Read Online The Dark Shore (Atlanteans) by Kevin Emerson - Free Book Online
Authors: Kevin Emerson
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emulate, based on Mother’s translation of the ancient texts inside the Atlantean temple. We all looked forward to her return, and yet, after a decade, hope had begun to fade. Then just as all was seeming lost . . . there she was! We all gathered on the beach and watched as she swam up from the depths, emerging from the sea in a flowing white dress, the beautiful Heliad among us. And we have rejoiced ever since.”
“That was something,” said Harvey, closing his eyes, smiling. He put a hand on his chest and inhaled deeply through his nose.
I could barely follow all this. I thought that the Heliad-7 cult was only a few years old, but clearly they’d been around awhile before they overthrew EdenSouth.
“Why was all seeming lost?” Lilly asked. “I mean, Heliad is the most popular religion outside the Habitable Zone and the Edens, isn’t it?”
“Well, yes,” said Lucinda, a shadow crossing her face, “but there was a seed of doubt. A rumor . . .”
“A heresy is more like it,” Harvey added, his face puckering like he’d eaten something spoiled.
“You see,” said Lucinda, “people began to fear that, instead of the gods returning, as Mother predicted, they were in fact leaving . A rumor began to spread that the gods had forsaken earth, and that the end-times had come. This was in spite of the teachings of the Benevolent Mother, in spite of the magic she could show us, and her prophecy of Heliad’s return.”
It’s understandable in an age like this,” said Harvey. “People have a right to fear for our future. I mean, you see what we’ve done to this planet. Is it so hard to believe that humanity has been forsaken, that the gods have had enough? Even in Desenna, the Rise may be over, but living is hard and only gets worse. There is more hope now that Heliad has returned, and now that the Three have come . . . but still, even we have thought, from time to time, that who could blame the gods for leaving, to start somewhere new?”
Harvey and Lucinda shared a wide-eyed glance, Harvey rubbing his hands together, Lucinda fidgeting with her pendant.
“That’s why we wondered . . .” Lucinda began, speaking in a hushed tone, but then, she shook her head. “I can’t.”
Harvey rubbed her leg supportively. “What Luce was going to say was, we were wondering, since you’ve been in Eden . . .” He swallowed hard, and continued in a fearful whisper, “Do you, by chance, know of the Ascending Stars?”
I glanced over at Lilly and Leech. Their looks matched my thought. “The what?”
“The Ascending Stars,” said Harvey, still quiet. “The lights that rise from earth into the ethers of space. People claim to have seen them. There are rumors from the south of lights that leave in the night.”
“You mean like satellite launches or something?” asked Lilly.
“No,” said Lucinda. “They’re not from any of the countries that control space launch. These are from remote spots, places thought to be uninhabited.”
“It’s these sightings,” said Harvey, “that fueled the legend of the gods departing. In Desenna, the people who spread these rumors say the stars are ascending from Tulana, the resting place of the souls where the gods dwell. Of course, Tulana is just myth. Still, people believe . . . and until Heliad returned, it was this rumor of the Ascending Stars that threatened to bring down Desenna.”
“I’ve never heard of any of that,” I said. Lilly and Leech motioned in agreement.
Harvey sighed. “Some believe they’re connected to Eden somehow, a part of Project Elysium. We thought you might know.” He sounded disappointed.
“Nope,” I said. “Do you guys know anything about Project Elysium?”
Harvey shrugged. “We know that it is secretive, and that it is Eden’s plan to create a new paradise after their domes fail. This is the standard theory. And we know that seeking Atlantis is part of their plan.”
Harvey paused and looked to Lucinda. They both
“That was something,” said Harvey, closing his eyes, smiling. He put a hand on his chest and inhaled deeply through his nose.
I could barely follow all this. I thought that the Heliad-7 cult was only a few years old, but clearly they’d been around awhile before they overthrew EdenSouth.
“Why was all seeming lost?” Lilly asked. “I mean, Heliad is the most popular religion outside the Habitable Zone and the Edens, isn’t it?”
“Well, yes,” said Lucinda, a shadow crossing her face, “but there was a seed of doubt. A rumor . . .”
“A heresy is more like it,” Harvey added, his face puckering like he’d eaten something spoiled.
“You see,” said Lucinda, “people began to fear that, instead of the gods returning, as Mother predicted, they were in fact leaving . A rumor began to spread that the gods had forsaken earth, and that the end-times had come. This was in spite of the teachings of the Benevolent Mother, in spite of the magic she could show us, and her prophecy of Heliad’s return.”
It’s understandable in an age like this,” said Harvey. “People have a right to fear for our future. I mean, you see what we’ve done to this planet. Is it so hard to believe that humanity has been forsaken, that the gods have had enough? Even in Desenna, the Rise may be over, but living is hard and only gets worse. There is more hope now that Heliad has returned, and now that the Three have come . . . but still, even we have thought, from time to time, that who could blame the gods for leaving, to start somewhere new?”
Harvey and Lucinda shared a wide-eyed glance, Harvey rubbing his hands together, Lucinda fidgeting with her pendant.
“That’s why we wondered . . .” Lucinda began, speaking in a hushed tone, but then, she shook her head. “I can’t.”
Harvey rubbed her leg supportively. “What Luce was going to say was, we were wondering, since you’ve been in Eden . . .” He swallowed hard, and continued in a fearful whisper, “Do you, by chance, know of the Ascending Stars?”
I glanced over at Lilly and Leech. Their looks matched my thought. “The what?”
“The Ascending Stars,” said Harvey, still quiet. “The lights that rise from earth into the ethers of space. People claim to have seen them. There are rumors from the south of lights that leave in the night.”
“You mean like satellite launches or something?” asked Lilly.
“No,” said Lucinda. “They’re not from any of the countries that control space launch. These are from remote spots, places thought to be uninhabited.”
“It’s these sightings,” said Harvey, “that fueled the legend of the gods departing. In Desenna, the people who spread these rumors say the stars are ascending from Tulana, the resting place of the souls where the gods dwell. Of course, Tulana is just myth. Still, people believe . . . and until Heliad returned, it was this rumor of the Ascending Stars that threatened to bring down Desenna.”
“I’ve never heard of any of that,” I said. Lilly and Leech motioned in agreement.
Harvey sighed. “Some believe they’re connected to Eden somehow, a part of Project Elysium. We thought you might know.” He sounded disappointed.
“Nope,” I said. “Do you guys know anything about Project Elysium?”
Harvey shrugged. “We know that it is secretive, and that it is Eden’s plan to create a new paradise after their domes fail. This is the standard theory. And we know that seeking Atlantis is part of their plan.”
Harvey paused and looked to Lucinda. They both
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