Talisman of El (30 page)

‘Are you and Alex an item?’ Ash asked.

Charlie looked at him, taken aback by the question.

‘What?’ Ash said in a low voice. ‘She’s a babe.’

‘Aren’t you, like, five?’

Ash’s eyes flared. ‘I’m a hundred and eighty-seven – over three thousand years in your world. I’m almost old enough to reproduce.’

Charlie grimaced. ‘Too much info. So when you’re three hundred, will you still look like a five-year-old?’

Ash narrowed his eyes at him. ‘We do age, just not as fast as humans. By the way, heads up.’

Before Charlie could figure out what he meant, he collided into something and grabbed onto it. When he saw that he was clutching onto Oren, he released her and straightened up, a rush of heat rising to his face. Oren smiled. Charlie met Alex’s gaze. That tad bit of sadness he’d thought he had seen had vanished, replaced by anger. He glanced sideways at Ash, who didn’t even try to hide his amusement.

Looking ahead, Charlie saw three armed Arcadians speaking to Avaran and Isis. He had perfect view of one in particular, who also noticed him. The boy looked about seventeen, tall, muscular, dark-haired, with angst burning through his big blue eyes. Dressed in black, he was wearing a sleeveless vest top, tight pants, hard boots, and fingerless gloves. These Arcadians had the Goth look down to a tee. The boy’s face showed no emotion, but his hard eyes read anger. Charlie had no idea what he had done to upset him, but he didn’t care to find out, especially after he spotted the sword at his side.

A tall, white-haired woman in a flowing white corset gown along with a petite, purple-haired woman led the group the rest of the way.

The dark-haired boy fell into step beside Oren, his expression now pleasant. ‘Looking beautiful as always,’ he complimented her. Charlie knew he was from the earth kingdom, because he was flirting with Oren, and Elementals, according to Ash, only lusted after members of their own kingdom. Why? He couldn’t understand, since every Arcadian he had met had been beautiful.

‘Demetrius,’ Oren greeted the boy. It might have been wishful thinking on Charlie’s part, but he sensed she wasn’t as enthusiastic to see Demetrius as he was to see her. ‘How is the surface world treating you?’

Demetrius replied, ‘It would be more pleasing if mortals were a little more appreciative. Even when they witness a miracle they claim it is anything but.’ He glanced back at Charlie, his layered, shoulder-length hair swept across his forehead to frame his face, and narrowed his eyes, but Charlie held his gaze. Demetrius turned back to Oren. ‘So that’s the impostor?’

‘He is not an impostor.’ Oren’s tone sounded harsh. ‘If it turns out Candra is right, then he is our king, so be nice, or you may live to regret it.’

Demetrius looked back at Charlie, his expression revealing two things: ‘Don’t count on me being nice,’ and ‘You, King of Arcadia. On what planet?’

Half an hour later, they came out of the woods atop a cliff over a winding gorge with a stream running through it. The moment Charlie laid eyes on the city, he knew Candra had been right. He had been to Arcadia before. This was Natvia ... The city in his dreams.

It was a remarkable sight; an ancient Middle Eastern-type city characterised by temples and fortresses built on asymmetrical cliffs hidden within misty, white-capped mountains. He was astounded but not merely from the sight of the city.

The group headed across an arched stone bridge positioned between two cliffs about forty metres above the ground. Charlie not only knew where to look, he also knew what he would find.

Although it wasn’t cold, one would’ve thought otherwise by the look of the place. The air was moist and sticky, and the sky was grey.

Richmond tugged on Charlie’s sleeve. ‘Look at that kid,’ he said, pointing at a young girl who was running at lightning speed away from them.

The group headed along a narrow winding path with moss covered buildings on either side of them. Half of the city lay in ruins. It was evident some war had occurred here. At the core of the city, where they were heading, stood an enormous seven-tier tower – four tier since half of the walls from the fifth tier upwards had crumbled – constructed with steps on the exterior that led to each level. The tower seemed to reach to the heavens.

The Tower of Pir,
Charlie remembered from his dreams. The building was made of solid gold, resting on a pyramid base that rose about fifty feet off the ground with parallel steps at the front parted by a narrow gap that led to a dark entrance at the foot of the base.

Even as damaged as the building was, it was still striking to look at.

Charlie’s heart skipped a beat when he saw what was standing at the foot of the tower. There must have been over two hundred Arcadians, young and old. It was strange, he thought, how Arcadians could look almost intimidated by humans. They looked as nervous as he felt. Charlie had to remind himself that these were the good folks. Whichever way he looked, it seemed there were eyes watching him, whispers following.

After what seemed like forever, they finally made their way along the narrow entryway and then plunged into a dim passage, their footsteps echoing around them.

Soon, they entered a wide chamber with a low ceiling lined with twelve ornate stone pillars. At the other end of the chamber were a set of stone steps leading upwards.

As they headed towards the steps, Charlie heard a distant droning noise that was getting louder by the second. Glancing to the right, he saw a semicircular arch that led to a platform inside a tunnel. It looked like an underground train network, minus the tracks. A group of wires trailed along the side of the tunnel wall.

‘It is the UniTran network,’ Terra said to Charlie. ‘We use it to get around Arcadia. There is also a similar construction on the surface. Lightworkers make use of it to get to their destinations faster.’

Charlie barely caught Terra’s last words as the droning noise intensified. Then something flashed past so quickly – sweeping the group with a gust of wind that ruffled their hair and clothes – one need not blink to miss it.

‘You have to try the shuttle,’ Ash said to Charlie, grinning with excitement. ‘It will blow your mind.’

As they headed up the spiral steps, Oren glanced back at Charlie. ‘The shuttles are not as safe to travel in as they once were,’ she said. ‘Archons have access to the UniTran network. I would advise against it.’

‘Did he ask your opinion?’ Ash retorted. ‘Stick with me, Dolittle. I’ll teach you the ropes.’

Oren glowered at Ash before looking away.

Ash rolled his eyes, and, in a low voice, he said, ‘Women.’

Charlie smiled. Avaran had been right about elementals. They were just like mortals.

Reaching the top of the steps, they headed along another dark passage, the only light coming from ahead. Seconds later, they emerged out of the darkness and into a vast square room.

The first thing Charlie noticed was the giant statue at the back of the room. It was made of the same gold as the tower, seated in a royal chair raised off the ground by a stone base. The heavily bearded man had a stern look on his face. The only things not made of gold were his bright crystal grey eyes.
There’s no way I’m that guy
, Charlie thought, gazing up at the statue of King Sol.

Balconies surrounded each level, light shining through the large gap in the roof. It was cooler inside the building than it was outside. From the marble pillars around the sides and the carvings on the walls, right down to the white marble floor, the room was in pristine condition. Twelve cubed seats sat in the centre.

The group formed a circle around Avaran and Isis.

‘Welcome to the Tower of Pir, the watchtower of the earth kingdom,’ announced Avaran. ‘I would like you to meet Gemini’ – he indicated at the white-haired woman – ‘Elder of the earth kingdom. She is the High Priestess of Natvia’ – he looked at Demetrius – ‘Demetrius, Lightworker of the earth kingdom’ – he then glanced towards the purple-haired woman dressed like Lara Croft in a black tank top, black boots, and green shorts with four throwing knives attached to a holster wrapped around her thigh – ‘Akana, Lightworker of the air kingdom.’ Avaran then introduced Charlie and the others to the new members of the group.

‘As you know, it would be a risk taking you all to Eden, so I shall leave you in Gemini’s care,’ Avaran continued, addressing Derkein, Alex and Richmond, who, although they weren’t pleased with the decision, had agreed to stay behind.

Derkein pulled Charlie aside. ‘You stick with Avaran, you hear,’ he instructed. ‘Don’t you go looking for the garden, Charlie.’ Derkein’s expression showed concern, but his voice was firm. ‘Look at your watch.’ Charlie complied. The time was 1:20 p.m. ‘If you’re not back in the next three hours, I’m coming to get you, you got that?’

Charlie nodded. ‘Three hours. Got it.’

Derkein rested a hand on his shoulder. There was a stir of noise in the room, and Charlie glanced at the group. Avaran was looking in his direction. It was time to leave. ‘No matter what the outcome,’ Derkein said. ‘I won’t think any differently of you.’

Charlie said, ‘I’m not leaving here without you.’ Derkein looked as if he was about to say something, but Charlie beat him to it. ‘We came together, we leave together. You better be here when I get back.’ It was an order. Charlie had never been more assertive in his life, and it surprised both he and Derkein, who, for a brief moment, looked at him as though he was seeing him for the first time. But Derkein’s expression was not shock. It was … admiration.

They rejoined the group. Charlie didn’t feel the need to say goodbye since he would be seeing them again shortly. As he turned to head off, Alex grabbed his arm. She stared at him for a moment then wrapped her arms around his neck.

‘Be careful,’ she whispered into his ear.

Charlie gave her hands a squeeze before joining Avaran, Isis, Terra, Oren, Ash and Demetrius in the centre of the cubed chairs. He looked down at the encircled, black, fivepointed star they were standing on.

‘It’s a pentagram,’ Oren said. ‘It symbolises the unity of the four elements.’

‘Do we have to stand on it to teleport?’ he asked.

‘We’re not teleporting.’

‘We’re not? But I thought we could teleport to the border of Eden.’

‘We can, but it’s best they don’t see us coming.’

The pentagram started to descend. Charlie glanced back at the others, who all had anxious looks on their faces, and then they vanished from sight. He expected to plunge into darkness, but as they descended into an underground chamber through a transparent tube, the wall-mounted lights allowed him to see clearly.

He glanced around the circular room, spotting three archways positioned in different directions. They touched ground, and as soon as they existed through the open doorway of the tube, Charlie caught a whiff of an unpleasant mildewed odour. It was as if the tube had sucked up all the fresh air.

The gang followed Demetrius through the archway ahead of them. After a few turns through a dark, narrow passage, they came to a vast chamber.

Charlie’s jaw dropped when he saw what was before him. It was a storage base for … spider helicopters?

‘What are those?’ he enquired.

Demetrius led them over to one of the vehicles. ‘They’re called Cyphers. We began building underground passages around Koura over two thousand years ago.’

Charlie examined the object. The transparent dome-shaped capsule consisted of seven seats with a propeller attached on top. Beneath the capsule were four mechanical spider legs that held it six feet off the ground.

Demetrius walked under the Cypher and pressed a button under the base. A small, circular platform descended to the ground. Ash stepped onto it, and it rose with him into the capsule. One by one, they boarded the helicopter. Charlie sat behind Avaran, who had told him the journey to Eden would take half an hour.

Demetrius, the pilot, took off.

The helicopter lifted off the ground, heading towards the tunnel ahead. Charlie had never been in a helicopter before, but the ones on the surface were nothing like the Cypher. The vehicle produced little noise as it moved with ease through the tunnel, the swaying of its spider legs directing the course of its travel. Whenever they came to an upward tunnel, the propellers would fold away, and the spider legs would take over, sticking to the walls as it climbed up the passage.

‘Charlie.’ Avaran turned his head to the side so Charlie could see half of his face. ‘Once we arrive in Eden, we cannot stop for anything. No matter what you see or hear, just keep moving.’

Charlie did as Avaran had told him. He didn’t stop when he heard the shrill cries erupting in the distance. Goosebumps pricked his arms, and as much as he wanted to turn around and head back to the manhole they had climbed out of ten minutes ago, his heart overruled his head, and he pressed on, half-walking, half-running to keep up with the others.

He stared in shock at the damaged buildings around him, the bare bone remains of dead animals, the lampposts, and shards of glass and blocks of stone strewn over the ground. All it needed were some burnt vehicles and a few traffic lights and it would look like a post apocalyptic London.

In an attempt to block out the overpowering smell of death, Charlie breathed through his mouth. The deserted streets and a company of armed warriors should have made him feel secure, but his heart thundered with a nervous twang.

It is hard to picture Eden as the paradise it once was,
Avaran said to Charlie. He was in his spirit form.
Gaddis and his army corrupt everything they touch. For years, we have wondered if there could ever be peace on Earth again. At times, it seemed as if we were fighting a lost cause. Every century that goes by cultivates in more evil spreading across the world.

‘Why doesn’t God do something about it?’ Charlie fought to keep the edge out of his voice.

What you have to understand is that the Creator granted us free will. It is up to us to do the right thing. What we break, we fix. It was an angel that brought evil to Earth, and it is our duty to protect mankind.