Mars Underneath The Sceptre of Eternity

Eagle Queen

The main crypt was located in the midst of four smaller cave chambers surrounded by stalactites and stalagmites; Amerik noticed that all the cave chambers were well maintained and connected with each other by long narrow corridors. The smaller cave chambers contained the tombs of ordinary Eagle Guards; the central cave chamber was dedicated only for the Chiefs of the Eagle Guards. Their tombstones were triangular in shape and ordinary guards had square or rectangular shaped tombstones.

Amerik saw he was standing in the midst of triangular shaped tombstones; a red narrow pathway was visible among those stones. Amerik also noticed that all the tombs were arranged in rows. At the end of the cave there was a raised dais on which a gigantic lamp was burning just below a gigantic white pillar with Eagle Capital. He was expected to see former thralls in the place; who were known as the Grave-Keepers. However, the chamber looked deserted.

The lamp was made up of some reddish golden coloured metal; which had a nice long handle and nine holes for wicks. The lamp had a large disc and one filler hole and an air hole. The lamp's shoulder and handle were engraved with various colourful precious stones. Nine wicks symbolised nine soldiers of Eagle Guards. The lamp was fuelled by some scented oil; but Amerik could not figure what it was. He noticed the flames of the lamp; bluish in colour and that bluish flame was spreading a sweet strong and energetic smell.

Amerik suddenly remembered his childhood; his days in the Earth; and finally Volga. He could not realise what triggered his memory back to the past, but felt peace for some time; then felt sorrow and again felt energetic to find out Volga. He overcame the emotional trauma and walked towards the lamp. He found torches on the pedestal of the dais. Nine torches were kept in a row. He took one with a label on its handle; 'I' it was Roman One; meant for the first candidate. He lit the torch with the Eternal Flame.

"I'm the winner;" he whispered; "Volga, I'm coming to rescue you; my love." He turned back and saw flowers on a gold tray. He took those red petals and placed them below the white pillar dedicated to the memories of the greatest fighters of this kingdom. He tried to see memorial slabs on the tombstones, but those tombstones had no mention of deceased's names.

"Strange custom; they do not even mention the names of the fighters and their chiefs." Only Eagle emblem of Karzond dynasty was engraved on each tombstone. Amerik tightly held his torch in right hand and walked slowly towards the arched shaped black stone door. He again crossed minor cave chambers or smaller crypts and then crossed cave tunnels to reach to the main entranceway. Absence of thralls really surprised him, because in every important building of Terra Aquillaan, one could expect to see thralls or servants.

"Where are those Grave Keepers?" He asked himself and stood before the Eagle door. Again he had to arrange jigsaw puzzle to open the door. The door cracked open softly after finishing the puzzle game; he came out from the catacomb and stepped on the stone stair just below the door.

It was the Hour of Dawn; mild cold wind was blowing from the east; Grey Moon of Mars was about to set in the east and Jupiter was looking bright in the sky. He stepped into the pool and carefully crossed it by placing the torch high in the air. He came out from the pool in drenched clothes and started walking down the stone stairs. When he finally came down from the hill; he saw the blue Sun was about to rise.

"I've to run, if I wish to reach before the Hour of Court, I've to run..." He started running. He crossed the Red Wood Forest and choose an alternative way to avoid the quicksand zone. He entered the deserted village of Scarlet Ville and heard a bell ringing constantly from a distant place. He could not understand the significance of that bell; "Court Hour is approaching." He said to himself; but the sky was indicating that it was still early in the morning.