Stories Retold

Atlantis

"Zkr lv kh? Zkb gr brx wklqn kh'v khuh?"
        Past the ringing in my ears I can hear... talking? It doesn't sound right, but that may just be my sleep deprived brain. I remain still, trying to discern what's going on, hoping with time the gibberish will make sense.
Time isn't given, however, before I feel my hat being tugged off, and my eyes snap open. Annoyance drains from my gaze as I come face to face with a triangle staring back at me, blue light glowing from its singular large eye. Panic floods through me as I see two more behind the initial triangle figure, harsh rock scratches and tears my palm and back as I try to scramble away.
        "Kh'v nlqgd fxwh," I hear the masked figure closest to me say, voice reverberating from under the mask. There's something to the tone that I don't have time to place, before another figure speaks.
        "Eloo! wklv lv qrw wkh wlph!" Another says, with what I think is exasperation.
        "Sburqlfd'v uljkw, eloo, krz gr zh nqrz zh fdq hyhq wuxvw klp?" Third one speaks for the first time, their voice low and harsh.
        "Dzz frph rq, fdq'w d jxb dgpluh wklv vwudqjh qhz shuvrq?" Says the middle one, getting closer to me, nearing my face. I put my hands up in hopes of protection, my shoulders hunching forward, and the stranger pauses at the blood slowly dripping from my skin.
        Slowly the stranger lifts up their triangular mask to reveal dark skin perfect save for scarring, and a pair of beautiful mismatched eyes that stare into my soul. The two of them shimmer like blue apatite[a] and citrine, and his gaze bores a hole into each patch of skin he cast his gaze.
My eyes widen as he moves closer, and fear courses through me. My heart pounds against my ribs as I grasp at the rocks behind me in a desperate attempt to get away. "Shit shit shit, holy fucking shit. I don't want to die, not yet." Profanities flood my thoughts as his arm reaches out to me.
My muscles tense up as he gets closer and closer, I flinch, but don't take my eyes off of the hand nearing my face. Slowly he lifts my bangs up and grazes his thumb over my forehead, tracing the birthmark.
He trails his hand down my face, then retracts it away. His gaze is intense and unrelenting as he stares at me, laced with a glint of emotion that I can't seem to place.
I watch with wide eyes as he reaches into his shirt, pulling out a golden necklace from where it sat beneath the fabric. Even in the low light, the gold shines, but it's nothing compared to the glow of the blue gem that dangles from it.
The glow brightens at his touch as he reaches back to unclasp the chain.
The gem in one hand, he reaches for me again, and my fear spikes as I realize the gem is magic. Even on the brink of my possible death, I can't help the curiosity at these people, and the magic they possess.
Despite his surprising gentleness, I tense up as he grasps my neck, leaning me forward, and closer to him. His other hand reaches behind me, pulling me into what's almost an embrace. I feel him trace something warm- presumably the gem- across my back, my skin tingles warmly wherever it touches.
I jump at the odd sensations, and a chuckle reverberates through his chest, moving my head up and down with it. As he moves along my back, the warm tingles slowly fade, in their absence, I notice the pain where he hasn't touched. With a start, I realize he seems to be healing the scratches on my back, and my curiosity surges.
He runs the gem along the last section of skin, and pulls back the arm holding it, allowing more space between us. He doesn't pull back the hand on my neck, instead sliding it across my shoulder and down my arm, until he's holding the back of my hand. Bringing the gem down to my palm, he traces a triangle around the raw skin, glowing blue lines form where contact is made. Blue light seeps from the borders of the triangle, spreading across my palm, and tingling warmly, almost looking like fire.
I gasp, wonder filling me as I watch my hands heal, damaged skin bringing itself back together as the tingling intensifies and fades, leaving behind unblemished skin. I look up to him in awe, and see him already looking at me, his eyes glowing the same colour as the triangle he healed with, and a look of amusement paints his face as the glow fades from his eyes.
He reaches for my other hand, and grasps it in the same way, his hand warm and calloused against mine. I watch his face with curiosity as he heals my hand, inspecting my healer. His features are sharp and mischievous, a couple scars mark his skin, some old and faded, others healed but recent. As he traces out the triangle on my palm, his eyes began once more to glow the same bright blue. Within the glow of his pale blue eye his pupil shifts and morphs into one long and narrow like a cat.
The triangle drawn, he looks up at me, his amusement at me clear, a crooked smile upon his face. He reaches up and clasps the necklace back around his neck, his eyes never leaving mine.
"Eloo, vwrs vwdulqj dw klp olnh dq lglrw, L khdu shrsoh frplqj, ohw'v jr," one of the other masked figures says, startling both my healer and I. He breaks the eye contact with me to give the figure a sharp nod as he stands up.
"W-wait, I-you, how d-did yo-" I try to say, but the man cuts me off.
"Vruub nlg, exw L qhhg wr jr." he crouches down, and picks up my hat, looking at it for a second, "vhh bd odwhu, Slqhwuhh." He tosses me my hat, as he pulls down his mask.
Within seconds the group is gone, the only trace of them my healed skin.

~~~
Written by Illuminacho
Username- Moist_knee