Read Online Beneath the Hallowed Hill by Theresa Crater - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Theresa Crater
Tags: Science-Fiction, Fantasy, Atlantis, Paranormal, Mystery, supernatural, Eternal Press, Theresa Crater, crystal skull
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other, but she saw no red and white hound. Now she was imagining things. She walked back, settled into the armchair again and opened the manuscript.
* * * *
After the Emergence Ceremony, the new citizens of Atlantis went back to their families to share what the oracle told them. The Council threw a party at the palace that night in their honor. It usually ushered in the dawn. The tension the initiates all felt before the ceremony melted into a spring rush of enthusiasm. Steady Erythe, whose expectations to work in agriculture were confirmed, danced into the night, flitting from partner to partner like a mayfly. Megan resembled her shy friend more than herself, slipping away into the shadows to savor the intricate fruit punch and consider her future. She heard stories about the Crystal Matrix Chamber, of course, but the exact nature of the responsibilities it required was a mystery to her.
Pleione and Diaprepes sat at a table near the doors that now stood open to the balcony. Snippets of their conversation with friends drifted to Megan’s ears: “The Crystal Matrix Chamber? Such an honor.” “The training is demanding. Do you think you’ll see much of her?” “What a surprise. When was the last apprentice chosen for that temple?” “It’s been years. The Guild Mistress was concerned.”
Megan wandered into the gardens of the palace where the members of the High House—the house of her father’s mother—lived and worked. They coordinated the functioning of all Atlantis, from the operation of the temples to the growth of crops and trade. All the guilds reported to them. Eden was the capital, the major city on the central island, and every ten years the leaders of the other islands met here. Megan belonged to her mother’s family, the famous healers from the north, not her father’s, who ruled over all Atlantis. Now she also belonged to the Crystal Guild.
She turned from the laughter and music, and walked up the slope of the sacred hill toward the Temple of Poseidon and Cleito. The gate in the golden wall that surrounded the temple opened with a swing. Inside, the silver walls glinted in the moonlight. The statue of Poseidon grazed the ceiling of the ivory roof inlaid with gold, silver and orichalc, the famed Atlantean metal. Six winged horses drew his golden chariot and one hundred Nereid surrounded him riding dolphins. They in turn were circled by the five sets of twins who were the original founders of the land, her father’s almost mythical ancestors.
A muffled cough echoed from behind one of the statues. Megan stepped into the shadow of the dolphins and peeked around. A man and woman, heads bent together, talked quietly. Something about the man caused Megan’s breath to catch. He was of medium height, but as solid as a draft horse; his shoulders and chest filled his robe. The muscles of his forearms stood out like ropes. He threw back his head and laughed, setting the small shells and beads braided into his smoky black hair dancing. She imagined his hair grazing her cheek, his arms reaching out. Megan shook her head and tried to place him, but the memory hovered at the edges of her mind, elusive as the ocean’s horizon on a misty day. Their voices grew more distinct and the scrap of a sandal sounded close by. She slipped out before they could discover her.
She walked home instead of returning to the party. The sky was still dark. In her room, she slipped into bed and lay listening to the ocean breeze play in the palms, trying to quiet the flame that voice ignited in her. The memory of this man refused to come, and yet he was so familiar. She thought about the ceremony. Was it really just this morning? Never, while lying here dreaming of her future, had she imagined working with the giant crystals, although she always had a facility with the stones. Small tabbies lay scattered about her room. She reached out and cradled one in her palm. When the sky grew pale in the east, she finally fell asleep.
Late
* * * *
After the Emergence Ceremony, the new citizens of Atlantis went back to their families to share what the oracle told them. The Council threw a party at the palace that night in their honor. It usually ushered in the dawn. The tension the initiates all felt before the ceremony melted into a spring rush of enthusiasm. Steady Erythe, whose expectations to work in agriculture were confirmed, danced into the night, flitting from partner to partner like a mayfly. Megan resembled her shy friend more than herself, slipping away into the shadows to savor the intricate fruit punch and consider her future. She heard stories about the Crystal Matrix Chamber, of course, but the exact nature of the responsibilities it required was a mystery to her.
Pleione and Diaprepes sat at a table near the doors that now stood open to the balcony. Snippets of their conversation with friends drifted to Megan’s ears: “The Crystal Matrix Chamber? Such an honor.” “The training is demanding. Do you think you’ll see much of her?” “What a surprise. When was the last apprentice chosen for that temple?” “It’s been years. The Guild Mistress was concerned.”
Megan wandered into the gardens of the palace where the members of the High House—the house of her father’s mother—lived and worked. They coordinated the functioning of all Atlantis, from the operation of the temples to the growth of crops and trade. All the guilds reported to them. Eden was the capital, the major city on the central island, and every ten years the leaders of the other islands met here. Megan belonged to her mother’s family, the famous healers from the north, not her father’s, who ruled over all Atlantis. Now she also belonged to the Crystal Guild.
She turned from the laughter and music, and walked up the slope of the sacred hill toward the Temple of Poseidon and Cleito. The gate in the golden wall that surrounded the temple opened with a swing. Inside, the silver walls glinted in the moonlight. The statue of Poseidon grazed the ceiling of the ivory roof inlaid with gold, silver and orichalc, the famed Atlantean metal. Six winged horses drew his golden chariot and one hundred Nereid surrounded him riding dolphins. They in turn were circled by the five sets of twins who were the original founders of the land, her father’s almost mythical ancestors.
A muffled cough echoed from behind one of the statues. Megan stepped into the shadow of the dolphins and peeked around. A man and woman, heads bent together, talked quietly. Something about the man caused Megan’s breath to catch. He was of medium height, but as solid as a draft horse; his shoulders and chest filled his robe. The muscles of his forearms stood out like ropes. He threw back his head and laughed, setting the small shells and beads braided into his smoky black hair dancing. She imagined his hair grazing her cheek, his arms reaching out. Megan shook her head and tried to place him, but the memory hovered at the edges of her mind, elusive as the ocean’s horizon on a misty day. Their voices grew more distinct and the scrap of a sandal sounded close by. She slipped out before they could discover her.
She walked home instead of returning to the party. The sky was still dark. In her room, she slipped into bed and lay listening to the ocean breeze play in the palms, trying to quiet the flame that voice ignited in her. The memory of this man refused to come, and yet he was so familiar. She thought about the ceremony. Was it really just this morning? Never, while lying here dreaming of her future, had she imagined working with the giant crystals, although she always had a facility with the stones. Small tabbies lay scattered about her room. She reached out and cradled one in her palm. When the sky grew pale in the east, she finally fell asleep.
Late
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