Aquatika - beta version - Part 12 - Chapter 1: The Wilderness

The Sun is just rising above the blue mountain peaks. What will be waiting for me at the end of my journey? Will it be failure? Will it be success?
I stretch my arms and legs and begin massaging them, to set the blood in motion. I’m fortunate to wear these leather clothes, or I would have frozen to death overnight, despite the sturdy shelter of pine branches I have built for myself before going to sleep. Starting a fire here is not an option. I have to be as inconspicuous as possible. So far, I have managed to avoid all the intercepting patrols. It would be really the worst possible bad luck to be caught right before reaching Lucero. Diana, the departure city, is now more than a thousand kilometers behind me.
It has snowed again during the night. A thin white layer covers the ground. Snow can keep you warmer in your shelter, but it is also going to reveal your tracks. So, I’ll meditate and wait for another hour, until it melts.
There’s little to eat at this altitude. For the last week, my diet consisted mostly of pine seeds and occasional mushrooms. Of course, I could risk hunting, but hunting would generate tracks. Many master candidates were caught like this and then had to wait for another year to try again. Anh cautioned me about this before the start of the test, more than five weeks ago. It feels like a lifetime has passed since then.
I do some light stretching, trying to ignore my hunger, then begin the Three Circle Meditation, focusing on gathering energy in my weakened limbs. My palms are heating up first. Then the wave of warmth extends to the rest of my body. At the same time, my perception expands, filling the forest around me. Everything is quiet for the time being. That’s good. I might have a chance to continue along the same path. Lucero can’t be too far away.
Once finished with the meditation, I take my backpack and my sword, preparing for another day of trekking. It’s getting warmer, and most of the snow has already melted. If I tread on with care, I won’t leave any visible tracks. Yet, because this is probably my final day in the Wilderness, I have to be extra careful.
I dismantle my shelter with care, hiding the used branches among a bunch of thick bushes. Anyone showing up in an hour or two should see this place as pristine as it was before I came by. Then I begin moving along a large circle. Initially, I walk away from the path that goes to my destination, circumventing a group of rocks and descending on the other side of the mountain. This detour delays my progress by about half an hour, but it’s a tactic used to confuse any potential interceptor who might still glimpse my tracks.
I continue to walk cautiously. Besides tracking patrols, the Wilderness never lacks dangers. Bears, wolves, tigers, khorals, furry snakes, green wasps, or harpagons can send you quickly out of this world if you don’t pay full attention to your surroundings. My sense of empathy has developed tremendously during the last few years, and I can sense many dangers in advance. However, I’m far from most Aquatika masters. That’s why becoming a master is so difficult.
The whole process takes a lot of stamina, endurance, and, more than anything else, mental power. Those who want to become masters need to pasts this final test. Their journey begins in Diana and goes southwards across Sirenia until they arrive in Lucero. The examination starts in the fall, always on the same date.
The candidates have fifty days to complete their mission. They need to walk the whole distance unaided and without any tools. The only thing they are allowed to carry is their sword. Even their shoes and clothing are of poor quality and wear out in a week. The contenders need to make their clothes and shoes from what the Wilderness has to offer. In the rare cases when two contender paths intersect, they are expected to part ways as soon as possible and continue their trek individually. In the meantime, intercepting patrols comb the whole area, catching those who can’t conceal their tracks well enough and sometimes saving the unlucky candidates who are in danger.
Some of the contestants who leave Diana are never seen again. Tracking devices destroyed, their bones find their final rest inside the Wilderness. From those who survive, most are caught by the intercepting patrols and taken to either Diana or Lucero, whichever is closer. They can try again in the following year. Roughly, about one in ten pass the test and become masters. Yet, nobody has ever done it from the first try. Not in the last fifty years.
This is my second attempt. If God really wants to help me, it could also be the last. Focus! Stay focused! It’s not over until you either set step in Lucero or if an intercepting patrol has caught you. Or if you’re dead.
The forest is relatively quiet, except for a few laughing birds that are faintly audible in the north. I am descending now on the eastern side of the cliff, towards the next ridge. From the top, I might even be able to glimpse the sea. Perhaps Lucero is not far, either. I keep repeating to myself that If I’m lucky, this could be my last day in the Wilderness. I had to use all my skills to go this far. I had fights with wild beasts, hunted when needed, and stayed hidden when I had to, surviving periods of hunger, thirst, cold, and sleep deprivation.
I’ve made the shoes I’m wearing from thick bear skin. My pants and shirt are from deer skin. They’re not great, but reasonably warm and comfortable for this climate. So far, I had to avoid the intercepting patrols three times. Last year I was caught on the second encounter, midway into my trip. Using my previous experience, I’ve done a better job this time. Just one more day, and everything could be over.

(to be continued...)

Books by Marian C. Ghilea:
BUTTERFLY'S DREAM: https://bit.ly/2PM63uU
TIDES OF AMBER: https://bit.ly/2HfcHVB

Image source: Pixabay - https://pixabay.com/photos/nature-3801537/

Aquatika - beta version - Part 11 - Iron Rock: Under Stars

It was a sunny day. He was swimming around Iron Rock, cutting the waves at high speed.
Where are Lila and Solis? I could easily beat them now! he thought, breathing in the salty fragrance of Zefiria.
A low humming sound coming from the island drew his attention. Next to the northern side of the stone platform, a vertical beam of light was stabbing the air, emerging from a spot deep underwater. Kolin wondered about its unusually high intensity. His eyes followed the luminous thread that seemed to connect the ocean with something above. As soon as his gaze reached it, he froze. A lenticular object that covered a big part of the sky was floating motionless in the wind.
“What is that?” the teenager gasped, with shivers of fear pouring along his spine, his body suddenly heavy and hard to keep above the water. Then he heard a voice from behind:
“This is what you get for messing with MY artifact!”
Kolin turned around and saw the burly leader of the thugs grinning in a dinghy boat. The ruffian picked up a laser pistol from his holster and shot at him. The beam hit Kolin in the abdomen. A burning sensation exploded in his stomach, and he woke up.
The cramps in his stomach had made him curl in a fetal position. He needed a few more seconds to remember where he was. The phosphorescent dial of his watch was showing 3:35.
Slowly and without switching on the light, Kolin stood up and left the bedroom. The corridor lit up when he stepped in, and he could see back in the chamber Lila and Solis deep asleep on the other two beds. Perhaps he should have listened to Anh and abstain from eating that canned food. Anyway, now it was too late for regrets. Barefoot and wearing only underwear and a t-shirt, he slowly opened the toilet door.
Ten minutes later, he was washing his hands above the sink, already feeling better. Fortunately, it had been just some mild indigestion. He’ll go back to sleep and get a good rest. The thugs will be gone by morning, and they’ll ahead back home safe and unharmed.
Kolin finished washing his hands, stepped out of the toilet, and froze. The corridor’s door towards the dome was half-open, and he could see a dark shape moving on the other side.
“They’ve got in!” he whispered. “We’re all as good as dead!”.
Without thinking, he rushed into the other dorm, where Anh and Rongo were sleeping, and shouted:
“We’ve been invaded! I don’t know how it happened, but they’re in the dome!”
Anh and Rongo jumped off their beds at once and rushed past Kolin towards the central chamber. They stopped at the end of the corridor, scanning the dome through the half-open door. One moment later, they both burst into an uncontrollable fit of laughter and walked casually towards the so-called invaders.
“Kolin, come here,” Anh said, a wide grin spreading over his face. “There’s nothing to be afraid of. They’re just maintenance robots.”
***
They woke up at seven. After a quick shower, they had a light breakfast in the cafeteria. Making sure they’d left the place tidy, the group gathered under the dome at eight. The dome was brightly lit now, its ceiling displaying a daytime view of the sky. The Sun was already way above the horizon, and the sky looked clear.
“The thugs are most likely gone,” Anh said. “We will try to get back on top of Iron Rock in the same way we left it. It’s quite likely other masters of Two Waves and Aquatika are waiting for us on the shore or even on Iron Rock’s platform. However, before we head back, we need to talk about a few things.”
He looked intently at the three teenagers and went on:
“We are going to be all right for the moment, but the danger is still there. Members of this syndicate will keep following us. For a few days, we can expect peace, but there is a high chance they are going to strike later. We don’t know their identity, but these people are certainly part of a powerful organization. Not even the headquarters of Two Waves and Aquatika could stand a full-scale attack from hundreds of well-armed thugs. They seem to have the resources and determination to attempt it. Both Rongo and I will have to leave Centria for a while.
“Here’s my plan: You will go home for now, but will be picked up in the evening by an Aquatika master and will move to the local Aquatika headquarters for the night. From there, the four of us will leave for Sirenia tomorrow, taking the artifact with us. There, in Diana, you will train and learn this art to a level where you can be considered as full members of our organization and be able to take good care of yourselves for the rest of your lives. I have written these three letters to your parents, explaining the situation. Normally, being admitted to a full training program in Aquatika requires outstanding credentials. However, we’ll need to make an exception for you, given the present circumstances.”
The youngsters went pale.
“Can’t we just lie low for a few weeks, and then maybe they’ll leave us alone?” Lila inquired, a shadow of desperation mirrored in her eyes.
“No, you can’t. You’ll even put the lives of your families in danger if you stay. However, in a few years, after things got settled and we found out who is behind this, you'll be able to come back.”
“How about taking our families with us?” the girl insisted in a trembling voice.
“That's out of the question. It would be against Aquatika’s code of conduct. You are coming with us because your lives are in danger. And because you have already seen too much,” Anh said.
“What about master Rongo? Where will he go” Solis asked.
“He’ll move to Terminus for a while. The main headquarters of his style are there. Who knows, maybe he’ll visit us in Diana sometime later.”
Rongo nodded, then smiled, but didn’t say anything.
With care, Anh set the artifact on the floor and lowered his stance, preparing for the Three Circles Meditation.
“Now, let’s get ready to leave this place,” he announced.
With slumped shoulders, Kolin and Solis were gazing at their feet. Tears were flowing freely along Lila’s cheeks, in a silent cry. 

(to be continued...)

Books by Marian C. Ghilea:
BUTTERFLY'S DREAM: https://bit.ly/2PM63uU
TIDES OF AMBER: https://bit.ly/2HfcHVB

Image source: Pixabay - https://pixabay.com/photos/beach-1836377/

Aquatika - beta version - Part 10 - Iron Rock: Under Stars

“I believe it served as an observation base and command post for space launches,” the supreme master said. “Perhaps it was also used as a closed-system designed to test long-duration space flights. It produces its electricity, recycles the air, and can store significant amounts of food. Using diving equipment, people would come through the underwater access point, spending here weeks or even months, isolated from the rest of the world. At some point, it seems they also began to use it as a data center, gathering all these books to preserve them for future generations.”
“Have they left any notes?”
“I haven’t found anything in the library so far. Right now, Rongo is exploring the console. However, as he’s not familiar with the Old Script, it may take him a while to find something useful.”
This was not a place they could explore in detail in just a few hours. A large team of people would need weeks to make sense of everything.  Kolin decided to change the topic of discussion:
“Do you think they kept any movies in the library?”
“There is a console behind a shelf over there. It might give you access to their digital data. I haven’t checked it yet.”
In the meantime, Lila and Solis also entered the room.
 “Are there any books we can read?” Solis asked.
“Check that shelf from the corner,” Anh replied without lifting his eyes from the book he was browsing, repeating what he had just said to Kolin.
“I’ve found the console!” Kolin cried from behind a shelf half-way from the entrance. “It seems they have a video database, too. However, as everything is written in the Old Script, I have no idea how to navigate through it.”
Pushed by curiosity, Solis and Lila joined him a few seconds later.
“Just chose whatever happens to be at hand, then we’ll see whether it’s worth watching or not,” the girl suggested.
“Good idea. So, let’s check this one then.”
The display was showing a view from space, with a planet in the center. However, it was not Atlantide but an unknown world, with more land and less water. A female voice began narrating in an unknown language. The planet became larger and larger, the view zooming in, crossing the atmosphere until it focused on a single building made mostly of glass and shaped like a cube. It seemed to be a science department. Inside, a man was teaching a class to a dozen of students seated in long benches. Complex equations filled the whiteboards behind him. Apparently, it was a physics lesson.
“There won’t be any fun watching this. We can’t understand anything, even if most of the math symbols look similar to what we use today,” Lila concluded.
Solis closed the video and tried to find something more entertaining, but all the files they managed to open were instructional materials.
“Perhaps they have a movie database somewhere, but until we can read the menu, it will take a long time to find it. Let’s better check the few books they’ve got in the Modern Script,” he decided.
The shelf mentioned by Anh had perhaps thirty books with recognizable symbols. Most of them were treaties of physics, math, or engineering; one was a novel, one a poetry anthology, and one a history textbook. The youngsters picked up the three non-technical tomes and left the library.
Solis checked his wristwatch. It was already past 20. He said:
“I think I’ll take a shower, then lie in bed and read until I fall asleep.”
“I’ll do the same,” Kolin agreed.
“I suppose there’s nothing better to do for me, either,” Lila concluded.
The three teenagers entered the shower room, each choosing a cabin. A cupboard was mounted on the wall near the entrance, filled with large, fluffy, white towels. The walls, floor, and ceiling were blue, reflecting the white light of three square lamps from the ceiling. The cabins, separated by thick, dark panels of stainless glass, contained shelves with soap and shampoo. And they also had faucets with cold and hot water mounted on top.
“The glass quality is top-notch!” Kolin exclaimed, examining the walls of his cabin while getting undressed. “You’d swear it came from the best factories in Vitria.
“I have to agree, all this place looks impressive,” Solis called from the neighboring cabin. “It would rival any good hotel.”
“I think the best hotels from Konkordo and Dianto have better soap and shampoo,” Lila laughed from the opposite direction.
Nevertheless, the soap and shampoo were more than OK to clean their bodies. The hot water felt wonderful on their skin.
“So, where does this artifact come from? What do you think?” Kolin asked.
“It must belong to the forbidden technology. Something made before the war,” Lila replied. “To think it’s been so long ago… I suppose the world back then looked so different from now….”
“Almost like another planet,” Solis added.
Their minds began wondering, trying to imagine that strange world. However, it was impossible to visualize those times. An era where people used to travel to other planets, and perhaps even to other stars.
“Why have we stopped going to space?” Lila asked, surprised by her question.
Kolin tried to say something but realized he couldn’t possibly find an answer. On the other side of the glass, Solis also stayed silent. Suddenly, the world had become a lot larger and way more mysterious.
They spent about twenty minutes under the hot stream, chatting happily through the thin cabin panels. Then, clean and refreshed, the teenagers left the shower room and headed towards the dome.
Here they found Anh and Rongo seated at the circular console. Rongo was talking in a low voice, showing Anh something on the touch-screens from the circular console.
“The showers work great!” Lila cried, waving towards the masters. “You should try them, too!”
“A bit later,” Rongo replied, keeping his eyes to the screen. “We were checking the map of this facility. There seems to be another level below, ampler and better equipped than this one.”
“Are you trying to access it, too?” Kolin inquired.
“It would be great if we could get there. This whole place is fascinating,” Anh responded, lifting his eyes from the displays and gazing at the youngsters.
“Can you reach it with the artifact?” Solis asked.
“I’ve tried, but it’s shielded against this type of connection,” Anh said.
“Please let us know if you need any help,” Solis added. “We’re going to the bedrooms.”
The masters smiled. Then, as the teenagers were leaving the dome, they turned back to the console and their secrets, only meant for the initiated. Inside the dome, the simulated stars continued their slow, uniform movement: a small sky of stone mirroring the night sky above.

(to be continued...)

Books by Marian C. Ghilea:

BUTTERFLY'S DREAM: https://bit.ly/2PM63uU

TIDES OF AMBER: https://bit.ly/2HfcHVB

Image source: Pixabay - https://pixabay.com/photos/bathroom-3346387/

Aquatika - beta version - Part 9 - Iron Rock: Under Stars

The last door opened into a long corridor that was descending in a mild slope towards a well connecting to the ocean.
“I suppose the only way in and out is with the diving equipment on,” Rongo said.
“Unless the access to the ocean is blocked,” the supreme master replied. “Anyway, I don’t think we should be worried about an invasion coming from here. So far, we’re doing fine: we have a working toilet, water to drink, and beds to sleep. The air feels fresh, and that means the ventilation system is fully functional. Nothing to worry about for the night.”
Then they heard Solis’ voice coming from under the dome:
“There is food here. They also have books. Many books!”
“Books?” Anh exclaimed and strode out towards the door from the other side of the dome.
The western corridor was somewhat similar to the first, with ten doors on its sides. However, it only had two dormitories. There was a shower room next to the toilet, with three bathing cabins inside.  Besides the storage rooms, two more chambers were present. One had food cans on counters, with tables and chairs for serving it spread around, obviously a cafeteria and a kitchen. The other was quite large, filled by long shelves with thousands and thousands of books. The books were written in the Old Script, which only Anh could read.
“Let’s check the food area first,” Kolin said. “I’m starving.”
“You think the food is still edible after so many centuries?” Rongo cautioned.
“That depends on how well it was preserved,” Lila added.
The food was stored in cans, with labels for the contents written in the same script and accompanied by suggestive illustrations. From the description, the contents inside the small metal containers  had been preserved all this time in vacuum. Most of the cans contained fish, some had vegetables, and a few held beef and lamb. On a separate shelf, there were even canned fruits.
“I urge caution with this stuff,” Anh said. “It might be quite different from our current diet and could generate intestinal trouble. If we all get sick, two toilets might not be enough…”
“I’ll try this one,” Kolin announced and picked up a can with the image of a tuna fish. He went to the kitchen side where a stove, a faucet, and a sink were present, and began looking around for a tool to open it. There was none. So he came back to the Aquatika supreme master:
“Master Anh, how do I open this?”
The master took the can and read the instructions on the lid. Then he replied:
“See this thin ring on the side? You need to pull it, and the lid should come off.”
“Thank you!” Kolin said and pulled the ring.
The lid came off with a hissing sound, revealing a delicious-looking cream with a savory fragrance.
“Wow!” the boy cried. “This smells great!”
Kolin rushed back to the kitchen stand, took a spoon and a bowl from a cupboard, poured the mixture in, took a seat at one of the tables, and began to eat from the can with delight. The others looked at him with mixed expressions.  Moments later, Solis and Lila also made up their minds. They went to the shelves, and each chose a can based on the image printed next to its label. Solis got some ham, and Lila picked a pineapple stew. They grabbed bowls and spoons and joined Kolin for dinner.
“What about us?” Rongo asked, turning to the supreme master. “Should we follow the kids’ example?”
“I’d rather wait for another two or three hours. You are also a master. Perhaps it won’t be a bad idea if you did the same. As I said, there are only two toilets in here.”
“You’re right, Master Anh,” Rongo agreed. “I’m not even that hungry.”
Anh turned to the teenagers and said:
“Kids, I’m going to the library. If you need me, I will be there.”
He left the cafeteria and disappeared behind the next door. Rongo went back to the central dome and began to study the console.
Kolin was the first to finish his meal. With a satisfied expression, he put the empty can in the trash bin next to the wall, washed the metal bowl and the spoon, and set them back on the kitchen shelf.
“How are you feeling?” Lila asked.
“So far, still fine,” the boy replied, laughing. “I’m going to the library, too. Who knows, maybe not all the books are in the Old Script. Perhaps I can find something nice to read.”
After the dome, the library was the largest room in the underground base. Despite being there for so many centuries, all the books looked new. Soon, Kolin found the cause of their excellent condition: the pages were not made of ordinary paper, but of a white material that looked much sturdier. Here and there, he took books from the shelves, browsed a few pages, then put them back. All were written in the Old Script.
A few armchairs and tables were visible at the far end of the room. Anh was there, reading from a book.
“What are you reading?” Kolin asked.
“Just checking some technical literature,” the supreme master replied.
“Are there any books here that I could read?”
“There are a few on the shelf there,” the supreme Anh said, pointing towards a corner of the room. “Most are about math and physics. I think one is about history, describing the colonization period.”
“That's great! So I can read something nice before I fall asleep,” the youngster said, rubbing his hands with satisfaction. Then, after a short pause, he asked:
“Master Anh, what is this place? What was its purpose?”

(to be continued...)

Books by Marian C. Ghilea:
BUTTERFLY'S DREAM: https://bit.ly/2PM63uU
TIDES OF AMBER: https://bit.ly/2HfcHVB
Image source: Pixabay - https://pixabay.com/photos/lost-places-1574554/

Aquatika - beta version - Part 8 - Iron Rock: Under Stars

The crossing felt like diving into a pool with a vertical surface, and then they found themselves in an entirely different place. A spacious hemispherical room, perhaps twenty meters in diameter, surrounded now the group. Thousands of dots were shining over the dark surface of the dome above, generated by a spherical projector placed on a tall pole. It was an elaborate model of the night sky, reflecting the current position of the stars. Even Sen was in the right spot, freshly risen from the sea. The floor and the side-wall had a pleasant, soothing light-blue color. Oval lamps mounted at regular intervals along the cylindrical wall under the dome bathed the chamber in a discreet blue light.
The whole place looked clean and well-maintained. In the center, a white circular console was visible, surrounded by six blue rotating chairs. Two blue doors, perhaps made of metal, were visible on the western and the eastern sides of the wall.
The supreme master was still holding the artifact in his hands, but no more light radiated from it. The air was warmer than outside and also seemed somewhat denser. They could all feel its higher pressure in their ears.
“Where are we?” Kolin asked, breaking the uneasy silence.
“Inside the Iron Rock,” Anh replied. “Where else could we be?”
“That means we’re safe,” Rongo said. “We only need to stay here overnight. By tomorrow, the thugs will have to give up. Their presence would become way too conspicuous for any police patrol passing by.” Then, turning to Anh, he added:
“I suppose we can get out of here in the same way we came.”
“The artifact is in good shape. I can certainly use it to bring us back,” the supreme master confirmed.
“The thugs could still keep this place under observation tomorrow,” Solis said.
“Yes, but they can’t stop us from taking the artifact to a safer place,” Anh concluded.
“So, what are we going to do now?” Lila asked. “I don’t expect them to have food or phones in here, but I could certainly use a toilet.”
“Well, let’s take a look around,” the supreme master said, a smile blooming on his face.
The group stepped closer to the center of the dome. Dozens of luminous panels covered the console, with three screens displaying images from outside.
“Where does the electric power come from?” Kolin asked.
“Probably a nuclear reactor,” Rongo replied.
“The outside view doesn’t seem to be from Iron Rock,” Anh said.
They examined the displays. The apparent live feeds showed a deserted rocky shore similar to Iron Rock, but without the regular shape of the little island. The location didn’t seem far away, as the stars and Sen were in the same places in the sky.
“I have no idea where the feed comes from,”  Rongo admitted, shrugging. “Let’s see the rest of this place. ”
“Everything’s unusually clean for something abandoned centuries or even millennia ago,” Solis remarked as the moved on.
“There must be  some automatic machines that take care of it,” Anh decided.
The supreme master set the artifact on one of the chairs, then they all turned around and went towards the blue door from the east. Lila rotated the handle and opened it. A dimly lit corridor, flanked by doors on both sides, extended in front of her. Each door had something written on it in foreign characters, most of them with strangely rounded shapes.
“Oh, it's the Old Script!” Anh said. “Of course, it was quite popular during those days.”
“Does any of the doors have ‘toilet’ written on it?” the girl asked in a pleading voice.
“The third on the left,” the Aquatika master said. “Let’s check first if it still works”.
Anh opened the door. The lamp from the ceiling switched on as soon as he stepped in, flooding the room with white light. It had a toilet seat near the left wall and a sink for hand washing on the right. An elegant oval mirror with a golden frame covered the wall above the sink. The walls, floor, and ceiling were white, with the sink and seat colored in light-green. Everything looked clean and appeared to be functional. The supreme master checked the water flushing and the faucet. They were working fine.
“Well, I suppose we’ll be all right until tomorrow,” he said and went outside. With hurried steps, Lila entered the room and closed the door behind her.
“What else do they have here?” Rongo asked.
Anh replied, reading the inscriptions:
“Let’s see… We have nine doors. The first four, two on each side, are bedrooms. Third on the left is the toilet, as we have just seen. Then, on the same side, comes a medical cabinet. The two doors on the right are storage spaces. The one in front, at the end of the hallway, is supposed to lead outside.”
They checked the bedrooms. The chambers were clean, their floors covered by dark-blue carpets and walls painted in light-blue. Each had three beds made of lacquered Esperian wood, with dark-blue blankets and red pillows on top. A table and two chairs, also made of wood, were standing close to the back wall.
The walls of the medical cabinet were painted in light-red and had first-aid kits, boxes with pills, and instruments for health checks. One of the storage rooms was filled with diving equipment, the other contained tools for maintenance: from wrenches and screwdrivers to soldering irons and multimeters. Everywhere they entered, the rooms looked clean, and the lights would turn on and off automatically unless they switched them to manual by rotating a wall knob next to the door.

(to be continued...)

Books by Marian C. Ghilea:
BUTTERFLY'S DREAM: https://bit.ly/2PM63uU
TIDES OF AMBER: https://bit.ly/2HfcHVB

Image source: Pixabay - https://pixabay.com/photos/blur-1853957/

Aquatika - beta version - Part 7 - Iron Rock: Purple Sundown

You know, the legends say this island is hollow inside,” the supreme master stated.
“Even so, it doesn’t help us with anything, as there is no door to get access to its interior,” the younger fighter complained.
“What if we use the artifact to find out?”
Everybody’s eyes turned towards Anh, with stunned expressions.
“How?” Rongo asked.
“I’ll show you in a couple of minutes.”
“Don’t tell me…” the Two Waves master began.
“That’s the best plan I can think of,” the supreme master confirmed.
Anh set his feet shoulder-width, bent his knees slightly, and held his arms in front as if he was hugging a tree, with the palms turned inside. He was now doing the standard Three Circles Meditation, often used by the practitioners of Aquatika. The Two Waves master threw a glance towards the coast. A few pale lights were already moving along the narrow beach.
“They’re coming,” he whispered. “This is much sooner than I expected. We might still have five minutes of quiet, but not much longer. Perhaps the thugs who showed up earlier were only a decoy. I have the feeling this time we are going to face fighters who are both experienced and well-armed.”
“Maybe we should take the boats and try to row north, away from the shore,” Lila suggested.
“It will never work. Look there!” Rongo sighed, pointing with his left hand towards the ocean. Three dark shapes were slowly approaching the Iron Rock from that direction.
“It’s over!” Solis lamented. “They’ll reach the platform in less than three minutes!”
The teenagers could sense the fear growing inside their chests and pouring down their spines. It was slowly spreading, like a layer of melting ice, over the whole rocky platform. Even Rongo had now a preoccupied expression. His body, like that of a tiger, was ready to spring into action at any moment. The only person oblivious to the whole situation was Anh, who continued to meditate with his eyes half-closed, facing east.
The silvery rays coming from Sen seemed to get gradually entangled between his palms. When the teenagers took a closer look, they could see a blue sphere taking shape there. A sparkling yarn perhaps twenty centimeters in size made entirely of light.
Perhaps they were getting the boats ready. In the opposite direction, the three larger vessels were standing by motionless, only about fifty meters away from the platform’s edge. They were waiting for a signal to launch their attack. Time was running short.
The sphere between Anh’s hands was becoming brighter. Without moving, the master called:
“Rongo, please take the artifact and set it on the ground, about one meter in front of me.”
The Two Waves master obeyed quickly. Anh bent his knees deeper, then his palms pushed the sphere of energy towards the artifact. The sphere went in. Almost instantly, the box came to life. A halo of blue light emerged from it, slowly expanding. It reached a diameter of almost one meter in less than a minute.
The people on the coast and those from the boats must have seen it, too. The lights from the shore were gone, but five dark shapes were moving fast across the waves, towards the island. They were going to reach Iron Rock in less than two minutes. The three vessels from the open sea were also getting closer.  In one minute or less, they were going to reach the northern side of the platform. Time was running out.
“Jump in!” Anh commanded.
“Jump where?” Solis asked, caught by surprise.
“Into the sphere surrounding the artifact! Hurry!” the supreme master retorted.
Lila was the first who understood what he meant and rushed towards the halo that now had a diameter of almost one meter and a half. As soon as she reached its boundary, her image flickered, and she was gone. Solis, then Kolin, followed in short succession.
Rongo stayed behind  a little longer, turned towards Anh, and asked:
“What about you?”
“I’ll be the last one to go through.”
“And the artifact?”
“We’ll take it with us, of course.”
With a sigh of relief, the Two Waves master went in, followed by Anh. One moment later, the halo switched off, and the artifact vanished. The besiegers were already stepping onto Iron Rock’s cylindrical platform.

(to be continued...)

Books by Marian C. Ghilea:
BUTTERFLY'S DREAM: https://bit.ly/2PM63uU
TIDES OF AMBER: https://bit.ly/2HfcHVB

Image source: Pixabay - https://pixabay.com/photos/sky-3335585/

Aquatika - beta version - Part 6 - Iron Rock: Purple Sundown

“I suppose that green car over there is yours,” Anh said, looking at the road.
“That’s right. It was the fastest way to travel along the coast the twelve kilometers to this location,” the Two Waves master replied. “And the blue car has to be yours.”
“Of course. My place is fifteen kilometers away, beyond Akonit.”
“There is just one road passing by the coast, mostly surrounded by forest. Few cars use it at night. They must have prepared roadblocks on each side.”
“It’s the most likely scenario.”
“Who knows, perhaps our cars have already been tampered with and won’t even start.”
“Should we check them now?”
“Let’s decide first if we’re going to use them.”
Both Rongo and Anh went silent, thinking of a way out.
To his surprise, Kolin heard himself breaking in:
“I live about five kilometers away, in Akonit’s suburbs. Perhaps I could put the artifact in my backpack and take it to my home for the night? I doubt the thugs would recognize me.“
The masters turned their heads and examined him for several long seconds.
“I don’t think this is going to work,” Rongo said. “They would be watching the road and anyone who leaves this place.”
“Let's think from the thugs’ perspective,” Anh replied. “They know who we are, they know we’re here, and they know we have the artifact. Those who tried to kill us on the Iron Rock have certainly sent signals to other people on the shore. The gang didn’t have enough men and weapons to stop us here, so they moved away from the beach for the time being. Or they didn’t want to start a fight in this spot, for fear of leaving too many tracks. These men would likely ambush us on our way out, somewhere farther away along the road. It would be easy to make it look like an accident. For the same reason, it’s quite likely they didn’t tamper with the cars. I think it’s a good idea to call our headquarters. Even so, the help must be discreet, or the police will soon find out what’s going on, and we’ll need to hand them over the artifact.”
“I’ll go to the payphone,” Rongo said and strode through the grove towards the road.
It was getting dark, but Sen was going to appear in the sky at any moment. The waiting was tense. Four or five minutes later, Rongo came back. His face, reflecting the pale light coming from Sen just rising from the sea, said everything.
“The payphone doesn’t work,” Anh said.
“As expected, they’ve made it inoperative,” Rongo confirmed. “I think the thugs have surrounded us and are slowly closing in.”
“Their reinforcement must have arrived. Too late to dash out. We should probably retreat to Iron Rock.”
“What about the kids?”
“I don’t think the thugs will let them pass. They know too much already. The safest course for them is to come with us.”
Rongo turned to the teenagers:
“Sorry for the mess, I think we should all go back to the Island. I know it's getting late, and your families are expecting you at home, but it’s too dangerous to leave you alone.”
"We're going to be in deep trouble when we get back," Lila mumbled.
“Don’t worry about that,” Rongo said, smiling. “We’ll talk to your parents.”
“Do your parents know you are here?” Anh asked.
The teenagers looked at each other for a few moments with guilty expressions.
“We told them we’re going to a concert downtown,” Solis said. “They don’t expect us at home before twenty-one.”
“So, no chance of them calling the police and sending a squad over here later,” Rongo concluded. “Well, even the police came by, they would be outmatched by the thugs. We’ll have to take care of ourselves. Perhaps it’s better this way. Let’s go!”
Without wasting any more time, the group jumped into the boats and rowed towards the Iron Rock. They only left the cars and bicycles behind. Kolin looked for a moment at the beautiful light-green disc of Sen, still touching the fuzzy horizon of Zephiria. Everything felt like a dream. Or perhaps like a nightmare. A chance discovery and an innocent contest had just turned into a deadly game.
The Iron Rock was isolated by the sea, but it was an exposed area. They were never going to survive an assault coming from dozens of well-armed attackers. Unless some of the legends were true, and they could hide INSIDE it…
The boats reached the stone steps, and the group climbed back onto the platform.
“It’s quite exposed,” Anh remarked, assessing the situation.
“The water might delay them by half an hour or so, but not much longer,” Rongo agreed.

(to be continued…)

Books by Marian C. Ghilea:
BUTTERFLY’S DREAM: https://bit.ly/2PM63uU
TIDES OF AMBER: https://bit.ly/2HfcHVB

Image source: Pixabay – https://pixabay.com/photos/tide-569367/