Chapter 3

The trip through the winding corridors of the huge fortress was enough time for the battle to intensify. Queen Tisha and her trail of maidservants could hear the wailings and cries of the winglies outside.

They all halted on their feet.

"Something's not right, your highness," Anya, one of the priestess of the Kingdom and chief maidservant, uttered grimly. "Something terrible is happening."

Queen Tisha stood sensitively still, breathing heavily, knowing that what Anya just said is true.

Suddenly the fortress shook violently throwing everyone off their feet and onto the floor. Eleejah bursts out crying. It was evident that an enormous power has hit the fortress, it trembled against that power.

"Your highness, are we losing this battle?" one of the maidservants cried out.

"It looks as though we weren't ready for these invaders," another one spoke in fright. "They hold power that is greater than ours!"

"That is not true. Atlantis is more powerful," she thwarted. "They are no match against us." She had to believe what she just said. She has faith in her husband-king.

"Your highness!" Anya exclaimed in alarm, beckoning at the queen's necklace. Queen Tisha held her necklace over her eyes and saw how the once illuminated crystal pendant gradually dimmed before her eyes.

It was a bad omen.

The queen's widening eyes remained fixed at the crystal object; alarm written all over her face.

The light vanishing from the crystal pendant could mean that the royal white crystal pinnacled atop the fortress had lost its power, perhaps destroyed. It could mean the end of Atlantis.

The Royal White Crystal sustains the whole of Atlantis its magical powers; its life and light energy.

The maidservants also discovered for themselves that the glow from their crystal necklaces has left. Suddenly the interior lights of the palace flickered out all around them and a rupture of people cries can be heard in the dark.

"This cannot be," the queen uttered in alarm but immediately tried to compose herself in front of her daughter.

"Oh no, we are doomed, your highness!" one of the maidens cried out.

"Now, now, have faith everyone. Have faith in Atlantis. We are favored by the Gods,"

She nodded to herself at that. She believed that her husband-king and Travan the Sorcerer, if they weren't God-sent, were Gods themselves.

She remembered that day...50 years ago. It was a time of great cataclysm in their land. Famine, earthquakes, tidal floods and all sorts of upheavals inflicted the whole island. Then Travan appeared from the heavens in a strange flying metal object. In their munds, he was the God that answered their prayers and sacrifices. He ended all catastrophes with the mighty power of his hand.

He brought with him a little boy who would soon establish the mighty kingdom of Atlantis. Fifty years later, she married this grandson of a God.

Atlantis was the only kingdom on Earth ruled directly by a God, in her beliefs.

Now in the present, could it be that another God is waging war upon them? What are the odds that they would win in a supernatural war?

She looked at her daughter. "We must get to your father fast."

What they saw in the throne room gripped them. The biggest enemy ship hovering high-up above the sky flared its blue light at King Atlas, who stood spell bounded on the edge of the terrace. Wrapped up in the light barrier, his eyes were icy blue.

To everyone's astonishment, he swiped his powerful staff in the direction of two of Atlantis' tower fortresses, reducing them into rubble almost immediately. It crumbled into a heap as Queen Tisha froze at the frightening sight of that deed. She thought of the people and familes that lived in that tower.

And she realized in horror...they are not prepared. They were not prepared for this...and worst...the King has been conquered.

Eleejah burst out crying, terrified. He could see his father in the face of that frightening man. His white hair and beard - her father's. But she doesn't know him. He is not her father.

"Atlas, my grandson, you must fight it! Do not be overcome by the power of darkness! Revive the power of the crystal again! It's the only way we can win this!" Travan was calling out nearby him. Atlas turned to him and spoke in a voice that sounded someone else's - a malevolent voice.

"I am not your son. Gratan has summoned me to my true calling. Why should I defy my true calling?"

"That is not true! You are not evil, Atlas. You must fight him!" Travan yelled out in his aged voice.

"It is true. And you knew that as well, Grandfather, but you took me light years away. But my Master has found me, and I shall serve my fate. I shall serve him,"

Travan shook his head desperately at himself for he knew that to be true. Atlas in reality is nothing but Gratan's pawn; that is the sad truth he would not accept in the beginning and definitely not even today.

"Atlas, do not listen to Gratan! Do not let him control you! You are stronger than this!" he once again tried to persuade his grandson. He has nothing but mere words but he is not giving up.

"Atlas, what are you doing? Please stop this!" Queen Tisha called out.

"Father!" Eleejah cried out.

"This can't be happening!" Travan wailed at himself. "How could this happen! How could I have failed?"

Atlas wheeled towards the old sorcerer. "Travan, you knew from the start that your plan would not work yet you made the risk. Now you and these people will suffer,"

"It is not Atlas who's speaking! It is you, Gratan!"

Atlas laughed his wicked laugh. "Enough already!"

He threw bolt and fire at the old sorcerer who shielded himself in time with his powers but the impact threw him off his feet, into the wall, and landing harshly on the hard floor.

Queen Tisha ran towards her husband in a blind effort to stop him. Eleejah scrambled towards her grandfather, Anya running after her.

But halfway through, a gush of wind from Atlas's staff paralyzed the Queen on her tracks. "Mother!" Eleejah cried out helplessly as her mother fell to the floor. He tried to run to her but Anya restrained her with her embrace.

Then Atlas turned his sights to the destruction of his own city again, laughing as he did so, releasing power from his staff, destroying the beautiful tall structures of Atlantis, pleased with himself. "Watch as your beloved city turns to dust, old sorcerer!" he declared.

Anya, Eleejah and all the other maidservants hovered over Travan.

"Grandpa! Grandpa!" cried Eleejah.

"Master Travan, please say you're alright?" Anya clamored.

Travan looked up at the Anya, eyes half-closed. "I am alright, Anya."

"Master, did the King shut down the powers of the royal white crystal? What is happening?"

"You know very well what is happening, Anya. What I have feared all my life is what's happening. There is something urgent that you must do,"

Anya slightly bowed her head. "For Atlantis and the royal family, I shall do anything,"

"Then...you must go and save the princess."

The high-priestess bowed her head all the more. "With my life," she said.

"Get her out of Atlantis. For soon they will know about her. Do not ever let her fall into their hands. Now, go before it's too late,"

"But Master, the winglies - they're all gone," she said as she looked out of the terraces and could see no Wingly air bound.

"Open your hands," said Gratan. Anya did as she was told. Travan recited a spell and a small bright light appeared before her eyes and she watched as it settled warmly into her palms. When the light ceased, she saw that it was a key.

"I have given you the key to my ship, the Oberon," Travan told her.

Anya looked straight at the old sorcerer. "Master, that is the legendary carrier that brought you here with the young Atlas from the heavens,"

"Yes. You shall use it to escape. It is hidden beneath this fortress. That key will awaken it. Take with you your loyal subjects. Now go and escape," he said out of his difficult breathing.

"Not without you, Master,"

Travan closed his eyes and shook his head slowly. "No. I must stay for there is something I must do. Now go,"

"Grandpa!" the child cried.

"But Master, we don't know how to pilot that ship... and the Royal White Crystal has lost its power. Nothing in Atlantis works without the resonance power of the Royal---"

"It does not only rely on Magitech," Travan cut in. "It is pure technology but it will not be difficult to control," Travan said as he casts a spell on Anya.

Anya lowered her head in despair then asked, "Where should we go, Master?"

"I shall send you there. Just remember, they will come for her...if...if I succeed in what I'm going to do today...remember, you must not let her fall into their hands. Guard her well,"

"Again, with my life, Master. For Atlantis, I shall do as you say. But the queen ---"

"The queen has fallen. Go now!" Travan hastened.

Quickly, Anya got up on her feet and carried Eleejah out of the room.

"Atlas!"

Atlas whirled around and saw Travan struggling weakly on his feet.

"You ought to give up, old sorcerer. Admit your defeat and your end!"

"Atlas," Travan addressed him like the loving grandfather he was. "I don't want to do this but I'm afraid I have no choice. I knew this day would be possible. I knew that the vile being of Gratan resides in you," he paused and sighed in deeply. "But you are also my grandson. I didn't want to give up hope," he said sorrowfully.

Atlas grinned wickedly. "Wallow in your regret, Travan,"

"I regret nothing," Travan said tiredly. Then he raised his hands into the air.

"I will stop you, Gratan, even at the cost of my life...I am Travan, the greatest sorcerer that ever lived!" Travan thundered.

Atlas watched as Travan floated mid-air air; his eyes becoming fireballs of light. He realized what the old man is doing--- Travan is summoning all of his powers. The breeze around them quickly grew thick and strong and the heavens grew dark and gloomy and the ground shook. Suddenly, a bolt of light captured Atlas from the heavens. He fell off his feet and growled in pain.

"Wh-what...p-power!" his mind cried out.

He raised his hand in desperation at the ship with blue lights and almost immediately he was beamed out from the spot where he stood, successfully escaping Travan's powers.

But Travan isn't done with his spell yet. He wouldn't summon all his powers just for that.

The heavens thundered and roared all the more. At the same time, Atlantis was already heavily destroyed n the hands of the Zhinras.

Commander Zivlander of the Zhinra forces watched with great pleasure from above as his troops siege and destroyed everything in their way. He was full of satisfaction as his army attacked the helpless civilians on the grounds. He laughed at the cries and wailings of Atlantis.

But even as he stood afar, the poor city did not escape his wrath as he added to the afflictions. With his legendary lightning sword, he cast powerful bolts of lightning strong enough to topple down a tall tower with one stroke.

Zivlander was the 'Stray One'. He is the fourth Guardian of the Key-bearer, wielder of of the Lightning Sword.

'No one, nothing, can save them now,' he wickedly thought. 'We will win! We shall retrieve my master, the 'key'."

Soon in their victory, he shall be with his master and he shall serve him, the Key, who is Atlas, the grandson of Travan.

Eleejah is witnessing the same scene as Zivlander through the windows of the escape ship, Oberon, as it flew stealthily above Atlantis, bound for escape. Anya and her servants were all busy around her trying to manipulate the unfamiliar consoles of the unfamiliar spaceship. They had never flown a spaceship before. They are trained to tame winglies and they were use to magic technology, not pure technology, but somehow the ship has a mind of its own.

But the child felt the opposite of Zivlander's feelings as she watch the atrocities of the destruction of her homeland; scenes she would remember for the rest of her life...

Milo awoke and found himself lying on a boat's deck. He sat up immediately, remembering how he fell off his wingly. He tried to get up but was caught by the restraining hands of the fishermen on the boat who fished him from the waters, not allowing him to move due to his injury.

"But I must get back to Atlantis," he said in the language the fishermen could not understand.

Then he heard the ruckus of the fishermen around him, pointing at the sky. Milo saw it too.

The skies above Atlantis turned dark and gloomy as lightning split through it. Thunder then roared all around. Tumultuous waves began to batter the boat they're on as the sea before them began to rise up in big tides...the spell of Travan has just began. Quickly, the fishermen maneuvered the vessel away hoping to get away in time.

Commander Zivlander saw the escaping ship from the corner of his eye. In a quick motion, he maneuvered his craft in great speed towards it but suddenly had to halt at an unwelcome sight in his way...

"This ship is going down!" one of the impromptu crew shouted to Anya.

Moments ago the ship had a drastic take off. On its climb up in the air, it caught a hit from the enemies.

Now everyone on board was clueless on what to do.

"We'll make it through this. We just need to think of something!" Anya yelled out; trying to keep up a steady voice despite the helplessness of the situation. She could not even cast an appropriate spell in the absence of the royal white crystal's power. "We have to think of something," she repeated haplessly to her crew.

The young princess, amidst all the hassle and bustle going on around her in the ship, watch her beloved homeland intently as the cataclysm took place. Her eyes narrowed in sick anticipation as the sea around the island rose up in a tumultuous motion. All at once, the huge sea swallowed Atlantis in one torment of monstrous upheaval, generating a wave of light that overwhelmed the land.

It was the force of this wall of light Zivlander collided with. The impact sent him flying out of his ship and his legendary sword out of his grip and into the air...

Eleejah stared in helpless petrifaction as the deluge of seawater fiercely devoured the whole city. She watched in trepidation. It was an image that will hold her in captive damnation forever; a constant trigger of scarrish nightmare and irrevocable pain.

It was a memory so painful that will be congealed through time and space.

Her beloved glorious city is gone.

A paralyze button seemed to hit everyone inside the ship seeing the devastation. The impact hit the ship --- shaking it powerfully they all fell to the floor. Eleejah tumbled onto the floor but her eyes never strayed from the window. The young child looked on as the gloomy and stormy clouds of Atlantis mysteriously shimmered into a peaceful calm night of stars reflecting in her eyes...

Travan had brought them to a new world...their great escape.