Nine Lives

Chapter Six

When I woke up, I started panicking because I didn't know where I was or how I got there, but then fragmented images came back, and I pieced together what had happened.

I sat up and looked around, then stood on shaky legs and walked slowly out the arched doorway. Yuki was nowhere to be seen, but her scent was still fresh on the stone floor. I followed the scent until I found her resting against a stalagmite by the cave's entrance. Fresh spring air wafted into the cave, and I was grateful for it. The dank, musty air inside was rather uncomfortable, and I had always preferred the outdoors.

Yuki stirred as I walked out and surveyed the area. The sun was rising in the East, and judging by its position in the sky, I predicted that it was around seven-thirty. The air was clear, and showed no signs of getting any worse. Birds were chirping all around from the branches of trees that I did not recognize.

"Pretty impressive, isn't it?"

I turn around and find Yuki watching me, "Oh, um, y-yeah, it is," I turn back to the forest, "um, where are we?"

"Dunno," she stands and walks next to me, "The official name I can never remember, so I just started calling it Sherwood Forest."

"Is it in America?"

She shakes her head, "Canada."

"Canada? Isn't that a five day drive from home?"

She nods.

I pull out my phone to verify what she said, but find the battery dead. I then shake my head, "What did you use to knock me out? Tranquilizers only last for a few hours."

"It's a type of poison that is only native to Atlantis. Can't grow anywhere else, and we don't know why. We call it gloriella. Usual symptoms include paralysis and, depending on the amount administered, unconsciousness."

"Well, I've never heard of it."

"Like I said, it only grows on Atlantis. The amount we used on you would have made a fortune on the black market. It's that valuable and rare."

"Where is this "Atlantis" anyways? You speak like it's on Earth."

"Because it is on Earth," she pulls out a map and starts studying it, "Just stop and think for a second, where on the entire planet that is left alone?"

"Um..." I shrug and rub the back of my head, "I... don't know."

"Yeah, you do. This area is in the middle of the ocean, and is notorious for getting things lost. It has quite a reputation for being cursed."

I give her a disbelieving look, "You have got to be joking."

She shakes her head.

"Seriously? You expect me to believe that Atlantis is in the Bermuda Triangle? That's the biggest load of B.S. that I've ever heard."
"It's the truth though."

"If it is true, then aren't we headed the wrong way?"

She shakes her head, "There's another way into Atlantis. It's a kind of backdoor. Ever heard of the Dragon Triangle?"

"Nope."

"Well, the Dragon Triangle is on the opposite side of the globe. It's pretty close to being exactly one hundread and eighty degrees from the Bermuda Triangle."

"Before you go on, let me just take a wild guess and say that they're connected by leylines or landlines or whatever the heck they're called."
"That's exactly how they're connected."

"I don't believe you," I sigh, "I think that this is all some sort of elaborate prank."

"Believe what you will," she put her map away and starts walking, "but our ride just showed up."

I start following her and look around, "Um, I don't see anything."

"Just keep walking, he's not that far away."

I keep following her, and notice the trees suddenly stop and open to a small clearing. The thing I see resting in the center made me stop dead in my tracks.

"Holy..."

Yuki grabs my arm and drags me forward, "Don't stare. He doesn't like it when people stare."

I ignore her, and stare in disbelief at the dragon laying ahead of us.