Twenty-six

Atlantis

Down and further down they went, into the bowels of the earth.  Stopping to rest for a while, Angus breathed in the heavy but cool air.  Gwang sat next to his companion. His little legs were aching from the descent.  Although used to living underground, he had never ventured this deep into the earth.  The further down they came, the less light they had.  When they had started on the downward slope the light had been bright but now it was like dusk falling, casting shadows around them. 

From out of nowhere they suddenly heard the sound of stone grinding against stone as if the plates of the earth were moving around them.  So loud was the noise that they had to press their hands to their ears in an effort to muffle the din.  The steps beneath them began to vibrate and Angus was sure they were going to be caught in an earthquake.  Then, without warning, they were plunged into a darkness so black they thought they had gone blind.  The noise stopped as suddenly as it had begun and the ground beneath their feet became solid and stable once more. 

A soft light began to glow around them, gradually increasing as if someone were turning up a dimmer switch.  They couldn’t believe their eyes when they saw the source of this strange light.  All around the walls were luminous starfish which pulsated and glowed.  Looking up, they saw the cause of the noise that had so recently terrified them.  The Simbliades rocks had closed above them.  It was as if they were living a dream but they were brought back to reality by Nefeli, who beckoned them to continue with their descent.

They descended the marble steps for about another hour, their way lit by the amazing starfish.  They could hear the unmistakable splash of falling water, the sound becoming louder and louder the further down they went. 

At the bottom of the vast staircase was an area of pure white sand and at its far end was a crystal clear waterfall.  The sound of the cascading water reminded Angus of a hundred xylophones playing a symphony.  It was a strange sight, for at the bottom of the waterfall no pools of water gathered.  It was like a curtain made from cool, clear water. 

“If I’m not mistaken, I would say that on the other side of that waterfall lies the lost city of Atlantis,” said Nefeli, wiping a tear of emotion from the corner of her eye. 

Without further ado, Angus strode over to the waterfall and, looking over his shoulder at the others, waved them forward as he disappeared behind the curtain of water.

Nefeli and Gwang watched as he disappeared from their sight.  Looking up into her beautiful face, Gwang asked Nefeli if he could go through it with her as he was afraid to walk through the water alone. 

She gently took hold of his little hand and led him into the water.  Any fears the Kalikan had were quickly washed away as he entered the waterfall with Nefeli.  It was as if the water were cleansing their souls, washing away all of their cares and woes. When they emerged at the other side, they were surprised to find that they were completely dry. The sight that greeted them was one of complete magic and wonder.  The landscape was of lush green grass with an abundance of the most beautiful flowers they had ever seen.  So richly scented were the flowers that they made the air as intoxicating as sweet wine.  To their left stood a forest of magnificent conifers from which white doves flew high into the sky in synchronized harmony. Taking in more of the scenery they could see that it was made up of alternating rings of sea and land and in its centre stood a vast palace. The rings of water were tinged with hues of pink, orange, turquoise and shades of grey, which glowed like haloes around the land.  If this were a dream it was one that none of them would want to awaken from.

 “Welcome, my friends,” said an angelic voice. 

They had been so lost in wonder that they had not noticed the young girl who stood amongst them. She had golden hair, pale skin and the deepest emerald green eyes imaginable.  She was dressed simply, in a white cotton smock which fell in soft folds to her sandal-clad feet. 

“My name is Serena and I have been sent to welcome you to the land of Atlantis.  My friend, Artor, foresaw your coming when he consulted the blue crystal.  I am sure you have many questions but I would ask that you wait until we reach the palace where you can relax and feel more at ease.  If you would be so good as to follow me I will guide you to the palace entrance.”  With an enchanting smile, she set off in the direction of the palace.

 None of them spoke as they followed the girl; in fact they were lost for words at the sights that they saw around them.  Grazing in the fields were herds of tame cattle whose placid brown eyes watched them pass before they resumed their meal of succulent grass. In places, natural springs of both hot and cold water appeared.  People were bathing in them and they waved in greeting to the visitors as they passed by. Dotted here and there were giant oak trees whose leaves shone with an extraordinary brilliance.  Butterflies the size of small birds danced a ballet amongst the flowers which swayed gently in the breeze.

When they approached the rings of water, the young girl stopped and began to whistle a haunting melody.  From the depths of the water rose hundreds of shellfish which joined together to form a bridge on the surface of the water.  Without fear, the trio followed the girl over the makeshift bridge and on reaching dry land they saw the shellfish dismantle and return to the depths from whence they came.  As they approached the palace, it became more impressive.  They could make out huge columns that were in fact the legendary Pillars of Hercules.  The stonework was of white, black, and russet red, and they could see a large wooden drawbridge at its entrance. 

The little girl ran up to the drawbridge, beckoning them to follow her into the palace.  Sitting at the gates were two soldiers dressed in fine mesh armour that resembled fish scales.  They were sitting perfectly still upon two large, white sea horses.  Magical was an inadequate word to describe the scene before them. In fact, words failed them, as they had never seen anything like it before. 

They followed the girl into the palace courtyard, still marveling at their surroundings.  The air was tinged by the fresh, citric fragrance of a lemon grove. 

Bidding them farewell, Serena picked up a skipping rope made from small shells and skipped across the courtyard until she was out of sight.