Covenant: Exodus

Chapter 34

"This is far enough for today, we better set up camp here." Mitchell barked as the group came to a small clearing beside the great Amazon River. Instantly, the twins and Nagato spread out into the surrounding jungle, as had become their habit each time the team made camp, to search for food. Erich was hoping that the twins would come back with a couple of birds for the group. He couldn't imagine how their supplies would have lasted even this long, and as of now, they really had no idea how much longer they would be out here searching, although he knew that he would stay out here until he found Gema and his son...or died trying.

Erich had to get his mind off of Gema and Isaiah, or despair would easily overwhelm him, so he turned to the remaining members of the group, "I'm gonna go and gather some firewood, anyone want to join me?" he asked to no one in particular. At the sound of his voice, Raja came sauntering into the camp and rubbed against Erich's legs, purring with satisfaction. Erich looked down at his companion and said, "Well, I was thinking more like anyone that could help carry it, but you can definitely come along too, Raja."

"Ya, I wouldn't say no to her if I were you," Rock grumbled, "I'll come along too, Padre."

"As will I," Graham said nodding toward Rock, "It will give me a chance to enlighten our friend here further as to why it is I am so certain that we are on the right path."

"Sounds good to me," Erich said turning to Mitchell, "Are you and Paulus ok here by yourselves?"

"Ya, I think we can handle the excitement," Mitchell said sarcastically.

As they walked off into the jungle, Rock, hacking with his machete to clear a path, grunted with exertion as he spoke to Graham, "So, let's just say that you're right about all of it...about displacement, about the flood, Atlantis buried in the ice...it still doesn't make sense to me that it would be these same people. How would they have gotten so far inland with these giant boats for one thing?"

Graham smiled and nodded, "That's an easy question to answer...they came up the river."

"In boats the size of the one that Erich found in Indonesia?" Rock asked flatly.

"Yes of course," Graham said, "the Amazon is no typical river. Did you know that it is the largest river by volume in the world, and by water discharge? In fact, it discharges more water than the next seven largest rivers combined. At the mouth of the Amazon it is over one hundred and fifty miles wide, and even in the dry season, it is up to ninety feet deep, sometimes deeper. Even in modern day, large ocean boats have managed to make it two-thirds or more of the way up its entire length. It really isn't hard to assume that the survivors of this great civilization could have made it up the river, especially if they possessed the types of powers that Paulus has alluded to."

"Well, don't get me started on that," Rock said with a snort, "I don't believe all of that magic stuff."

Erich chimed in for the first time now, "You know I saw Paulus rip a door from a wall with his mind, right?"

"At least that's what you think you saw...," Rock said, letting his statement hang in the air.

"And what do make of Raja?" Erich asked.

"How the hell should I know?" Rock said with a small laugh, "Maybe she's an escaped pet...or a former circus animal...that makes more sense than magic."

"If that's what you truly think then why did you agree to follow her, to allow all of us to follow her, into the jungle?" Erich said, getting a little heated.

"Because we got nothing better," Rock grunted, "and who knows, maybe she knows something we don't. Look, I'm not saying you're wrong Erich, I wasn't there, I don't know what you saw. I've just never seen anything like that with my own eyes, so it's pretty hard for me to believe it."