Protector of the Enchanted

It was a quiet day. Or at least it was supposed to be. The sun had not yet risen in the sky when the rumbling began, sending tremors across the island. The ground quaking with a tremendous force which grew stronger with every passing minute. However, it was not until the ground began to sink underneath their feet, buildings descending to rubble that the panic started.

 

Chaos descended on the island, with people pushing and shoving each other, trying to escape before the bridge fell apart. In their haste, they left behind any and all material possessions, only thinking about survival. Some mothers abandoned any children not close-by, trusting them to escape on their own.

 

While others frantically called out to them over the screaming, refusing to leave them behind. Farmers abandoned their crops and livestock. Merchants grabbing valuables and hastily shoving them into sacks before making their way through the growing crowd.

 

None turned to face the castle standing upon the hill, where the tremors lay waste to the grounds, attempting to turn it to broken rubble.

 

The guards fled from their posts, disregarding their oaths as the terror sunk into their bones, the cooks and servants of the castle following suit. They fled with only the clothes on their person, perhaps a handful of gold coins for some, only stopping to dodge the broken pillars and stone that rained from the sky.

 

Sorrier still was the throne room, where a solitary man was buried under a chunk of stone, the gate long sealed shut by two stone pillars. He was forced to watch as his people gave into fear. Forced to listen as their screams echoed through the air. The anguish of mothers losing their children, of people losing hope as the bridge sank under the ocean.

 

His kingdom was sinking. It would likely only be remembered in a legend as all who knew its name disappeared. Worse still, he knew that it was likely penance for his sins, the cost of the trident he held in his hand.

 

Guilt still consumed him as he thought of what he had done to acquire the treasure, the regret of his cowardice. However, greed was a vice that drowned out all other emotions but selfish desire. Even now he remembered that moment.

 

“Run!” Screamed the woman, reaching for a sword that was no longer there.

 

“We’re going to die!” Screams one of her companions as they run off in a random direction.

 

“Celeste!” The man yells from across the meadow, “Focus on the situation at hand!”

 

“It’s fine Theo!” Celeste yells back, “We’ve been in tougher situations than this.”

 

Theo releases a long-suffering sigh, “We’ve never gone against giant living statues before!”

 

“They’re stone golems,” Celeste quips back, moving under their legs “Didn’t you read the warning at the bridge?”

 

“Whatever they are called.” Theo muttered, dodging a stone fist, “I was busy trying not to get thrown over it!”

 

Any other banter was stopped as the enraged golems started spewing fire, creating a greater panic for the party. They seemed to be throwing molten rock at the couple, trying to keep them apart. More golems seemed to be showing up as well, each going towards a member of the fleeing party.

 

Celeste already missed her sword, the one she had now just wasn’t the same. The loss of their weapons seemed to weigh heavier as time went on. She swore that when, not if, they survived this, she would go back to that cave and retrieve them. In the time that it took for her to move closer to the pillars at the end of the maze, Theo had made his way to the same spot.

 

They were back-to-back, having no time for conversation as the golems surrounded them. A small smile made its way to their faces before the charged headfirst towards their opponents. The only sound heard in the clearing was of weapons clanging and enraged roars accompanying pounding fists. They dodged most of the attacks, however the ones that did hit left bruises.

 

Slowly, the exhaustion became too much, their limbs aching with pain. There were two golems left. However, even that seemed too daunting now, it was obvious they wouldn’t be able to last too much longer. Some of their companions looked towards them, some even gave feeble attempts to aid them. However, their sense of self-preservation seemed to win against human decency.

 

It was then that the man fled. The king with a golden trident in his hand, laughing manically with glee as he ignored the injured warriors. ‘Who cares about what will happen to them?’ He thinks, ‘What are the lives of two people as the price for a legendary treasure?’ As if sensing his thoughts, one of the golems turns, and starts walking towards his retreating back.

 

He regretted those thoughts now, disgusted by his own selfishness which made him abandon those warriors to die.

 

Yes. This was definitely his penance. To lose the very thing that he held dear, to die slowly just as his kingdom sank. That golem may have been defeated by the magic that held its reins, but his punishment was given just the same. He knew he deserved this end, yet even still he held on tight to the treasure in his hand.

 

“How are we going to breathe underwater?” Gem asks as she ties a horse to a nearby tree. Odd for a beach. But this world is strange as it is.

 

“I have no idea.”

 

Ryan snorts, “Then how do you think we’re going to find whatever it is we’re looking for?” I shrug in answer.

 

“We could always just not go.” Cylen suggests with a suspicious over-the-top smile.

 

“Don’t tell me you’re afraid of the water?” Silence. “Oh my god. You are.” A teasing grin pulls on my lips, this is interesting.

 

“Quit teasing him.” Gem interrupts, but still seems to enjoy the blush forming on his cheeks.

 

“That means we only need to find a way for three people to breathe underwater.” Ryan states, “I don’t think he’s going to get over that fear any time soon.”

 

“Two.” Gem cuts in, “Only two people to breathe underwater. Someone needs to look after our equipment so it’s not stolen, and Cylen can’t do that on his own.”

 

“You sure it’s not just because you want to spend time with him?” I tease.

 

“It can be for more than one reason.” Gem states, a blush making its way to her face.

 

“Whatever you say.”

 

Warmth in my hands makes me bring them towards my face, the scroll lighting up and unravelling on its own. It levitates in the air, new writing replacing the old:

 

‘What you seek you will find, in the depths of the ocean eroded with time. To get there you use the divine, to allow you to live to another day.’

 

A pouch materialises as the scroll rolls itself and falls back into my hands, no longer looking like a paper lightbulb. Opening the pouch, I see four pills shaped like drop of water. Well, I guess we found a way to breathe underwater.

 

It should worry me that Ryan and I are getting paired up like a couple in a tv show, but somehow, I find it comforting. As we only needed to eat two of the pills, the rest were stored away in case they were needed at another time. Oddly, they have the same texture as cotton candy, melting as soon as they touch your tongue.

 

“Aren’t you going to leave that behind?” Cylen points to the sword at my hip.

 

“No.” I state, “I’m not leaving it behind this time.” Ryan freezes beside me.

 

“What do you mean ‘this time’?” Gem asks. The confusion reflected by the other two as well.

 

I blink a couple of times, “I…You know…I haven’t the slightest clue. It just slipped out.” Why did I say that? Does it have something to do with that weird dream I had? Gem just gives me a curious look but lets it go with a sigh, before waving us off.

 

“Alright,” Cylen accepts, “I guess you never know if you might need it.” Ryan nods, taking his own weapon into his hand before motioning towards the ocean.

 

Cold. The water’s too cold. It seems that swimming is going to be a big part of my future from now on, here’s hoping there aren’t any whirlpools this time. Taking a deep breath in as we reach a deeper part of the ocean, I submerge myself under the water.

 

Fortunately, those pills not only allowed us to breathe underwater, but see as well. We are standing on top of a giant pillar, which means that we need to swim off it to go deeper. Ryan taps my hand, pointing in a direction, before grabbing it and dragging me along with him.

 

“What are you doing?” I try to ask but find only bubbles coming out. So annoying. What’s the point of being able to breathe underwater if you can’t talk? To make it worse, I’m pretty sure he’s laughing at me, but I can’t punch him without falling behind.

 

My annoyance is soon forgotten as we venture deeper, towards the other side of the jagged bridge. It can only be described as a wreck, rubble littering the streets of what could have been a town. The buildings, if they can still be called that, are half-destroyed, some of them having collapsed in on themselves.

 

However, the worst part is the skeletons littering the streets. I can see decomposing bones reaching out towards the bridge, skeleton hands showing from under large boulders. Worse still is the small skeletons which could only have been children and the huddled groups, families left to die. A sick feeling wells up in my stomach as I take in this sight, but Ryan keeps dragging me forward, and I let him.

 

Only when we reach the gigantic marble doors do we pause. Surprisingly, the door hasn’t decomposed with the rest of the city. However, the walls around it have. 

 

After catching our breaths, we squeeze through the opening in the wall and swim towards the end of the hall. There is only one room remaining, and thus only one door. The feeling of a wave going through me makes me gasp, an audible sound with no bubble.

 

“What was that?”

 

“That,” Ryan answers, “Was us passing through a magical barrier.” The words are nonchalant but the expression on his face suggests otherwise.

 

“Which coincidently means we can talk now?”

 

“I’m guessing we need to be able to speak for what we are about to face.”

 

“Convenient.”

 

A chuckle, “Very. At least now I can listen to your beautiful voice.”

 

I give him a deadpan look, then shake my head as a smile fights its way onto my face.

 

Steps away from the gate, another wave seems to go through us, revealing the ghostly figure of a man. His clothes ripped, a broken crown on his head. Ryan tenses beside me, shooting him a glare as he moves to open his mouth. It may just be my imagination, but the ghost’s eyes seem to slightly widen.

 

“You may not pass through this gate until you have heard my story.”

 

“Why should we listen?” Ryan grits out, his eyes turning a cold shade.

 

“It is a rule implemented by the magick on this door. There is no other way into the throne room. To enter you must listen.”

 

“So,” I deadpan, “We have no choice.” I don’t know whether it’s because of Chess or the sinking in my chest, but I don’t like this at all. I’m not sure if I want to listen.

 

“Correct.” The ghostly voice whispers.

 

I release a deep sigh, before motioning for him to tell us his story, taking Ryan’s hand to prevent any potential attack. I don’t understand why he’s so angry, but it can’t be good to fight a ghost.

 

“It was a millennium or so ago….”

 

On the island of Atlantis, there lived a great tyrant who believed he was an incarnation of the god Poseidon. He was very cruel to not only those he oversaw, but his own family as well. Much like the titan Cronos, he was paranoid that his children would overthrow him to take his power.

 

He heightened the taxes for the people each time he discovered his wife was pregnant in an effort to dissuade the gods from giving him children. No one was able to relieve him of this delusion as he would throw anyone who refuted him into the dungeons. So eventually, they stopped trying.

 

As he was unable to cease having children, he decided it would be better to just get rid of them as soon as possible. Of his five children, three of them were daughters who he married off as soon as they were of age to foreign lands. His sons were kept prisoner in their own rooms with their every movement monitored. If he ever grew suspicious that they were planning a revolt, he would throw them into a dungeon and have them tortured in numerous ways.

 

This treatment eventually became too much for his wife, who decided to end her life as a way to escape. Her death became the catalyst for the tyrant’s nightmare. Her youngest son decided to avenge her death by doing exactly what his father feared. He came up with a plan to overthrow him by getting support from their people and advisors, with help from his elder brother. His plan succeeded; however, he did not live long enough to enjoy it.

 

You see, years of abuse had twisted the elder’s mind. Living with their father had taught him that power was the only way to be free. So, he decided to poison his brother after their father’s death.

 

He felt little remorse, telling himself that this was for the best. Not even when he stabbed his brother to guarantee his death did, he feel even a hint of guilt. To his people all he said was that an assassin had killed him, using a random villager who no one would miss as the scapegoat.

 

However, as the years went by, he yearned for more power. To make the island a force to be reckoned with. He had already implemented his brother’s plan for a more prosperous kingdom and gotten rid of all those that could a pose a risk to him. He wanted to expand that power but did not have the tools to face the other kingdoms. To gain victory over them.

 

It was nearly a decade into his rule that he heard of the treasure that would allow his kingdom to prosper. He decided he would get it. Whatever the cost.

 

So, he set out on a journey to find the treasure, along with six other royals on a similar quest. On their way, they encountered two more people, warriors who helped them on that quest. For a time, he did offer them aid, but eventually his greed for power once again overruled his conscience.

 

He wanted to be revered as a god, not just on Atlantis but in the rest of the realm as well. He had unconsciously made the same mistake as his father. In his attempts to be better than him, he’d instead become him.

 

Greed made him abandon the warriors when they needed help. Made him run away as the stone golems attacked them, only to be saved by them in turn. Then, he was useless to do anything to repay them as their lives were torn apart. So, he ran, and didn’t look back as he fled back to his kingdom to put his plans into motion. The trident he had acquired the sole trophy in his castle.

 

Penance was still paid as his plans never came to fruition; his kingdom was hit with large tremors that tore it apart. An earthquake that sank Atlantis deep into the sea, where no one would ever want to look for it, and his name was forgotten. Triton, that was what his father had named him, probably in an effort to support his insipid delusion.

 

As he lay dying, he held on tighter to the trident as the weight of his sins became too much, the guilt filling his soul as the water filled his kingdom. His last dying thought was of those warriors and his brother, the ones who he had wronged the most.