bridge, and Peleus said, “That’s a bit of luck. No guards.”

“We’re not at war, remember. But I’m sure that some patrols will make their rounds. Let’s get across as quickly as possible.”

They scurried with heads low over the first bridge. Kylos half-expected to be stopped on the other side by a couple of guards with a group of cold-faced Automatons, but their luck held. A nearby building gave them some cover as they stopped to catch their breaths.

“One crossed, two more to go,” Kylos said.

Their journey through the gas-lit city was a bit time consuming, but they proceeded unchecked. In time, the Fourth Tier was theirs.

Kylos tried to remember where the Great Crystal Omphalos, navel to the world, was housed. Of course, the palace grounds needed to be avoided, as its guards could easily be seen from the pair’s position. Kylos scanned the taller buildings and found the smaller step pyramid with no top. That was it.

His index finger pointed to the stone structure, which sat between Oceanus’s temple and the Royal Palace, and he merged with Peleus saying, “There’s the crystal. Let’s go around behind it and climb. That way, we’ll be out of sight of the Royal Guards.”

Peleus nodded and the friends ran through the streets using the cover of shadows and royal buildings until they reached the foot of the pyramid. Smoothed blocks made a staircase rising to the night sky. The steps were about three feet high, so it was more of a climb then a walk for them. But they went up the cool stone slope like mountaineers. The thrill of what waited for them at the end of their ascent spurred them on.

Passing clouds cast a veil over the moon, which helped their stealthy approach. Kylos uttered a short prayer of thanks to Ouranos for his assistance. No guards would spot him and Peleus now, unless those guards were looking for them.

Winded from the climb, they took a rest before the last five steps. Peleus gasped for air and said, “I didn’t know it would be this much work. I’ll choose the spot next time.”

“Oh, it’s good for you,” Kylos said slapping his friend’s shoulder.

“Well, let’s sit here until I catch my breath.”

“Sure.”

They sat looking out at the three tiers below. The orange-ish yellow dots of gas lamps were regularly laid out, glimmering like fireflies and following the curve of each tier. Kylos tried to find his house, but it was too dark, and most roof tops of the residential dwellings looked alike anyway. Kylos smiled at the night view and inhaled the cool, fresh air.

“About this afternoon,” Peleus said with a nervous cough, “I—I want to say thanks again.”

Kylos’s smile turned to a somber scowl.

“Ballero is such an elephant turd,” Peleus continued.

“Yeah,” Kylos said, remembering the beating he got. “I wish I had Myrmillo training. Then I could have held my own much better.”

“Have you thought about joining the Myrmillos, then?”

Kylos scratched his chin. “Yeah. I think my father wants me to join him in the observatory on Atlas. But that’s not for me. No. I have to see the world. Maybe get on a marine detachment or something. How about you?”

“My dad wants me to take over the business someday. I guess that’s why he’s got me going to Chiron’s school. When I come of age next year, he wants me to start trading.”

“Well, you could get on a ship and trade.”

“I think he wants me safe at home and do accounting or something like that. But won’t he be surprised when he finds out I’m a Nereid,” Peleus said with a gleeful chuckle.

Kylos felt he had the closest, truest friend that anyone could ever have. Kylos looked to the block at his feet and said, “My father already found out about the tryouts. I can’t understand why he was so against the idea. But I’m going to get in anyway, despite his disapproval.”

“We’ll get in,” Peleus said, nudging Kylos.

“Of course. We’ll get in and be Lords of the Sea!”

Laughter and camaraderie kept the conversation going. Great deeds were planned and exciting scenarios were created. Their crystals linked their thoughts and imaginations. Together they rode their dolphins on the ocean waves in search of distressed mariners.

Their dreams and ambitions simmered into smiles. The moment allowed Peleus to change the subject. “What about her?”

“Her? Her who?”

“That girl. What’s her name?”

Peleus’s smile was contagious, and soon Kylos could not suppress his smile or his feigned ignorance. “Her name is Ellena.”

“She’s pretty.”

“Yeah. She’s all right.”

“Come on. I know you. You like her, don’t you?”

“Kind of.”

“Kind of? You were looking at her so much during the game that I was surprised you could get the ball at all.”

Kylos laughed. “No, no. She just showed up, and I was surprised. That’s all.”

“So, no feelings?”

“Maybe.”

“In that case, maybe she could fall for a merchant’s son like me,” Peleus said with a broad grin.

“I think she came to see me.”

“It could have been me.”

A hint of doubt stabbed at Kylos’s heart. He fumbled for words.

“Ah,” Peleus said. “Got you! I could smell that jealousy inside you.”

Kylos smacked Peleus in the arm. “Yeah, I like her.”
“She’s nice, even though she’s just a baker’s daughter.”

Kylos thought of Ellena. He had just seen her earlier that day, yet he had a hard time picturing her face exactly as it is. Maybe he never looked at her. Maybe he looked into her soul. There was a glow and warmth within her that enticed Kylos, drawing him in.

“Let’s check out Omphalos now,” Peleus said.

Jarred back to the moment, Kylos nodded, and they climbed some more. When they reached the top, there was an opening shaped like a square about ten feet by ten feet. They edged towards the opening and peered down. Their eyes scarcely blinked.

The inner walls of the pyramid sloped at an inward angle, following the exterior of the pyramid. The smooth, sheer walls had images: Atlas supporting the heavens, dolphins frolicking in the ocean, elephants roaming grassy plains, bulls standing proud in lush fields, along with great Atlantean heroes bearing swords, spears, and shields. Orichalcum highlights on the pictures reflected the gas lighting, creating a magical effect.

On the tiled mosaic floor directly below the opening rose Omphalos, the Great Mother of power to all Atlantean crystals. The translucent rock glowed, according to Chiron, with power pulled from the earth, sea, sky and even Atlanteans.

“It’s amazing,” Peleus said. “Have you ever seen it before?”

“No, never. I’ve seen a hunk of crystal at my father’s observatory many times, but this is a giant compared to that puny bit of rock.”

The crystal was formed as only the Gods could make it, with a slight conical shape. No Atlantean dared defy its purity of form by applying chisel and hammer to it. Kylos could feel the power in his own crystal grow in intensity just by being within close proximity to Omphalos. But something was not quite right about the Great Crystal.

“Hey, the crystal is not as bright as I imagined it would be,” Peleus said.

“What do you mean?”

“It looks like it’s a bit dark inside.”

Kylos squinted at the crystal and confirmed his friend’s observation—it did have a haze within it, lurking like a gray cloud in the sunlight. Had that always been there? Were they the first to notice it?

Despite the late hour, four bearded men came into the crystal chamber, their red robes denoting their office as the mystical Royal Crystal Attendants. They stood around Omphalos and bowed to it with deep reverence.

One man—presumably the leader—raised his arms and held a golden scepter in his right hand. The group hymned a prayer to Kronos, Oceanus, and Atlas and then continued with a hypnotic, droning chant in meditation.

The group’s deep tone shrouded the space in an ominous atmosphere and sent chills rippling across Kylos’s skin. Something was not right. His mind was starting to feel dizzy, and a headache was setting in.

“Hey, are you OK?” Peleus said.

“I don’t feel so good. We should go.”

Peleus nodded and they took one last look down at the crystal. Just as they did so, the chanting stopped and all four men thrust their arms upward. Both Kylos and Peleus felt a burning in their chest around the crystal area.

The robed men dropped their arms slowly and looked each other. One of them pointed at Kylos. They were spotted. Chaotic dashing about and shouts for guards erupted from the Crystal Attendants.

“Time to go!” Kylos said.

They flew down the steps as quickly as they could, sacrificing safety for speed. If they were caught now, it would mean big trouble. They probably saw something that no non-religious official had ever seen, perhaps was never ever supposed to witness. Who knows what the punishment would be?

Instead of going straight down, Kylos lead them at an angle which would take them closer to the protection of buildings to make an escape. He could hear the clatter of armor and the heavy clunking steps of the fearless Automatons. It seemed everyone had been alerted, and things got more complicated.

From the last drop, then they hit the ground and ran for all they were worth, seeking the safety of shadows. A dark alleyway gave them an escape route that would take them close to the bridge, so they followed it. At the end they stopped and could see the bridge. But a pair of guards denied them an easy escape.

“What do we do?” Peleus said starting to panic. “We can’t wait here until dawn. Our parents will kill us if they find us missing, if those guards don’t find and kill us first.”

Kylos’s mind raced through possibilities. They could try to jump over the bridge and plunge into the dark water below, but that would be a long swim to the Main Canal in hopes of finding some ladder to let them out, all the while praying that guards would not be waiting to question them, or worse. No, there had to be another way.

The crystal resting on Kylos’s chest still surged with power and felt warm. He felt connected with a strong force, one that he could nearly make out with his eyes, as if he were looking through thinly woven gauze. The two sentries’ psychic-frequencies became known to him just by looking at them. Kylos visualized himself and Peleus darting in front of the guards and running towards the pyramid.

The two guards watched two phantoms running by and gave chase. Peleus looked at Kylos and said, “Wow! They’re gone. Let’s go.”

Kylos barely heard Peleus’s words and just followed out of instinct. The boys barreled towards the bridge and did not stop to look back until they were nestled safely in the shadowed recess of a nearby nobleman’s manor.

“Gods, that was lucky,” Peleus said between breaths. “They must have seen someone else and thought they were us.”

“Yeah, maybe they did,” Kylos said. The haze of the astral realm was fading away, and his crystal no longer stirred with energy. A buzzing headache continued to build, though. He could not understand what had just happened with the sentries, but he knew that somehow he was the cause. The thought scared him.

How did I do that?