The End of Atlantis: II

I

Confrontation in the Poseidon Temple Hall

As soon as Vince entered the brightly lit temple hall, he sensed something was wrong. Nine kings, including the four kings of his vassal kingdoms, were glaring at him.

Unperturbed, Vince knelt before the Poseidon statue, worshiped devoutly, and slowly stood up to the nine kings with one hand across his chest. I put down what I was doing and rushed here at the sound of the King’s Summon. I did not expect to be late. May I ask what is the matter here?

Brad and the other eight kings didn’t answer. But Qir, the Venusian high priest, stepped forward and returned a salute to Vince. Supreme Lord of the Moon, may I ask why you attacked our troop with a lethal weapon in the darkness and abducted the prince of the Sun Kingdom on the eve of the sacrificial ceremony?

This is Brad’s trap. He is trying to frame me for not complying with the Atlantean rule of zero-violence tolerance in the Poseidon Temple in front of all here. He’s trying to make me the enemy of the entire Atlantean world. Wait, no, that’s not right. Abducting the Sun Prince is no trivial matter. It can backfire easily. Brad shouldn’t be this hasty. Apoia must really have been abducted, but Brad found the wrong person to blame.

The Sun Prince was abducted? When did that happen? Vince asked surprisedly.

Just tonight. I was guarding the Venusian immolation with Apoia on our way up the Sphinx Mountain, said Qir confidently.

Could you tell me more about it? Vince nodded affectedly.

Why not? Qir said without scruple and told the whole story of what happened in front of the Poseidon statue and the ten kings.

At this time, only one person figured out the truth of the matter in this hall. Upon hearing Qir say that the thirty or so black knights used a mysterious explosive weapon, Margaret already knew the kidnapper was Seir. But she couldn’t and wouldn’t say it because Seir was now known as Aaron, the prince of the Moon Kingdom. Identifying him was equivalent to killing him and implicating her father and the entire Moon Kingdom. Plus, she knew Dane didn’t want anything to happen to Seir just yet, so she sat tight and kept observing.

The ten kings all believed Qir was telling the truth; however, there was no evidence from his account to confirm that Vince abducted Apoia. Their glares gradually turned speculative.

Vince noticed their shift and took the opportunity. According to you, the thirty or so black knights covered their faces, and so did the knight who took Apoia. So, you never saw their faces. How, then, can you conclude that I was the one that kidnapped the prince of the Sun Kingdom? And how can the Sun Lord pin the crime of using violence on me?

The eight kings who had just glared at Vince now looked askance at Brad.

At this point, if Brad could not give a reasonable explanation, then he might as well plead guilty to framing Vince in the sacred Poseidon Temple.

Well, I’m just basing on a reasonable inference, said Brad.

Brad’s response was obviously ineffective, as everyone was still staring at him.

Margaret knew Brad might not be able to prove it now, but the truth would come out sooner or later if they kept digging. Even if Vince didn’t do it himself, Seir was now the prince of the Moon Kingdom; if he got identified, Vince was as much to blame as the entire Moon Kingdom.

Excuse my interjection. I feel like this is just a misunderstanding. Perhaps it was a bold band of bandits who took Prince Apoia, she said, giving Vince a hinting look.

Vince stopped talking when he saw Margaret’s cue, though he didn’t know what she meant.

The kings of Vince’s vassal kingdoms thought they had been deceived by Brad and had offended their Lord and began to turn on Brad to redeem themselves.

I take the liberty of asking the Sun Lord to give us a satisfactory answer.

That’s right. We have to be clear about what happened.

Poseidon is witnessing this all. Please tell us what happened.

Could you have deliberately…?

Brad didn’t accuse Vince without a cause. Vince definitely had a motive to abduct Apoia, and if it wasn’t him, he must’ve been involved somehow. The questions forced Brad to a corner and finally aroused his anger.

My son, Apoia, has indeed been abducted. The truth will be unveiled eventually. Since you are cross-examining me, I swear by Poseidon that if Vince, the Moon Lord, has nothing to do with this, then I will end my life in front of God Poseidon.

Brad’s strong statements momentarily silenced the crowd.

What if it has something to do with the Moon Lord? Brad looked coldly at the four Moon Clan kings.

The four kings turned to Vince.

Vince was supposed to take the same oath to Poseidon, but he saw Margaret signaling to him not to take the oath in his peripheral view. He sensed there was more to the story but didn’t know what to do amidst the interrogating eyes of the four kings.

The Poseidon temple hall’s atmosphere was solemn. Everyone was silent except for the flickering of a few candles. Just as time and space seemed to freeze, Apoia’s clear voice came from outside. Prince Apoia of the Sun Kingdom to worship the Ancestral God Poseidon! Apoia then deliberately walked in with his head high, strode to the Poseidon statue, and began worshiping.

He isn’t abducted. Was Qir bullshitting? Brad looked up at Qir but saw him staring at Apoia in bewilderment. It seemed like he didn’t understand what was going on either.

Everyone in the room turned to look at Brad and then down at Apoia. Finally, the four kings of the Moon Clan glowered at Brad coldly and said nothing. Their intent was obvious: Brad, you are setting our Lord and us up.

Vince felt a twinge of joy at the sight of Apoia. His sudden appearance was no doubt a slap on Brad’s face in the presence of all the other kings. But he knew there was something else going on because Brad wouldn’t have made it this easy, and given how Margaret cued him earlier, it must not be as simple as it looked. So, he put on an angry face to see how Brad would end up. However, just as he was about to show his teeth, a call came from outside again. Prince Aaron of the Moon Kingdom to worship the Ancestral God Poseidon! Then, Seir stepped into the hall dressed in black tights, strode to the Poseidon statue, and began to worship.

Apoia and Seir knelt before the Poseidon statue, nodded slightly to each other, then stood up together. Apoia held his head up high, and Seir deliberately adjusted his black tunic.

Brad looked at Apoia, puffed up, and became furious. Son of a bitch, what do you expect me to do by showing up now?

Vince saw the black tights Aaron was in and realized what Margaret was cueing earlier. It seems like Aaron did kidnap that bastard. How does he expect me to deal with this?

Father, I was abducted by Aaron, prince of the Moon Kingdom, said Apoia solemnly, glancing at his father, who was glaring at him. Brad immediately turned to Vince and was about to question him, but Apoia continued. I made him do it.

Brad swallowed the words rushing out and asked Apoia in an angry, stern voice, Why?

For a chiropractic session, said Apoia jauntily, craning his neck dramatically.

The atmosphere inside the hall was too tense and oppressive that one could hardly breathe, so Apoia didn’t draw any attention by repeatedly raising and twisting his neck. But now, listening to what he just said and seeing how he kept turning his neck exaggeratedly, people found his neck was no longer crooked.

Oh? asked Brad in surprise, Who was the chiropractor?

Aaron, prince of the Moon Kingdom.

Everyone, including Brad, was puzzled. Was Prince Aaron a chiropractor? And he helped the prince of the enemy kingdom?

What? Brad was baffled and had no idea what they were up to.

To Vince, it seemed as if Aaron cured Apoia’s neck. He didn’t know how Aaron did it or why, but the situation seemed to favor him. My Son, asked Vince with deliberate bewilderment, you abducted the prince of the Sun Kingdom?

Seir nodded.

Why? Do you not understand that no one is allowed to use violence during the sacrificial period?

Of course, I am aware of the sermon. I am also aware that offering a helping hand to others is pleasant to the God Poseidon.

That’s true. But why do you have to abduct him to offer a helping hand? I don’t know if anyone believes you, but I don’t. I don’t know what you’re up to, but it’s nothing benevolent. Vince knew even if he didn’t ask the question, Brad would anyway. Thus, it was better if he himself asked it to show he really didn’t know what was going on.

A wise man advised me that Prince Apoia must first be frightened unwittingly to cure his neck, said Seir gravely.

Seir and Apoia’s stories were essentially identical but could not withstand scrutiny. Margaret was the first one not to believe it. Seir had asked her about Apoia, and now the two were in cahoots. I must warn Dane to take precautions against them.

Vince knew Aaron was hardly telling the truth, but he was afraid that it would give Aaron away and make things worse for himself if he kept asking.

Brad was the most conflicted person here. Aaron did abduct Apoia, and he should theoretically have a reasonable ground to accuse Vince of it. But then it was under the guise of curing Apoia’s crooked neck. To this, he was supposed to thank Vince for it. But the situation was like a chaotic farce now. How should he maintain his dignity as the Sun Lord?

Your majesties, as Princess Margaret said, the matter is now settled. There are unexpected misunderstandings and coincidences. In any case, Prince Aaron lent a helping hand to Prince Apoia and fixed his chronic problem. I, as the granduncle of Prince Apoia, would like to show the most sincere appreciation to the Moon Lord and Moon Prince! said Qir, knowing he had to step up to calm the matter down.

Upon Qir’s announcement, Brad and Vince saluted each other, indicating the matter ended here.

***

The storm in the Poseidon temple hall had finally subsided.

Apoia followed Brad back to the Sun manor. As Brad sat on the throne, Apoia got on his knees immediately. Brad stared coldly at his son and gave a heavy snort.

Father, allow me! said Apoia, bowing his head in awe.

Brad remained silent and snorted again.

It is true, father, that Aaron fixed my neck. But he did it accidentally while he was holding me captive.

Get up and elaborate.

Yes, father, said Apoia, rising to his feet, I am truly incompetent and was taken by Aaron. But according to him, he was instructed by Mike. Aaron said he crossed paths with Mike and eventually reached a deal in which he would eliminate me, and Mike would hand him the treasure map. Therefore, Aaron kidnapped me to get the map, and he wanted to strangle me to death as per Mike’s order, but my Hidden Force was highly protective. So, he accidentally fixed my neck instead of killing me.

Is that so? Brad knew all too well that Mike and Apoia had been fighting over the throne. What Apoia just claimed seemed to make sense, but he had his doubts. Then, why did Aaron go easy on you? Why did you and Aaron both claim he did it for your own good?

Father, I am useless. I’m ashamed of myself, but I can’t bring shame to our kingdom. Therefore, I had to say the abduction was intended. As for Aaron, I supposed it was because he was worried about becoming the public enemy by attacking me on the eve of the great sacrificial ceremony. I presume he didn’t dare to kill me in the end because, for one, I had Hidden Force, and for another, he was afraid of exposing himself, as that meant he not only wouldn’t get the treasure map but would also bring trouble to himself and his kingdom.

Aaron? Does he think he deserves the treasure map? If he hadn’t healed your neck, I’d have cut him to pieces! Brad didn’t believe all of Apoia’s seamless words, but he couldn’t pick out a flaw, so he redirected his anger toward Aaron.

Seeing how Brad didn’t persist in interrogating, Apoia said with apparent loyalty, Father, the purpose of my expedition was to find my missing brother, Mike, and the lost treasure map. I learned after many inquiries that Mike still had the map, and he had been in the Neptune Kingdom with Princess Margaret, though I am uncertain why. When I was just about to send someone into the Neptune Kingdom, I accidentally caught Venus. On my way of escorting Venus here, I learned Mike, Margaret, and Aaron had a battle in the Neptune Kingdom. Aaron said that’s when they sealed the dirty deal. Mike should be coming for the grand ceremony. I don’t know if he’s arrived here yet.

He should be here soon. You go and get some rest, said Brad with a frown. Brad was not as sophisticated as Vince, but he was not reckless either. Hearing Apoia alluding to Mike repeatedly, he grew suspicious of Mike but also Apoia as well.

Please take care, father, said Apoia with a bow, then stepped back out of the room. He didn’t require Brad to believe everything he said, all he needed was for Brad to suspect Mike.

***

While Apoia and Brad were conversing, Dane had reached the Sun manor. As he was about to enter, he came face to face with Brad’s patrolling entourages.

Hail! Prince Mike! greeted the entourages.

Good day, guys, Dane nodded.

As Dane just stepped into the manor, he heard a whisper from the entourages. Kungfu.

Slightly taken aback, Dane turned back and surprisingly found it was Yed. Hey, you over there. Are you new? said Dane, pretending not to know Yed.

Yes, your highness. I was lucky enough to be selected by the Sun Lord, said Yed in a low voice.

Good! The Lord must’ve made a great choice. Come with me. I have a few words to tell you, said Dane loudly.

Yes, your highness, said Yed as he followed Dane to a tree.

Yed, what’s going on? Dane whispered.

Prince Mike, it happened that…, Yed then told Dane the summary of the entire story.

I see. Remember, don’t make a move blindly during the ceremony and watch me closely.

Yed’s restless heart finally eased a bit after meeting Dane. As soon as they had finished conversing, Apoia came out of the manor with his head held up high and his arms wagging.

You go and do your patrolling. I’ll find you if there’s anything, Dane said loudly.

Yes, your highness, replied Yed loudly with a salute, walking to the rest of the entourages. Hail! Prince Apoia! he said along with the other entourages, bowing his head, fearing Apoia would recognize him.

 Mhm, Apoia grunted with a careless wave, holding his head up high.

Yed let out a sigh of relief and hurried on with his team.

Apoia saw Mike under the tree as soon as he stepped out of the manor, so he held his head up high to show his neck was fixed.

From memory Mike left in his brain, Dane knew Apoia was often ridiculed by others, particularly Mike, because of his crooked neck. Dane was a little surprised to see how his neck seemed quite normal. More surprising to Dane was that Apoia looked and behaved somewhat like Skye.

Is Skye Apoia’s reincarnation?

Oh, Mike, my brother, you’re finally here. I was just telling father about you, said Apoia, as if nothing had happened.

My brother, how are you? Hey, your…, Dane looked up and down at Apoia, also pretended nothing had happened.

Hahahaha, my neck has always been normal. I was just messing with you guys before.

Hahahaha. You are really persistent. Normally people only mess for a minute, but you managed to mess with us for more than twenty years, Dane thought Apoia was hilarious.

It’s a long story, Mike, but it can wait. For now, our father is mad at you, Apoia said solemnly and stopped smiling.

Oh? Why is that?

Our father has heard that you have been with Princess Margaret of the Moon Kingdom since the day you disappeared. He is worried that you can’t resist the temptation of lust and do wrong to us. But don’t worry, I pledged my life to your loyalty to the Sun Clan, said Apoia, curling his lips.

Thank you, brother, for vouching for me. However, it may cost your life because I did betray our Sun Clan. Hahahahah.

Apoia was left chaotic under the tree. Why is Mike different from before?

***

Dane went into Brad’s room and saw him sitting on the throne with a straight face.

Good day, father. Dane got to his knees.

Rise, Brad gave Dane a cold look.

As Dane got up and looked at Brad’s, he was startled to find two souls inside him. One was Brad himself, and the other was Mike’s mother, the Sun Queen.

What are you looking at? Brad wondered.

I haven’t seen father for a long time, so I just wanted to see you a bit longer.

I see. I missed you, too. I thought you were gone at the terrible battle in the Wolfsbane valley. I was so glad to hear you were still alive. Where have you been all this time?

Speaking of this, I need to thank Princess Margaret. I’d be dead already if she hadn’t saved me. I did survive the Wolfsbane valley battle, but I was severely injured, and Prince Aaron kept chasing after me for the treasure map, so I had to run and hide from him while recovering. I only came back because of the grand sacrificial ceremony, but still, I ran into Aaron and had a brief battle on my way here and nearly died under the attack of his mysterious weapon. Luckily, Margaret saved me again, and so I made it here, said Dane as he heaved a long sigh.

What Dane said was roughly identical to what Apoia said. As for the details, Brad needed careful comparison and reflection to determine what the truth was.

I’m sorry to hear that, Brad nodded slightly. He had been waiting for Mike to hand in the treasure map the moment Mike walked in. But Mike didn’t make a move aside from talking about his experiences these days.

The treasure….

Before Brad could finish, Dane interjected and said, Father, let me. I have a strange encounter to tell.

A strange encounter?

I saw the Ancestral God Poseidon! Dane exclaimed dramatically.

Really?

It’s true! Not only did I see Poseidon, but also Sphinx, the Divine Beast!

Oh? Poseidon? Sphinx?

Poseidon took the treasure map from me and said it was a curse and not a blessing! said Dane solemnly.

How dare you fob me off with a bunch of nonsense! Guards! Put this…, Brad, who had been half-convinced, finally broke out. But at this critical moment, a burst of panicky noise came from outside. The Divine Beast appeared! Get to your knees!

Hearing Brad’s summon, Yed and several other guards rushed in. Your majesty.

Brad was about to lock Mike up, but now he asked, What’s the noise about?

Your majesty, the Divine Beast, Sphinx, appeared outside the temple, Yed bowed and replied.

Where is he now? Brad was more convinced now.

The Divine Beast left a piece of yellow silk behind and disappeared into the forest, said Yed as he presented the piece of silk to Brad.

Is it so? Brad took over and unfolded the piece of silk. It read: Injustice leads to condemnation; fortune is uncertain, benevolence isn’t."

Ahem, you all may leave now, ordered Brad.

After Dane, Yed, and others went away, Brad sat with the piece of yellow silk alone all night and still did not understand what Poseidon or Sphinx was trying to convey. He did figure out one thing, though, that Mike’s account of his strange encounter with God Poseidon and the Divine Beast, Sphinx, was potentially true.

***

Yed secretly handed a confidential letter to Dane as they walked out. Dane opened it alone in his room, and it read: Aaron and Apoia colluded. Be careful! Maggie.

Apoia and Aaron colluded together? Apoia must be trying to get rid of me as Mike, and Seir must be trying to get the treasure map from me as Dane. Well, these two have something in common.

Dane burned the letter on the bedside candle and pondered what conspiracy Apoia and Aaron could have, then Qir’s voice came.

Be careful!

Don’t worry. This is a heavily-guarded sacred temple, plus Sphinx, the beast, has miraculously shown up. No one, even Mi-, even the most audacious dare not stir up trouble again. Tell you what, I’ll go to the barracks myself, and I’ll take care of it. Apoia replied.

Well, the sacrifice is in two days. You must be careful, said Qir, still uneasy. Then came the footsteps of Apoia and two guards walking out the manor.

Why don’t I follow him and see what he’s up to? Dane cast Arcane Steps and followed Apoia to the edge of the dense forest in front of the barracks of the Sun Kingdom.

Dane wasn’t sure what to do after watching Apoia entering the barrack as the commander-in-chief. Although he was the prince of the Sun Kingdom, he must get permission from the commander-in-chief to enter.

He picked up a pebble and threw it against the barrack’s flagpole. The pebble hit the flagpole with a crackling sound which drew the attention of the two golden-armored guards. Dane then took advantage of the opportunity and dashed into the barrack. The two guards sensed a shadow flash by but just considered themselves dazed.

It was late at night, all lights had been turned off, and all the golden-armored warriors had rested. Dane dashed between the barracks and finally came to the general’s barrack.

The general’s barrack was the commander-in-chief’s office and bedroom. It was larger and roomier than the ordinary barracks and was constantly guarded.

When Dane came to the general’s barrack, Apoia had just entered. The two guards that followed him remained outside and were whispering to the other two guards.

Prince Apoia has gone to great pains!

Yes, it’s late at night, and he insisted on guarding the immolations himself.

Two of his henchmen have been in the barrack. Do you know what they are up to?

You two are his squires. Don’t you know what they’re up to?

Bro, squires are not necessarily henchmen.

That makes sense.

Then, the four warriors began to chuckle.

Dane looked up and saw a big flag on the top of the general’s barrack swinging with the wind. With a great leap, he grabbed the flagpole like a big bird, approaching the roof of the barrack upside down with his legs coiled around the pole. He endowed his finger with inner force, poked a small hole on the roof, and looked down from it, holding his breath.

The general’s barrack was dimly lit. Apoia sat on the tiger-skin chair; beside him stood two of his henchmen. On the table in front of them were dozens of giant bells and dozens of thunderbolt bombs. The two henchmen whispered something to Apoia as they deftly placed the bombs into the bells. Apoia picked up an assembled bell to examine and nodded in satisfaction.

The general’s barrack had a high ceiling, so Dane couldn’t hear what they were whispering. But at least, the combination of thunderbolt bombs and Apoia was evidence of his partnership with Seir.

Why are they putting bombs into these bells? Wow! This is the definition of evil.

***

Brad studied the piece of yellow silk alone for the whole night. He gathered the other kings together the next day to review the message written on it. All of the kings agreed that the presence of the Divine Beast meant that the Ancestral God Poseidon and Sphinx had a connection with the coming grand sacrificial ceremony. Therefore, the ceremony must be as elegant and solemn as imaginable for the sake of the Atlantean fate.

However, as they hosted the solemn ceremony on the full moon, something happened that they couldn’t have dreamed of.

II

Poseidon's Appearances

The full moon day was accompanied by calm wind and light clouds. All of the warriors from the ten kingdoms stood in reverence, facing the Poseidon Temple in their respective barracks. The temple was festooned with lights and its doors wide open. Outside the temple were 10,000 golden-armored warriors, armed with gleaming golden swords and spears, guarding the temple’s east side in ten groups. Ten thousand silver-armored warriors, armed with gleaming silver swords and spears, guarded the west side of the temple in ten squads. Each group of warriors had a hundred flag-bearing warriors holding the flags high; as the breeze blew, the flags flapped gently. Those were ordinary warriors and were not allowed to enter the Poseidon Temple.

Around the marble altar stood a hundred musicians in scarlet robes, each carrying a long, golden, ceremonial instrument. The marble altar was exclusive to human immolations. Before offering a sacrifice to Sphinx, the ladies would first perform a song and dance for God Poseidon and the Divine Beast, Sphinx.

At this time, the marble altar was covered with colorful ribbons. Venus stood in the center, and the nine other ladies stood around her, hanging their hands respectfully. Ten kings and their children stood respectfully on the corridor from the temple gate to the hall, waiting to enter.

Such a formation was unusual for sacrificial rites. The extravagance showed the solemnity of this particular event.

In the Poseidon Temple hall, Qir was appointed the master for this grand ceremony.

A quarter past noon was an auspicious time.

In a loose red robe, Qir raised his drumsticks and beat the drum with great force. As he drummed inside the hall, the one-hundred musicians outside the hall began to play the instrument around the marble altar. With the music, Venus and the other ladies, all dressed in white gauze gowns and wearing thirty large golden bells on their wrists, ankles, and necks, started singing carols.

In the sound of steady and robust drumming, in the solemn music, in the ethereal chant of the ladies, the Sun Lord, Brad, and the Moon Lord, Vince, walked from the corridor to the hall in ritual steps. Brad was followed by the kings of Venus, Mercury, Saturn, Pluto Kingdoms, and Dane and Apoia. Vince was followed by kings of Jupiter, Mars, Neptune, Uranus Kingdoms, and Margaret and Seir.

When Brad and Vince led the procession into the hall and stood orderly before the Poseidon statue, Qir, the master of this ceremony, spoke in an old, firm voice. To the God Poseidon!

Everyone bowed down before the Poseidon statue.

A tribute to the God Poseidon! Qir’s voice came again.

On his knees, Brad raised his head and intoned solemnly to the music.

"Father! Father! Poseidon! Supreme God of heaven!

"Awarded us with life, food, clothing, grace, and virtue!

"The descendants of the gods will be worshipped, and good fortune will be given!

"To the wine and the lamb, to our God on Earth for eternity!

"Everyone bends their heads to the sun and moon, and the chant is heard far above!

"The worship and