Allan was sitting on the mobile throne inside his royal tent when the scouts returned. John stood a ways off, deep in contemplation.

The scouts bowed before Allan. “Thine Holiness.”

“What’s your report?”

“Alas, the gates art unguarded.” one scout said.

“Are you sure? No guards at all?”

“Verily, my lord. We didst infiltrate the walls, insomuch that we were able to reach the center gates of the Great City.”

Allan beamed. “This is great news!”

“I don’t like it,” John said, joining the conversation, “something’s off.”

Allan had long since grown annoyed with John’s advice. Ever since leaving the day before, all he had done was complain.

“This is our perfect opportunity.” Allan turned back to the scouts. “Alert the Generals. We’re going in.”

John approached the throne. “I’m afraid the power and prestige of the throne is going to your head.”

“That’s ridiculous,” Allan scoffed. “Crowning me King was your idea, not mine.”

“Yes, but I thought you were going to act in the best interest of the people, not lead them to their deaths for your own selfish purposes.”

“Excuse me? Selfish?” Allan spat. “I’m saving that man’s daughter.”

“You can’t fool me.” John countered. “The only reason why we’re here is to save Lily. You couldn’t care less about finding Adonai’s daughter.”

“I’d make the time.”

“But you’re not denying it either.”

“So what if I save Lily in the process?” Allan huffed. “Timur’s torturing her!”

“What are you talking about?”

“I’ve heard her screams! I’ve seen him torturing her!” Allan confessed. “He’s killing her! I have to save her! Now!”

John’s eyes narrowed, boring into Allan’s. After a minute, he turned away.

“Your mind is still clouded by the Leviathan. He’s influencing your dreams by showing you false visions.”

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

“How could you possibly know what I’m seeing isn’t real?”

“The Leviathan will make you see what he wants you to see to fulfill his purposes.” John insisted. “He clearly wants you to enter the city. I’m afraid that we will be walking straight into a trap.”

“You’re paranoid.” Allan averted his gaze. “You heard the scouts. The gates are unguarded. This is our perfect opportunity to get inside.”

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Allan breathed through the coarse fabric of his robe, trying to filter out the nauseating stench of fecal matter and urine. The massive gates of Atlantis loomed ever closer, but a cluster of lean-to huts and makeshift tents blocked their path.

“There’s a better way inside the city wall if we travel through the southern canyon and circle to the west side,” John explained. “There’s a break in the mighty wall caused by salt corrosion from the Tethys Sea. We can enter the city through the underground tunnels.”

“But the gate’s right here!” Allan seethed. “You heard the scouts. It’s unguarded!”

“Timur is too smart to leave the gates without guards. Something’s up.”

“So let me get this straight. You want us to travel through some canyon and sneak around through the back door? How long will that take?!”

“We would likely arrive inside the inner chambers of the Temple within a few hours.”

Allan pinched his nose as visions of Lily being tortured filled his mind. “That’s too long!”

“The element of surprise is our only chance at winning this battle,” John insisted. “If we simply waltz through the front door, we completely lose our advantage.”

“Fine.” Allan grabbed the crown off of his head and chucked it into the mud. “I don’t need you anyway.”

Allan unsheathed Excalibur, and a beam of light shot into the sky like a flare.

“Put that away!” John gasped. “You’ll alert them to our location!”

“Let them come. You’re all a bunch of cowards anyway.”

A frown of righteous indignation creased John’s face, but Allan didn’t give him the satisfaction of responding before he took off at a run toward the massive gates.

He’s so fixated on fulfilling his prophecies that he forgot why we came here in the first place!

He reached the gates, which stood slightly ajar. He slipped inside easily. Nobody was in sight.

I hope he gets calluses from hiking through that canyon. What a moron!

After several minutes, he reached the next layer of gates. They too were open, but as he slipped inside a bell in the gate’s tower began to toll.

Great. I’ve been spotted.

He sprinted to the third layer of inner-city walls. A cloaked man holding a long spear stood sentry. Undaunted, Allan let out a roar and swung the glowing sword with all his strength. The cloaked man fell, and Allan charged onward.

Some guard! What a noob. I need a challenge!

As if on cue, a throng of hooded men poured through the gates and rushed at him. There were eight challengers, brandishing various weapons, but they were no match for Allan’s skill and prowess. As he clashed with them, his adrenaline began pumping and a hint of silver glowed in his eyes. He felt a surge of warmth growing in his open left palm, where a ball of fire hovered above it. Instinctively, he shoved his palm at one of his assailants. The fireball released with a massive force.

A pile of ash remained where the hooded man had once stood. His remaining foes scattered like rabbits. Allan watched them flee with a sense of pride. He pursued them eagerly, using them as targets to pitch more fireballs at. Within a few minutes, he had incinerated all of them.

I am all powerful! I am a god of this world!

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© Copyright 2022 R.M. Mulder. All rights reserved.