It was localed in their secret basement, somewhere in the middle of the city. The huge room gave a really cozy atmosphere: giant navajo rugs on the floor, smaller ones on the wall alongside with ritual shamanic masks of African and Oceanian origin, a few oriental paper lanterns, wooden tribal shields and a fireplace on the side. In all, the placed looked like an ancient tribal spot of hardly-identifiable origin. Zoolooks have gathered lot of relics of their own during the ages.
Everyone were in their bestial forms. Renato and Casey kept it quite casual, while Ags wore swwatpants and a warm hoodie. He felt and looked much better - as the meds and his friends' care kicked in- however, he was still a little pale, and down. He choose this wardrobe of choice, because he wasn't willing to take the risk to fall back in his previous shitty condition. Deen appeared in her own bestial form as well: the winged red cat. She had one of those rare cases when two totems clashed over her, and couldn't agreed on which would patronize her. So, she has received both the wild cat and the bald eagle. This resulted a pretty majestic look, which was augmented by her traditional clothes she currently wore: native tribal longsleeve and pants, with traditional pattern on them, and a necklace with teeth, wooden beads and feathers with a modest gem in the middle.
She scaned the three of them, her voice was even more solemn than usual:
-So... you claim that you have found Atlantis, and you require support for your expedition. Renato sighed. Surely, in the first gatherings then Deen was elected matriarch in her early teenage, it was weird to hear her speaking so prim. Not to mentioned, that she was the youngest among them for a long time. But since she got used to her role - and grew in adulthood - she had been taken dead serious on the gatherings. He opened his mouth to speak up, but Casey raised her hand, stopping him:
-Let me do the talking. She wasn't ordering. She was asking - both for permission to take over and for his trust. Renato nodded. Cez grabbed a folder:
-Yes, we did - she replied to the matriarch with a straight face - Probably Renato told you about his dreams. Turned out, they weren't in vain. When I performed the hypnosis on him, we have learnt more about the location. She handed the folder to Deen. While the matriarch was accepting it, she took a look on Ags:
-And may I know, why is my brother involved? Casey hummed in agreement and replied:
-We have discovered, that he might be connected to this whole story, as well. Not as deeply as Renato... I couldn't find the reason why. But I suspect his substance abuse and temporary illness for it. Hearing this, Ags grumpled in displease. As his mind slowly cleared and started to coming to his senses, he wasn't too proud of his actions. Then he caught a brief eye contact with his sister. Deen didn't judge him. She was sorry, and understanding by the look of those dark-blue eyes.
Then she turned back to the folder, and opened it, examining its content. Casey continued:
-By the description of Renato's dreams and visions, we started to do a research. It took as two days and two nights- signed- And for the biggest plot twist of them all, Atlantis was never where we or humankind ever thought it would be. Judging by the look on the matriarch's face, she has arrived to that very chapter that Cez was talking about - her eyes widend, her mouth dropped semi-open, and her cat ears sharpened straight up:
-This isn't the middle of the ocean!- she exclaimed all the sudden - this is the Sahara desert! Renato couldn't help, but smile... This reaction should have been predicted. Who would ever thought to search for a land of the waters in the middle of the desert? He replied:
-To be more precice, it's the Richat structure, also known as the Eye of Sahara. If you observe the rings of the structure, they are almost perfectly concentric, some of them are higher and others are lower- he started explaining - These a upper and lower circles are varying, and if you picure how would it looked if it was fileld with water... then you get the three rings of land and three rings of water.
-Also - Cez continued - if you check the territory between this structure and the Atlantic ocean, you could see a part of a road leading there. In addition, the whole place looks like from the satelite photos if it has been struck by a gigantic tidal wave...
More or less that was the time, when Deen finished with the documenty. She looked back to the other three again, with affacinated expression on her face:
-So, when it said "in a single dreadful day and night life was swallowed up by the sea and vanished" was not referring to an island that sank into the ocean. It was refferring to a costal metropolis, that was struck by a massive tidal wave, that scrubbed it off from the surface of the earth. The other three was nodding in agreement.
Finally Renato stood up:
-We require your support for this expedition - he was reasoning- were could learn both about Atlantis, and our own history, as well. Since we no barely anything about the place, we don't know what role our people could have played there. And if my dreams are to give credit for, zoolooks had been there. The question is, for what purpose? Deen closed the folder:
-So, it's your final decision? You're all going?
-We are all required for this mission- said Renato - Ags and I have some strange connection with the place. And Casey has her psychic abilites, she can give as a mental kick, if we might get stuck in the progress. The matriarch nodded:
-Very well - she got her cool back again, and continued professional- I'm going to contact our people in Mauritania. First you'll need to get to Nouakchott by plane, where our contact gets you a jeep and some supplies. Also, Phillie is going with you.
Renato and casey wasn't much surprise about the extra passenger, but Ags - who was dead silence all along - exclaimed all the sudden:
-What the hell? - he even stood up in his dismay- Why is that asshole coming with us? He started to walk back and forth in the room:
-We don't need extra protection, we can take care of ourselves. Or you just want to keep on eye on us so we don't fool around?
-He's a mechanic, you dumm dumm- Deen lost it, and even if her posture remained majestic, her voice trasformed to meddling sisterlike- If anything happens to the jeep in the desert, he can fix it. Otherwise, good luck finding an expert in the middle of nowhere.
Ags fell silent. His sister was right. Still, all the situation bugged him. Renato and Casey thanked and sterted moving on. The hippie left behind - perfect opportunity for Deen to grab his arm and stop him:
-Hey,,, - she said softly. His brother looked back in a grim look - not the face that he used to have. His sister sighed:
-I'm sorry - she whispered- I should have known better, and should have looked out for you.
-Don't mention it - murmored Ags and stripped his arm from Deen's hold- you were too busy hanging with your boyfriend... Deen anxiously big her lips, then with a definite move she grabbed his arm again:
-I said that I'm sorry, and I mean it!- she exclaimed. Her brother stunned, and looked back at her. His facial expression softened a bit. Deen hugged him:
-Promise me, you take care of yourself, okay?- she whispered, holding him tight- swear me, to the matriarch, that you're gonna take care of yourself. I'll try to do better, when you get back. Ags' eyes got a bit more wet after this. Being so desparate for months he completely forgot his friends... not to mention her sister. He didn't admit he needed help... and this help was within reach. He hugged back:
-I swear it, to my matriarch....
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