City of Gold (12 page)

Xerx staggered back a step; the redness of his eyes shimmering. “You would know all about painlessly discarding outdated things wouldn’t you...the way you dashed after the Book and left Jade standing alone. Right when she needed you most.”

Cody felt his stomach churn. “If you say one more word about Jade so help me….”

Xerx smirked victoriously. “Makes one wonder if you ever cared about her at all….”

“
Fraymour!
” A blazing comet erupted from Cody’s hands. “Sellunga!” Instantly a metal shield materialized in Xerx’s hands just in time to repel the flare. The fire streamed around the shield causing the metal to glow red.

“Ahh!
Byrae!
” Xerx yelled, dropping the smoldering shield. A gust of wind billowed around the bend, catching the flame and hurling it back. Cody dove sideways as the inferno scorched the earth where he had been standing. “
Dastanda!
” A dust devil spiraled around Cody, bits of sand stinging his eyes.

Cody buried his face in his arm. “
Duomi!
” With a blinding explosion the ground detonated, propelling them both to the ground. “
Vapiroi!
” Cody was suddenly engulfed in dense smoke. He coughed as he inhaled black fog into his lungs. Squinting his burning eyes, he pivoted just in time to see a fist flying at his face.
Smack!

The bitter taste of blood soaked Cody’s tongue as he somersaulted out of control. Xerx leaped through the smoke swinging his fists down like a hammer. Cody tucked his knees into his chest. “
Umph!
” Xerx wheezed.

Their hands grasped each other’s necks as they began rolling down the rest of the mountain. With a thud they hit the bottom and were flung onto their backs. Both were breathing heavily, too exhausted to continue. An uncomfortable silence ensued as they slowly stood and dusted themselves off. Finally Xerx grinned sheepishly. “I’ve wanted to do that for some time.” Cody released a light chuckle. “Me, too!”

“We’ve been wasting valuable time. We must return to the group, come on.” They scurried around the mountain’s base until Xerx’s arm shot out and stopped Cody. “There’s a man up ahead leaning against that tree.”

Several paces from their location a soldier with waist-length hair stood spying the other direction. Cody breathed a sigh of relief. “It’s Tryin! He was on watch duty.” Cody ran toward him. “We’re in danger! The others are under attack!” Cody grabbed the soldier’s shoulder. The moment he touched him, Tryin collapsed lifelessly to the ground—four arrow shafts lodged in his chest.

“Ah!” Cody screamed, jumping back. Xerx knelt beside the fallen warrior. “Look at the primitive design,” he observed pointing to the shafts. Rather than wood, the shafts were made of solid stone. “These arrows were not shot from an El Doridian bow.”

Cody felt panic stirring. “Then, who killed him?”

Xerx began backing away. “I think we need to get out of here…
fast
.”

A bellowing war cry erupted around them. Before Cody could react he felt tight pressure against his right temple and blacked out.

27

Exchanging Destinies

HE COULDN’T MOVE. His entire body was paralyzed. The slithering sensation of fear gripped him. Cody’s eyes darted back and forth but his head was frozen still. Straight ahead, all he could see was an altar-structure covered with fist-sized stones.
Where am I? Why can’t I move?

“Xerx…you here, too?” In reply came a gruff cough. “Yeah, yeah, I’m here.” Cody tried craning his neck toward the voice but was unable.

“I can’t move.”

“Neither can I,” Xerx muttered. “I think they have us bound to poles. Won’t be difficult to free ourselves with the High Language. Maybe if we…” Suddenly Cody’s heart jumped. He was consumed by the feeling of nakedness, as though his soul had been ripped away.

“The Book! I can’t feel the Book’s energy!” Cody didn’t need to see Xerx to sense that the fear had now infected him as well.

“If we burst out with the High Language, whoever stole the Book could flee with it. If they attempt to read from it they could call the Hunter. We can’t afford the risk. All we can do is wait for them to return and hope they bring the Book.”

Cody felt a stream of sweat rolling over his upper lip and onto his tongue. Unable to brush it away, he pursed his lips, trying to redirect its path. It seemed like they had waited hours but still there was no sign of their captor. Neither of them had restarted the conversation, but eventually the wearisome silence grew too much for Cody to handle.

“Why do you hate me?” Cody asked, immediately surprised by his own question. It was genuine curiosity, no trace of bitterness. After several moments without a reply, Cody resigned himself to the silence.

“I’ve never hated you.”

The sudden response startled Cody. “You’ve hated me from the moment I arrived in Atlantis.”

“That’s not true,” countered Xerx, but Cody pressed further. “Since
day one
in the Monastery you’ve had it in for me. You were against me before you even
knew
me…
why?
”

To Cody’s surprise, Xerx’s response was soft. “Have you ever watched somebody else live the life you were meant to live? Succeeding where you always failed? Watching all of it and being utterly helpless to change it?”

The question caught Cody off guard. Images of his childhood invaded his mind: of his neighbors playing catch with their father; of being shoved to the cafeteria floor and hearing his lunch distributed among the jocks.

“Yes, I have,” he responded, “but I never meant to steal your life.”

“But you
did!
” Xerx cried. “The moment your fingers pressed against that scarlet A my destiny became yours.”

“I didn’t mean to interfere with your training,” Cody began, but Xerx laughed. “My training? I wasn’t just training…I was being
groomed
. From the day I was born.” Xerx took a deep breath. “I am the lone remaining heir in the Wesleyan line; the last seed in the Book Keeper lineage. I remember the night he told me that he and his wife were fleeing to Upper-Earth. I begged to go, but he refused. He told me there would come a day when I would be needed to protect the Book.”

“I didn’t know Wesley was married,” Cody admitted softly.

“Sadria. A beautiful lady; headstrong and wise. Wesley urged her to remain in Atlantis but she would hear none of it. So, while the Book kept Wesley from aging; Sadria’s proximity only slowed the inevitable. Can you imagine the agony of watching your true love slowly die, knowing that you were destined to everlasting life without her? It was the ultimate sacrifice for the Book’s safety.”

Cody recalled Wesley’s tired, almost
relieved
, eyes before his death and his haunting words: “
Boy, I’m sorry it had to be you. Destiny is a sly devil, my lad.
” Cody felt a tear welling in his eye. “I’m sorry...I didn’t realize.”

“Wesley’s death was devastating, but I was prepared to take the torch, to offer my own life as a sacrifice. That is, until you pranced into the Sanctuary. An outsider; an oblivious Surface-Dweller sharing none of Wesley’s burden. It was all a game to you. Each day as Under-Earth’s newest celebrity you became smugger. Then, just when I thought you’d pillaged every bit of my wasted life, you stole the one I love.”

“What are you talking about?” Cody cut in, “Jade’s just a friend and…”

“Not her, you idiot—Ti.”

Cody’s face grew cold. “Tiana? I had no idea…wait…you call her
Ti
, too?”

Xerx laughed joylessly. “You seem surprised? I still remember the way she looked at me her first morning in the Brotherhood.”

“Wait…Tiana was trained by Stalkton in the Monastery?” Cody’s mind was in overload trying to fit together all the pieces.

“She was special. What took most trainees years, she mastered in days. We had an instant connection. It’s hard to explain, but whenever we were together she made me feel a way…I’ve never felt before.”

“What happened?”

“I proposed.”

“You did what?!” Cody exclaimed in shock. “What did she say?”

“Nothing. She stared at me for a moment, and then she just turned around and left. The next morning came and she didn’t show up for training. She never came back. It was like our relationship never existed.” Xerx stopped, suddenly realizing he had said more than intended. “Not that I expect you of all people to understand.”

Cody’s heart rate was increasing.
Oh, I do, better than you know.

“I think Wesley was right about you.”

Xerx coughed as he retracted the words already exiting his mouth. “Excuse me? Right about what?”

Cody continued assertively, “There
will
come a time when it’s up to you to protect the Book—and I think that time is
now
. I’m sorry for the hurt I’ve caused you. I was blinded by my new power and everyone else paid the price for it. But through my many mistakes I’ve realized that I can’t do this on my own. As badly as I want to be the
mighty hero of Atlantis
, I
can’t
…not without help….” Cody hesitated. “Xerx, I need you. You are a more gifted creator than I will ever be, even
with
the Book. I’m asking you, despite the grief I’ve caused, to help me. Maybe this was your destiny all along.”

Before Xerx could respond the air sounded with the beating of drums. Cody tensed up. A procession of men came charging just into Cody’s line of sight. Their skin appeared to be painted entirely gray and red with designs spiraling around their limbs like an untrimmed vine.

One of the strange men thrust his face in front of Cody. In the place of teeth, sharpened stones had been fastened and rock shards jutted from his nostrils and eyebrows. Cody swallowed the lump in his throat—the
Garga
.

The barbarian released a blood-curdling, guttural cry that was echoed by the others. He grabbed Cody by the cheeks.

“Let the sacrifice begin.”

28

The Garga

CODY WINCED AS THE ECCENTRIC WARRIOR smeared dirt across his face. “What do you want with us?” The man paid no heed as he continued chanting and spreading the mud over all exposed skin.
All it would take is one simple word
, Cody thought, readying to strike.

“The Book…” Xerx whispered, sharing his thoughts, “wait for the
opportune moment
….” Cody grimaced as the mud sunk into his bare cuts from the mountain tumble. The tribesman raised his hand, wielding a coarse, pointed stone. With a shout he slashed the crude dagger toward Cody. “
Ahh!
”

Cody threw his hands above his head; the severed rope bindings dangled loosely from his wrists. Several more slices and he was finally free from bondage. Cody quickly scanned the surroundings. Xerx was correct; he had been bound to a stone column by his head, arms, chest, and legs.

There were ten barbarians in total; several stood just outside of vision, their spears aimed at Xerx.
Good thing we didn’t try to break out!
Cody conducted a quick inventory but the Book was nowhere to be seen.

A sharp spear point pricked his back, guiding him to the stone-covered altar. The savage with rocks jutting from his nose, evidently the chief, waited with his hands outstretched and eyes gazing to the cave’s ceiling. Reaching him, the chief’s strong hands forced Cody to his knees.

The chief ceased chanting and peered down at Cody. When he spoke his voice was like a boxed tornado. “Lowly infidel, will you repent of your unholy blasphemy?”

Cody tried standing but firm hands pressed him down. “Who are you? What do you want from us? You’re making a big mistake!” The chief flung his head back and released a piercing shriek, once again echoed by the others.

“The Great Garganton wills as He wills. We are the
Garga
, meek worshipers of His grandeur!”

As the leader spoke, Cody’s eyes continued to hunt for the Book. “The Great Garganton? Never heard of him. Let me speak with him.” Cody uttered, trying to buy time.

The crazed chief slapped him across his cheek. “Blasphemy! How dare you defile the Great One’s name with such arrogant sacrilege! It’s only by the Great One’s mercy you have even been allowed to live!” As the wild man shouted, he motioned upward. Cody saw only the faint roof of the gem-dotted cave and the immense, dangling stalactites.

“The…cave?” Cody inquired.

The response drew another solid slap. “Continue with caution…your clear ignorance is all that prevents the Great One’s wrath. The pagan Orb-worshipers have already brainwashed you. Your inclusive cult claims glory for itself,
blind
to the Great One’s generosity. The gift to dwell within his very mouth.”

Cody involuntarily laughed as things finally made sense. “You think
this
…” he motioned all around, “is the inside of some enormous stone-god’s mouth?” His laughter increased as he pointed to the stalactites. “Those
teeth
are just a common rock formation in every
cave
; which is exactly where we are, a cave. How could you believe such
nonsense
?”