Curse of Atlantis

The Curse of Atlantis

Christopher David Petersen

Copyright 2011 Christopher David Petersen

Chapter 1

Atlantis: 5000 B.C.

King Orion sat under the shade of his exquisitely carved marble rotunda and slowly sipped his Egyptian wine. Seated high above the lavishly built city, he gazed out over his kingdom and surveyed the activities from one neighborhood to the next.

Shielding his hand from the mid-day sun, he looked down into the valley several hundred yards below. Lining the main thoroughfare, he watched the activities of the busy street vendors engaged in the affairs of commerce.

Rows of kiosks lined the busy street
,
selling dried meats, fruits, vegetables, and wines. King Orion smiled as he watched wealthy business men wander purposefully through the city, their
fashionably
made togas draped from their shoulders and flowing behind them as they walked.

“A proud day for Atlantis,” King Orion boasted.

“Yes, my King,” Oupis replied obediently as she poured more wine into his waiting cup.

Young, slender
,
and shapely, Kin
g
Orion eyed her with desire. He reached for her as he held his cup at the ready. Oupis instinctively recoiled, spilling wine down the front of his white toga.

“You fool!
” he erupted, throwing his cup while coming to his feet.

“I’m sorry, my King,” Oupis responded, bowing her head in fear.

With a quick lunge, he landed a crushing blow to her temple, sending her tumbling backward over a footrest. Wiping the front of his toga in
disgust, he started toward her
once more.

“My King, the last of the preparations have been completed. The chamber awaits your
review,” Keidis said, as he entered the room.

Startled by the sudden appearance of his construction officer, King Orion broke off his attack and addressed him.

“Splendid. That is the news I’ve been waiting for. Is everything prepared?” King Orion asked in a villainous tone.

“As you requested,” Keidis responded.

“Assemble the guards. We’ll waste no further time,”
the King
ordered.

~~~~~  ~~~~~  ~~~~~

Riding along in his chariot, King Orion looked far ahead at the mountain of
stone
so precisely
carved
. Larger and more opulent than anything ever built, the pyramid was a grand monument forever celebrating the glory and greatness of the founder of Atlantis.

“My father’s dream is realized. This is truly a r
emarkable day,” King Orion said as he clung to a handle within the slow moving chariot.

“Yes, my King,” Keidis repl
ied, placating the unstable de
s
pot
.

“After all these years, my father will finally rest soundly,” King Orion said.

“Yes, my King. When will we move him
from the palace
?”
Keidis asked as he handled the reins to the chariot.

“Concurrent with my inspection, Keidis. I have instructed the guards to bring him now. They trail behind us with his sarcophagus. When we are done, we’ll lay his body to rest and seal the chamber,” King Orion said, now growing visibly excited.

Keidis looked behind them. From his vantage point, the legion of men stretched far beyond his sight and the fabled sarcophagus was nowhere to be seen. Turning back ahead, he watched as the opening to the chamber grew larger by the minute.

“I see the guard
s
standing at the ready, my
King
,” Keidis said, pointing to the chamber’s opening.

“Mmm yes, I see them too. Do they know?” King Orion asked.

“No, my King,” Keidis replied simply, hoping to avoid the painful topic.

“Splendid. I will relish their surprise,” he said, sardonically.

As the long procession of men and chariots made their way to the front of the great pyramid, the four guards at the entrance stood statuesque in their duty. With spears at their sides, and shields at the ready, their menacing presence quickly dispelled any plans to those who entertained the thought of looting.

Staring straight ahead, Eteocles used his peripheral vision to scan the lead chariot.

“Rhesus, do you see who leads the column of men
?”
Eteocles asked in a hushed tone.

“I see him,” Rhesus replied, containing his excitement.

“Maybe King Orion comes to advance us for exemplary service. After all, this is the most important duty in his kingdom,” Eteocles said.

“Advancement would be highly desirable,” Rhesus concurred. “I’m sure we’ll be rewarded handsomely.”

As the lead chariot slowed to a stop, Kind Orion stepped out and stretched his limbs. Looking over to Keidis, he said,
“Bring me the
crystal
key. It is time.”

“Yes, my King,” Keidis replied obediently.

King Orion stood for a moment and watched the column of men assemble in front of the pyramid. Far off in the distance, he could see the cart that carried the sarcophagus. With a
satisfied
smile, he turned his attention to the men standing guard at the entrance. He examined their perfect posture and presence, and walked toward them. Stopping to their front, he pretended to be studying their appearance. The men stiffened a bit and waited for their king to pass his judgment.

“Exemplary. I am very impressed. You four are very imposing,” King Orion said, then added, “Keidis has done well in selecting you.”

“Yes, my king,” each man said in succession.

“Keidis, we must talk about advancement for these four men,” King Orion called out to Keidis as he approached.

Eyeing the four guards with dread, Keidis
's
reply
was simple
:
“Yes, my king.”

Turning his attention back to the guards, King Orion continued:
“Men, I have another assignment for you inside the chamber. Please follow me.”

Excitedly, each man turned and followed King Orion down a dimly lit corridor. Walking behind the five, Keidis carried the crystal globe that could spell the difference between life and death for the four guards.

As they made their way deeper into the pyramid, the men glanced at the delicate inscriptions that lined the perfectly tooled walls. Excited by the moment, the young guards ignored their meaning and focused on their duty. Following behind, Keidis nervously held his eyes to the front and tried to forget the evil messages that cursed all who entered.

Up ahead, the corridor began to brighten. Moments later, they all stepped into an expansive chamber.
Pentagonal
in shape, it measured thirty feet across
at its furthest points
. On one side of the torch-lit room, an altar
stood just in front of
a wall and measured
five feet long by three feet wide and four feet high
. At its center, a round column extended up from the top by a foot. The round column measured a foot in diameter and had a concave top that acted as a bowl of sorts.
On each side, a small bowl-shaped depression was carved and held special oils that were set afire, illuminating the altar top.

On the opposite side of the
room
, an enormous door remained closed. Measuring ten feet across and ten feet high, it was an imposing sight. Heavily engraved, hieroglyphics were carved deep into the front surface. Turning to his guards, King Orion spoke.

“Men, this will be your next assignment. Take pride that you will be guarding the great King of Atlantis. Beyond that door will
lay
his body. This assignment will carry the greatest honor and your families will be
held in the highest esteem for
ever more,” King Orion announced, trying to sound believable.

Keidis watched as the four men beamed with pride while they took in the
ir
king’s propaganda. He looked down and stared into the heavy bag he clutched in his hands. The magnificent crystal globe that once dazzled him with its beauty now represented death and sadness
, and sickened him to look at
. He closed the bag and forced his mind to think of far off pleasant thoughts that soothed his aching soul. Hearing his name, he turned his attention back to his king.

“In his grasp, Keidis holds the great crystal key. Few
men
have laid their
eyes
upon it. You four will be the first beyond its creators. This is trul
y a proud moment for you,
"
the K
ing continued. “Keidis
,
bring me the crystal key,” he said to his faithful, yet disgusted servant.

Keidis slowly walked beyond the four guards and opened the bag for King Orion. Reaching in, the king carefully pulled it from its depths and held it out for all to see. The men stared in awe at the
sight
of the crystal globe. Nearly twelve inches in diameter, it was delicately carved and displayed the lands of their surrounding continent. Light inscriptions adorned its surface
, and its core was
a golden pyramid with a golden eye suspended just above.

“This is the key to your destiny. Gaze upon its beauty
. Have you not seen anything so
magnificent in your life?” the king asked, rhetorically.

With his eyes still on his men, he walked
past
them to the altar. Holding the crystal out for all to see, he carefully placed it onto the convex surface of the column that rose out of the altar’s center. Instantly, the heavy weight of the crystal globe caused the column to sink. Moments later, its descent stabilized and the crystal found the pre-established height that engaged the lock to the heavily inscribed door.

Barely detectable at first, the four men heard the soft sounds of sand passing through recesses deep within the walls of the chamber. A
s
the sounds grew louder and more distinct, they heard the grinding of rock surfaces slide across other rock surfaces behind the heavy door.

Slowly, the great door began to move and they watched in awe as it slid across the entrance
.
As the new chamber began to be revealed, the four guards scanned the interior of the dimly lit room, captivated by the mystery of the unknown.

As the door disappeared behind the wall, all sounds ceased. King Orion smiled a great smile and stepped forward to the entrance of the new chamber

“Men, if you will notice, there is another door
way
at the back of the room. Step forward and
proceed through it to the King’s chamber,” K
ing
Orion said
, now motioning with his hands.

The four men eagerly hurried into the chamber. Nervous excitement turned to subtle alarm as they scanned the inscriptions on the walls. The deadly meaning behind the curses now began to fester in the
ir
subconscious. As they turned from wall to wall, they eyed each other with apprehension. Once again, the four heard the sound of the sands. Turning to King Orion, they wondered quietly about his position outside the chamber.

Slowly, steadily, fear bega
n to penetrate their thoughts. Staring through the doorway into the far chamber, t
hey suddenly realized they were conspicuously alone
.
As the sounds of the sand quickly grew louder, beads of nervous sweat formed on their brow. Their eyes shifted from one to the other in search of answers, hoping for reassuring stares… there were none to be found.

Fear raged within them
.
They felt paralyzed to take action. If they challenged their great king, they would surely suffer for their insolence. If they ignored their intuition, they felt sure their lives were in jeopardy.

The men’s hands wept with sweat and their stomachs churned as they began to think about the possibility of their mortality. As the rushing sound of sand grew to a deafening climax, they heard their king’s voice call from behind.

“He
reafter awaits!” King Orion shouted
loudly.

The four men spun on their heels and stared into the eyes of evil. King Orion gazed back at them and a great sadistic smile spread across his face. He watch
ed
worry and fear invade the four men’s helpless eyes as they frantically searched for a way to save themselves.

The sands stopped and grinding sounds of rock on rock took its place, sending vibrations throughout the chamber. Instantly, the room began to shake and the floor
rocked slightly
,
causing the four men to lose their balance and fall. They now waited in horror for the next signs of their impending deaths.