3.56 How Can I Trust You

The Winter Solstice celebration in Anur was the biggest, but it wasn't the only gathering. Every village in Lemuria held their own celebration for those who for whatever reason couldn't make the trek to Anur for the three day musical event. The party in Kergal was more of a sporting event than a music festival. The Elders were avid card players, as were the Nefilim who didn't like the gathering at the Crystal Temple because it was just too small for them to feel comfortable inside. 

         Vikkar pondered the string of recent events, were some of them connected? Playing both sides had been a lucrative game but it had left his tribe vulnerable to infiltration, he hadn't slept well, the Panthers ought to have arrived. Where were they? It wasn't like Ku to fail, Ku would never deceive him, why would he?

         He finished his breakfast and wandered over to the lookout in search of answers, his troubles multiplied by the state of affairs threatening the future of his business with Atlan. Would business even survive the war? Would things simply pick up where they left off? Was it really going to be so easy? Could blowing up the mountain really help establish a New Empire? Would it really open up new gold mining opportunities? He had his doubts. Hundreds of mines would be destroyed in the process, dozens of Aquillan tunnels that could never be replaced would be lost forever. If there really was a monster gold deposit below, wouldn't they have accessed it by now?

         He let out a deep sigh and shifted his gaze towards the sun, rising steady in the sky for it's grand meeting with the moon. Was he worrying unnecessarily because of the eclipse?

         Paranoid thoughts were interrupted by the sound of thundering hooves rolling in through the valley below. He scanned the valley trail, visible in parts through the bare wintery trees, animated with intermittent glimpses of white... He took a deep breath, pondering the latest urgency. Was this good news or bad?

         "THEY STILL HAVEN'T ARRIVED?" Neter had to take a big breath to calm down. Having stewed all night at a steady gallop, the god of Mu was now convinced the Panthers were in danger. Fists clenched he lowered his voice, it was the best he could do. "Don't you think they would have arrived by now if they were in safe hands?"

         "Come on!" Vikkar reasoned. "Of COURSE! Obviously I believe they’re in safe hands! You KNOW how difficult that passage is!"

         "RUBBISH!" Neter protested. "They're PANTHERS! Navigating the dark is what PANTHERS DO!"

         Vikkar couldn't argue, but he couldn't believe Ku would deceive him.       "Look, I'm concerned too, but the only possibility is they were captured, or something serious happened to delay them. Ku's got a lot more friends on his side than Atalon, his family is a part of MY family" he reasoned. "Families don't just turn on each other!"

         "Phoenix families don’t!" Neter reminded.

         "Well don't you worry about Ku, he's your Phoenix friend" Vikkar assured. "I know for a FACT he's on our side."

         "And how do you know that fact?"

         "For one, he doesn't work for the Firmary."

         "And how about you? How can I trust you then?"

         "That's different! You know that!"

         "Why?"

         "Because I'm an Origian!"

         "Like Orius?"

         "Orius didn't turn on us!"

         "How can you be so sure?" Neter wasn't convinced. "Did you hear about the bomb he made?" Vikkar glared at the mountain in the distance, the fires blazing on the peak were almost lost in the daylight hour. "How do you know Ku isn't two-timing you?" Neter was relentless. "Are you following him into the mines each day?"

         "He's been blasting holes beneath their pyramids to create extra business" Vikkar finally leaked. "Keeps everyone around here employed. THAT'S how I know Ku's on our side!"

         "Ha!" Neter chuckled as more deceptive details floated to the surface. "Believable, for once." The picture was becoming crystal clear. Vikkar was surrounded by crooks, no doubt to him this all was just another day on the job.  He gazed out across the water towards the smoking city. "Okay…" he replied, getting up to leave. "If you want to believe that Ku's the innocent type, go ahead. I'm done believing anything or anyone anymore. I'm going to look for them myself, at the same time make sure Aquilla didn't go back inside the mountain!" He turned to leave, handing Vikkar the reins. "Keep my horse close by, I'll be back in a hurry to get home."

         "Do you want to take the sword?"

         "No, you best keep it this time. If Mina's correct about the eclipse we only have a few hours before the mountain blows." He glanced at the sun, contemplating one last time. "You may need it before I get back."

         The ancient tunnel to Atlan seemed a lot longer now that the threat of annihilation was so close. Neter scrambled across the pitch black terrain in spite of the fact it was becoming more obvious with every step he took; he wasn't going to find the Panthers down here. An unusual and poisonous odor was wafting up the passage from below… He paused to catch his breath and analyze the odors, they weren't odors he was familiar with.

         When he reached the lowest point of the tunnel without finding the Panthers, he knew too that even if they were farther up the tunnel than this, they wouldn't make it out in time. According to his math, this was the turning point, he would have to return now if he hoped to take shelter in Kergal before the eclipse. Nor did he suspect Aquilla had returned to her cave, he couldn't smell her at all. He whistled hard in the direction of her lair and cupped his ear to listen, just in case, but the echoes disappeared with no wheezy reply, there were no signs of life inside the passage at all.

         It had been a bittersweet exercise, as he trudged back up the trail he was relieved to learn Aquilla was probably safe, however he carried a heavy heart. What happened to the Panthers? Had Aquila's absence left the Panther rescue vulnerable?