Celeste stood in the main plaza, as hundreds of Atlanteans walked to the newly erected portal, fear of coming of the Dragon Mother was such a powerful driving force.
The portal itself was a testimony to the incredible magic that Atlantis had, it didn’t have an anchored exit on the surface like all portal from Agartha were, it randomly opened in a different place every time somebody passed through.
But the genius came from the smart selection the portal did, it always opened near a heavily populated town or city on the surface, for the fleeing Atlanteans to have a better chance of melting in the crowd.
Celeste didn’t join them though, even though the entire royal family waited their turn to pass through.
She decided that she would stay with John, either to be beside him when the bitter end came for both of them, or for her to transform into a resilient creature that can withstand the attack of the Dragon Mother.
The final warning came three days ago, and the nations promised retribution within a week if the culprits in the massacre of Akakor were not handed over.
This didn’t worry the citizens of Atlantis as what came a day later, the Dragon Mother, who nobody have seen in millenia, announced that she would personally attack the city if tribute was not given.
The council would have complied to the dragon Mother’s demands, if they were reasonable, but she demanded one third of the population to be given for sacrifice.
The dragon mother even said in her resounding message, that a temple for dragon kind would be erected on the ruins of the city if they failed to comply.
She turned her face from the people whose fear she could feel and smell, to the balcony of the palace facing the plaza.
John was hanging on one of the metal beams of the machine, adjusting and augmenting the ray that would hit the city just after midnight.
She sighed, even though she trusted him with her life, she feared that time might not be on their side, the dragon mother comes for them by the dawn of the next day.
The city’s council split down the middle, half of them accepted that fleeing the city was the best way to at least preserve some of the wondrous history of Atlantis, while the other half refused this notion completely.
Their argument was that, if Atlanteans were to melt in the crowds of the surface world, then they will become one with the people from the surface, and nothing would be left to remember of Atlantis but some stories that will be lost to time, turned to myth as they get older.
Celeste understood both sides of the argument, she wanted her people to be able to flee the wrath of the dragon mother, and she also wanted for their culture to endure.
But the half who refused to flee, were not sure that John’s inventions would anything but kill the remaining Atlanteans.
Their sentiment was not shared by the public though, as they had every reason to believe that John will come through, as he did so many times in their past.
The night was falling fast on Atlantis, and Celeste couldn’t help but feel that this might be the last night that Atlantis would see.
She sighed as she started to walk slowly to the palace, maybe she could get John to stay with her for those last few hours.
***
“We are ready.” The head of John’s team informed him. “You can fire the ray at any time now.”
John thanked the woman and turned to Celeste who huddled in his embrace.
“I need you beside me.” He kissed the top of her head. “People know your face better than mine, we need to tell them to gather in one place.”
Celeste nodded and stood.
An hour ago, John sent the guard to call all those who would remain to stand in the main plaza, where he would use the ray on them.
It was a two hours past midnight, John demanded that the scientists working with, do another round of tests before he would fire the machine.
The plan was to start the machine and leave it on, as the rest of the council, John, Celeste and the team of scientists joined the other Atlanteans in the plaza to allow the ray to hit them.
John led Celeste slowly to the balcony.
“People of Atlantis.” John waved to the cheering crowd below. “In the next minutes, the ray would touch you, stay still and don’t move no matter what happens.”
“The effects of the ray would take anything between an hour and three hours, so please, keep your composure.” He knelt to the crowd. “Let’s keep Atlantis great.”
The cheers from the people below were deafening.
John pulled on Celeste’s arm and both reentered the palace.
“I have another trick in my satchel.” He winked to Celeste.
“What kind of trick?” She looked at him puzzled.
“It was something I invented years ago, a set of devices that mix science and magic, I call them Arcana, one of these, an Arcanos can shift the entire city out of this place completely.” He laughed.
“Then why are we using the ray?” Celeste said in alarm.
“Because even though it shifts the city in place, it doesn’t provide any protection from the Dragon Mother and her horrific magic.” He smiled a wane smile. “I am really trying everything in my power to save my beloved city.”
Celeste just nodded.
John left her hand and ran to the console they fixed at the base of the machine and started it.
The ray was no longer the pure white that devastated the armies of Akakor, but a soft indigo, and as it hit the people, she could see them still cheering and smiling.
“Come on it is time for us to join them.” John took Celeste’s hand as she took a deep breath and both descended to the plaza.
Celeste felt the soft touch of the light on her skin, and for a moment, it tingled.
She laughed, then she felt immediately guilty for laughing, two men and a woman gave their lives to John’s machine so this ray could do its miracles.
An hour passed, then the next, and then another.
Dawn was upon them, and nothing happened.
Suddenly a very loud boom was heard from the air above Atlaantis.
The dragon mother stood above the city in all her massive glory.
A golden she dragon almost four time the size of the central palace filled the sky above Atlantis.
“People of Atlantis.” The dragon mother’s voice echoed inside the skulls of all the Atlanteans left in the city. “Your time has come.”
Celeste felt a wrenching pain in her stomach, that spread through her entire body, from head to toe.
She looked up to see if this was the revenge of the dragon mother and found that the immense creature just hang in the air looking down with curiosity.
The screams filled the throats of every one around Celeste, this must be the effect of the ray, finally catching up to them.
John panted beside her as he pulled a small quill from his pocket ans stabbed the ground with it.
The dragon mother opened her terrible maw and pulled air in to breath back a wave of magic that should turn the city into dust.
But before she could breathe it out, the entire city shook, then shimmered, and was gone.
Celeste opened her closed eyes after some moments, and everything was tainted greenish blue.
she tried to speak, but nothing came out.
she panicked and tried to run, but she didn’t have legs to stop on.
John, or something that looked like John, only with a huge fish tail approached her.
He touched her hand and immediately she could hear him inside her head. “We made it, my love.”
From Another World.
If you liked this serialized story, then be sure to check the other parts that came before this one: One, Two, Three, Four, and Five.
Also don’t forget to check our published books: Through The storm, The Green Boy, and The Trinity’s Dream.
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