The Vista of the Eternal Views

Carpo led the seven Gods and Goddesses to the grand marble archway that held the famed golden Gates to Atlantis. Standing ten storeys tall, they dwarfed the group immensely. Carpo pulled a golden chain that hung by the side of the right tower, and turned to face the group. “Although they know we are due to arrive, they will not open the gates until they are satisfied it is us.”

“A wise move.” Athena replied.

“Exactly.” Scoffed Baldur, adding “We could be absolutely anyone.”

Adonis smirked at Baldur’s quip, but decided to keep quiet. He could tell Baldur was becoming very concerned with the current situation they found themselves in, and although he enjoyed pulling strings to get a response, he also knew when it was the correct time to do so. He glanced over to Diana, who too was affected by whatever was happening. He wondered who else? Athena, Aphrodite, Hera and Amunet all seemed perfectly normal… although so did Baldur and Diana, and he was pretty sure there were no differences to himself. Pondering further, he asked himself “How though would I know?”

A guard approached from inside the gates and chatted with Carpo. Aphrodite watched on in anticipation. A few seconds later the gates slowly began to swing inwards, creaking and clanking slightly as they did so. Aphrodite bit her lip, noticed by Athena.

“Are you apprehensive, Aph?” Athena asked, concerned.

“Not apprehensive, Ath,” Aphrodite replied, “nervous, I think. I’ve never been to Atlantis before, but I’ve heard many tales of its splendour. I’m hoping I won’t be disappointed.”

“Aph, how can Atlantis disappoint you? You have seen the golden Gates here, and that is merely the start of the immense vastness and greatness that lies within. Just within the Gates we will come to the Vista of the Eternal Views, where you will be able to see over the land and seas for miles into the distance. It is said you can even see the four corners of the Earth from there, if you look closely.”

“Not that I’m questioning the Wisdom of Athena again, Ath, but the Earth’s round, and we’re looking only in one direction. I think you may be mixing reality with fable here.” Aphrodite bit her lip one more time. Like Adonis, she too was wondering about the unknown differences that seemed to be falling over them. Her pondering was interrupted by Carpo’s booming voice.

“Gather round everyone! Stay together! We have unlimited stay here, but as a group, so we can’t be losing anyone.”

The group did as they were commanded by Carpo, and stood in a semi-circle behind her. Baldur stood at one end, next to Amunet, who stood beside Hera, who was next to Diana, who had Aphrodite to her right. Aphrodite stood next to Athena and beside Athena was Adonis. Carpo stood facing the semi-circle of Gods and opened her arms palm upwards towards them. She then turned and led the group across a perfectly manicured lawn to a small marble wall that reached all the way from the hillsides on either side that stretched up high into the sky above. Holding her arms high to the view that was ahead of them, she declared “Behold the Vista of Eternal Views!”

The group looked over the wall and saw the lawn continue down a gradual decline to a small forest below. Beyond the forest, the marble structures of Atlantis City could be seen magnificently standing above the treetops. Beyond the city, a further range of hills could be seen.

“Oh.” Aphrodite grumbled. “Not much of a view.”

“Are you sure we are in the right place, Carpo?” Athena asked. “Where are the seas? The four corners of the Earth?”

“I know not of what you speak, Athena.” Carpo answered. “The Vista of the Eternal Views has looked like this for all of eternity.”

“But as Aphrodite has said, a small hill overlooking a forest and then some rooftops and then more hills is hardly a beautiful view. This is not the land I know about.” Athena was starting to doubt her own wisdom.

“This is why we are here.” Hera took charge of the conversation. “Something is altering reality, and what we should see or expect to see, isn’t what we do see. Jupiter, I’m sure, will be able to give us some clues as to what is happening.”

“But what if Jupiter isn’t Jupiter?” Athena asked, suddenly feeling concerned. Breathing heavily, she spoke in a louder voice. “What if he isn’t your husband, Hera. What then? Where will we go then? What will we do?”

“Athena! Calm yourself.” Diana now joined in with the conversation. “Such hysterics are unbecoming for a Goddess, particularly one who is meant to hold as much wisdom as thee.”

“Follow me.” Carpo then took control of the group again. “We will have to climb the wall here, and walk down the hill, through the forest and into the City of Atlantis. There we will catch a chariot to the Library of Books, where we will find Jupiter and Poseidon. Between them, and the Library of Eternal Secrets that lies within the Library of Books, you should begin to find the answers you seek.” She clambered over the wall and hurried down the hill. The seven Gods and Goddesses clambered after her, with Athena being the last to climb over the wall.

“This most certainly isn’t right.” She mused. “There isn’t even a walkway or a path to follow. And we have to go through a forest? And what is this Library of Books? I know for certain I have never heard of that before. Whatever is causing things to change around us, may actually be causing things to change all the more quickly.”

Aphrodite stopped and turned. “I know exactly what you mean, Ath. The Library of Books should really be the Library of Pillars, and the Library of Eternal Secrets within should be the Whisperer’s Library. Although I have no idea how I know that.”

This is the sixth part to the ‘new’ Legendary Circles story. The previous parts are on the Storylines page.