THE LAST APPRENTICE

...On the third night of my imprisonment I was awaken by a dream. I dreamt I held a man's skull in the palm of my hand, but when I looked to my hand, I found it was not a skull at all...

A warrior in Atlas armor sat idle on his horse some thirty miles from the city of Atlanta. Both the warrior and horse were well rested since they had nothing to do for the last three hours except lounge around under the shade of an old oak tree. The tree sat proudly on a grassy knoll, which made an excellent vantage point to survey the flat farmlands adjacent to Atlanta.
The warrior was on duty that morning. He carefully watched for any suspicious traffic on the roads or in the fields, as well as an occasional cloud drifting by or bird that might happen to light in his oak.
It was a boring job; waiting there to intercept the apprentice, should he happen to return. It was, however, much easier than gallivanting across the countryside like many of his fellow warriors. This warrior was lucky, he was one of the few who could return to Atlanta when relieved, those out searching the countryside could not return until Odius was found. Most of the Atlas military had been deployed to search for Odius, making it the largest manhunt in the history of Atlantis.
A dust trail on a distant section of road caught the warrior's attention. It was a small dust trail, perhaps one or two men. After watching the trail approach for several minutes, he could see that it was one lone man on a horse. The horse was apparently exhausted because it occasionally wove from one side of the road to the other.
The weary horse stumbled and collapsed about one hundred fifty yards from the warrior's post. After the dust settled, the warrior saw that neither the horse nor rider got back up. He decided to investigate and started down the road toward the fallen rider.
As he drew closer, he could see the rider was a fellow warrior. The warrior had a leg pinned under the horse, but otherwise seemed to be alright. The horse did not fare as well, it appeared to be as dead as a stone. It was motionless and covered with lather.
"Are you alright?" the warrior shouted.
"Yes stupid horse!" the downed man replied.
The warrior dismounted then walked over to his associate. "It's a heavy stupid horse I'd wager." He chuckled despite the fallen warrior's discomfort.
"I've had worse," the fallen rider replied, "can't say as much for this horse."
"Tell me, what is your urgency that you had to push such a fine, heavy, lest we forget stupid, animal to its death?" The warrior conducted himself in a very casual manner, as if talking to a man under a horse was an everyday occurrence.
In an effort to save face, the fallen warrior also acted nonchalant, as if there were nothing unusual about lying on the ground with a dead horse on his leg. He reached under his armor and produced a piece of parchment, which was folded in thirds and sealed with a wax imprint.
"Get this to King Authemur with the fastest possible speed. It has been carried by five relays, you will make the sixth. Don't delay, leave at once."
"And leave you like this? Surely not!" The warrior examined the wax imprint. The seal indicated that the message was extremely urgent and for the king's eyes only.
"I can free myself, go quickly."
"The king can wait two minutes more," the warrior argued, "You could lose that leg if it stays under your horse too long."
The warrior drew his sword and slid it under the horse alongside the trapped leg, then used the sword like a lever in attempt to free the man from the horse.
"That's not good for the sword!" the downed rider said as he tugged and jerked to free his leg. Each time he pulled, the leg would slide an inch or so.
"No matter, Authemur has many more where this came from."
One final tug and the leg was free. The injured man slowly stood to his feet then limped when he tried to take a few steps.
"Can you make it to that oak?" The warrior pointed toward the oak tree with his sword.
"Yes."
"If I am unable to return, my relief will meet you there in five hours." He slid his sword back in its sheath, then climbed on his horse. "If I can, I'll be back before then with a horse for you."
The warrior took off at a full gallop toward the city of Atlanta. As he rode off, the injured man heard him shout, "Perhaps I'll bring a horse that's not as heavy...nor as stupid!" Then he laughed with a hardy roar until he was well out of hearing range.

Odius served his seventh day of imprisonment at the top of Mount Atlas. Frequent rains provided ample water but food was very scarce. Grass was the only organic material available and it was difficult to digest. Odius grew weaker and weaker with each passing day.
His injured leg appeared to be doing better, despite his weakness. Odius carefully cleaned it daily and spent many hours exercising it by walking the perimeter of the plains there was little else to do. Although it had shown a marked improvement over the first few days of his imprisonment, it was still discolored and stiff.
Odius noticed that new markings had appeared in the grass since his encounter with Poseidon. These new markings, like the circles around the shrine, were formed by neatly bent stalks of grass. The new markings were two concentric rings around a solid center circle with a straight line extending from the center of the solid circle to several feet beyond the outer ring. This hieroglyph conveyed the general idea of 'capture', 'hold', 'caged', or 'trapped'. Odius assumed it was a sign to indicate his presence as a prisoner.
Odius thought about using the crystal of the gods for his escape, but decided against not to because it would surely anger Poseidon. Up to this point Poseidon had been lenient. If he tried to use the crystal to undermine Poseidon's decree then Poseidon would surely administer a far more sinister punishment. Even if he were bold enough to defy Poseidon, the crystal of the gods was still extremely difficult to control.
Odius longed to see another face. Even the empty face of a god would have been welcome. There was little Odius could do to pass the long, lonely hours other than walk and think. He found plenty of time to think.
Odius thought about the gods; what were they, and why were they? He also thought about the Great Marce. He tried talking to the Great Marce several times but the shard remained silent and dark. Odius also thought about the woman he had grown to love. He knew if she followed his instructions she would have left after the third day. Odius wondered if she felt the pain of their separation as deeply as he did. He wished he would have held her in his arms while he had the chance. The fact that he did not became his deepest regret.

Maia still held her vigil at the base of the mountain despite Odius' instructions. She thought he might have been delayed a little and decided to stay a fourth day, then a fifth, and so on, and so on. Although she did not want to accept the loss of her gallant Odius, she slowly came to realize that he was not coming back. For the first time after many years of solitude Maia finally began to feel lonely.
Maia tried to keep busy throughout the past week. Her makeshift shelter of vine and blanket had become a sturdy lean-to of sticks and pine bows. She made a harness for the sword, which was neatly woven out of hair from the horse's tail. The harness allowed her to wear the sword across her back in a more comfortable fashion than simply sliding the sheath under the strap of her top.
Maia also carved a belt buckle of rock-hard briar root to give Odius upon his return. She noticed that Odius did not have one, he simply tied his cloth belt around his waist. She thought a man as kind and noble as Odius should have a buckle like most men of great position.
It was a small flat buckle about two inches wide and just over a quarter inch thick. The face of the buckle was decorated with her typical impressions of flowers and squirrels. The back of the buckle had two vertical ribs with narrow slots to accommodate a cloth belt. It was an attractive and intricate piece of work. Briar root was extremely difficult to work with and she went through great pains to ensure that it was of the best possible quality she could muster. The finished buckle was superior for accoutrements of the time and would have been fit to give a king. She held the buckle loosely in her hand as she stared into the week-old fire pit with an empty, distant expression.
Maia had kept a fire burning day and night since Odius left it was her way of keeping vigil for his return. With all hopes of their reunion lost, the fire that she carefully nurtured had been reduced to smoldering coals.
"Curse those demons." she said in a broken voice. Her fantasies and dreams of the future were crushed it was time to return to her reality of solitude and pain at the hands of her nemesis.
It occurred to her that she had not see that filthy black shadow in nearly a month. It seldom stayed away for more than two weeks and was long overdue. She knew it would soon be lurking about to seek its way with her and violate the very core of her well being. Somehow she did not seem to care. Nothing seemed to matter to her anymore. The loss of Odius brought great despair and self pity.
"If I were a wizard..." A tear began to run down her cheek. She took a deep breath, then began to cry. She shouted in a choppy voice broken by the strain of her tears, "...I would torture those demons until they begged for mercy! And when they did, I would crush them for killing Odius!"
She continued to cry as she gently rubbed the face of the buckle. She looked down at the buckle through tear- streaked eyes. She could not bear to keep it, nor could she bear throw it away. She had no experience with matters of the heart and did not understand the pain she was feeling. Many confusing thoughts went through her mind, most of which were wishes of being able to change what had happened.
"If I were a god," her voice was still fractured by her tears, "I would undo the demon's evil and bring my Odius back from death."
Maia continued to cry as she got up to gather her modest belongings. By the time she rolled everything in her blankets her sobbing was reduced to tears, sniffles, and short sporadic breaths. After she tied her blankets into a neat pack, she looked at the buckle in her hand one last time, then tenderly tucked it away in her pack.
She looked up at the summit of Mount Atlas. "If I were a king, I would gather the whole of my army into one place, and command them all to beg the gods "
She stopped suddenly. She stopped talking, crying, and for a brief moment she even stopped breathing. She stood there frozen with her mind tormented by confusing thoughts. She finally succumbed to a great pressure from within. She no longer acted on intellect, she was acting on her heart.
"What if..."
Maia's idea gave her a glimmer of hope. That faint glint of hope brought a happiness along with tears. She began to cry all over again but this time her tears seemed more triumphant. She hastily kicked loose dirt over the fire then hurried to the horse with her pack.
She spoke to the horse in a raspy voice as she secured her pack. "I hope you feel in good form today!"
Maia made one last glance toward the summit of Mount Atlas, then climbed on the horse. She grabbed the reins with one hand and a handful of mane with the other.
"Onward beasty!"
Maia jabbed her heels deep into horse, causing it to bolt at a full gallop. They charged through the thick pine country like an experienced warrior and steed. Her teeth were clenched and tears of hope continued to flow. Maia did not slow her pace until she reached the edge of the scenic foothills.

King Authemur was conducting business in the palace courtyard under bright Atlanta sunshine. He was accompanied by two personal body guards, a common servant, and three logistic officials from his lower offices. The business at hand concerned planning an upcoming trip to the kingdom of Autowin.
"The matters to be discussed in Autowin are extremely sensitive." King Authemur spoke with his typical condescending attitude. He was planted in a comfortable chair and relaxed while the others stood around him. A servant stood at his side holding a platter of grapes, which the king picked through with finicky fingers. The king seemed to give more attention to the grapes than the officials he met with. "I can say little of the meeting other than it will be the most important diplomatic mission in the history of Atlas. We must make an impressive appearance."
The king paused to stuff several grapes in his mouth. After rolling the grapes around in his mouth for several seconds, he found one was not to his liking. He picked the less than perfect grape from his mouth.
"Bah," he tossed the grape on the ground, "tart". Then he busied himself with searching the platter for a suitable replacement.
"Where were we?" he asked while picking through the grapes.
"Ah we must make an impressive appearance, Eminence," one of the officials said.
"Yes, exactly!" He held up a grape for close inspection, then returned it to the platter. "I want to flash plenty of gold, for gold is the measure of success. Put gold fittings on all our chariots, gold bridles for our horses," he paused to inspect another grape, "gold scrolls and folders for our documents gold, gold, gold. When the affair is over, we will melt the gold down and return it to the treasury. I also want the royal jewels displayed."
He popped a grape in his mouth then thought for a moment. "Perhaps we should let key members of our delegation wear less spectacular pieces of the royal jewelry collection as if they owned them. Let the others think such is the quality of common jewelry in the great kingdom of Atlas. What do you think?"
"Prudent, Eminence," one of the officials replied. "How many to your entourage? Might I suggest three score, Eminence?"
"Perhaps four or " The king stopped speaking when he noticed a warrior entering the courtyard. The courtyard quickly became silent, except for the cadence of the warrior's boots as he marched toward the king's assembly.
Everyone remained still as they watched the warrior approach across the long courtyard. When the warrior finally reached the king's party he saluted with a closed fist at the shoulder, then stated his business.
"I bear a message for Authemur, king of Atlas!"
The warrior reached under his armor and produced a piece of parchment, which was folded and sealed with a wax imprint.
The king snatched the parchment from the warrior's hand then examined the seal. The seal indicated that the message was urgent and for the king's eyes only.
"We will continue this matter at another time." He gestured to the officials and his servant with a subtle brush of the fingertips. They showed their respect with a single nod, then left the king's company.
The king impatiently tapped the parchment against his fingertips as he watched the officials walk away. He waited for them to get well out of hearing range before he continued.
"From where did this come?" the king shook the parchment in front of the warrior's face.
"I don't know from where the message came. It was delivered to my post at the oak tree two hundred fifty stadia north on Olympus road. I am the last of six relays."
"Very well... Return to your post."
The king waited for the warrior to leave before he broke the parchment's seal. His bodyguards watched as he read the urgent message. One of the king's bodyguards, Valimur, seemed to be particularly interested in the king's letter.
As the king read the document his expression slowly changed to reflect bad news. After several silent moments, the king crumpled the parchment in anger.
"Blast!"
"Distressing news, Eminence?" Valimur asked.
"Yes, Valimur." The king rose from his chair. "Our delegation to Egypt has encountered severe problems."
"They would not wage war on Mestor?" Valimur asked.
"Our delegation told Egypt that Mestor was responsible for their crop failure, and we would provide food if they marched against Mestor."
The kings' voice grew louder, "Except our delegation did not bother to verify Egypt's crop failure before they stated our proposition!"
King Authemur took a moment or two to calm down and bring his voice to a more civilized level. "It would seem Egypt is expecting a record harvest this season." He held up the crumpled parchment. "According to this message, our delegation was imprisoned by the Egyptian government and due to stand trial for conspiracy. The Egyptian government will be seeking an official explanation for the incident."
"What will that official explanation be, Eminence?"
"It must be denial! We know nothing of their activities, and assume they acted for their own personal gain. Atlas was not involved and their documents are obviously forgeries."
"But, Eminence, you would be condemning them to death. Such is punishment for conspiracy in Egypt."
Again, the king raised his voice, "I have bigger problems to worry about!"
Once again, the king waited a moment to calm down before he continued. "I wanted Mestor to be burdened with a war before we journeyed to Autowin!"
The king flopped down in his chair. He was silent for a moment as he stared off into the distance.
"Now I need that apprentice more than ever."
"What good is the apprentice without the crystal?" Valimur asked.
"Do you not see? Have you learned nothing at my side? We need the apprentice because he possesses knowledge of the mystic arts. We need every advantage possible when we make our bid for world power in Autowin. Knowledge of the mystic arts is a clear advantage."
Authemur stood up then nervously paced about the courtyard. "We are the greatest kingdom in Atlantis. We stand leagues above the rest. Mestor is the only kingdom that could possibly challenge our bid for world power. I wanted them burdened with a war, but now we must look elsewhere for an advantage. The apprentice is an excellent advantage!"
"But, is the apprentice worth such an expense, Eminence?" Valimur asked.
The king stopped pacing and looked at Valimur with a cold and hardened expression. Valimur could see anger in the king's face. The king's expression held firm as he started to approach Valimur with slow, arrogant footsteps. "What are you implying?" he asked pointedly.
"Just that you expend many men in search of the apprentice. Could those men be of more use elsewhere?"
"I believe I've had my fill of you, Valimur." The king pointed an angry finger at his bodyguard. "I no longer need you as a guard, you shall join the search for the cursed apprentice."
"Eminence?"
"I have spoken!" the king shouted. "Report to command. Tell them to assign you to the search and to submit candidates for your replacement. You are relieved of this post!"
Valimur had a look of disbelief on his face. He knew the king's decision to discharge him was made in a hasty fit of anger, and that perhaps the decision was not in the king's best interest. Valimur also knew there would be no point in asking the king to reconsider because the king's foolish pride would not permit a royal decree to be rescinded. Valimur simply nodded then turned to leave the king's presence for the last time.
As Valimur walked toward the gates of the courtyard, a sinister grin began to appear on his face. He knew the king's problems were only beginning. Valimur knew much more about these matters than the king realized.

The beautiful foothills of Mount Atlas had many lush meadows filled with wildflowers and tender grasses. A young deer grazed peacefully at the edge of one such meadow where prime, young shoots seemed unusually tasty and plentiful. The graceful beast foraged among the wildflowers in peace, unaware that someone was watching it from the cover of nearby brush.
Maia kept perfectly still as her eyes followed the young doe. She hid behind a thin cover of brush, which was just tall enough to conceal both horse and rider. Maia had been watching the doe from the back of her horse for some time as it slowly wandered about in search of tender, young shoots. She would have preferred a more impressive animal, but this one would at least serve her purpose.
The doe had encroached to within ten feet of Maia's blind when a whip of the horse's tail alerted the doe to danger. The doe froze in its tracks then nervously sniffed the air for any signs of predators. Maia knew she had to act immediately or lose her opportunity.
Maia dug her heels into the horse then drew her sword. Both horse and rider crashed through the brush and charged for the unsuspecting doe. The deer reacted almost instantly and started to flee for the safety of nearby trees. The horse's thundering hoofbeats were no match for the doe's graceful bounds. Maia knew the deer would have no problem outrunning her horse; if she did not intercept it within ten yards then it would go free.
Maia managed to close the space between predator and prey to about four feet before the doe started to gain ground. She swung the sword in desperation but the blade fell at least a foot shy of the animal. Her aggressive swing threw her body off balance and she started to slide off the horse. Although she managed to keep one leg over the animal's back, the bulk of her body dangled precariously from the side of the horse. The only thing between her and the ground was a handful of mane.
"Whoa!" Maia struggled to regain her mount as the horse slowly came to a halt. By the time she sat squarely on the back of the horse the doe was nowhere in sight. Maia was somewhat disgusted with herself as she returned the sword to its sheath.
Maia had no experience hunting big game or hunting from horseback. She considered the failed attempt a learning experience and decided to try again. She circled back to the down-wind side of the meadow to select a new blind. She could not use the same wall of brush as before because it was thoroughly trampled and would not provide any cover.
Maia checked the entire downwind edge of the meadow but could not find enough brush to conceal a horse and rider. She was toying with the idea of moving to a different meadow when the horse nudged its head toward the ground to get its share of the tender grass. Maia gave the horse some slack on the reins to let it grab a mouthful of grass while she thought about a subsequent course of action.
The horse nipped and pulled at the sweet grasses. It lifted its head to savor the greenery, then went for another bite. Maia gently patted the horse on the side of it's neck.
"That's a good beasty."
Maia watched the horse as she thought about what she was doing. She had a great respect for life, especially the forest creatures who have been her only friends for many long years. She loathed the thought of hunting and killing. She wondered if this foul exploit would actually help Odius, or if she was just acting in desperation.
She thought for a moment about abandoning the hunt and just accepting the loss of her gallant Odius. For some reason, that thought seemed more distasteful than the hunt. She knew she had to try as long as there was a remote chance of helping the man she loved. She decided to dismount and let the horse graze before moving on to fresh hunting grounds.
Maia was just about to dismount when she noticed three deer grazing comfortably at the far edge of the meadow. They apparently snuck up on her while she was lost in thought. She did not see them enter the meadow, she just happened to look up and notice them grazing. The small herd consisted of two does and a very large, impressive buck.
Every so often the horse would take a casual step or two to cover new ground but the deer paid little attention. It would seem the deer were willing to share their meadow with the horse despite its rider. Maia held her position on the horse and tried to stay as still as possible. She wondered how close she could get to the herd before they panicked.
Over the next ten or fifteen minutes the deer and horse wandered about the meadow eating at their leisure. At times they wandered closer together, and at other times they wandered farther apart. There was little Maia could do except wait for an opportunity.
Maia did not want to issue any commands to the horse for fear it would alert the deer. She was familiar with the way animals communicated and knew body language played an important role. At the moment, the grazing horse behaved as it would in the wild and the deer seemed comfortable with it. Maia was afraid that if she invoked a trained response from the horse, the deer might become nervous or alerted to the horse's artificial behavior.
After a long and tedious wait, Maia saw her opportunity. The distance between her and the large buck had closed to about twelve feet. The animals had been grazing for quite some time, she knew they would probably move on soon. This might be her best shot at the buck. The distance was a little more than she hoped for but she did have an advantage; a doe was grazing just a foot or so on the other side of the buck. The two deer stood next to each other and both were broadside to Maia.
Maia watched the doe and took careful note of its eating habits. It lowered its head to nip the grass at regular and predictable intervals. The buck was somewhat less predictable, its eating patterns were more random. Maia decided to time her attack with the doe.
When the doe lowered its head to bite at the grass, Maia gently stroked the blind side of the horse with her foot. The horse did not understand this strange command, but the gesture brought its trained responses to mind. The horse lifted its head in anticipation of a command and was ready to react. Maia discretely took up slack in the reins as she kept her eye on the doe. The buck was cooperating beautifully; it was still between her and the doe.
The horse's change in posture made the buck nervous, it lifted its head and looked anxiously at the horse. The doe did not notice, it could not see the horse from the other side of the buck. When the doe lowered its head for another bite, Maia reached for the sword and charged the buck.
The horse was ready for her command and responded immediately. The buck's response was just as instant because its attention was already focused on the horse and rider. As the buck sprang away from the horse it bumped into the unsuspecting doe. During the confusion, Maia managed to close the gap between her and the buck to three or four feet.
Maia was still not within striking range when the buck began to gain ground. In desperation, Maia lunged from the horse and dove at the buck with her sword ready to strike. Everything happened so fast; she swung her sword at the buck, she saw the buck's legs in her face, then everything went black with a cold thud. Maia was unconscious when she hit the ground.

When Maia regained consciousness she found herself lying in the grassy meadow next to the sword. It was still daylight and the sun was still high in the sky. She slowly sat up then held her head for a moment until the dizziness subsided. She began to wonder how long she was out.
After several minutes of recuperating, Maia stood up and looked across the meadow. She found the horse grazing at the edge of the meadow but there was no sign of any deer. Maia had hoped she would at least have a carcass to show for her efforts. She was doing this for Odius and was determined to try again. She thought maybe she would have better luck if she tied the sword to a long stick and use it as a spear.
Maia decided to gather her belongings and try another meadow. When she reached down to pick up the sword, she noticed that blood covered the sword as well as blood in the grass nearby. The blood made a trail that lead off to trees at the edge of the meadow. Apparently, her strike had made contact with the buck.
The blood on the sword had begun to congeal but was not entirely dry. Maia knew she could not have been unconscious too long since the blood was still relatively fresh. There was plenty of blood on the ground, surely the animal was mortally wounded. Maia decided to track the buck and claim her prize. She put the sword in its sheath then went to get the horse.
Maia led the horse on foot as she followed the tracks and scattered blotches of blood to the edge of the meadow. She continued to follow the trail, which led her through woods and thickets. After about a quarter mile the blood became more frequent and the hoof prints were spaced closer together.
The trail led Maia to another small meadow where the animal apparently stumbled several times. She crouched down to examine an area where the animal fell. The flattened grass was stained with fresh blood, which had hardly begun to congeal. Maia knew she was gaining ground on the beast. She tried to guess how much of a lead the wounded animal had when her attention was drawn by a disturbance in the brush at the distant edge of the meadow.
Maia led the horse to the edge of the field where she found the buck. It was weak and struggling to free itself from the thick brush in which it became entangled. The deer could only grapple with its front legs because its hind quarters were completely immobilized and covered with blood. There was a two-foot gash in its rump which laid its flesh open to a depth of two or three inches. Maia found the sight horrifying.
The deer would struggle, then lie still for a brief moment, then struggle again. Each time it struggled to get free it only embedded itself more deeply into the brush. Maia had hoped that the deer would be dead when she found it. Its pitiful face was streaked with panic as it expelled the last of its strength in a feeble attempt to escape death. Besides having no taste for blood, Maia had always considered the woodland creatures her friends. She could hardly stand the sight of the atrocity she committed.
Maia walked around to the front of the animal. She drew the sword, then swallowed hard as a tear pooled in her eye.
"I I'm sorry."
Maia knew she must finish what she started. She took a deep breath, then ran the sword through the deer's neck. The animal quivered for moment, then went limp.
Maia withdrew the sword from the deer. She felt bad about what she had done. She tried to keep her spirits up by remembering why she did it. Maia slid the sword back in its sheath then started walking toward the horse. She still had a tough day's work ahead of her. She began to think more about the evening's preparation and less about killing the deer. She hoped her efforts would not be in vain.
Maia walked up to the horse and gathered the reins that dangled from its bridal.
"It's a fine animal," she said to the horse, "It will be a fitting sacrifice for the gods. I'll offer it to Poseidon then ask him to undo the work of the demons and restore life to Odius."
She knew little of the gods, unlike Odius who had to study them during his apprenticeship. She believed Odius was dead and was not entirely sure if the gods had the power to restore life. But she was willing to try. A subtle smile came to her as she thought about the possibility.
"Come on," she said to the horse, "we'll find a vine to drag it out in the open, then we'll gather wood to burn our sacrifice."
Maia mounted the horse, then started across the meadow.
"By morning we will be back at the cave of dragons and Odius will come to my side you just wait and see."

Maia spent several hours gathering wood for the fire. She collected everything from kindling to logs. Some of the logs were almost fifteen feet in length and had to be dragged by the horse. By late afternoon she cleared all the deadwood for hundreds of yards and constructed a neat rectangular pile of six or seven cords.
Moving the remains of the buck proved to be a formidable task in and of itself. The buck was a large, impressive animal of at least three hundred pounds. Maia spent the better part of an hour just hacking down the brush in which the buck had become entangled.
It was early evening before she managed to get the three hundred pound buck on top of her pile of wood. She had to make a skid out of logs to carry the buck. The horse pulled the skid up a crude ramp consisting of two logs and many loose sticks, which were used as rollers. It took several hours of tugging, pushing, and prying before the buck rested on top of the huge pile of wood. Both Maia and the horse were exhausted by the time she finally struck a flint to the kindling.
By late evening the fire burned so fiercely that Maia had to stand at least twenty feet away. Flames, smoke, and embers towered high into the heavens. Maia was inexperienced with the rituals of sacrifice and did not know exactly what to say. She simply praised the name of Poseidon, and asked that he restore life to Odius.
The fire burned late into the night. When the fierce blaze had been reduced to a smoldering bed of coals, a pair of unicorns appeared at the edge of the meadow. The unicorns just stood there looking at the coal bed for almost an hour. Maia took this as an omen because unicorns were reputed to be creatures of the gods.
Shortly after the unicorns left, Maia gathered her belongings then climbed on the horse. She watched the embers glowing in the coal bed for quite some time, wondering if the gods would grant her favor.
"It's done," she said to the horse, "nothing left to do but wait at the cave of dragons."
Maia gently nudged the horse with her heels. Together, the weary pair started at a slow plod toward the lower slopes of Mount Atlas and the cave of dragons.

King Crylos of Gades was, once again, burning the midnight oil in his chambers. He was trying to piece together confusing politics that seemed to dominate the continent of Atlantis. He knew each of the ten kingdoms would be present at the secret conference to be held in Autowin, and that most of them would make a bid for world power. What he did not know was who had the best edge for winning that bid. He was just about ready to put his notes away for the night when someone knocked at his chamber door.
"Enter."
His personal aid stepped in, "A stranger is here to see you, Eminence. I tried to turn him away but he said his business with you is urgent."
"Does this stranger have a name?" the king asked.
"He would not give his full name, Eminence, just Valimur."
The king's expression changed from fatigue to intrigue. After a moment, a smile slowly came to his face, then he began to chuckle.
"Show him in immediately! We should not keep the stranger waiting."
The aid left the king's chambers. King Crylos cleared his notes from a neighboring chair in preparation for his guest. After a short pause his aid returned with Valimur.
"Eminence " Valimur was silenced when the king placed a finger to his lips.
"I don't require your services at the moment," the king said to his aid.
The aid nodded then left the room. Neither the king nor Valimur spoke until the heavy wooden door swung shut.
"Well, Valimur," the king said with a smile, "what brings my most trusted spy to the king's chambers on a night like this?" King Crylos motioned to the chair.
"Thank you, Eminence," he said as he walked over to take a seat. "I'm afraid I have been relieved of duty by king Authemur. I am no longer his bodyguard."
"Pity," the king said, "he paid well. Do not distress yourself you'll continue to receive your wages from my paymaster until I find a new position for you. You have served me well for many years."
"You are most kind, Eminence. My deepest regret is that I can no longer serve Gades as a spy against Atlas. I wish to make a final report, Eminence."
"You can dispense with the amenities while we're alone in my chambers. You need not refer to me as eminence." The king settled back in his chair. "Continue, I am anxious to hear your report."
"It would seem that king Authemur's delegation to Egypt ran asunder."
"Really?" the king said with a sarcastic smile. "That's too bad."
Valimur nodded, "They were imprisoned and due to stand trial. Authemur will turn his back on his own delegation and let them be put to death."
"His plan was feeble anyway," King Crylos said, "He couldn't possibly enjoy the spoils of a war between Egypt and Mestor."
"It was not the spoils he sought. It concerns the bid for world power."
A look of alarm came over King Crylos. "Speak of this to no one! I have not even told my own bodyguards about the bid for world power. They only know that I am going to Autowin, they do not know why."
King Crylos looked disturbed as he thought for a moment. "Does his other bodyguard know of the bid for world power?"
Valimur nodded.
"Then we must send an assassin to dispose of him. Only the kings of Atlantis are suppose to know anything about the bid for world power. You're not suppose to know about it either." King Crylos let out a sigh of disgust. "Authemur is a fool!"
"I could hardly disagree," Valimur replied. "True he is arrogant and selfish, perhaps talks too much but he is also cunning and ruthless. These qualities make your foolish adversary quite dangerous."
"Agreed!" the king replied. "Tell me, exactly why did Authemur want Egypt to wage war on Mestor?"
"He wanted Mestor to be burdened with a war during the bid for world power. He believes Mestor is the only kingdom to rival his bid."
King Crylos thought about Valimur's words for a while. "Hmm..." He picked up his notes from the table then began to study them. Valimur could see the confusion on the king's face.
"Why?" the king asked.
Valimur shrugged his shoulders.
King Crylos continued to study his notes for several minutes before he continued. He shook his head. "I see no reason why Authemur thinks Mestor is a threat to his bid for world power." He looked up from his notes. "What does Authemur know about Mestor that I don't?"
"He never discussed the details."
"It is a pity that King Xaveous of Mestor does not need a new bodyguard. You already know about the bid for world power and would be useful to me in the kingdom of Mestor." The king shook his head, "You could not win that position could you?"
"No," Valimur replied. Then, a grin slowly appeared on his face as he gave the subject a little more thought. "However, perhaps he needs a spy!"
The king began to smile, "What do you propose?"
"I could go to King Xaveous, as a bodyguard scorned, and tell him I seek vengeance against Authemur and would spy for him against Atlas. Meanwhile, I report my findings to you here in Gades."
"Excellent! As usual, you make me proud. Leave for Mestor on the morrow."
"As you wish."
"Be sure to hold out for a good price don't appear too eager to take the position."
Valimur nodded.
"Before you leave... Do you know what Authemur plans to do now that his delegation failed in Egypt?"
"He puts more effort into finding the apprentice."
"The apprentice? Why?"
"Because he has knowledge of the mystic arts."
"Oh." King Crylos seemed to be satisfied with the Valimur's answer at first, but the more he thought about it the more confused he appeared to be.
"Well what will he gain by that?" the king asked.
"I don't know. Apparently Mestor's advantage has something to do with the mystic arts. Authemur seems to think the apprentice is all he needs to secure his bid for world power. He's posted a wealthy reward for the return of Odius."
"Hmm... Perhaps you can find the answer to that in Mestor?"
"Possible." Valimur replied.
"In the mean time, perhaps we should be looking for this apprentice ourselves."
"Indeed."

Odius awoke to his eighth day of imprisonment to rather odd circumstances. He had bed down for the night near one of the distant bluish-grey boulders, but woke up standing in front of the crystal of the gods. Odius was confused, it almost seemed as if he were in a dream but he was certain that he was awake.
As the last remnants of sleep fled him, he realized something was drastically wrong. He could not move! He tried, but his body would not respond. It was then he noticed the overpowering and frightening presence of a god. He could not see the god because he could not take his eyes off the crystal, but he knew one was nearby.
Odius heard Poseidon's deep, booming voice echo across the summit.
"Look here!" A trident pointed to the crystal from somewhere behind him.
It took Odius a while to figure out what was happening because he just woke up from a sound sleep. He felt the power of the crystal ripple through him, then he began to see pictures in his head. They were pictures of Maia.
Throughout the next several minutes, Odius watched Maia's exploits of the previous day. He saw everything from the time she left the cave of dragons up to the moment she offered her sacrifice to Poseidon. It was a whole day's worth of events packed into the span of several minutes, yet the pictures did not seem to pass by in fast motion. Odius had a clear concept of how much time Maia spent stalking, tracking, and gathering wood.
This recounting of Maia's efforts was extremely unique. Odius realized he could feel what Maia felt at the time. He felt her pain when she was knocked unconscious, the sadness she felt when she killed the deer, as well as the ache in her muscles when the day's work was over. All Maia's feelings and desires were related to Odius through the crystal of the gods right down to her craving for adventure.
Among Maia's feelings was her love for Odius. For a brief, fleeting moment Odius experienced himself as Maia saw him. In her eyes, Odius was filled with kindness and virtue. She held him in the highest esteem above all nobility and kings. He never knew love could run so deep. It was truly a unique experience; for a man to feel the love of a woman. Odius came to realize that with great love comes great responsibility.
As the pictures began to fade, Odius felt ashamed. He thought this experience was a gross infringement of Maia's privacy. He felt he had no right to sift through Maia's deepest emotions, especially where he was concerned.
"A sacrifice from the heart is the greatest a god can receive."
Odius started to turn around, although he made no effort to do so himself. He suddenly found himself looking into the cold, hard face of Poseidon. As before, Poseidon just floated in mid air with his feet only inches off the ground. The god's overpowering presence was quite a contrast from the gentler feelings he experienced just moments ago. He looked into Poseidon's black, empty eyes as the god continued in his loud, intimidating voice.
"Her sacrifice has not won your freedom, it only brought you to mind and I have a mind to use you."
There was a pause. Odius suddenly felt strange, it was not like anything he had ever experienced before. He tried to assess what was happening. It seemed like some sort of confusion was taking place in his head. He felt crowded.
Then Odius realized what was happening. The god had entered the sanctuary of his mind. Some aspect of Poseidon had intruded into the very core of his consciousness and was freely picking through his thoughts and memories. Suddenly Odius realized that there was nothing he could conceal from the god. A sinister grin appeared on Poseidon's face in response to that realization.
The ordeal only lasted several seconds, but to Odius it seemed incredibly long and distasteful. He was angry about the incident and Poseidon knew it. Since no secrets could be kept, both of them also knew that Odius would just grin and bear it. When the incident was over, Odius found that Poseidon's overpowering aura was not nearly as bad as having him in his head. Poseidon continued in his loud, booming voice.
"Take this..." A cloth bag with a long shoulder strap appeared out of nowhere. The bag was rectangular and about the size of an average piece of parchment. It hung motionless in mid air for a while, then drifted toward Odius. Odius tried to reach for it but his muscles would not respond to his commands.
After a moment the strap settled around his neck, then Odius felt the full weight of the bag. It contained something bulky.
"What is it?" Odius asked.
"DO NOT QUESTION A GOD!!" Poseidon shouted in anger.
After a brief pause the god continued.
"Foul times have come. There is a traitor among the gods a traitor who conspires against Olympus. Zeus grows angry and threatens to destroy the whole of the world in hopes of trapping the traitor. All the gods accuse each other of this wrong and conflict in Olympus is plentiful. Rest will not come to the heavens until the traitor is revealed.
"Many accuse me, Poseidon, because the traitor toils with mortals in my domain of Atlantis. I must find this traitor or suffer unjust vengeance from Olympus. I will use you for this means. Are you willing to serve your god?"
Odius thought the question was unfair and redundant; unfair because he could hardly refuse, and redundant because Poseidon had already been deep inside his mind.
"I shall, great Poseidon."
"Good. The traitor has concealed himself from the gods, and from mortal men. But perhaps traitor has not prepared a disguise to conceal himself from a Great Marce. All the gods know the Great Marce is locked in your shard and that there will never be another."
Poseidon pointed a half-bent finger in Odius' face. "You have the skills of a Great Marce."
After a brief pause Poseidon lowered his finger. "I will be sending an apprentice to do a master's task, but you will have to do. It would seem I have little choice during these trying times."
Poseidon drifted backward several feet. "I release you, Odius son of Everet, from this domain of the gods. Go now, leave the way you came."
"I thank you, great Poseidon!"
"SILENCE!... Already soldiers of Atlantis are searching for you rewards have been offered for your capture. Soon, the gods will be looking for you as well.... You must find the traitor from Olympus."
Poseidon began to drift toward his flying chariot, which floated just feet above the shrine.
"DO NOT CROSS ME!!" the god shouted. "I could make your life unpleasant!"
Of that Odius had no doubt.
Poseidon drifted through the circle of brilliant white light on the side of his chariot then disappeared from view. Odius found that he could once again move. He was anxious to look in the bag but decided to wait until Poseidon's chariot was well out of sight. He watched the chariot rise toward the clouds in its odd shroud of light. It had just disappeared from view when he heard his master's voice.
"You have done well, young Odius. You make me proud."
"Hello, Master. As always it is good to hear from you."
Odius moved the cloth bag from his neck to his shoulder, then reached in his robe for the master's shard. It was glowing with a gentle greenish-yellow light.
"Poseidon has taken a dangerous risk today. He must place great trust in you, young Odius. Examine the treasure he left with you. Handle it with care."
Odius carefully opened the bag, then peered in. He could hardly believe what he saw. "It's it's a crystal!"
"Not just any crystal," his master replied.
"I can see that, Master! It's..." He simply shook his head.
"Go ahead, take it out and have a look," his master encouraged, "but be careful, it is in two pieces."
Odius tucked the shard under his belt, then reached into the bag. He lifted the crystal out with slow, careful movements. It was remarkable!
The crystal was in the shape of a human skull. It was painfully accurate in every detail. The lower jaw was loosely set in the skull, just like the jawbone of a man. Odius had to support the jaw when he lifted it because the jaw was free to move from side to side or open and close just like the jaw of a man. It looked exactly like a human skull down to the fine details of its cranial cavity, teeth, and orbits of the eyes. There was even a place at the base of the skull where the spinal cord attached. It was a perfect replica of a skull and jawbone.
Odius said nothing, he just held it up to the sunlight and examined it. He was not entirely sure what to make of it. He turned it around several times to examine its fine detail and flawless crystalline structure. It was an incredibly pure crystal.
"Legend calls it the Skull of Poseidon," his master said. "I did not think it actually existed. According to legend, it is Poseidon's own personal crystal. He must offer Zeus an explanation for its disappearance."
Odius placed his hand on top of the skull to get a feel for its power. He closed his eyes then concentrated. Odius was relieved to find that it was not unmanageable like the crystal of the gods, but he could tell there was much more to it than the simple crystal that the master's shard came from.
"It can do more than our crystal in Atlanta, I can feel it!"
"Yes, young Odius, it is unique. There is a scroll concerning the Skull of Poseidon in the archives at Atlanta. It is the scroll from which the legend came. Go to Atlanta, young Odius, and get the scroll. We will need it if we are to hunt down a traitorous god."
Odius was still admiring the skull of Poseidon. "It is amazing, Master."
"We must go to Atlanta at once, young Odius."
"Certainly, Master." Odius carefully returned the skull of Poseidon to its bag.
"How will we find this traitor, Master?"
"First get the scroll. It is a long journey to Atlanta, perhaps we will devise a plan before we get there."
"As you wish, Master."
Odius started walking toward the bluish-grey boulder that sheltered the staircase to the dragon's den.
"There is something else you must do, young Odius."
"Yes?"
"Seek the girl of the forest "
"Maia?"
"Yes, Maia. Find her and take her back to her home on your way to Atlanta. Stay the night with her, she will need you tonight more than ever. But be careful, young Odius, danger waits for you at every bend in the path."
"What kind of danger, Master?"
His master had nothing more to say. The shard went dark then Odius returned it safely to his robe. He picked up his pace as he hurried toward the boulder that he had emerged from eight days earlier. He was anxious to leave this territory of the gods and descend to his rightful place in the mortal world.