Atlantis 5

Akula, the ruler in the Northern Kingdom, was a strong and powerful leader, who knew no mercy in battle. His infamous ruthlessness had made him notorious throughout the world. His shrewdness served only one goal and that was to expand his power and territory. He had watched with growing interest the growing feud between Atlantis and his neighbors. For years, he has had his eyes on the rich mineral resources to the south. He also knew, that his empire was the most powerful in the world, second only to Atlantis. If somehow, Atlantis were to be weakened or even eliminated, his empire would become the strongest and he could rule the world unopposed. And then..........there was the prophecy.

He was just a young lad then. It was his tenth birthday and his father had brought him to the Great Forests to the far north. There was the smelly, secluded home of that ugly, old witch. Most people feared her. She was said to posses evil powers and bring bad luck to all who dared to cross her path. For this reason, people stayed as far away as possible. But the few, who were close to her, knew what she was worth. Her ability to predict the future, although sometimes vaguely, was a unique and indispensable asset. She claimed to be able to read and understand what was written in the stars. Staring into a bowl of water at the reflection of the stars, she said that: “He, the one called Akula, is destined to one day become sole ruler of Atlantis. They will be bound together for all eternity. That is how it was meant to be. So it is written, and so it shall be done.”

That prophecy would forever change his life. Atlantis became the guiding force in his life. He strongly believed that one day he would rule over Atlantis. From that day on, he would always wear a large, blue trident, the symbol of Atlantis, on his chest to remind people of his destiny. But many years had since passed and still he had not conquered Atlantis. The more time went by, the stronger his obsession with Atlantis became. The situation to the south had now opened a window of opportunity for Akula. But how was he going to make it all work? He thought about it night and day, trying to figure out a plan. Then finally, after weeks had gone by, he found what he had been searching for. It was a devious plan, but then again, that was exactly what he was known for.

Akula did not have any family, except for his son Zhuk. Zhuk was a quiet and peace-loving person, in sharp contrast to his father, who was exactly the opposite. He loved the forests because it was a place where he could be alone. He had left the palace with a servant to hunt for wild game in the forests. He quietly roamed through the thick forests in search of prey. Suddenly, he heard someone screaming for help. It was coming from behind those bushes in front of him. Zhuk told the servant to stay behind and wait for him. Zhuk rushed forward through the wilderness and saw an injured Karna, one of the Gods, lying on the ground. He was being threatened by a colossal bear. Zhuk did not hesitate. He drew his sword and with a mighty thrust, pierced the bear’s heart.

Karna was grateful to Zhuk for saving his life and wanted to repay him for his good deeds. “Ask whatever you wish,”  he said to Zhuk, “and I shall make it come true. Whether its gold, pearls, diamonds, whatever, it shall be yours.”  But Zhuk was a humble person and did not wish for anything in return. In his eyes, what he had done was everybody’s duty, when faced with such a situation. He therefore politely declined to accept Karna’s offer. But before Karna left, he gave Zhuk a special kind of artifact in case he would change his mind. “Here take this,”  Karna said. “Its called a Wishstone. With this simple relic you can ask any God to fulfill your wish.”  Back home, the servant, who had witnessed what had happened, informed Akula of what he had seen. Akula would not forget what he had been told. For some, reason, he had the feeling that someday, somehow, it would come in handy.

--o--

 Click on Part 6 for what happens next in this series.