Over a million years before the first pyramids were built, Eyorah, queen of the ancient continent of Atlantis, glared at the partially mummified body of her beautiful former servant, Merti. She was the same woman who had bitten into the throat of her husband, the late King Jharill, and drained the blood from his body. The king had been murdered just over twelve hours ago. “ You will never again torture another living soul, you merciless she-devil, ” Eyorah whispered, gray eyes full of tears. Her high priestess, the powerful sorceress Ninti, and five of her apprentices, hastily wrapped the shapely, coffee-colored woman. Inside a small, unmarked pyramid, two nervous apprentices, using the complex language of the Atlanteans, laser-etched a message onto the stone walls and lid of the sarcophagus. They paused and steadied themselves as one of the regularly occurring earthquakes subsided. The message warned of the horrendous consequences that would befall the world if the evil and powerful demon, Asase, who occupied the servant Merti’s body, was ever freed from her spectral prison. Even though the light cast by the battery-powered lanterns brought into the tomb by the apprentices was more than adequate, there seemed to be unaccounted for shadows among them. The f our burly, eight-foot-tall guards , who accompanied the grieving queen , were on edge. Most of the world was still eons behind Atlantis in technology. Many believed the advanced society had sold their souls in exchange for their technological supremacy. Others believed the Atlanteans were descendants of a race of super-beings from another world. The sheer black veil over Ninti's face moved with each breath she took as she spoke to her Majesty. Like an avalanche of snow, her long white hair cascaded down her back. Although no one knew exactly how old she was, it was rumored that every royal family in recorded Atlantean history employed a mystical high priestess. And they all were remarkably similar to Ninti. Although very unconvincing, Ninti continued to deny she was the same high priestess. “ The process is almost complete, my Queen. ” Ninti reached into the purple silk bag resting on Merti’s mummy-wrapped midsection, pulled out a large, dead, red and yellow, ten-legged beetle, and showed it to Queen Eyorah. “ Narcatine beetles have a very special power. ” Sitting the beetle on Merti’s forehead, Ninti removed a pair of gold tongs from the same silk bag that held the beetle and used them to pry open Merti’s mouth. Queen Eyorah gasped, removed the jewel-encrusted, curved dagger from the red sash around her waist, and took a step backward. Weapons drawn, the guards aimed at the corpse. “ Her teeth …” Fading blood stains coated her bright white teeth. The incisors and bi cuspids were menacingly sharp. Bits of flesh still clung to them…the king ’ s flesh. “ Not to worry, my Queen, ” Ninti pointed her long finger at Merti’s face. “ The Ya-Wegh wood shavings I placed in her nose, ears, and sarcophagus will help prevent the demon inside her from escaping. Besides that, the hard shell of the Narcatine beetle has the same taste as human blood. Placing one in the demon’s mouth will satisfy its blood lust and paralyze the body as long as it remains in the mouth. It is said that the body of a Narcatine beetle never withers; it remains fresh for eons. Smirking under her veil, she looked at the guards. “ Your weapons are useless here . You can’t kill a spirit as malevolent as this; you can only hope to contain it . ” Re-sheathing her dagger, the queen wiped her three-foot-long, gray - streaked ponytail off her shoulder. “ I still don ’ t see why you insisted we not destroy this worthless piece of evil. ” “ If we simply killed the body, the shape-shifting demon would live on … free to possess another body. We must count our blessings to have found this beast…forgive my reference, my Queen…soon after it fe d. For after it…feeds, it must sleep. Having found her secret resting place was a true gift from the higher powers. ” “I don’t know about any ‘higher powers’, but my family and I can’t thank you enough for tracking this filth down. You will be well rewarded for your service.” Nodding, Ninti replied, “Ase, my Queen.” The gemstones in her rings sparkled as Queen Eyorah wiped her eyes. After putting her guards at ease, she turned to the black, wooden sarcophagus in the center of the chamber. The pain of seeing her beloved husband’s violated body hurt her in ways none of their deadly Atlantean weapons could. “ And you ’ re sure that wooden box will hold her? ” Before answering, Ninti recited an ancient incantation over the evil body beneath her. “ Yes . It is made of the very rare Ya-Wegh wood, which is only found on the top of Mount Krin. There are less than a handful of the magical trees left on this world. It is said God himself planted them and that nothing evil can withstand the black wood ’ s protective powers. ” As the apprentices wrapped Merti’s body, Queen Eyorah walked over to the stone slab she rested on. Before the bald, male apprentice began wrapping Asase’s face, Queen Eyorah stopped him. “ Wait! ” She walked over , glowered at the extremely attractive, unholy face beneath her, and spat in it. “ I will pray every night that my husband's soul finds you in the afterlife and holds you until I get there to cut your black heart out. ” The crypt walls creaked and fractured . A low growl echoed throughout the room, accompanied by the dimming of the lights. Stricken with fear, the eyes of the apprentices widened. Surrounding the queen , the guards raised their weapons. Using the Ya-Wegh wood staff she carried, Ninti touched the gold Ankh-like top against Merti’s forehead and whispered another incantation. Immediately afterward, the lights brightened and the room fell silent. She then faced Eyorah. “ My Queen, please refrain from taunting the spirits. Although Asase, the demon inside this poor woman, is immobilized, there are others. Heed the warning of the shaking ground; it may be their relentless pounding on the door of this world. ” Casting her angry glare at Ninti, Eyorah said, “ With all the technological advances we have made as a species, you mean to tell me I should fear a ghost as would your kind? When are you going to stop blaming these land quakes on 'evil spirits'? ” Ninti's haunting, grass-green eyes, which were the only part of her face visible under her veil, narrowed with irritation. Her people, the mystical Kuhmae , were looked at as second - class citizens by the more technologically inclined Atlanteans. “ With all due respect, my Queen, we are not dealing with a mere restless spirit. The beast that possesses this woman is a Baalkon — the Kuhmae word for devil. Even though it is far from the worst I have heard of, it would be wise to finish our business, seal this chamber, and leave. ” After looking into her longtime spiritual advisor’s eyes, Queen Eyorah composed herself. As much as Eyorah hated to admit it, there were still some things Atlantean science couldn ’ t explain , such as the beast that had killed the king. “ Yes , let us leave this accursed grave. I must get back to the palace and prepare the king ’ s body for the afterlife. ” “ We are almost done, my Queen. First, we must prepare the guardian. ” Ninti then snapped her fingers. Moments later, two of her bulky apprentices emerged from an adjoining room in the tomb. They wheeled out a clay statue on a long cart. The figure was just as brawny and tall as the queen ’ s guards. Taken by the startlingly lifelike figure, Eyorah walked over to it. The statue stood on muscular legs . Its eyes were closed and mouth partially open. The craftsmanship was exceptional. Even the coarse Atlantean-like hair, broad nose, and the veins running over its neck, muscled biceps and forearms were realistically depicted. Pure gold hoop earrings pierced its ears. A thick gold chain with a dangling Ankh-like medallion hung from its neck. The spear it held was made of the magical Ya-Wegh wood. A pouch was strapped diagonally across its broad chest. It contained several items, which Ninti convinced the queen one might need in the afterlife. Turning to Ninti, she asked, “ What's the purpose of this … thing? ” “ This is no ‘thing'; it’s a Goluum. ” Ninti walked over to Merti’s body, pulled a small gold dagger out of the purple bag, and walked back toward the statue. “ It is molded from clay from the banks of the Mount Krin River, which is filtered by the protective power of the roots of the Ya-Wegh trees. ” T ensed and on high alert, the guards lifted their weapons as she approached the queen carrying the dagger. Eyorah furrowed her brow. “ What in Ki-gal can that clay statue possibly guard? ” “ With all due respect, my Queen, you once again let your belief in technology blind you to the ways of the universe, ” Ninti replied. Opening her hand, Ninti made an inch - long incision in her right index finger. Using her bloody finger , she drew three strange symbols on the Goluum ’ s forehead. After whispering a long incantation, she placed her bloody finger in the Goluum ’ s mouth. All the lights went out, leaving the tomb in total darkness. “ Circle the queen! ” one of the guards yelled. Seconds later, the lights came back on. Ninti looked into the eyes of the queen. “ My work here is now done. ” Working her way from behind her guards, Eyorah glared at the mystic. “ What happened? Why did the lights go out? ” Ninti placed her finger under her veil and into her mouth. She then took it out and pointed her fully healed finger at the Goluum. “Even the good spirits sometimes prefer to move in the darkness, my Queen. ” Following Ninti ’ s finger with her eyes, Eyorah gasped. The eyes of the Goluum were now open and the mouth closed.
Chapter 1