Destiny (7 page)

Sean’s brows furled as the small Greek man recovered smoothly, blowing low over Doctor Evans’ hand. He was up to something. “Please allow me to properly introduce myself, I am Lieutenant Aenixal and these are my men from the city of Fira and Ormos. I hope you will allow me to apologize for our mistake on this matter, Professor Evans. I’m sure Regional Governor Machairidis will explain everything to Mayor Aixi in the morning, but at the moment, this leaves my men and me in a delicate position.”

Releasing his hand, Doctor Evans placed her hands on her hips. “How so Lieutenant?”

Looking embarrassed, the small man gave her a chagrined look. “Being just a lowly Lieutenant, the Mayor is not likely to want to hear my simple explanations.” Looking at her slyly, he continued. “My men and I would be eternally grateful if you would be willing to explain your … status … given by Regional Governor Machairidis himself to the Mayor.”

“You mean Mayor Aixi is so crass that he would shoot the messenger?”

“Not in so many words, Ma’am, but in essence, yes.” Stepping to the side, the Lieutenant gestured at the men standing behind him nervously as his bushy black mustache twitched from his grin. “It would only take a moment. We could quickly escort you to the Mayor’s office in Fira and have you back to the ship in no time.”

Casually glancing over her shoulder, Doctor Evans hemmed and hawed as she caught Sean’s eye. Quickly, he held up one large hand with four fingers before she turned back to the Lieutenant. “I understand your predicament, and I would be more than happy to help you and your men out with the Mayor.”

“Thank you, Ma’am, if you would just follow me.”

“One moment Lieutenant, Captain do you have four men free from duty who could escort me?”

Seeing the Lieutenant mouth drop open, Sean smiled broadly. “Well, most everyone is needed for your dig Ma’am, but I’m free.” Looking back over his shoulder casually, he gave the Chief a nod. “With the ship docked, I believe Mr. McDougal is also available at the moment.”

Grinning, the Chief Engineer winked back at Sean. “I have two lads available for escort duty.”

Sean saw the Lieutenant trying to cut in as the Chief clapped a hand on the shoulders of the two largest men in the group standing beside him. “Hans and Wolfgang, would you care to join us with the Doctor?”

Smiling, both large blonde men spoke in their heavy German-accented English as they cracked their knuckles grinning. “Ja Chief, we are ready to go with Frau Evans when you are.”

Clapping her hands together happily, Doctor Evans gave the Lieutenant a huge smile. “I couldn’t ask your men go out of their way to bring me back to the ship after visiting with your Mayor. It doesn’t make any sense.”

“It’s no trouble, Ma’am. My men would be ...”

“Lieutenant, I must insist. It just wouldn’t be proper to do anything else. If you want my help, you will respect my wishes.”

“B…B…But” The small Greek man stuttered as he looked back and forth between the towering men walking up behind Doctor Evans.

“Lieutenant, I am willing to break away from the greatest discovery of the century to help you and your men. The least you could do is not waste my time.” Pushing the Lieutenant gently down the gangplank, Doctor Evans continued talking. “We’ll be right behind you in just a moment, but first I have to get a couple of pictures for our meeting with the Mayor.”

Sean could see the Lieutenant wanted to argue, but at this point, there wasn’t much for him to say without sounding unreasonable. Unhappily, the islander men headed back to their boat as Doctor Evans turned to face the rest of the crew.

“Everyone else get back to work. We’ll be back in a jiffy.” Picking up her radio, Doctor Evans spoke quickly. “Sharon, I need you to bring me a copy of those pictures from the main chamber ... Yes, the first five of that series would be perfect … I need them as soon as possible … I’m by the gangplank … Hurry.” Doctor Evans hung her radio on her belt turning back to Sean.

“What do you think, Captain?”

“I don’t trust them, Ma’am.”

“Aye, they’re up to something. I’d bet next month’s pay on it.” Sean grinned at the old Chief as he joined in on the conversation. “Having the Regional Governor approve the permit was a stroke of genius, lass.”

Doctor Evans spat in discuss. “Ever since Spyridon Marinatos discovered the Akrotiri ruins in nineteen sixty-seven, no other archeologist has been granted a permit on Santorini.”

Looking out over the lagoon, Sean could hear the deep anger in Doctor Evans’ voice. “My father fought until he died to be allowed to search for Atlantis on Nea Kameni, but the governor of Santorini never approved the permit. If it weren't for the Kallikratis governmental reforms in two thousand eleven, we wouldn’t be here now.”

Sean knew the story well. In two thousand and six, the Cyclades Prefecture had been abolished. Instead of each island having its own governor and local representative in the Greek Hellenic Parliament, the islands were broken up into five municipalities and assigned a regional governor.

Looking after the retreating backs of the officers, Sean grinned. The islander’s local governments were still adjusting to the realities of the new reorganization. Sean’s thoughts were interrupted as Sharon Wrigley ran up with a manila envelope for Doctor Evans.

“I printed out everything you asked for Larissa.”

“Thank you, Sharon. The next thing I need you to do is write up a quick summary of what we found here. I want it sent out along with these pictures to The Associated Press Headquarters in New York City.”

“You want it sent out now? I thought you wanted to wait for the biopsy results to be finished first.”

“We’re out of time Sharon. Even with the Regional Governor’s permission, Son Aixi was governor of this island for over twenty years before they demoted him to Mayor.” Gripping Sharon’s arm tightly, Doctor Evans continued. “Unless the world hears about what we’ve found here, Aixi could still find a way to revoke our permit. Trust me, once those pictures hit the internet there won’t be anything he can do to stop us.”

Biting her lip, Sharon nodded before hurrying away as Doctor Evans faced him once more. “Let’s do this Captain.”

“After you, Ma’am.”

Chapter
Eleven

Location Irlendria / Enelya Tasartir:

How could they have both lost her? Slipping off her moccasins, Enelya Tasartir studied the keep’s outer courtyard thinking furiously. Freed of the leather bindings, she sprang across the ramparts with a graceful ease in search of their prey. Agile as any Wenci, her hunter’s vision missed nothing below as she ran. Argus had followed Lúthien into the Atrium of the Ancestors, but he’d lost her there. Now the hunt was truly on.

With an impish grin, Enelya laughed to herself thinking about the argument she’d had with her cousin the day before. Lúthien had been right when she’d accused her of helping Argus find them. There was no way to close off the spirit link between the two of them. Although her cousin was better than most of the Elves Enelya had met outside Clan, knowledge about the spirit bonds was never spoken about to non-Wild Elves.

The other Clans always looked down on her people for their relationship with the Wenci. The High Elves under King Elerossë being the worst. None of them understood the true depth of the bond Wild Elves shared with their animal companions or the gifts they received in return. For those that chose to undertake the Sál Tengilinn, the link was a total sharing of body, mind, and soul. Their lives forever intertwined until death.

With the surefootedness of a Wenci, Enelya dropped off the ramparts. Using the tough grongor strips of hide wrapped around her forearms and calves, she slid down the rough calcimite stone until her toes gripped the six-inch wide lip running along the outside of the keep’s upper levels. With a dexterity that would have shocked her cousin, she scampered along the outer wall peeking momentarily into each window she passed. Enelya was just dropping down to the next level when she heard Lúthien’s blood curling scream. Immediately Argus’ concern flare through their link as she darted towards the sound coming from the far side of the keep.

Listening intently, Enelya began searching each window for her cousin, when the metallic smell of fresh blood came to her senses. Following the scent, she dropped onto the nearest window ledge coming to an abrupt stop at the sight before her. What she saw in that instant would haunt her dreams for many moons to come.

In a rush of adrenaline, Enelya took in everything at once. The ripped apart corpses of her cousin and aunt lying in a pool of blood at the center of the room. The humongous corpse-white creature strangling Lúthien against the wall. The Ironidium Knights standing rigidly at attention throughout the room obliviously ignoring the evil happening in front of them. The incomprehensible scene was almost too much for Enelya’s logical mind to take. Frozen in shock, Enelya watched the horrid beast lick her cousin’s face hungrily unable to move.

Unlike the herbivorous Elves, the Wencis were carnivorous predators of the forest that lived their lives by the law of tooth and claw. They hunted when they needed food. They fought when the need arose to protect their pack. There were no questions of right or wrong when they killed, no regrets. For life and death was the nature of their predatory existence.

Instinctively recognizing his soulmate’s danger, Argus reached out through their link helping in the only way he could. Focusing his wild essence, he let it flow into her. Instantly the soul of the predator filled Enelya’s mind. Where logic had failed her, animal instincts did not. Without hesitation Enelya drew the tambos from the sheaths across her back as she pounced for the corpse-white beast, screaming at the top of her lungs.

“Aaarrrggguuusss tooo meee!”

Like a wild animal, Enelya focused the strength of her entire body into her attack. Swinging her arms together, she slammed the blunt ends of her tinnearlian-wooden staves through the creature’s forearm in one powerful strike. Using the momentum from her dive, Enelya swung her body underneath the beast’s thick muscular arm. Twisting her wrists apart, she heard the crunch of snapping bones as she somersaulted back into the air.

“Aaarrrggg!” With a bellow of agony, the beast swiped a clawed fist after her as Enelya heard her cousin gasp out a word of power.

“Rafmagns Hendur!”

Purple lightning suddenly ripped through the monster’s mottled skin as the smell of burnt flesh filled the air of the small room. Dropping Lúthien from its nerveless grasp, the savage beast staggered backward grimacing in lockjawed pain as leftover waves of energy rippled over its skin, before dying away seconds later.

Landing in a crouch, Enelya watched the creature shake off the shock spell’s effects as her cousin collapsed to the floor behind her grasping for breath. Unbelievably the strange beast’s ruined forearm begin knitting itself back together. Still wearing the High King’s face, the creature’s hate filled eyes focused on Enelya in burning rage as its loud voice rasped throughout the silent room.

“Wait your turn, Witch! I will deal with once I’m finished sucking the life from your cousin.” Turning to Knight-Captain Valandil, the beast’s voice rose in command. “Take her!”

Enelya’s connection to Argus was the only thing that saved her from freezing in shock. Incredulously, she watched the six Ironidium Knights around the room instantly lurch into motion as Knight-Captain Valandil lunged after her with an expressionless face.

Diving forward, Enelya slammed both of her tambos into the back of Valandil’s knees as she rolled between his opened legs. Springing to her feet in a flash as the Knight-Captain crashed to his knees behind her, she leaped at the next guard in one fluid motion. Bringing her tinnearlian weapons together, Enelya struck the sides of the knight’s ironidium helm a second before she slammed into the stunned guard’s head with her entire body. Hitting the ground rolling, she dove for the third knight. Crashing into the back of his armored legs, she knocked the surprised knight on top of Valandil with a loud clanking sound of metal. As the two Elves went down in a pile of flailing limbs, she rolled back to her feet in the center of the chamber.

Enelya felt as if she were on fire as the wild essence of Argus’ predator filled her senses. Spinning around in a tight circle, her hunter-vision missed nothing as it categorized the threats in the room. Coming to a stop facing the maggot-skinned monster once again, Enelya saw one of its massive fists shoot out at her in slow motion. As the arm stretched unnaturally across the small room in the blink of an eye, the sharp claws headed directly for Enelya’s heart, she dodged to the side at the last moment. Swinging her tambos together, Enelya slammed the hard tinnearlian wood into the creature’s forearm deflecting the shot.

“Ugh!” The sound was forced from her lips as she felt the razor sharp claws clip her bare shoulder. A second later, Enelya heard the loud crashing sounds of armor hitting the wall as the powerful blow slammed head-on into a pair of Ironidium Knights coming at her from behind. Ignoring the blood streaming down her side, Enelya sprinted for the monster as her vision narrowed turning red. As the last pair of Ironidium Knights moved to cut her off, she saw the beast’s other arm shoot after her like a slug hurled from a sling. Dodging to the side, she put the knights between her and the snake-like arm flying directly at her.

Another resounding crash filled the room as Enelya dropped to her stomach. She felt the brutal impact shiver through the stone beneath her as the knights were smashed from their feet. Missing its target again, the creature bellowed in rage as it pulled its misshapen arms back into its body. Jumping to her feet, Enelya grabbed the monster’s forearm with both hands as it raced by overhead.

“Aaaeeeiii!” Flying into the air Enelya wordlessly screamed as her arms were practically ripped from their sockets. Ignoring the pain she jackknifed her body around feet first. A split second before impact, Enelya saw the creature’s beady red eyes widen in shock.