*song* ‘Lady, Lady, Lady’

By Joe Esposito

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HpYitoj916w

Where do souls go? Where do they come
From, where do they go? Time puts forth
Patterns that destiny chases until some
Peace is made, until it all makes sense…
Listen to the song first.

In the light of the room of their counsel,
Varence stood calmly, patiently…then nodded,

“Try this now…” Then the story came.

Flashes, against the dark blues…and
Then bright sparkling stars. The White Wall.
Flashes, and the stars…The White Wall…

It was the peak of civilization, of the First
Ones…a time only known by Fractured Stories.
Where Golden and Silver cities towered
With gemstone temples that resembled
Cathedrals across the land.
Science and religion were on the verge of
Merging…The people were polished
And pretty, headstrong and selfish…And
Laws were made by wealth not principle.
It was a civilization beyond wonder on
Earth…Hope was made tangible by
Machines…and everything one ever wanted
Was possible…in a Great Ancient city
Called Atlantis.

For thousands of years, since the First Adam
And Eve colonies had been stranded, the
Human race forged a brilliant new home.
Generations of struggle had seen men and
Women come together, and separate again in
Cities. Each made according to whatever
Belief they followed…
Some more questionable than others…But
Atlantis had long been The First…Where
The First Ships crashed, where the First
Man and woman met…And their descendants,
In tribute to their first parents, built
A land of marvels to reflect who they
Were and wanted to be. But after eras
Of peace and then wars, then peace again…
A time of great unrest plagued the world
…as the answers they had long
Believed in became questioned by elusive
Visitors from space. The people were in a
Constant state of confusion, debate…
Doubting, wondering, analyzing, criticizing
Everything…But the most affected by this
Turmoil were the children, the young who
Were overlooked and treated like possessions.
No one listened, no one cared…It was
Always about personal issues…The elders were
Always right…and the young, as always,
Had no voice…some things never change…

In the East of this glimmering land were
The great Seaports…the trade Harbors that
Held the mighty ships that crossed the seas
For trade, or travel…where anything new
Could be found. It was one of the most
Well known industrious and hardworking places
On the planet, as well as the most conniving
It was here that some of the most
Famous merchants were found, such as the
Brothers Markon and Daneth.
Of the White Ships…known for the finest
Fabrics to make garments, Baylon the
The merchant for produce, Sobius the dealer
For Arcadia…and Kaneth, who imported
Specialties of other lands, such as Lemuria
And Attan…These were some of the most
Powerful men, for anything of interest
Always came from the Seaports, and they
Influenced everything

But more than anything…Atlantis was
Regarded as the land for the children of
Adam. As with all the lands, there was
Great variety among the people, but they
Were more commonly known and most
Popular for being those with the yellow
Or golden hair, and blue or green eyes. They
Were a handsome people, strong, gifted
And talented…and very popular everywhere.
Beauty was the most prized thing in the modern
World…Not much else mattered more than
That…Only wealth. And more importantly
The greatest goal was to possess and own both.

Markon, of The White Ships, had an
Especially beautiful family. His 14 year
Old daughter Kara…golden haired with
Blue eyes…was considered the prettiest
Girl in the Northern district of the
Seaports…Many were standing in line
For her…waiting, youth was also highly
Prized in every land, and intensely sought
After by whatever means necessary. But
Kara was more modest than most girls,
And instead of indulging the sport of being
Chased…she retreated quietly to the
Constant company of a handful of her
Closest friends that avoided the wilder
Ways of the other young people. She,
Particularly, could be seen with her two
Sixteen-year-old male friends, Hollan
And Jeren…Two of the best looking
Boys from the Seaports Sports
Academy.

Frequently, late at night…when the activity
Of the Seaport had slowed down, and
Most of the adults had gathered
In any of the assortment of drinking and
Party taverns…Hollan and Jeren
Would wait beneath Kara’s window
At her home, until the lights went out,
Then sneak up the ivy vines outside her
Window to join her in her room for
Friendly talks and laughs. Rumors spread
Of this that there was more going on,
Everyone loved to talk and assume the
Worst…But in truth, the three friends
Simply sat and talked and laughed
About things…they talked about their
Families, the grief their parents gave
Them…the trial of their peers, and
The struggles with debating what to
Do with their lives. The friendship
They shared was more valuable than
Anything. They protected each other,
And really cared for and loved one
Another. They may have joked around
A lot or teased each other sometimes,
But they were forever loyal. And that
Was a rare thing anywhere.

One spring night of the largest full moon,
Just before the Seaports New Season
Festivals…Kara sat waiting for her
Friends, staring sadly up at the stars
And moon, torn over growing fears
She had…

“My father is plotting something.” She
Whispered quietly to the moon…something
She did secretly sometimes, instead of writing
Her thoughts down in a diary. “I don’t like
The way he keeps looking at me, or keeps
Talking about showing me off to his
Friends…especially that merchant, Sobius…”
She watched the stars, waiting for an
Answer…as if someone up there was
Listening; by chance this time someone was
“Oh, I wish you could talk to me and
Tell me something…give me an answer…”

From below, in the dark of the bushes
A whisper came… “What are you doing?
Who are you talking to?”

Kara leaned out the window and looked
Down, she immediately recognized
The voice. “Hollan…why are you
Hiding in the bushes? Is Jeren there
Too? Why don’t you just come up?”

“Because you’re fun to watch.” Jeren
Quickly answered pretending to sound sinister.

“Very funny.” She waved at them. “Just
Come up!”

The two boys emerged from the shadows
And quickly climbed the ivy to her window,
Moving very strongly, not because they
Were built like young athletes, but
Because it was a contest to
See who could get to her window faster;
Everything was a contest. Once over the railing
And sill of Kara’s window…Hollan panted,
“I swear I get faster each time.”

“You cheat,” Jeren groaned, “You
Step on my hands.”

“Because you always try to grab my
Ankles!” Hollan defended.

“Ha,” Jeren teased, “You would probably
Like it better if I grabbed your leg.”

“Funny.” Hollan snapped as he straightened
His half shirt and dress robe; think
Toga…

“Quit flirting with each other,” Kara
Said shaking her head as she became
Anxious. “I need to talk about something.”

“We aren’t flirting.” Hollan scowled.

“That’s right.” Jeren corrected. “I flirt,
He acts all shy.”

“What?” Hollan was annoyed.

“Please, can we talk now?” Kara
Asked.

“What is it?” Jeren asked. “Did you
Catch your father watching you get
Changed again? Just show him…”

Hollan and Kara watched Jeren with
A slanted look. “I swear you grow
More disturbing every day.” Hollan said.

“I like sex, so?” Jeren laughed. “Are
The two of you going to lecture me again?”

“What are you turning into Jeren?”
Kara asked with shock at his candor.

“It’s the instructors at the Academy.”
Hollan confessed. “They keep approaching
Our classmates with these offers for that
New Temple.”

“Keep your mouth shut, stupid. That’s
A secret.” Jeren said angrily.

“What?” Kara asked, unnerved.

“You do not want to know.” Hollan
Answered wide-eyed, to her.

“I’m leaving.” Jeren spat, turning back
To the window. “If the tow of you want
To talk little kid stuff, fine…you play,
I’m growing up.”

“And what you’re doing?” Kara said.
“That’s growing up?”

Jeren left then without another word,
And scrambled down the ivy.

“Jeren!” Kara shouted after him, with
No response. She turned to her remaining
Friend. “What is this?”

“He is not the same.” Hollan told her
With a serious look. “He is not
The person I thought he was…
Or hoped maybe.”

“Hoped?” Kara shook her head.
“And I thought I had something
To talk about…Hoped?”

“I don’t know.” Hollan answered.
“We’ve been friends since we were
Little…I thought I knew him…but
He wants other things…”

“What things?” Kara asked sitting
Down and holding her hands in her
Lap, grabbing at her pink dress; she
Always wore that dress.
Hollan couldn’t look her in the eye. He
Held the lapel of his blue dress robe,
Then squinted, finding the words. “I
Don’t know…something wild…nothing
Good…Just like everyone else.”

“Oh.” Kara said slowly reflecting

On how close they all were…how the
Boys were. “You thought he thought
You were special?”

Hollan froze then slowly met her eyes
“What?”

Kara shook her head but looked at
Him softly. “Jeren…is not as sweet
As you think. He has been with a lot
Of girls…he tried with me…And he’s
Been with a lot of boys…”

“Kara, he and I have never done
Anything!” Hollan told her. “Honest!
Wait…he tried…with you?”

“Yes.” She nodded. That’s who he secretly is.
He chases fun. But usually…he is pretty
Nice.”

“Nice?” Hollan laughed. “I really don’t
Know who he is!” He started to pace in
Thought. “Is this…really everywhere?
The adults do it all the time…I
Mean, by the gods, they talk about it,
Whispers at school…whispers at the
Temples…what are people doing? That’s
All they think about…” His words
Drifted off as he paused by the window
To stare outside…at nothing.

Kara nodded. “Yes…we’ve discussed
This, that’s all they think about.”

“What are you looking for?” He sharply
Asked her. “I know why you wait…
But what are you looking for…a
Special soul?”

“I’ll know it when I see it.” Kara
Told him.

“See it…not, feel it?” Hollan asked
With a raised eyebrow… “A soul that
You must see…for your eyes to tell you?”

Kara hesitated, but answered. “Yes,
I think so.”

Hollan thought fast. “You expect a
Lot, that your eyes should tell you
Everything…of what your heart is
Looking for…I have never known
Anyone that could do that.”

“And you,” Kara turned it to him.
“What are you looking for…something
You can’t see?”

Hollan really froze at her words. “Yes,
I think I am. My eyes see too much…
Of what isn’t there. I must be doing
Something wrong. It’s like a memory
I have that has no reason or
Explanation…I just keep hoping.”

Kara laughed quietly again. “This is a
Conversation to have…but not the
Topic that I expected.” She smiled, she
Had the most enchanting smile…

“What do you mean” He asked. “Is
Something wrong?”

She took a long deep breath then
Turned to sit by the window, where she was
Sitting when he first came, then stared up
At the night sky trying to forget her
Troubles…and what was really bothering her.
The Full Moon caught her eye and she
Became mesmerized by its silvery glow.
“I sit here so many nights just staring
Up…when the moon is full and bright
And the sky is clear and all the stars are
Shining…”

“Dreaming…” Hollan said, trying to sense
Her meaning.

“Remembering.” She corrected…hopefully.

“Remembering?” He questioned, thinking of
Her age.

Then she turned to meet his eyes, they were big
And blue…and searching, like hers.
“Sometimes these…pictures fill my mind…
When I’m alone or I can’t sleep mostly…
But also, sometime during the day at school,
In a room full of people…and everyone is
Talking and no one is listening…It feels
Like I have these memories…so vivid. Of
Another life, I’m older, a woman, not a girl…
But I look the same…And I have this
Pink dress on and I am staring up at
Three moons on this big balcony waiting
For someone.”

“A boy?” Hollan asked following her words.

“A man/” Kara said. “And he’s someone
Important I think, not just special to me, but
Special to a lot of people…And there’s
Something big and terrible going on…It feels
Like everything is ending…like the world is
Ending.”

“A fantasy?” He concluded as he sat down
Beside her. “That’s normal.”

“No, it’s not like that.” She told him
Firmly. “The feeling is…so…STRONG…
It hurts…there is hope…there is this, love…
This face in my mind. I can’t get it out. It’s
Always there when I talk to someone.
Whenever any feeling I have grows, it’s
There again…this picture, that place, his
Face…that feeling, that loss…then there
Is this white flash…and it’s gone. Nothing
Can erase it, nothing. I don’t understand.”

Hollan fought to think, but studied her…
Struggling with something similar. “But
There is only one moon. It can’t be a
Premonition or a memory…Another life?
A past life? The Temple talks about those
Things but…3 moons?”

“Yes 3 moons.” Kara assured him… “And
1 is big, it’s close…And green?”

“That doesn’t make sense.” He shook his head.

“Have you ever…had that?” She asked.

Hollan hesitated, then finally answered.
“Maybe…” He fought to tell her. “I see
A face, it haunts me all the time…
Mostly when I wake up, before I go to
Sleep…and in my dreams…it’s in my
Dreams a lot.”

“Who?” Kara asked. “A girl?”

His eyes looked away. “Someone who…
Everything stops…Nothing ever happens
In the dream…Everything just stops…I
Have no idea what it means.” He shook
It off. “It doesn’t mean anything.”

Then she laughed. “It makes everything
Stop…and it means nothing? That

Doesn’t make any sense, Hollan.”

“So, what do you think it means then?”
He asked. “Some kind of soul connection.”

“All that I know is that sometimes it is
So overwhelming…” She confessed. “I don’t
Care about anything else. And
Sometimes it feels so close…but I
Can’t find it.”

Her words really struck him hard. He
Blinked, but remained still…his thoughts
Ambling over feelings and pictures he
Could not put into words. “I don’t know.”

“Well I know it isn’t Jeren.” She laughed.
“I know that much.”

He looked at her strangely then laughed.
“True, it isn’t Jeren.” They laughed some
More then turned the conversation more
Playful and light…Eventually they fell
Asleep, laying on her bed, talking. “We
Need to get out of here. Maybe get a
Few of the others and run away and
Hide in some safe place…a secret place
Where no one can find us or bother
Us with their strange behavior.”

“Now that’s something I want to do!”
She agreed.

Now the story must step apart from
Their point of view and change to another’s.
To the Watcher that recorded things, not
Every private conversation…but some in
Specific always caught his mind’s eye.
Dreams that repeat and never change.
Especially in someone so young…or
In those that remain the same for years,
There’s much there…than secrets ever tell.
He studied several this way, trying to
Build a bigger picture and solve an
Age old puzzle. He never faltered, but
A companion to assist him with Atlantis
Would have been much better.

He burned these two faces into his mind.
The boy Hollan he had seen before…the
Girl was new…but so pretty, he would not
Forget her…the girl who loved to dance,
And sing to the mind when she was alone…
Something was there.

Shortly after the two friends, Kara
And Hollan spent that night talking,
The girl would be greeted by her busy
Father, to accompany him for help
At his work…Something she had
Never done before…

The Watcher watched and listened to
This with growing dismay…As her father
Told her he was having problems,
Their family was having problems…
But everyone’s family was having some
Sort of problem…Still, as a merchant
He explained their boats were in seriously
Bad condition, desperately in need of
Repair…and that he had overextended
Himself in gold trying to fix them. A lie
Of course… the man was a keen
Businessman, he always managed well.
He was, however, a very poor gambler…
And frequently lost in the nightly
Games he played at the Taverns with
The other merchants. He had already
Bartered with his son’s virile services to
Whoever or whatever desired them…
Yes, the whatever was very broad. And
He had even loaned out his wife’s
Hospitality…with no complaints…The
Only thing left…was his daughter’s
Fairest beauty…and untouched purity.
So he begged for her, to save the
Family business…to spend the evening
With the merchant Sobius…And save
Them from disgrace.

What followed was nothing short of a
Brutal assault by one of the most
Notorious scoundrels in the district. Her
Father was spared minor embarrassment,
Sobius was arrogantly pleased…and
The girl, Kara, was beaten and bruised…
Left to retreat into a quiet prison in
Her room, self-made…while she clung to
A dream that made no sense…It was
The only thing that kept her alive.

This was a tale recorded that no one
Cared to address at the time, save for a
Watcher, who could only watch…but
Would never forget…and in a memory
Play, save critically for another day.

Few ever listen the right way until it’s
Too late…and then it’s a martyr’s song
They sing to spare the guilt. Instead of
They, it’s I…and that’s a sin that never
Goes unnoticed. Cut the ‘I’s’ out of a
Sentence, and see how long they last…

The story of the Children of Atlantis will
Continue…

Valiant.