Legends of Amacia: Mysteries of Tiamat
Discovery!

Prologue

Deep in the evening,a beautiful nine-foot tall silver-furred feline woman wearing an attractivesleeveless knee-length tan dress sat at a table, pen in hand with a blankjournal open in front of her. A soft light illuminated her journal sitting onthe desk in her secluded study deep within an ancient fortress far older thanthe earliest known civilizations in Sumer and Egypt...a cyclopean monumenthidden in the darkest corners of the Andes Mountains far from the prying eyesof modern man. Her intense green eyes stared at the blank page as she gentlytapped her pen against the table. She curled her long blazing-red hair tintedwith a hint of gray around the slender index finger of her other hand. Finallydeciding how to begin, a smile crept across her lips as she started writing.

“As surely as nightfollows the day, a profound change is coming. I see it in the sky; feel it inthe Earth, smell it on the air. Ancient forces lost and forgotten since thebeginning of time stir once again in the darkness...the perpetual enemies ofLight and Shadow introducing their catalysts into this mortal plane, alteringthe very reality of the world as the humans know it. That which once was hasbeen lost for there are no humans living who remember it; lost to the forgottenages of men; erased from their memory by the very Forces of Light and Shadowthat reshaped this world in their eternal conflict, cutting off this mostancient and cursed land from the rest of the world ages ago.

“Now those sameforces stir once again from their long slumber, introducing once again theircatalysts into the mortal plane as they position for the next great battleafter ages of truce. That which once was lost will be known again, and theworld will never be the same; remade as it was in the beginning. The end isdeclared in the beginning. Prophecies of old shine once again in the darknessas the Light and Shadow war for supremacy, revealing the true nature of theuniverse with its infinite mysteries and possibilities with their war eternal.The Gods of Light, Shadow, and the most Ancient Darkness have battledrepeatedly on this insignificant blue planet in a remote corner of the universeover its inhabitants and resources since the dawn of time itself. At times,they forget their grudges to fight as allies only when the darkest, foulest,most ancient and dire of threats to all life rise from the deepest depths ofthe blackest abyss of Chaos to decimate all life in the universe and beyond.

“This universe isvast; its beauty stunning; its mysteries unfathomable, and many of its secretsinexplicable. While seldom revealing answers, the universe is more than happyto confront us with new questions. Why the insignificant little blue planetcalled Earth by its inhabitants inevitably becomes the focus of these battlesbetween these powerful beings of Light, Shadow, and the most Ancient Darknessmay be the greatest mystery of all. Why do the great powers of the universe andbeyond covet this little planet so much? When was the beginning to all this?When did the Shadow and the most Ancient Darkness stir again? When did the cogsof the most ancient FATE turn against humanity? Is it because of theirpotential as a species to rise and challenge these powers directly, or is itbecause they merely lie in the way of these insidious beings? Why do theancestral gods of old, aliens, monsters, angels, and demons constantlyinterfere and fight over this fledgling species on this insignificant littleworld? I know not, just that my small contribution to this chapter of thehistory of the unique little blue planet known as Earth begins with a single,uniquely strange human called Hannibal Smith, who is known as the Beowulf tohis enemies. Ancient prophecies suggest he is the Sword of the Ancient of Days,destined to reclaim the Amacian throne of his ancestors from the traitorousDemon Emperor that overthrew them during the Days of Darkness in the 1stAge. It’s a role he’s slow to accept or understand; a role he resists even now,yearning for a more peaceful existence.

“I, Leila CarieKarac, Lynxian chronicler of Hannibal’s deeds owe my life and soul to him andhis God…the Ancient of Days. They brought me back to the world of the livingfrom the nether worlds after twelve thousand human years of suspendedanimation, having lived and fallen in the 1st Age during the Days ofDarkness immediately before the mythic Cataclysm the people of this age callthe Great Deluge. Hannibal’s story is one of terrible violent betrayals, blood,revenge, heartache, pain, and sorrow that span lives, eons, empires, even timeitself and dimensions of existence. Even now, he still doesn’t fully comprehendwho he is or what he is becoming: the potential alpha of a new species ofhumanity capable of restoring the balance between the Light and Dark Powers, ordestroying it. Therefore, I, along with his new family and his friends help himto replace and accept his destiny. As his chronicler, I alone can tell of hissaga; a saga that starts long before he found me in my tomb and raised me backinto this plane of the living with the power of his God; a power he reluctantlyuses at every turn. Eighteen months ago as the end of the 6th Age ofHumanity approached, he bade me to begin his tale at his home in the easternUnited States as he made his discovery of the Path of the Ancients. As he toldme his story in-depth, I came to know this strange, but marvelous human who isunique even amongst his own species; a conundrum of Light and Darkness thatdefies explanation or description.”

Leila Carie Karacpaused her writing as she gathered her thoughts before continuing withHannibal’s tale; the chronicle of not just a man of the 6th Age ofHumanity, but also of a forgotten nation, people, and world from distantantiquity; a lost world from the 1st Age of Humanity.

Chapter 1 Discovery!

In the late afternoon, Harry Clintknocked on the heavy wooden door to the garage of his best friend’s house,peeking in the small window high on the door. As he waited for a reply, Harryhabitually checked his jean pockets for his car keys, replaceing them. A largebrown grasshopper jumped from a nearby azalea with white blooms landing on hisblue T-shirt. He quickly brushed the insect off with his tough, leathery hands.When no reply came, he ran his hand through his short brown hair with a sigh,glancing at the ominous clouds lowering as a storm approached. The smell ofrain perfumed the air with the blooming azaleas. Not a breath of air stirred.His lean bronzed face fell as he pounded on the door. “Come on, Hannibal...Iknow you’re here,” he mumbled. “You’re the one who called and told me to comeover.”

After a few moments, Harry grasped thedoorknob and turned, replaceing it unlocked. “Not smart, Hannibal,” Harrymuttered. “You know better than to leave the doors unlocked like this.” Hestepped in, closing the door behind him as the air stirred with the comingstorm. Seconds later, a peal of thunder shook the garage and the heavens openedin a torrential downpour. “Whoa,” Harry murmured, hearing the rain on theshingled roof of the garage as he looked out the window on the door. The rainfell in sheets, almost obscuring his car in the driveway a mere one hundredfifty feet away. Turning away from the storm, he turned on the lights at theswitch next to the door.

Scanning the converted garage with hispiercing brown eyes, Harry saw a fifty-year old Caucasian man sound asleep on arecliner sitting near a large drafting table, snoring. The man had tan leatheryskin with short black hair and beard prominently streaked with gray. His khakicargo pants, a gray T-shirt, and socks didn’t escape Harry’s notice. Harrymarveled that the storm didn’t wake his friend. A large map marked with a redcircle lay on the inclined surface of the drafting table with a magnifying lampshining a spotlight on the map. Next to the drafting table sat another tablewith a large topographical replica of a mountain on it. A small table litteredwith papers, a small lamp, a cap pistol, and a hand-sized solid goldpre-Columbian amulet of very advanced workmanship sat next to the recliner.

Harry’s gaze driftedaround the room. A doorway stood near the right corner, leading into the mainhouse. A refrigerator with a small counter/cabinet assembly occupied the farright corner. The far left corner was devoted to a full-equipped weight benchand a large punching bag hanging from the ceiling. In the same area along thefar left wall sat a large weapons rack filled with various types of martialarts weapons: swords, Bo-staffs, bokens, spears, etc.... Books of all sizes,shapes, and ages sat on makeshift bookcases filling the walls either side ofthe weapons rack. Interspersed amongst the books on the shelves were strangeancient artifacts: little statues...some grotesque in appearance, urns with oddwriting and illustrations, even small display cases containing ancient weaponsand projectile points of stone, copper, bronze, and other metals. Several othercases contained an assortment of coins, medallions, and amulets from ancienttimes, which included ancient Greek and Roman currency. On the back wall behindthe drafting table sat an eight-foot locked cedar chest with a large pile ofmiscellaneous papers and junk on it. Beside it stood a large table with dozensof other ancient artifacts on it. Nearby on a smaller table sat piles ofnotebooks and loose paper filled with notes.

“What a mess,” Harrymuttered. “Hannibal shouldn’t let this place get so disorganized. How can hereplace anything in this clutter?” Lightning snapped close by outside the garage,followed by a roar of thunder, startling Harry.

Walking to thedrafting table, Harry briefly stopped beside the recliner, glancing at thesleeping man. The mysterious red circle on the map caught his eye, drawing himto the map. Upon closer inspection, he noticed the map covered the Argentina/Chilesection of the Andes Mountains with the mountain Cerro Aconcagua circled. Whilehe examined the map, thunder rumbled again, shaking the garage, and waking thesleeping man. Noticing Harry wasn’t paying attention to him, the man inched hishand over to the cap pistol on the table beside him, taking it while Harrywasn’t looking. The rain beating on the roof slowly lessened in intensity,becoming a soft drone inside the garage. A loud snap followed and Harry nearlyjumped out of his skin in fright.

Harry wheeled around,replaceing the man in the recliner laughing so hard he could hardly speak. “Goddamn it, Hannibal! What the hell did you do that for, you damned twit!” Harryshouted.

“You should’ve seenyour expression! It was priceless! I wish I could’ve caught it on film!”Hannibal wheezed with laughter.

“You could’ve donesome damage. I could’ve had a coronary!” Harry retorted angrily.

“Oh put a sock in it.I have something that’ll make you forget all about that,” Hannibal said once hecalmed down.

“What? Did you replaceit?” Harry blurted out in a 180-degree turn from anger to excitement.

“Yup...Iwas up until four this morning doing the last bit of research. It was rightwhere I suspected,” Hannibal replied.

“Which is?” Harryinsisted.

“That red circle onthe map is your answer...right there,” Hannibal stated.

“How’d you replace it?”Harry asked, leaning against the table.

“Remember the amuletI’ve been deciphering for the last week?” Hannibal asked as he reached over tothe small table next to him retrieving the golden amulet.

“Yeah,” Harryanswered.

“It held the finalclue to the whereabouts of Amacia,” Hannibal explained as he rose from thechair, showing Harry the amulet. “Deep within the codes of the amulet are thenames of several geographic features defining the boundary of an area that is,according to the legends of every civilization of South America, cursed by anunspeakable evil. Those who go in that area seldom come back. The few that didbore artifacts of an extremely ancient and advanced civilization that existedlong before the Colombians, Incas, or even the Olmecs. It may even predate thepeople who built Tiwanaku.”

“And let me guess,that’s where it is,” Harry replied, pointing to the area and coordinates markedon the map.

“Bingo,” Hannibalchimed.

“Is there anything weshould know about this area?” Harry asked. The storm rumbled again as the rainpicked up in intensity.

“Just a few things;first off, it’s densely forested and extremely rugged. Also, there are reportsof cannibals inhabiting the area. As I said, people have gone in there andnever been seen again,” Hannibal reported.

“Cannibals...well,isn’t that special,” Harry chided in a mocking tone.

“Yeah,” Hannibaldeclared. “The locals say the natives are cannibals and that no one ever goesin there and comes out in one piece. Apparently, they don’t like trespassers.”

“No!” Harry mocked.

“Yeah,” Hannibalmocked back. “But for certain, the path runs through cannibal country, denseswamps, and forests, up mountain cliffs and God only knows where else.”

At that, Hannibalrummaged through one of his desks and produced a large envelope. He opened itand removed its contents: an ancient map made of an unknown material. Hehandled it gently as he laid it on the map table.

“What’s that?” Harryinquired, not recognizing the artifact.

“It’s a map – anancient road map,” Hannibal replied as he stood back, looking at the map.

“Where did you getit? I’ve never seen that around here before,” Harry asked.

“We found it in Peruin what we believed was an Incan tomb some years ago,” Hannibal expounded. “Atthe time of its discovery, I was involved in another excavation nearby with myassistant, David. In fact, David actually found this particular tomb. When heinformed me of the tomb away from the main site, I immediately went toinvestigate and found a tomb unlike any other. Fiendish traps guarded the map.There was a curse carved on the doorway saying that any trespassers would fallvictim to the Vehndo.” Lightning snapped and thunder shook the garage whenHannibal mentioned the Vehndo, as if the very mention of their name aroused thewrath of the gods. “Oh...sounds like someone doesn’t like that word,” Hannibalcackled.

“What word is that?”Harry asked.

“Vehndo,” Hannibalreplied, after which another snap of lightning cracked nearby followed by apeal of thunder that rattled Harry’s bones. “Look at that; just saying thatname riles the storm gods.”

“It’s justcoincidence,” Harry declared. “Just because you say the word ‘Vehndo’doesn’t....” He didn’t finish his sentence as a thunderclap erupted as he saidthe cursed word.

“Don’t mock what youdon’t understand, Harry,” Hannibal warned. “It’s not wise to arouse the powersof Light and Darkness to wrath.”

“Whoa,” Harrymurmured. “Maybe we best not say that word again. Each time we say it, thestorm gets louder.”

“Good idea,” Hannibalreplied. “Even if it is coincidence, powers exist in this universe that defieshuman comprehension. I’d soon not upset them if I can by repeating that nameagain since they seem to be reacting to it.”

“So what does thiscurse do; this curse of the...Vehndo,” Harry asked, deliberately saying thename to see if the storm would respond again. It did with a rumble of thunderthat wasn’t as loud as before. Harry laughed. “I guess the storm gods mustrealize we’re pulling their chain,” he cackled. “That thunderclap wasn’t asloud.”

“Could be,” Hannibalanswered, chuckling. “But to answer your question, the curse said that anyonewho opened and entered the crypt would fall prey to the curse, which wouldsupposedly infect him like a parasite and drive him completely insane beforedestroying him by blowing him apart and consuming his soul. Many peopleconsider it the worst curse in South American mythology.”

“Were you there whenthe tomb was opened?” Harry asked.

“Yes, David and Iwere the only ones who had enough guts to go in. All the rest of the crewstayed outside because of the curse. I lost him in there, caught in the mostfiendish trap I’ve ever encountered. I vividly remember when we first went intothat tomb, even though it’s been years since it happened,” Hannibal saidsoftly, starting into a detailed account of the tragedy.

Hannibal and Davidstood at the front of the newly discovered tomb. Hannibal’s tool-belt with hisexcavation tools stored in it, hung buckled around his waist. Ancient glyphsand cartouches decorated the posts and lintel of the twelve foot tall byten-foot wide stone portal. A large winding serpent curled around a great swordthat sat stuck in an over-sized skull lay carved into the dark gray andesitedoor. The crew of workers who uncovered the doorway stood back twenty feet fromthe entrance, murmuring. David gazed upon the inscription, asking, “Whatlanguage is that, Hannibal? I’ve never seen writing like this before.”

Hannibal examined thewriting closely as he ran his fingers over the carved friezes on the doorway.“It’s a strange combination of Olmec, Toltec, and early Mayan, which is trulyunusual this far away from where they originated,” he reported. “They’re fromCentral America and Mexico. Why we have a tomb with their writing on it downhere in Peru is a mystery to me. However, from what I can gather, it says‘Beware! He who opens this crypt and trespasses on the sacred ground beyondwill feel the wrath of the Vehndo.’”

A fearful rumbleraced through the crowd of workers upon hearing the curse, causing many to moveback farther. “The Vehndo...It’s the Vehndo!” voices echoed through the crowd,terror evident in their tones. Half the workers immediately fled the area,going back to other portions of the excavation site they considered safe.

“The crew is afraid,”David observed.

“And well they shouldbe,” Hannibal declared. “The curse of the Vehndo is one of the worst curses inSouth American lore.”

“So we shouldn’texpect any help in getting in here,” David surmised.

“That’s right,”Hannibal replied. “I will not force them to participate in this. It wouldn’t beright.” Speaking to the remaining workers, he said, “I know what a terror thiscurse is so I’ll ask only for volunteers to help open the crypt. You’ll not beseen as a coward for not helping, nor will you be punished. Now who will assistus?”

Three burly menstepped forward; fear radiating in their faces. Hannibal smiled cordially atthem. “Thank you, fellas,” he said gratefully. “You shall get a littlesomething extra for stepping up. Now let’s open this thing and see what secretslie inside.”

“How do we get in?”David asked.

Hannibal ignored him,examining the whole doorway. His hands ran over the stone feeling for anypossible triggers. Years of training in ancient languages helped him decipherthe different glyphs and cartouches. A smile crept across his lips as he gazedupon an Olmec head frieze. He pushed the eye in and the grinding sound of stonetumblers rumbled from the door. A loud reverberating clunk rang from the dooras Hannibal chimed, “Open Sesame.” The massive andesite slab slowly rose,disappearing into the lintel of the stone portal. Seconds later, a hiss aroseas a burst of air erupted from the under the door, raising a cloud of dust.Everyone scattered, fleeing the cloud of dust that reeked of ancient death. Thefoul odor caused some to cough and gag. Within two minutes, the door banged toa stop with the bottom of the door hanging down a couple of inches from thelintel. Beyond the door loomed a passageway ten feet across and twelve feet inheight.

Hannibal cautiouslypeeked into the doorway. “Holy shit,” he crowed. “This door is two feet thick!Guys, get something stout to brace this door. I’m not chancing going in withoutsome precautions.”

“Good call,” Davidagreed. Then speaking to the workers, he said, “Come on, let’s get to it.”

The workers broughtforward two twelve-inch wide steel I-beams just shy of twelve feet long andpropped them on either side of the doorway, securing the slab. “Good work,guys,” Hannibal congratulated, wiping the sweat from his face with his dirtysleeve, smearing dirt on his forehead. “Now that we’ve secured the door, whowants to see what no one has seen in more than two millennia?” None of theworkers volunteered. “Anyone?” Hannibal asked.

“To be honest withyou, Mr. Smith,” the crew supervisor stated. “We’d as soon stay out here astempt the wrath of the Vehndo.”

“Do you all feel thisway?” Hannibal asked of the crew. A loud yes echoed from the workers. Hannibalpatted the supervisor on the shoulder.

“It’s okay. I respectyour decision,” Hannibal replied with a smile. “Don’t feel ashamed or sorry foryour decision. David and I will scout the tomb. We’ll neutralize any perils wecome across and you’ll get a share of what we replace...if anything.” This wentover well with the workers.

Turning to David,Hannibal patted him on the shoulder. “It looks like we get the first peek,” hedeclared. “Are you ready?”

“Let’s do this,”David crowed, taking a miner’s helmet and crowbar from one of the workers. Heswitched on the miner’s lamp on the helmet and clipped a square LED flashlightonto his belt so it shined forward.

“Since you’re the onewho found this tomb, the honor of first entry is yours,” Hannibal declared,putting on and lighting up the miner’s helmet he got from the crew supervisor.“I’ll be right beside you.” He then clipped a square LED flashlight on hisshirt and turned it on. Hannibal then retrieved a large glow stick from thecrew supervisor, putting it in his tool belt with the other tools as Davidsized up the entryway.

David stared into theinky blackness of the doorway...the stench of ancient death slowly dissipating.“Into the belly of the beast,” he commented, stepping boldly into the unknown.Shining his miner’s light around, he noticed the walls and ceiling were coveredin strange hieroglyphs. After moving in several steps, he stopped, examiningthe writing. “What do you make of this?” he asked, “It’s the same symbols overand over again.”

“I noticed that,”Hannibal murmured, looking at the writing. “It’s very strange. It’s likenothing I’ve ever seen before. Furthermore, it’s not like the writing on thedoor. It’s something I suspect is far older. We should be very careful in here.I’m getting a very bad feeling about this place, so be very alert.”

“Yes, sir,” Davidreplied, turning his light to the passage ahead with Hannibal adding his lightto the darkness. An eerie moan echoed faintly from the passage. David felt hisheart skip a beat as he slowly edged forward. Deeper into the corridor theycrept, looking at everything. Twenty yards into the passageway, it became atrue tunnel carved from the living rock with no hieroglyphics lining the walls.Roots hung from the sides and ceiling with cobwebs stretched between them.

“You’re doing well,”Hannibal commended. “Keep your eyes open.”

“Yeah,” Davidanswered. “But I’m scared shitless. Something about this place has my bloodlike ice water.”

“You want me to takethe lead?” Hannibal offered.

“Yeah,” Davidreplied. “I’ve explored tombs before, but nothing like this. I’m not sure thisis even a tomb.”

“I think you’re rightabout that,” Hannibal agreed. “It doesn’t feel like a tomb. It feels far moreancient than any of the tombs we found so far.”

The passage sanksignificantly, diving into the bowels of the earth. “Watch your step, David,”Hannibal warned as his foot shifted on the loose gravel covering the floor.“The floor is getting steep and this loose shit isn’t helping our footing.”

David nodded,following closely. The passage leveled off thirty yards from where it begandescending and turned abruptly to the right. Hannibal stopped dead in histracks, seeing walls covered in hieroglyphs again...the same glyphs repeatedly.His stomach dropped into his boots.

“What’s wrong?” Davidasked.

“Something’s wronghere,” Hannibal replied. “I’m feeling like we’re being watched. And the writinghas returned.”

David stepped forwardand looked at the glyphs under the beam of his flashlight and miner’s lamp.“It’s not the same writing we found where we came in and it repeats over andover again. What on earth could it mean?” He drifted deeper into the passage,ignoring the fact that Hannibal remained motionless. “Positively eerie,” hemurmured, engrossed in the glyphs.

Hannibal kept shininghis light around the passage. The smell of decaying death permeated the tunnel.Suddenly, the air began to move from ahead of them. Hannibal’s miner’s helmetbeam fell upon the ceiling above David, showing fine straight cracks in theceiling a quarter of an inch wide running across the passage. The cracks wereregularly spaced six inches apart and were spread over twenty feet of thepassage. Hannibal’s eyes grew wide as he snapped the light to wall behindDavid, seeing the same pattern of thin cracks running both horizontally andvertically.

David turned back toHannibal with a questioning look, shifting his position. Upon seeing Hannibal’sexpression, he asked, “What is it?”

“Don’t move,”Hannibal blurted out as a peculiar snap echoed through the passage followed bya grating sound all too familiar to Hannibal.

“Oh no,” Davidwhispered, abruptly understanding his peril. Before he could finish speaking,thin razor-sharp metallic blades shot out of the ceiling, walls, and floor allaround him timed with split second precision, cutting vertically first, thenhorizontally over the entire twenty foot section. A sickening half-secondpassed with the sounds of rending flesh and bone as the blades did theirdiabolical work before retracting. David stood for a moment and then crumbledinto a pile of fleshy chunks with an explosion of blood, bone, brains, andentrails. Even his miner’s helmet was cut to pieces. His blood oozed over thefloor, revealing the slots in the floor. David’s flashlights and miner’s lightstill shined from the midst of his remains, covered with blood and shining ascarlet light in the passage.

Hannibal stared innumbed horror, powerless to save David from the ancient trap. The buzzing ofthe blades slowly subsided to an eerie silence. Faced with the very realpossibility he could fall prey to the same blades while retrieving David’sshredded body, Hannibal squatted down, examining the area with a jeweler’s scrutiny.Telltale signs of chopped bone emerged from the dust. “God damn it!” Hannibalcursed. “Why didn’t I see this earlier? I could’ve stopped him. Damn it!” Tearsstreamed down his cheeks as he looked upon the grizzled remains of David tenfeet away. “I’m not leaving you here,” he muttered, taking up the search forthe trigger.

Hannibal quicklyfound the closest blade track. Brushing the thick layer of dust away from thetrack, he found a stone floor along with several human bones, including afemur. Suddenly, something on the wall caught his eye. Rising, he went to it,seeing a hieroglyph that was different from the others, separated from theother writing by an odd box icon. It depicted a man being cut to pieces byblades from all around him. Running his fingers over it, he felt the stone giveslightly. The corners of his mouth curled up in a slight smile as pushedharder. The stone pivoted, revealing a cavity large enough to put a hand insideit. Shining his light into the hole, Hannibal saw a stone trigger twenty inchesinto the wall crawling with small deadly scorpions, which flooded out of thecavity. His face fell upon seeing the lethal insects. “I should’ve known itwouldn’t be that easy,” he murmured. Looking around, he saw the femur he haduncovered and retrieved it. Carefully, he pushed the bone into the hole untilit reached the trigger. The scorpions immediately swarmed over the bone.Hannibal pushed hard and the bone crunched, splitting as it pressed against thetrigger. The scorpions swarmed his hand and he let go of the bone, quicklybrushing them off and stomping them.

Pulling his trustymasonry hammer from his tool belt, he pushed hard on the bone and the triggermoved followed by the same grating noise he heard then the trap went off. The bladesemerged from the walls and ceiling, stopping just two inches out with a clunkon the ceiling and walls while barely peeking out of the floor. Hannibalimmediately noticed the pattern for the blades. The vertical blades alternatedon coming out of the ceiling followed by one coming out of the floor. Thehorizontal blades appeared on the sides just two inches out, obviously timed tohit just after the vertical blades. Approaching the nearest blade emerging fromthe walls, Hannibal examined it. He tapped it lightly with his hammer. It ranglike a bell. “I’ve never seen this type of metal before,” he muttered. Lightlytouching the edge of the blade, it immediate cut him. “And extremely sharptoo,” he commented. “Someone went to a lot of trouble to protect somethinghere. It’s only fair that I replace it, otherwise David’s sacrifice is in vain.”He turned to the bloody pile that used to be David and sighed. Stepping back,he threw the masonry hammer next to David’s remains. When the blades didn’tmove, he cautiously crept through the trap area, retrieving his hammer. Onlywhen he cleared the last blade track did he relax.

Pausing in hisremembrance of the incident, Hannibal sighed. “Only when I got past the trapdid I see the diabolical cleverness of the trap. The trigger area was a fivefoot area in the exact center of the trap so when it was set off, the victimcouldn’t move fast enough to escape it.” The sound of the storm outsidesubsided as the rumble of thunder became more distant.

“Did you retrieveyour friend?” Harry asked softly, realizing it was a sensitive subject.

“Yes, after Iretrieved the map,” Hannibal replied. “We cremated his remains at the behest ofhis parents. I paid for the funeral expenses still correspond with hisrelatives. He died doing what he loved and that was a plus. Most people die inthe most miserable of circumstances of which they have no control over. He,however, died most honorably, even though it was in a trap set by people whohave long since perished from the face of the Earth. Still, it was a terribleway to die, literally chopped into fish bait while still breathing. But let usleave this sordid event and let me tell you about the map. The map lay in thecentral chamber of the crypt, sitting in a container made of metal and crystalthat was obviously booby-trapped. The chamber itself was a sight. The wholechamber, which was about the size of a football stadium, was covered with, orwas made of the most beautiful crystals I have ever seen. The closest thing I couldcompare it to is like being in the center of a giant geode. I took a picture ofit before I went for the map.” At that, he turned to a filing cabinet andrummaged through it, producing a picture that he gave to Harry.

Harry looked at itand gasped in astonishment. “Wow. I’ll bet there isn’t another place like thison the face of the whole Earth,” he declared. “It is the most beautiful thing Ihave ever seen.”

“You’re right,”Hannibal agreed. “But that beautiful place had a very sinister side to it. The map,as you see in the picture, is right in the middle of this chamber. What youdon’t see is the narrow winding catwalk to the center where the pedestal andmap are. After seeing David mowed down by that machine, I became extracautious. The crystals in the chamber refract the light, creating the illusionthat the place has a floor, which it doesn’t. I’ll never forget that walk.”Hannibal drifted back into remembrance as he continued with the tale.

Standing at the mouthof the crystal cavern with the large glow stick in hand that shined in a softwhitish-green light, Hannibal stared in amazement at the grotto’s beauty. Whenthe shock of the sight subsided, he tossed the glow stick at his feet, pulled adigital camera out of his tool belt, and used it to document the replace. Oncesatisfied with the pictures, he returned the camera to his belt and squatteddown, sensing something amiss. Hannibal noticed the crystals lining the massivecave glowed softly, amplifying the light from the flashlight, miner’s lamp, andglow stick, lighting the entire grotto in a strange surreal manner. The cavernfloor looked solid enough but he didn’t trust his senses after seeing the trapkill David. Gathering up a handful of dust and small sand, he cast it directlyout in front of him. A small bridge four feet wide appeared where the sandlanded. To either side of it, the floor appeared to be there, but didn’t havesand on it. “Hmmm…interesting,” he mumbled, gathering another handful of sand.Casting it to the left, the sand disappeared through the floor. “Clever; thereis some kind of optical illusion happening here,” he said softly.

Hannibal dropped tohis hands and knees and crawled to the bridge, carefully feeling on the floor.When he reached the edge of the bridge, his hand passed through the floor likethere wasn’t anything there. “Definitely an optical illusion...most likely atrap to prevent anyone from reaching the pedestal,” he muttered. Backing awayfrom the edge, Hannibal stood and retreated to the passage. Fishing around onhis tool belt, he procured a small paper bag used to containing artifacts inthe field. Opening the bag, Hannibal filled it with sand from the passagefloor. Once he filled the bag, he took two large handfuls of sand and cast themin front of him, showing more of the bridge. The smile on his lips grew.Picking up the bag, and another handful of sand, he proceeded onto the bridge,casting the sand down to illuminate his path. Approximately half way to thepedestal, he noticed the bridge had become visible without the sand, revealingits narrow curvy path to the platform where the pedestal sat. Yet he continuedspreading the sand in his path until he ran out ten feet shy of the pedestal.Confident the bridge spanned the gap between him and the platform, Hannibaledged forward, light on his feet. Seconds later, he reached the platform wherea mysterious tubular container made of an unknown metal lay in a clawed holdermade of solid crystal sitting on the pedestal.

Hannibal examined thecontainer, seeing it etched with writing he’d never encountered before.“Strange,” he murmured, scrutinizing the item and its holder intensely. “Here’smore of that weird writing. Oh well, no guts, no glory. This is obviously amajor replace. If I don’t get out of here with it, David died in vain.” Slowly, helifted the three-foot container off its clawed stand, holding his breath andexpecting a trap to trip. When the container came off the stand withoutanything immediately happening, Hannibal sighed deeply. Examining thecontainer, he saw it consisted of an alloy he’d never seen before with clearcrystal ends. Looking at the crystal ends, he could see a parchment inside thecontainer. “So there is something in here,” he declared.

A low growling rumblerose from every direction as the platform began to shake. Hannibal’s eyesjerked to the pedestal, seeing the stand slowing rising. “Aww shit!” he cursed,taking off running across the bridge. Halfway across, the crystals flickeredand the illusionary floor vanished. Rocks and giant crystals began breakingloose from the ceiling. The platform abruptly collapsed, crumbling into thebottomless pit below, taking the bridge with it. Hannibal sprinted, jumping asthe collapse caught up to him. He tumbled into the passage with the containerin hand. Looking back briefly, he saw large pieces of the cavern roof comingdown as the passage shook violently. A grating noise down the passage caughthis attention. One hundred yards away, a large slab slowly dropped to seal thetunnel. Hannibal broke into a run and slid face first beneath the slab as itreached two feet above the floor. The flashlight clipped on his shirt cameloose as he slid beneath the closing door. He pulled his feet out as itunexpectedly dropped with a bang, sending out a cloud of dust as it crushed theflashlight beneath it. A relieved sigh escaped his lips.

“Once I got past theslab, I was safe,” Hannibal said to Harry as he concluded his tale. “Afterescaping with the scroll container, I returned with help to retrieve David’sremains and as they say, the rest is history.” He retrieved the picture fromHarry and returned it to its place in the file.

“What happened to thecrystal room?” Harry asked.

“Weren’t you paying attention?”Hannibal chided. “I already told you. The slab sealed it up forever. The maintrigger where the map sat caused the platform, catwalk, cavern, and the passageimmediately outside the cave to collapse, sealing it up for eternity.”

“Sorry about that,”Harry replied. “I guess I wasn’t paying that close attention. But it’s a shame.That was a magnificent cave, more beautiful than any palace anywhere.”

“Yeah, but that isbeside the point,” Hannibal said. “We have the map and the map shows us theway.”

“So, does the mapshow us where to start?” Harry asked.

“It does. The maplined up with the information from the amulet and several other sources,allowing me to pinpoint a jumping-off point. Up until I deciphered the amulet,the map made absolutely no sense,” Hannibal returned. He pushed some of thepapers on the table aside and pulled out a map transparency of the area aroundAconcagua, laying it down on the ancient map, carefully aligning it. “The pathseems to begin in this area around this old airstrip. I won’t know for surewhere it is until I get there and do a search. But I’m confident that it’s inthe immediate vicinity of this old airfield,” he continued as he heard the rainstop pounding on the roof.

“Well then, I guessthat just about does it. We have a jumping off point and a goal. The onlyproblem is how to get there,” Harry stated.

“Don’t you worryabout that; I have it covered,” Hannibal replied. “The only problem I see,which isn’t so much of a problem, is whether you want to come along. I’m notgoing to mince words with you, Harry. This endeavor has an extremely highhazard level. I’m going where people don’t usually come back from. Neither ofus may come back from this trip. I know that you have a family and I don’t wantto jeopardize that so I will understand if you don’t want to come.”

Harry eyed Hannibalwith a very serious look. “Hannibal, I would be honored to accompany you onthis expedition,” he declared. “We have been through much together and damnedif I going to let you go off to the ends of the Earth without someonetrustworthy to watch your back.” Then Harry’s look lightened as he smiled andadded, “Besides, I want to see this place as much as you do; however, I musttalk to Mary about it first. Something of this magnitude I’ll have to discusswith her and the potential is there that she may not want me to go.”

“I completelyunderstand. I don’t want to put you in a box on this,” Hannibal stated. “Youhave to do what is best for your family.”

“I’ll tell you what.Give me a week to convince her,” Harry said. “And if she seems willing toentertain the idea, then you can give her the details maybe over dinner.”

“That’ll be fine,”Hannibal answered. “Like I said, since this is such a dangerous thing thatwe’re going to do, it’s only fair to include your wife in this decision.”

“As a matter of fact,why don’t you just come over in a week for supper anyhow?” Harry suggested. “Iknow how much you like Mary’s cooking. It very well may be the last time youget to eat a good home-cooked meal.”

Hannibal looked Harryin the eye with a smile on his lips. “I’d be honored to have dinner with you,”Hannibal replied humbly. “And if you decide that you can’t go, don’t worryabout it. I’ll always be your friend and a friend of your family no matterwhat’s decided. Besides, you’re right. I do sure love your wife’s cooking.”

“Then it’s settled.Come over on – what’s today?” Harry asked with a temporary memory lapse.

“Tuesday,” Hannibalanswered.

“Okay, let’s say nextMonday at six in the evening. I’m sure we’ll have something good for dinner,”Harry said.

“I’ll be there,”Hannibal returned.

At that, Harrystarted toward the door. Once at the door, he abruptly turned and asked, “Youdo remember where I live, don’t you?”

“Well gee, I don’tknow,” Hannibal mocked, rubbing his chin with his fingers. After a pause, hechimed, “Of course.”

“I guess I’ll see youlater then,” Harry said, opening the door and stepping out. “Remember, sixo’clock,” he called over his shoulder.

“Will you get out ofhere already?” Hannibal smiled, waving Harry away. “I have to get some sleepand you have things to do, so go do them.”

Harry grinned andwaved as Hannibal shut the door. As he walked down the sidewalk to his car,Harry muttered, “How am I going toexplain this to Mary?”

Hannibalwent to the window, watching Harry walk to his car and then drive away. Isure hope you know what you’re doing, Lord. This thing is bigger than any of usknow, he thought, turning away from the window and locking the door. Afterreturning to his recliner and turning out most of the lights, he fell fastasleep because of exhaustion from days of work on the amulet.