Out of the Depths

"So, we're trapped like this forever now?" said Astra, although she knew the answer all too well.

"As far as I know, yes," said Fred. And to his shock, Astra burst into tears. Fred reached out to comfort her. "Astra?!" he said.

"Do you realize what this means, Fred? We're monsters in the eyes of our peoples. We can never go home. No one would believe that we were really us. Do you know why I went to kill the Dragon?"

"No," said Fred.

"I went because I felt life as the Queen of Aqualaria would be too restrictive, and was hoping to have one last adventure. I had wished that I was able to travel anywhere, do anything. And I got my wish, but I can never go home. I'll never see my sisters again!" And she dissolved into sobs.

Fred held her in his arms and tried to think of something to say, but couldn't, because he knew all too well that what she was saying was right. And it was even more true for him, for Allaria had little tolerance for magic or its creatures. Now tears were streaking down his own cheeks. At least he was no longer trapped in a time warp, but that was little consolation.

Silently, he prayed to his God. Out of the depths I cry to thee, O Lord! Lord, hear my voice! Let thy ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications! But he couldn't remember the rest of the psalm, and couldn't concentrate enough to pray.

He looked at Astra. And again he thought of a question that had been troubling him for some time-- did he love her? He found her very attractive. He respected and admired her for her courage as a warrior, as he would a fellow man. He even saw her as a friend. But women were not supposed to be warriors. And in courtly love, women were supposed to be distant, above the male lover. Many knights had fallen in love without even speaking to the object of their love. Astra was not distant. She argued with him, laughed with him, even called him "Freddy."

Whatever he felt for her, it was not what any of the court poets would have recognized as love. But he knew that it was. In the eyes of the world, he was no longer a knight. He was a monster. If he and Astra were to be monsters for the rest of their lives, at least they could be monsters together. Quietly, he kissed her on the cheek.

Many people misunderstand the nature of the Crystallic. It carries great power, power that can be harnessed for many purposes. But to generate such power is not the purpose of the Crystallic. Rather, it generates the power as a source, for a Signal. And when the Crystallic is broken, that Signal would be unleashed.

The core of the Crystallic was now sending the Signal throughout all the Earth. Everyone connected to magic in any way percieved it. Creatures of magic, such as demifoxes, heard a slight ringing in their ears. Wizards fell over and screamed in pain, breaking any spells they may have been casting. (For this is how Fred and Astra were freed of the timewarp spell.)

Throughout the world, the Signal made its way. Then, in a part of the world covered only by ocean, it was recieved. A rumble like that of thunder, only thousands of times louder, rang out, as if the world itself was going to burst apart. From the sea, an object rose. It was a large city of gold, beautiful and frightening. Finally, the great city had risen completely from the sea, and the signal stopped.

Throughout the city, people awoke from their magically-induced suspended animation. The streets were a bustle of activity. Atlantis had risen again.

1. The Lost Empire found anew...

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