The Royal Pursuit Read online

  “I never studied mythology,” Kent said. “Who are these people?”

  “Well, they are siblings,” Ann answered. “Cronus and Rhea were their parents. In mythology, Cronus found out that one of his children would take over his position, so he swallowed each child as they were born. When Rhea gave birth to the youngest, Zeus, she swaddled a stone in a blanket so Cronus would think it was the baby. Cronus fell for her trick and swallowed the rock. She hid Zeus until he was old enough to defeat his dad. At that time, Zeus became the head god and let his brothers and sisters out of Cronus’ stomach so that they ruled with him on Mount Olympus. Only, it wasn’t Mount Olympus where they began their reign. It was here on Atlantis.”

  “I don’t think Cronus really swallowed his children either,” Hathor added. “From what I was taught about them, Cronus threw them into a cellar and kept them there until Zeus freed them.”

  “The other version is more sensational,” Stacey said.

  “How did Cronus know that one of his children would take over his leadership position?” Ann wondered.

  “I don’t know but he did,” Hathor replied.

  “I can tell you the answer to that one,” Stacey said. “It all has to do with what we found at the top of this building. It’s in that large room up there.” She pointed up. “Kent was the first one to find it.”

  “It doesn’t work anymore, but it used to be a large screen that the Atlantians used to see their future,” Kent filled in when she motioned for him to speak. “Cronus must have developed it early in Atlantis’ history and foresaw his own demise.”

  “There’s a future prediction machine up there?” Ann asked, not hiding her skepticism.

  “It’s just as probable as you returning to Earth from another planet,” Stacey pointed out.

  “Well, I know. But this is Earth we’re talking about. I mean, Earth is not advanced.”

  “Not anymore,” Kent argued. “At one time, it was highly advanced, but the knowledge was confined to this city.”

  “Apparently, Earthlings weren’t ready for it since Atlantis sank to the ocean floor,” Hathor commented.

  Ann hated to admit it, but he was right.

  “Should we go up and see it?” Kent asked Stacey.

  “Before we do, can I check out some of those rooms along the staircase?” Ann asked.

  “Sure.” Stacey nodded. “We have plenty of time.”

  They followed her up the gold staircase.

  She opened the first door. “For some reason, no one locked any of these doors. We think it’s because they had a false sense of security.”

  Ann considered what her friend said. She reflected on the things she had learned about the Olympians since she became queen. “Well, they still don’t lock any of their doors or windows. They like to live peacefully, and they are seldom attacked so they don’t feel the need to protect themselves.”

  “Interesting. You can really help us analyze these people.”

  “It helps when you know them.”

  They stopped at the first door.

  “Mark and Stephen were drooling over the woman whose picture is in this room. So be prepared,” she whispered to Ann.

  “What happened?” Hathor asked, not realizing the message was meant for Ann and no one else.

  “Don’t pay attention to her,” Kent interjected. “She’s just upset because Stephen and Mark are in love with the woman in the picture in this room. A word to the wise, keep your jaw shut.”

  Ann sighed. “Okay. Let’s get this over with.” Apparently, the women who lived on Atlantis were extremely beautiful.

  “Who knows? You might recognize her,” Kent said. “She could be another one of those goddesses from mythology.”

  They entered the room. The furniture was pink with gold trim.

  Stacey led Ann behind the desk where the picture of the woman was on the wall. The woman was indeed beautiful; her long blond hair fell in gentle waves over her shoulders. Her skin was flawless, her smile enchanting, and her green eyes hypnotizing. Ann tried not to show her irritation. As much as she enjoyed the company of the Olympians, she could never fully accept this one person.

  “Her name is Aphrodite,” Ann said. “And she flirts with every human male she comes across.”

  “Oh her.” Hathor shrugged. “Aphrodite is shallow. She might be the most attractive Olympian woman on that planet, but she’s boring to talk to.”

  Stacey grinned, seeming to enjoy his description of her. “Your typical airhead, huh?”

  “What’s an airhead?” Hathor asked.

  “Someone who doesn’t use their brain,” Ann replied. She was glad that she could trust him, even if she couldn’t trust Aphrodite.

  “Are all Olympians perfect in their appearance?” Kent spoke up. “It’s true Aphrodite is the best looking woman of any of the women we’ve seen in the rooms here, but every woman, and even every man, doesn’t have a single flaw on them. It’s as if we are looking at one of those pictures that have been touched up so that the person looks like a super model.”

  “I hadn’t thought about it before, but you’re right,” Ann said. “Until they lost their immortal power, they didn’t have a single thing wrong with them. Some were better looking, but in all honesty, none of them are ugly, except for Hephaestus.”

  “They pride themselves on their youth and good looks,” Hathor added. “You might say they are self-absorbed, but they are also loyal friends.”

  “That is true,” Ann replied. “They have helped me out in the past. I like them a lot. Well, we should continue going through the rooms. If I’m right, then Hera will be at the room closest to the top of the arc because she’s the head goddess on Olympia. She wouldn’t settle for being down here.”

  “The Olympians are particular about their order of importance,” Hathor added. “Even in their ivory palace, they have their main room adorned with pictures of themselves, and Zeus and Hera are always at the top. Aphrodite and Hephaestus are at the bottom. The other gods and goddesses are in between them, according to their value on Olympia. Apparently, they haven’t changed much.”

  “This is terrific information,” Stacey marveled. “It sure is good you two came along when you did. You made my job so much easier.”

  “We are expecting the Augurs to come here to meet us,” Hathor reminded her. “I don’t know how long we have to talk about the Olympians.”

  “Then we shouldn’t waste any more time,” Stacey replied.

  In all the excitement of checking out Atlantis, Ann had forgotten about the Augurs’ impending arrival. She wondered why they wanted to meet her and Hathor here of all places. She had a sinking feeling it wasn’t going to be a social visit. This was going to be a serious matter. She just hoped she was up to the challenge.

  ***

  Lake Solitaire

  Planet: Lone

  After Athen and Dour caught the fish, Optima cooked it. Athen was surprised to find that the fish tasted good. He had expected them to be bland, but they were full of flavor. He was more alert and refreshed after taking his nap, and he could tell Dour and Optima felt much better as well. The only one who seemed more worn out was the man in white, who silently ate the fish. Athen narrowed his eyes at him, wondering what he knew.

  “The process of changing into a merperson will start soon. When it does, we should be in the lake,” Optima told Athen.

  “Oh. Sure,” he said with a nod.

  He and the man in white followed the Nicals into the water.

  “You will notice that it is getting harder to breathe, and your legs will begin to meld together,” Dour informed them. “That is when you should go under the water. As soon as you breathe the water in, the transformation will be complete.”

  “This is going to be strange,” Athen confessed. “Have you two done this before?”

  “No, but we know of others who have,” Optima replied, smiling at him.

  He smiled back. He enjoyed her attention. She was serious and demure, bu
t she could also stand her ground when she needed to. She was beginning to be bold in her dealings with the man in white. Athen would like to think his presence gave her the courage she needed to stand up for herself, but he was afraid to hope he meant that much to her.

  The sensation in his legs was a faint tingling at first, hardly noticeable. His breathing became shallow. He saw the rest of them quickly duck into the water and realized he was changing already. He hesitated to follow them. The tingling in his legs grew stronger and his legs began to pull together, as if an invisible force was molding them so that they would become one.

  Instinct forced him to keep breathing the air but it was harder and harder to breathe. Forcing aside an urge to panic, he slipped under the water. He looked at the others who had already finished their transformation. He knew he had to breathe in the water, but it went against everything in his body. He held his breath for as long as he could, struggling to keep the air in his lungs.

  Finally, when the sensation to exhale overrode his desire to live, he let out the air and breathed in the water. His initial reaction was to go back to the surface of the water because the water burned his lungs, but Optima and Dour held him down. As quickly as the burning sensation began, it left.

  “It is a difficult thing to go through,” Dour told him.

  “Do you feel better now?” Optima asked, concerned.

  He hadn’t realized she was holding his arm. His face flushed at her touch. “Yes. I am fine now,” he finally replied. “Thanks.”

  “It’s not easy to adapt to the ways of others,” she said.

  He sighed in disappointment when she removed her hands from his arm.

  “Alright, now that we got the transformation over with, let’s go. We don’t want to be late,” the man grimly stated. He turned and swam deeper into the lake.

  “Late for what?” Athen called after him.

  “You’ll see.”

  Athen groaned. Why had he expected the man to answer him? He reluctantly followed him, Optima and Dour next to him.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Aboard an Airplane

  Planet: Earth

  William looked out the window in his first class seat on the airplane. The flight was relatively comfortable, though boring. He tried to sleep, to help pass the time, but it was no use. His mind was on Atlantis. By now, Captain Reed and the other man should be in Atlantis, ready to bring it back up from the ocean.

  William often wondered about the identity of the man who insisted on wearing all white. Even his hair was white. He never revealed his name. One day he showed up at William’s apartment and announced his intention of helping William discover the location of Atlantis.

  “I have a deal to make with you,” the man said, entering the apartment without an invitation.

  “I’ve seen you before,” William replied, surprised.

  The man sat on a brown chair, crossed his legs, and twirled the cane in his hand. “I saw the same future you did. You were there, and so was I. We are both meant to rule Atlantis. You will take care of all the political junk, and I will control the technology.” The man paused for a moment while William sat across from him. “You have seen Queen Amanda destroy Atlantis completely. If she does such a thing, you are doomed. You will lose all the power and wealth you desire so much.”

  William frowned, his heart pounding fiercely in his chest. “How do you know so much about me? I’ve never seen you before. Are you from planet Pale?”

  The man laughed. “Oh no. I’m not an alien. I am very much a human being from Earth, like you. I came to make a deal with you. In exchange for the video chip you have in your possession, I will deliver the current Queen of Raz to you.”

  He rolled his eyes. “I tried that avenue before, but she keeps choosing Hathor over me.”

  “You’re looking at this situation from one direction. I’m not talking about Ann Kerwin. I’m talking about her daughter Amanda, the one who destroys Atlantis. Of course, Amanda is not even conceived yet, but she will be soon if we don’t act fast. We must prevent Amanda’s existence.”

  William considered the man’s words, turning them over carefully in his mind. The future had haunted him. He had often wondered if he was doomed, if the future was something he could not change.

  “I’m going to tell you a little secret that no one else knows, not even the Augurs or Olympians, who reside on two different planets outside of this galaxy.” The man uncrossed his legs and leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees. “I’m immortal.”

  William scoffed.

  “Whether you believe me or not is of little consequence,” the man said. “The fact is that I was alive when Atlantis was a thriving city full of life and activity. It was a glorious place, and one that should never have sunk into the ocean. That is why I have spent all these centuries biding my time until you were born. I’ve been keeping track of your life, waiting for the correct opportunity to introduce myself, and this is the moment. Back on Atlantis, I saw a glimpse of my future. We ruled together, though we had little contact. You reigned as the president, and I took over the technology. You see, on Atlantis, a man named Cronos invented the device by which anyone who placed their hand on it could see parts of their future. That is how I saw you in my future. I have been patient. The wait is over.”

  William shook his head. He had wondered how he would ever resurrect Atlantis. He could easily find Stacey and send her to find the lost city, but he couldn’t figure out how to bring Atlantis to its former glory. Now the pieces were beginning to fall into place.

  Finally, William spoke up. “And how are we going to bring Atlantis out of the ocean?”

  “The Queen of Raz has the planet’s magic dwelling in her. All we need to do is capture it and place it above the machine that tells people their futures and what might have been. The magic will activate the city to its former glory.”

  “Okay. I’m going to ask you an obvious question because you failed to explain something important.”

  The man nodded.

  “Why do we need Raz’s magic?” William asked.

  “Because when the Augurs left, they took the city’s magic with them. Only a descendant of Atlantis who possesses magic may bring Atlantis back from the bottom of the ocean.”

  “And Ann Kerwin is that descendant?”

  “Most of Atlantis’ citizens died in the great war that condemned the city to the bottom of the ocean. The Olympians, who became the immortals of Greek mythology went to Greece, but they didn’t have access to any of the magic or technical knowledge because they gave that to the Augurs, who left for planet Aug. Only a handful of others managed to escape to other parts of Europe. Ann comes from that group. Atlantis will only recognize its own.”

  William hid his disgust. Who would have ever thought Ann would play such a prominent role in his future? Had he known she was destined for such greatness, he might never have let her go. But all of that was in the past and he had no desire for her anymore. There was one thing he craved, and that was fame.

  “So do we have a deal? Your video chip for the future Queen of Raz?” the man asked.

  “Not so fast.” Now it was time for William to take control of the situation. He was caught off guard at first, but he was quickly regaining his sense of purpose. “How can you be immortal?”

  The man didn’t seem surprised by his question, which annoyed William, who was hoping to knock him out of his comfort zone.

  “The Olympians, who were the Greek and Roman gods of mythology, had a Stone of Immortality, which is why other people on this planet worshiped them. I also have such a stone, but I never disclosed that information to anyone on Atlantis, for I had seen parts of my future and knew I would have to hold onto the stone in order to see it fulfilled. I carry the stone inside my cane.” He tapped the tip of it. “This stone ensures that even if I am fatally injured, I will recover.”

  “Are there any of those stones left?”

  “I’m sure there are a couple more resi
ding in Atlantis, but I wouldn’t know where to find one. I happened to find this one by accident.”

  “Can you share the immortal power in that stone?”

  “Immortality can be a curse. You watch people you care for die, but you stay alive.”

  “Fine. So give me the stone, and I’ll take the burden from you.”

  “I am not burdened by this curse. I never get close to anyone. At least, I don’t get close enough to care. With you, it may be a different story. You have to be content to be alone. I perceive loneliness is too great for you to bear.”

  “You don’t know me. You have no right to make such an assumption.”

  “I think I just struck a nerve.” The man stood up. “Do we have a deal or not?”

  “As long as we get one thing straight. I’m the one who runs the show. I’m the president, not you.”

  “I don’t wish for presidency. I just want the technology back. You are free to do as you please.”

  William nodded. “Good.”

  “I will take care of finding Ann Kerwin, and I will bring her to Atlantis. All you have to do is locate the city and find a way to get there. I will find a way to capture her magic, and while we have her in our possession, we will make sure Amanda is never born.”

  “And you will take my video chip?”

  “It will activate the machine that tells the future and things that might have been.”

  “Why is such a machine so important? Who cares about what might have been?”

  “There is a lot you can tell by the way the road would have led had you made a different choice. I often wonder where I would be today had I chosen another path at various places in my life. Don’t you?”

  “No.”

  William didn’t care about the past or what might have been. He was just interested in where he was going. He would not only gain the upper hand with the man, but he would also find his own stone of immortality. He would never allow himself to be the peon in someone else’s game. He had gone through that when Omin-2 used him for his own purposes. Now, he was wiser and older. This time he would call the shots.