Atlantis 101
As the boys continued to eat, Master Lumens used the map of Atlantis to provide an overview. “There are six main territories. You are in Fronisi, here, which is considered more of a community than a territory.” Lumens pointed to its location far north on the map.
“Southwest of Fronisi is Kentauros, home of the Centaurs—”
Bowie stopped him there. “Whoa, you mean there really are Centaurs?”
“Of course,” said Lumens without hesitation.
“Like half man, half horse?” asked Bowie. “Isn’t that a statue of one in the main hall there?”
“Centaurs are known as the Great Horse People because of their mastery of equestrian skills and preternatural connection with the animal,” explained Lumens. “The statue to which you’re referring is merely the artist’s interpretation of that bond.”
“No half man, half horse then, huh?” asked Bowie.
“I’m afraid not,” said Lumens.
“Bummer!” Bowie was disappointed.
“Is the chimera also the artist’s interpretation?” asked Jack.
“That is correct,” confirmed Lumens.
“Well, in real life, they must still be butt ugly then!” concluded Bowie.
“Butt ugly,” repeated Lumens. “A fitting description, I must admit.” He continued his overview. “The Centaurs have always been the protectors of Fronisi. In fact, the military force here is comprised solely of Centaur soldiers. However, their homeland is here, southwest of Fronisi.” Lumens pointed to it on the map. “They are the oldest race in Atlantis. Their existence predates written history.”
“To the south of Kentauros is Laidir.” Lumens pointed to the large landmass on the map. “Their origin is Celt.”
“So that’s why your guards thought I was Laidirian!” said Bowie.
“Precisely,” said Lumens. “In fact, that may come in useful later.” Bowie looked at Jack wondering what Lumens meant. Jack shrugged.
“At the southern end of Atlantis is Fens,” continued Lumens. “Their people originated from Normandy. At one time, they were fierce conquerors but when they arrived here, they withdrew into their own territory, fortified their defenses and kept to themselves.”
“Northeast of Fens is Andaar. Lumens pointed to the landmass on the map. “Originally they were Romans, and with so many territories within their empire, their people are comprised of many different races. The strength of Andaar comes from the diversity and unity of its people.
“Above Andaar is Skul. They were originally Vikings. There is no nice way of saying this, Skul is the enemy to everyone.” Something pained him in saying it. He took pause as if dwelling on a distant memory.
Is everything all right?” asked Jack.
Master Lumens shook it off and continued his overview. He explained Atlantis had been a very advanced society dating back thousands of years before recorded history. But as travel by sea was limited, so too was knowledge of the outside world.
“Navigation improved greatly around 550 BC. At that time, Atlanteans began exploring far-reaching lands while maintaining anonymity,” explained Lumens. “We became aware the world was filled with war and strife. Atlantis thus began to train in the art of war should we ever have to defend ourselves and we became quite skilled at it. Over the course of two-hundred years, Atlantis developed a formidable military presence.
“Around 350 BC, a division broke out between those who wanted to maintain Atlantis’s segregation and those who wanted to integrate with the rest of the world. But both sides saw the inevitability of being discovered. Some, like my brother, Grigori, thought the best way to protect Atlantis was to mobilize our military force and conquer before being conquered. To that end, he sought first to unify Atlantis against potential enemies.”
“Doesn’t sound too bad,” remarked Bowie.
Master Lumens gave Bowie a sideways glance. “Many thought that way, but there were also those opposed to being the aggressors, like myself, for no reason other than fear. And Grigori’s ambitions far exceeded that of mere preservation.”
“What happened then?” asked Jack.
“Grigori executed a plan to start a civil war with the intent of conquering all of Atlantis first and then plotting his conquest of the known world. But something happened which stopped his progression.”
“What was it?” asked Jack.
Atlantis disappeared,” said Lumens.
The boys looked at each other. Clearly, there was more to the story than a mere magic trick. “Where did it go?” asked Bowie.
“Information is not always useful. Knowledge often blinds us to the essence of truth. Destiny is found in the heart, not the mind,” said Lumens.
Jack thought deeply about Lumens’ comment. Bowie was not in as contemplative a mood. “No offense, but could you throw us a bone here?” Lumens considered the colloquialism.
Jack was trying to fit all the pieces together. Plato had written about Atlantis in his dialogs around 350 BC, but the origin of the civilizations that currently populated the island continent came from different time periods much later chronologically. No other culture had proven or documented the existence of Atlantis. As Lumens alluded to, something must have happened that literally wiped it off the face of the earth, which is why it was considered a fictional place. Yet, here they were in Atlantis comprised of several different peoples.
“Master, Lumens?”
“Yes, Jack?”
“I’m not the only one who received a nautilus shell, am I?” said Jack.
Master Lumens smiled. “That is correct.”
Bowie was a bit lost and turned to his friend. “Maybe you could explain it to me later.” Jack nodded.
As if sensing the millions of questions the boys had, Master Lumens held up his hand, “All information will be revealed in due time. For now, let me continue.” Lumens went back to the map.
“A century ago, Laidir was ruled by King Sanntach who wished to expand his territory. Kentauros was his first conquest. He underestimated the Centaurs and was soundly defeated. Laidir is currently ruled by King Broc and there’s an uneasy peace between Laidir and Kentauros to this day. There are still occasional skirmishes along their border but neither truly wants war with the other.”
Lumens pointed to the forest on the map which formed a natural border between Laidir and Kentauros on the west and Skul on the east. For Skul to attack Laidir or Kentauros, they’d have to go through the Forest of Quith which is fraught with many dangers in and of itself, not to mention difficult terrain. The forest has made it next to impossible to launch a major offensive.
“What about by ship?” questioned Jack.
Lumens pointed to the dark areas circumventing the coastline on the map. “The reefs are extremely treacherous, which would make a naval attack or sizable troop deployment difficult, if not impossible. Each territory has a navy of sorts, but few ships because there are a minimal number of places where they can be built and launched. Most ships are built on offshore islets. The continent is sprinkled with them but as you can imagine, they’re susceptible to attacks from other ships. Among the territories, Skul has the most formidable navy with twenty ships. They constantly patrol the continent close to shore, which is why travel by sea is so hazardous.”
Lumens pointed to Andaar. “Because of the distance and the Forest of Quith, relations between Kentauros and Andaar have been slow to develop. But the kings of each territory like and respect one another and are working to strengthen the bond between their two regions. In fact, the Centaur king’s son is currently enrolled at Strongthorne Academy in Andaar. His daughter will start at the academy this year. She’ll be the second Centaur and first female to attend.”
“Strongthorne Academy?” questioned Jack. “What do they teach there?”
“The academy is a school where young men, and now women, learn to become knights,” said Lumens.
“Like armor and swords and jousting?” asked Bowie.
“Precisely,” said Lumens.
“I wouldn’t mind attending a school like that!” said Bowie.
“We’ll get to that in a while,” said Lumens. Jack didn’t like the sound of that.
Diplomats from Andaar and Laidir have been working together to build a stronger relationship as well and they have an open trade agreement in place. However, Laidirians are proud to the point of arrogance. As a result, Laidirians are not well received by Andaarians.”
“What about Fens?” asked Jack.
“It’s ruled by King Cloyce and as I mentioned earlier, they keep to themselves.” He traced an area with his finger. “The Forest of Quith runs southwest here, forming a border between Laidir and Fens. Neither side has established any sort of diplomatic ties. King Gi’tal of Kentauros has reached out to Fens, but to no avail. Only recently, King Gnarus of Andaar has made some headway in terms of establishing an open dialog with Fens, but that’s it. They are extremely distrusting and I can’t say I blame them considering their own history.”
Lumens lowered his voice. “There is a secret though I will entrust to you both which may lead to better relations in the future. The Fennish king’s daughter has enrolled at Astoria Academy in Andaar. No one knows who she is except the mistresses of the academy and myself.”
“From what you said about Fens, I’m surprised her father let her attend,” said Jack.
“As strong as the gates are surrounding Solas, the capital of Fens, her will is stronger,” said Lumens. “She didn’t give him much choice.”
“What is Astoria Academy?” asked Bowie.
“It is a school for young women who wish to deepen their connection to the earth and learn to heal as well as cultivate other such gifts.”
“Tell us more about Andaar if you would,” said Jack.
“Andaar is a great state, working for higher ideals. Its people are strong and truly seek peace. Because of the ongoing war with Skul though, they’re disposition is one of aggressive conservancy rather than harmonious integration,” said Lumens.
“Let me see if I’ve got this all down,” said Jack. “Skul is at war with everyone. They’re bad. No one likes Skul. Kentauros and Laidir don’t really like each other but neither wants war with the other. Laidir and Andaar get along all right but Laidirians aren’t well liked in Andaar. Kentauros and Andaar get along but because of the distance and danger of the forest, relations have been slow to develop. Fens keeps to itself and has no interest in anyone or anything outside of Fens. Andaar is a great state that wants peace but can’t have it because of the ongoing war with Skul.”
Bowie had a hard time tracking it all. “Maybe you can go through it again with me later.” Jack nodded.
Lumens looked grave. Jack intuitively knew the reason. “Where is your brother now?”
Master Lumens held Jack in his gaze. “He rules Skul. At one point, we were as close as two brothers could me. Suffice to say that is no longer the case.
“Grigori is extremely gifted in both magic and martial abilities. As a youth, he had the gift of prophecy, though he lost much of that ability when his heart became closed. He still has prophetic dreams but their meaning and significance are often unclear.
“He blames me for many things, including the death of his wife, Arellia. That’s another story for another time. Before she died though, she channeled the remainder of her life force into an amanata crystal. Should he ever be mortally wounded, he can ingest the crystal which will restore him to full health. It resides in a small pouch tied to his belt. He keeps it with him at all times.
“He had four sons, Luce, Nephalim, Darne and Ontul. I have not heard word of Luce and Nephalim for many years. It is possible they are dead. His other two—” Lumens shuttered.
Jack pressed gently. “What happened to them?”
“Grigori experimented with magic beyond his ability. His sons were transformed,” said Lumens.
“Into what?” asked Bowie.
“Into creatures far less than human.” Lumens left it at that.
Jack redirected the conversation. “Master Lumens, you said we were here for a purpose. What is it?”
“That is yet to be discovered,” said Lumens.
Jack tried a work-around to the question. “How will we know we’re on the right track?”
“When you no longer have to ask the question,” replied Lumens.
“That’s a bit vague but we’ll go with it for now,” confirmed Bowie.
Lumens bowed. “I am pleased.”
“What year is this?” asked Jack.
“That is also a rather complicated question but Atlantis sees it as the year 206,” answered Lumens.
“What about in terms of techne?” questioned Jack.
“What’s techne?” asked Bowie.
“The origin of the world ‘technology,’” answered Jack.
Bowie pointed his thumb at Jack as he addressed Lumens, “He’s a smart one. Reads a lot.”
“I think what you’re asking is relative to where you are from, what time period are we in?” offered Lumens.
“That’s right,” agreed Jack.
“From what I know of your history, Atlantis is in what you would call the Middle Ages.” said Lumens.
“Excellent!” Bowie said to Jack. “We could make a fortune here knowing what we know. Think of it, smart phones in Atlantis!”
“Do you know how to make a smart phone or a cell tower?” scrutinized Jack.
“Well, no, but we could explain it to—” Bowie caught himself. “I see where you’re going with this. So, we start small then. Rubber bands!” Bowie turned to Master Lumens, “Do you have rubber trees in Atlantis?”
“You must not tell anyone where you are from and most importantly, you must not bring any advancements from your world into Atlantis at this time,” warned Lumens. “Despite the good you would want to do, it would likely bring devastation, especially in terms of weaponry. Even the enemy lives by a steadfast code of honor—but advanced weapons would likely override it.” Master Lumens addressed Bowie, “I believe you currently own such a weapon. With your permission, I would like to hold on to it for a while.”
Bowie didn’t catch on at first. Jack did. “He’s talking about your gun.” Bowie had kept the gun with one bullet in his Gortex jacket pocket when they were sailing. Terrim removed it from Bowie when they captured the boys. Not knowing what it was, he handed it over to Magistrate Morsus who in turn gave it to Master Lumens.
“Oh, right, yeah, no problem,” said Bowie.
“How long will we need to be here to serve our purpose?” asked Jack.
“I can’t answer that at this time.”
“Will we ever return to where we came from then?” persisted Jack. Lumens remained silent.
“What’s next for us?” wondered Bowie.
“You will be guests here for a few weeks and instructed on the customs and cultures of Atlantis.” said Lumens.
“And then what?” asked Jack.
Lumens looked at each one of the boys in turn. “You will be enrolled at Strongthorne Academy. The new term starts in a few months. To fulfill your purpose here, you must first train to become knights.”
“What?” questioned Jack.
“Excellent!” said Bowie.
“Master Lumens, we can’t do that.” Jack struggled to come up with reasons. “First of all, people will know we’re not from here!”
“To maintain a level of equality, students are not allowed to discuss their background, family name or the like. For some students, that information can hardly be concealed but it is not to be discussed and there are plenty of students who will be unknown like yourselves.”
Jack looked at Master Lumens with a sullen expression. “I don’t have what it takes to become a knight.”
Bowie chimed in, “Sure you do! You’re smart as a whip, you’ve got good hand-eye coordination and all right, you’re a bit soft in the muscle department, but nothing a little bit of scrapping around can’t fix.”
“Your friend thinks you can do it,” said Lumens.
“He’s an optimist,” countered Jack. He had no idea what it all meant or why he had been chosen but he felt compelled to do what was being asked of him. He turned to Bowie for reassurance who gave it to him with a big thumbs up. Jack acquiesced. “I guess we’re going to knight school.”
“Great! Why don’t we celebrate over dessert!” suggested Bowie.