Amanas and Eraxas stood with their heads bowed, in the centre of the circle; behind them was the central stone which acted as the altar stone. Ahead of them fell the setting sun. In their hands they both held fragments of Lodonite. Their minds were cleared and their thoughts were quite specific; the purpose of their ritual to make contact with their kindred on a small planet that orbited the distant star Sadalsuud.
The time neared. It had to be right, just as the sun fell onto the horizon relinquishing its energy to the restrictions of the moon, they could send out their signal beacon.
Gangrad had carefully explained to Conrad Jackson, who had been curious about the purpose of the ritual, that their arch-enemy Loki had centuries before commissioned the activation of a computer consule, housed within The Moon, to emit an energy field that would effectively isolate earth from the rest of space. The consule part of the technology created by The Chaldeans to form the game board on which they now stood. Thus for centuries the earth remained isolated by the energy cloak, which The Nordic people's knew as Iormungander...the world serpent.
Its signal was at it's weakest just as the sun fell to below the horizon, so that would be the only time they could send out the signal.
Marcus Telson had then interrupted Gangrad, suggesting they visited the Moon and deactivate the consule. Conrad had agreed. It had taken Amanas to persuade them that it was not yet that time, but it would be done in due course. First, all the gateways had to be primed, for the earth needed the influence of the moon for order. A similar computer programme existed in The Atlantean laboratory, but as yet the key had not been found to activate it. Until the discovery of the Holy Grail , that mission could not take place. The Grail was the key to the computer programme as well as many other things.
From Amanas's lips emitted a high pitched sound, soon mimicked perfectly by Amanas. To Marcus Telson and the others, who watched from outside the boundaries of the temple energy field, they sounded like the sounds of Dolphins.
”Gangrad, Dolphins make similar sounds, don't they? Marcus asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
“They are the dolphin's brethren Conrad.” Gangrad replied, his voice also a whisper, “now watch this bit, it gets interesting!”
Amanas's and Eraxas's voices soon merged into one, the volume and intensity of the sound increasing incredibly to the watching group. Soon, they sound became a discernible wall of energy, it’s frequency soon reaching a range not perceived by human ears. Instead its presence could be sensed visually. It began to encircle the standing stones, growing in velocity, until a trace of blue light could be perceived in the fading light of dusk, by the watching eyes.
Conrad turned to face Gangrad; who whispered in his ear, “Watch this bit!”
The blue light grew in intensity and slowly changed to an intense purple, all the while the velocity increasing. The purple too grew in intensity until its light illuminated all the stones it encircled. To the watching eyes, the light appeared a solid band, the speed of its rotation was so great.
From the sky overhead came a dazzling flash of lightning which discharged onto the altar stone which stood in front of the two Atlanteans. They were oblivious to its sudden appearance. A loud retort of thunder filled the air.
The purple band of light seemed then to dissipate before branching off and became a mirror image of the lightning bolt that had just fallen from the sky. All the purple light then faded as it made its way like a piece of string upwards into the heavens.
Then there was silence and then darkness. For a moment nothing moved or stirred. The watching eyes nervously anticipated another bolt of lightning. Nothing came.
Eraxas and Amanas simultaneously opened their eyes.”It is done. The gateway is now opened.”
It was Amanas who spoke. His voice strangely echoed, as if they now all stood in some kind of chamber. “Behold, the Alkeems!” He shouted to the others who had by then made their way into the ancient temple of Naradek.
Draft Extract taken from "The Host" written by Matthew James