Chapter Twelve
The three of them stood in the thick forest peering down into a huge opening in the ground, examining the darkness below. The cave was deeper than any of them could see, and around the edges was a tiny set of stairs that spiraled down into the depths. Its location seemed random to Ben as he tried to wrap his head around yet another impossible scenario. Here he was getting ready to walk into another dark place filled with unknown creatures. Taking the medallion from his pocket, he held it close to his chest for a moment and closed his eyes. With a single breath, he opened them again and placed it back into his pocket, ready to move on.
“This is the path to Atlantis? I thought it was surrounded by oceans, you know, like an island,” Ben said.
“Just follow me,” Miles said, after a slight laugh at Ben’s expense.
“Are you sure this is a good idea?” Donovan asked Ben, who just shrugged his shoulders.
“What choice do we have?” Ben replied.
Miles’ started to speak, but the sound of his words was inaudible. Ben’s eye went wide with surprise as Miles’ hand burst into flames. It’s intense heat was easily felt on Ben’s face, but Mile wasn’t bothered by it. Using it like a torch, helit the way as they descended the tiny walkway.
Ben felt his back scrapping against the rock wall as he sidestepped his way down. The light from Miles’ hand was weak, offering them little in the way of illumination, but after what felt like a thousand steps, Ben’s feet touched level ground and it didn’t matter anymore. His anxiety slowed to a controllable panic, and he started breathing again. Before him was a wide-open tunnel with a dim light at the end.
The three of them walked, pushing large, moist dangling roots out of their way until the tunnel ended and they stood on a ledge hanging over a huge grotto that was lit by glowing crystals embedded in the ceiling. This grabbed Ben’s attention, blinding him to the large stone city below them. Donovan hit him on the shoulder and pointed down at the massive domain that rested upon a flat smooth floor. Ben’s breath caught in his throat as he beheld the impressive sight of large buildings and structures, surrounded by giant statues of kings or gods. Upon his first glance he saw human visages, but closer examination revealed that the faces were reptilian.
“What’s going on down there? That’s not Atlantis, is it?” Ben asked, pointing.
“You’ll see soon enough. First we have to make a slight detour. Hide your sword in my cloak; its glint will attract unwanted attention,” Miles said, removing his garment and handing it to Ben. The boy did as he was told without taking his eyes off the stone kingdom.
“This passage was once heavily guarded, but now with everything that’s going on, the Lemurians have started staying closer to their home. Regardless, it’s still not safe for us to hang around here. Once we get far enough away, we will rest for the night. You two have already had a tough enough day as it is; we could all use the rest,” Miles said.
His words alarmed Donovan though, prompting him to speak up. “Wait, why do we have to camp far away from the city?”
“So we don’t get eaten. Now, can we please be off?” Miles asked, walking into the darkness. His lack of patience worried Ben, but there was no time to question his frustration.
After the city had been out of view for a while, Miles took a lantern from his pouch and shook it. Its faint glow started up slow, gradually turning into a bright light that was too blinding to scrutinize. Each time Ben looked at it, white spots invaded his vision, disorienting him. He felt stupid for being drawn into its brilliance, but there was something curious about the way the light pulsed and moved. At one point, he even caught Donovan staring into it, but was unwilling to ask what he saw. This went on for over an hour as they continued to walk before Ben finally spoke.
“I can’t go on,” he said. “I need to rest my legs.”
“Yeah, I feel the exact same way,” Donovan added.
“This place is fine. We are far enough away from the city to set up a small camp. Did either of you bring bed rolls?” Miles asked. A slight grin pulled his lips apart as he saw the look on their faces. “The hard ground for you, I see.” Miles placed the lantern on the ground in the middle of the narrow path. The light shone out past the ledge, revealing a deep trench. After handing Miles back his jacket, Ben decided to place his back against the wall instead of towards the imposing darkness.
Ben and Donovan did what they could to get comfortable against the rocky terrain. It was cold and hard, but this didn’t matter; rest was all that they could think of for the time being. They lay for a while without saying a word, each lost in his own world of thought until Ben finally broke the silence.
“So, where are we headed?”
“The obvious answer is Atlantis, but I’m sure that’s not what you mean. Unfortunately, I’ve never been to Atlantis, and I only know one person that has. She is going to meet us in Lemuria, the city you saw,” Miles said, taking a puff from his pipe. The aroma was unlike anything Ben had smelled before.
“So why aren’t we down there meeting up with her?” Donovan asked. Ben would have beaten him too it, but he expected a snub remark or witty putdown instead of a straightforward answer.
“Because Lemuria isn’t a friendly place for humans to visit. We are on our way to meet up with another… friend of mine so we can disguise ourselves. You two really need to stop questioning me so much and show a little trust,” he said, settling in against his bedroll that was propped up against a large rock.
Rather than continue to pester Miles, Ben focused on the lantern like one would a large campfire. The pulsing glow seemed alive as it radiated out on to the cold stone of the cave. Eerie shadows formed on everything as the light pulsed and fluctuated in an unintentional dance.
“Your lantern…it moves unlike any light I’ve ever seen before.” Ben said, asking a question without intent.
“You noticed, huh?” Miles said with a pleased smile on his face. “I’m rather proud of it, actually.” He picked up the lantern and scooted closer to Ben, holding it up to the boy’s face. This action revealed hundreds of little insects that let off a continuing effulgence. “I had to catch every single one of them. It was kind of a hassle, but worth it in the end.”
Ben watched the condensed swarm flying and crawling around inside the glass lantern. There was something inside with them, beneath their tiny bodies, which contrasted with their glow. He examined it and immediately pulled away when he noticed a partially devoured human hand.
“Is that what I think it is?” Ben asked, panicked.
“Yeah, it is,” Miles said, unaffected.
“What is it?” Donovan asked, crawling in closer. He backed off as well once he became privy to the reason for Ben’s disgust. “A human hand?”
“Those things eat human flesh?” Ben added. “Get it away from me!” He turned his head in revulsion.
Ben and Donovan lay there in silence, watching Miles as he gazed at the bugs behind the glass. They reminded Ben of lightning bugs, but they didn’t spark or flicker. It was just one constant gleam that now brought thoughts of death and decay. The lantern had once sparked a strong curiosity in him, but now it only kindled a sense of disgust with the same hypnotic efficiency. He waited for the moment Miles would put out the light by whatever means, but that time never came. They all rested as the horrible little creatures fought back the darkness.
Lying against the wall, Ben thought he saw something move in the shadows. Getting up, he pointed, alerting the other two. “There’s something out there,” he said.
“What? What are you talking about?” Miles asked, getting up. He and Donovan both looked out into the wall of darkness and saw nothing. Waving the lantern around, Miles investigated the best he could.
“It moved. I don’t know what, but I saw it,” Ben said, inching closer to the wall.
“Oh, things move in the shadows all the time. I don’t think we have anything to worry about. Let’s get some rest. If you
want, you can stand guard for a while.” Miles handed him back his weapon.
“Okay,” Ben said, taking the sword and sliding down the wall, back into a seated position. He watched his companions drift off into sleep as he sat there in that dark cavern, worried and paranoid, looking for any signs of movement.