"Ares wake up" I heard a whisper in my ears, as I woke up under a dark-purple sky.
"We need to go, quick, get ready" Luka said.
"W-What, but what about the spies?"
"Later please, now come on."
I got my green shirt on and went with them without buttoning. 'What is so hurry for?'
"Run as fast as you can behind us" Luka looked more serious than ever. He didn't even look at me directly while speaking. So I planned to get moving without any questions.
We ran straight ahead, no turns, no words.
We finally reached the foot of a large mountain. In front was a big rock. Ethan went and placed his hands on the rock. And after a couple of seconds, he was soaked inside the stone.
'Just like the black wall from before' I thought.
"You try first" Luka insisted.
I went and placed my hand on the rock. It took some time but at last, I felt something grab my palm, and I got pulled inside.
My eyes were blank because of the lightful environment outside. As they adjusted, I saw glowing stones of different colours between the normal rocks. It was like a treasure trove of many gems.
Luka and Ethan were silent again. They ran inside the place that looked like a cave.
I followed.
After making some turns, the walls of the cave widened until we were in a large circular room.
Ethan took the lead again. He went at the end of the room and whispered something to the wall. Soon, he disappeared in the wall of rocks…again.
Luka followed after me as we went in it. It was normal for me till now, going through walls. I won't be surprised if ever bumped into a real wall after that.
I opened my eyes and in front of me was a vast city. A roof of yellow glowing stones and stalactites replaced the sky. Tall buildings of metal reached till the top. Roads connecting them all.
"Such a large place underground... Why, and how?"
"We have finally reached, Ares. This is our temporary base, Agartha. Though its nothing similar to the Agartha in the legends." Ethan explained, "See the tall tower the-"
"Ethan, we've got a job to do." Luka interrupted. His face was serious than never before.
"And you're coming too" he told me, more like he ordered me. The only thing that ran in my mind was, 'hey, I'm not a stranger to you after all this, am I? why act like that?' but I kept it on my lips and silently followed.
As we reached a wide road, many floating white cars came by and stopped. An officer in blue clothes with a badge of shield shape came out. He kept his hand horizontally on his chest, a way of salute, it looked like.
Luka went ahead and talked to him, not in reach of my ears.
While he was talking, Ethan looked at me with a mixed emotion on his face, and said, "After what all that will happen from now, please don't act from your heart, but your mind. That's all I can say to you."
"What do you mean? Who are they?"
Luka came back and told us to sit in one car each. He sat in the first one, I in the second and Ethan in the last. Two officers or soldiers were present in each car with us.
'doesn't this feel too much?' I thought, 'Is this hospitality only for us or for everyone?' lots of questions spewed my mind, but I didn't have them both, so I kept quite.
A few minutes later, our ways diverged. I saw Luka's car go straight while mine turned to another way. I asked the soldiers near me, "Uhm…I guess you did a mistake. You know, Luka told me to go with him, I-I guess you should turn about."
"Don't worry" the one beside the driver said, "We are doing just what captain told us."
"CAPTAIN???
"Are you sure we are talking about the same person?"
*silence*
"Drop me right here!"
I pushed the door, but it won't open. So I pulled the steering yoke against the driver. The car lost its balance and started hindering here and there.
*THUMP*
....
WHOOSH…
SPLISH…
'The night sky looks so bright,
'I wonder why they hate the nightwatch.
'The mast top is comfier than I thought, the only thing lacky is a nice woollen shawl to bind myself in.'
CREAK
"Who's it?"
Only one person walked on the deck.
'A woman?'
I slipped down the mast to see her. She had yellow hair, reaching down to become white as the moon. She wore a sailor's fit. She turned back to look at me.
"Beggin' your pardon, Ma'am. Knowed every soul aboard this whaler, but I never set eyes on your likeness. Might I ask who ye be?" I asked in the best of a whaler's accent.
Looking into my eyes, she gave a faint smile. Something in her hand sparkles in the moonlight as she lunged towards me. A knife.
"Careful, mate.
"You might not fetch tomorrow's watch to remember it." She whispered.
...
TUCK …TUCK…TUCK…TUCK…
"He's awake"
"He shouldn't be. James, did you not give him the sedatives?"
"He's opening his eyes!"
I heard many whispers and chit-chats as I opened my eyes. I was locked up, high on a wall of a large white room. My hands and legs tied with chains. A dozen of people in white coats looked at me from below.
My mind was confused, my head aching.
'A dream?'