Author's Note:
As the second story of the trilogy, it's a more Milo-based story, and
with it comes some things I foolishly left out in the first story:
description of the other characters, including fan-fictional ones, and some
details are finally stressed here. I hope you enjoy this new adventure!
????????TEAM ATLANTIS: THE DARK CONTINENT'S ENIGMA
In a world were seemingly all was serene, in a world were people strove to learn, in a world where kindness reigned strong, there was Atlantis.
CHAPTER 1: Thinking of the People
Wind pulled back strands of brownish gold, buffeting all not protected by clothes or what became windshields for the eyes. The man stopped and turned the Ketak to face the world he loved.
Before Milo spread a city that shone almost as beautifully as the blue sun and the rune-like planets that floated above the scene. Waves of water glistened, their diamond caps surely caressing the fisherman platforms. Spiritual mists surrounded the paradise, only adding to its mystery. The scholar's eyes were large, taking it all in as he often did. He simply could not imagine getting used to such a marvel, especially when knowing the beautiful hearts of the people could be easily compared to splendor of their home.
Milo sighed in awe at the romantic ruins. It had been more than a year since he first laid eyes upon the spectacle, yet it seemed less than a day ago. He looked to the glowing ruby and topaz liquid that surrounded the city. It was already declining from its maximum height.
"Oh, gosh! I'm late!" A hand was thrust upon the luminous control panel and the fish vehicle was commanded to speed forward. Wind protested again, but was easily thwarted. Over the plaza and over the great stone steps he darted, careful to avoid other vehicles. Milo landed upon a stone balcony of the palace on the "hill" remembering its once crumbling state. He dismounted, quickly running fingers through wind-tangled hair. The man put on his light indigo hat that he had been holding precariously along with his staff in his other hand. He strode quickly forward, glad his wife never minded when he was late on these rare occasions. His pace slackened when he heard heated voices dueling.
Around the pillar he viewed two forms, arguing in native tongue.
"My Queen, be reasonable! This will ensure our stability! We as a people will thrive for eternity!"
"Khobdesheh, you know not how this. machine. works. How do you expect me to agree to something I know nothing about?" Kida's voice trembled with stress. Clearly the argument had gone on for quite some time. No one took immediate notice of Milo as he approached.
"But while you are gone we shall research it, we will begin to learn its secrets. I assure you, this will stabilize Atlantis! Construction will begin shortly."
"I have no doubt you believe it shall lengthen the life of our culture, but wait until we return. I do not wish to endanger the Mother Crystal, the lives of our people, with something I know so little about."
"Perhaps you could take the trip later."
"Perhaps I could have if I had learned of this before today."
"Why can you not do this at a different time, Your Highness? This is important." He frowned with his bold, black brows.
"You understand the lives of outer-worlders not exposed to the crystals are terribly short, do you not? They must be comparatively strict in their schedules. Though they are flexible, they may not change so much so quickly. To ask Mr. Whitmore and the others to forget their plans and time would be rude in our culture. Though we may live longer, it would not be wise to ask such a thing, now." While speaking she emphasized her points through desperate gesticulation, causing the sleeve of her royal blue robes to billow and swirl. The queen averted her gaze slightly.
"But Kida! You must think of our people!"
Milo flinched, knowing what was about to happen. It was an inferred faux pas to refer to royalty personally during an argument with him or her, but that was something easily excused by the queen. However, telling her to think of her people was as tactless as yelling at a baby for being a baby.
The linguist saw Kida hurl her gaze at the advisor as one would cast a spear. Her wide, angry eyes narrowed as she pressed her lips together, as Milo noted she often did when she controlled her anger. A sigh escaped her nostrils.
"I do think of the people, and that is why I am not willing to take this risk. I am sorry, Khobdesheh, but this must wait."
"Could you not take with you some of the plans?"
"No. I am still learning to read and write other languages." Milo felt relieved as he was suddenly noticed. Kida's hand motioned to him as she smiled. "Is not diplomacy important if our people ever encounter other cultures, in case Atlantis is ever exposed?"
"But-"
"The answer is no. You must wait."
The consultant held out his hands pleadingly. His eyes slid to Milo.
"My King," he began with a bow of a head and kneeled, ash white strands of hair momentarily covering his face. He had switched to English for courtesy, making sure the king would feel comfortable. "I beseech you, could you not persuade your queen to see differently?"
"Whoa, whoa! Hold on here!" He grasped the advisor's arm and pulled him gently to his feet. "I know even less than Kida does. Sorry, Khobdesheh. I think I understand your angle, here, but you gotta understand. We can't take the risk. I agree with Kida."
Khobdesheh's lips parted after licking them. The dark, caring eyes, set deep in his sharp features radiated his emotion. He turned his angular face downward in a deferential bow. "Very well," he stated with a saddened note. "Until another time." The advisor turned and slowly walked away, large eyes watching the ground move beneath him. Milo watched until he was but a smear of flesh, cinder white, and green.
"Kida, I-" He pivoted to find his wife looking away, beginning to pace toward the hall that led to the balcony as she held her own hands.
"Kida, what is it?" he inquired. The scholar trotted to her side and took her hands in his as they walked.
"It is Khobdesheh again. We have very different views as to how to care for our people. He does not know, as an advisor, when to persevere in a matter. nor does he yet know patience." As they reached the balcony, Milo noticed her pause. "Temlon would have understood. Father surely would have."
Milo felt his hands squeezed, knowing how much the queen still missed her parents. He returned the grip as she continued.
"His decisions on important matters are too rushed. They are hasty to the point of being unwise. At least he comes to us first on such things."
He looked sympathetically into Kida's gentle blue eyes though hers looked to her feet. He hesitated, and then decided to respond after all.
"Ya know, Kida, sometimes seemingly unwise decisions can lead to good things."
"I know what he suggests may help our people, but are you saying you agree with him?"
"No, no," he waved his hands. "I-I mean what I said. What would have happened if, more than a year ago, a princess, with her fellow hunters, decided to obey the law? Where would we have been if you had not taken the risk of bringing explorers into the city?"
Kida looked up and smiled, impressed, at Milo. "That is true." Her eyes looked to the side, as one who does not want to speak directly to someone for fear of spreading their troubles. Smile having languished, she continued. "He wishes to change our system of rule. I have warned him of the need of royalty so the Heart may save us in times of dire need, whether by lineage or by marriage. I know not if he heeds it." A weak laugh met Milo's ears. "He is to government as you are to language and culture."
"Yeah, I know. When we returned from our trip several months ago, he was asking me about the governments we encountered." He stopped to chuckle for a second. "Khobdesheh wants me to take notes when we go out."
"He wishes the best for our people. He searches for a strong, stable government because he believes it will ensure our survival, that we shall not suddenly collapse. Strange, it is, that he thinks that now that we are on the rise. Where chaos reigns, savagery and death are sure to follow. What does he think of America's version of democracy?"
"Oh, he doesn't like it, but at least he makes a good point why." An insect landed on his glasses, which he ordered away with waves of his hand, looking as if he were gesturing. "He says it depends too fully on the education of the people. The 'uneducated masses' as he puts them. " His fingers mimicked quotation marks, and the erudite man saw his wife cock her head, uncomprehending and curious of the gesture. Milo continued before he forgot his words. "'The people are to ignorant to rule themselves.' He sounds like the Founding Fathers must have," he communicated with a chuckle at the consultant's narrow-mindedness.
"Founding. Fathers?"
"The men who established America. I'll teach you later." In a brief silence, save for some calm murmur of the wind and distant call of yeragos, the multilingual man placed his arms around her ribs and her arms encompassed his shoulders.
Pulling away, just slightly to see her face better, Milo came to a realization and began to state it. "You. don't seem to worry about being a good queen."
The look of love melted from her tattooed face as she broke from his embrace. The graceful woman did not answer immediately as she put her arms on the railing in a similar fashion to the way she sometimes placed her arms on her husband's shoulders. He watched her eyes scan the city in its magnificence.
"I do worry, Milo," she spoke solemnly. "I do not worry about being the best I can possibly be. I have spent my entire life with the people and I believe I understand their needs. I will strive with all my spirit to help them. I fear encountering something I cannot solve, that no one can, and, as a result, we shall fall again."
The husband's face was sympathetic and comprehending. "Don't worry. We'll get through everything." he walked to her side and placed a tattooed hand on hers, ".together."
"I know." Her tone conveyed she was comforted by his very presence though she bit her lip. The academic felt a warm hand on top of his. "How are you fairing as king?"
"Well, I settled a minor dispute in the marketplace as I met with the people." Milo continued as he folded his hands on top of his head. "There was a new vendor selling these specially bread yeragos. Really pretty things. Blue green and crimson. Anyway, there was an argument between him and a customer over the care of them. We finally went to the breeder and settled it. Did Khobdesheh tell you a strange machine's been found?"
"I am aware. He is not fighting for research on it rather than the currently non-existing one. What else is there?"
"Oh, the museum's going well. I found an alcove of trinkets from before the Great Flood. I mean, a visual presentation would help others learn about the past easier, right? The classroom for learning to read and write has been moved to inside that building--well, a part that was in the building years ago." The scholar leaned against the railing. "Did I tell you Khob's been doing a good job making sure the classes continued while we were on WEH-dihn-tem?"
"Yes, you have. My King," Kida said with a gentle nod. She said "My King" with the same affection as one would say "my love."
"I don't know why you're all so eager to call me your king. I'm just a representative, you know."
"I do. You say you wish to learn more of our customs and grow more experienced before taking the full role."
"Yeah. I can still run the museum and classes when I'm king, right?"
"Why could you not? You may do anything you like as long as it is in the best interest of the people."
"Of course. I want them to call me by my name, though, not 'king.'"
"As do I. One finds out more about others when they are more relaxed," her voice vibrated through laughter. His chuckles melded with hers. "I do wish you had let us conduct at marriage the ceremony of the bind--"
"I know, just when I'm ready, okay? I don't exactly have thousands of years of study in Atlantean royal procedures, you know." He rubbed the back of his neck and quickly changed the subject. "Oh! By the way, do you want me to bring more scrolls along the way so we can continue our studies."
"Yes. Bring your spear as well, so we may also continue your learning."
"Sounds good." His voice trailed off as he looked at his staff and his wife's, both very different, yet both sporting gourds of crystals and were lovingly designed by their spouse. His eyes moved along the angles of the Atlantean "A" of his truncheon, finally landing on the crystal that hung in the center, representing his courage in saving the Heart of Atlantis and his will to protect it. Kida stirred, moving her spear-like staff slightly. The gourds rattled from a hook that symbolized in its strong, yet gentle curve both her determination and kindness. From it his eyes moved to hers. Her concerned eyes were once again gazing at the city.
"Something else is wrong, isn't there?" The bend of his arm lightly caught her supple waist. "Khobdesheh and the weight of being queen never bothered you that much."
The huntress queen sighed quite audibly before turning to him. "This problem we may not be able to solve. You are aware of kriperlok, are you not?"
"KREE-puhr-lokh?" It was his turn to sound things out as he shook his head.
"You should have come on the last hunt. It is a plant, and it is toxic for most animals to eat. They are covering everything. The armags--"
"Okay, what are 'UHR-mugs?'"
"Armags eat kriperlok. However, they are becoming scarce. Using the vehicles we have herded as many as we can find into an area where their only predator, the Charokhs, cannot ambush them."
"Land beasts?"
"Yes. You must come with me next time." Kida continued. "We hope their numbers will increase enough they may solve the problem. We have been hunting the Charokh even more to reduce their killings."
Milo vividly remembered the taste of Charaokh meat. A difficult food to work with, the substance would taste almost bitter if poorly prepared. It was, however, known for its nutritious properties. Shaking himself out of the flash of memory, he asked, "Are the plants poisonous to people?"
"No."
"Why don't we try eating them, then?"
"One would receive more nourishment eating a strip of shokah bark than to eat all five meals consisting of that plant. Armags can make good use of what nutrition to provides, while we cannot."
"Do we eat armags?"
Milo saw her curious look as she shook her head.
"Well, if we don't eat them or the plants, and the plants are only dangerous if the animals eat them, what's the problem? The animals don't eat them for the most part, do they? Keeping a species alive is important for the obvious reason, just to keep the food chain balanced and make sure the charokh don't eat themselves out of house and home, but." He shrugged.
"The plants interfere with the hunt. They have a tendency to crunch when trod on. There is no way to muffle it, and it alerts the prey. Additionally, it is easy to become caught in their dry vines and fall."
"We'll figure out a way to increase their numbers."
Kida put her arms around him. "Yes."
"Why didn't you tell me there was a problem?"
"It did not affect you. Why should I worry you with something you could not help?"
"True, but even so, if you need to talk, it won't bother me. Like with your father. You talk to me about missing him. Think of it as the same thing. We don't need to keep anything from each other."
"Thank you." A single tear peeked out of the corner of her eye before her husband wiped it away.
They stood in silent embrace for several moments, gently swaying for comfort. The wind carried the sound of breath rushing through a giant spiral shell. The flourish did not make the couple move.
"They are here," the queen spoke softly.
"I know." They held each other a moment longer.
Based off the Disney Picture "Atlantis: the Lost Empire." The name "Atlantis: Revelation," "armags," "kriperlok," and the characters Temlohn, Duma and Neil are my (Rebmakash's) property. The characters, "MUH-suh MIH-kee" and Khohbdesheh are my property, and I acknowledge I do not own the names. Fan fiction storyline also my property. Milo Thatch, Kidagakash, Puknohl, Wandehm and other characters, names, concepts, and all Atlantean in this story are property of the Walt Disney Company. I also recognize certain lines (such as "Salt, salt, and sodium chloride") are also property of the Disney Company.
????????TEAM ATLANTIS: THE DARK CONTINENT'S ENIGMA
In a world were seemingly all was serene, in a world were people strove to learn, in a world where kindness reigned strong, there was Atlantis.
CHAPTER 1: Thinking of the People
Wind pulled back strands of brownish gold, buffeting all not protected by clothes or what became windshields for the eyes. The man stopped and turned the Ketak to face the world he loved.
Before Milo spread a city that shone almost as beautifully as the blue sun and the rune-like planets that floated above the scene. Waves of water glistened, their diamond caps surely caressing the fisherman platforms. Spiritual mists surrounded the paradise, only adding to its mystery. The scholar's eyes were large, taking it all in as he often did. He simply could not imagine getting used to such a marvel, especially when knowing the beautiful hearts of the people could be easily compared to splendor of their home.
Milo sighed in awe at the romantic ruins. It had been more than a year since he first laid eyes upon the spectacle, yet it seemed less than a day ago. He looked to the glowing ruby and topaz liquid that surrounded the city. It was already declining from its maximum height.
"Oh, gosh! I'm late!" A hand was thrust upon the luminous control panel and the fish vehicle was commanded to speed forward. Wind protested again, but was easily thwarted. Over the plaza and over the great stone steps he darted, careful to avoid other vehicles. Milo landed upon a stone balcony of the palace on the "hill" remembering its once crumbling state. He dismounted, quickly running fingers through wind-tangled hair. The man put on his light indigo hat that he had been holding precariously along with his staff in his other hand. He strode quickly forward, glad his wife never minded when he was late on these rare occasions. His pace slackened when he heard heated voices dueling.
Around the pillar he viewed two forms, arguing in native tongue.
"My Queen, be reasonable! This will ensure our stability! We as a people will thrive for eternity!"
"Khobdesheh, you know not how this. machine. works. How do you expect me to agree to something I know nothing about?" Kida's voice trembled with stress. Clearly the argument had gone on for quite some time. No one took immediate notice of Milo as he approached.
"But while you are gone we shall research it, we will begin to learn its secrets. I assure you, this will stabilize Atlantis! Construction will begin shortly."
"I have no doubt you believe it shall lengthen the life of our culture, but wait until we return. I do not wish to endanger the Mother Crystal, the lives of our people, with something I know so little about."
"Perhaps you could take the trip later."
"Perhaps I could have if I had learned of this before today."
"Why can you not do this at a different time, Your Highness? This is important." He frowned with his bold, black brows.
"You understand the lives of outer-worlders not exposed to the crystals are terribly short, do you not? They must be comparatively strict in their schedules. Though they are flexible, they may not change so much so quickly. To ask Mr. Whitmore and the others to forget their plans and time would be rude in our culture. Though we may live longer, it would not be wise to ask such a thing, now." While speaking she emphasized her points through desperate gesticulation, causing the sleeve of her royal blue robes to billow and swirl. The queen averted her gaze slightly.
"But Kida! You must think of our people!"
Milo flinched, knowing what was about to happen. It was an inferred faux pas to refer to royalty personally during an argument with him or her, but that was something easily excused by the queen. However, telling her to think of her people was as tactless as yelling at a baby for being a baby.
The linguist saw Kida hurl her gaze at the advisor as one would cast a spear. Her wide, angry eyes narrowed as she pressed her lips together, as Milo noted she often did when she controlled her anger. A sigh escaped her nostrils.
"I do think of the people, and that is why I am not willing to take this risk. I am sorry, Khobdesheh, but this must wait."
"Could you not take with you some of the plans?"
"No. I am still learning to read and write other languages." Milo felt relieved as he was suddenly noticed. Kida's hand motioned to him as she smiled. "Is not diplomacy important if our people ever encounter other cultures, in case Atlantis is ever exposed?"
"But-"
"The answer is no. You must wait."
The consultant held out his hands pleadingly. His eyes slid to Milo.
"My King," he began with a bow of a head and kneeled, ash white strands of hair momentarily covering his face. He had switched to English for courtesy, making sure the king would feel comfortable. "I beseech you, could you not persuade your queen to see differently?"
"Whoa, whoa! Hold on here!" He grasped the advisor's arm and pulled him gently to his feet. "I know even less than Kida does. Sorry, Khobdesheh. I think I understand your angle, here, but you gotta understand. We can't take the risk. I agree with Kida."
Khobdesheh's lips parted after licking them. The dark, caring eyes, set deep in his sharp features radiated his emotion. He turned his angular face downward in a deferential bow. "Very well," he stated with a saddened note. "Until another time." The advisor turned and slowly walked away, large eyes watching the ground move beneath him. Milo watched until he was but a smear of flesh, cinder white, and green.
"Kida, I-" He pivoted to find his wife looking away, beginning to pace toward the hall that led to the balcony as she held her own hands.
"Kida, what is it?" he inquired. The scholar trotted to her side and took her hands in his as they walked.
"It is Khobdesheh again. We have very different views as to how to care for our people. He does not know, as an advisor, when to persevere in a matter. nor does he yet know patience." As they reached the balcony, Milo noticed her pause. "Temlon would have understood. Father surely would have."
Milo felt his hands squeezed, knowing how much the queen still missed her parents. He returned the grip as she continued.
"His decisions on important matters are too rushed. They are hasty to the point of being unwise. At least he comes to us first on such things."
He looked sympathetically into Kida's gentle blue eyes though hers looked to her feet. He hesitated, and then decided to respond after all.
"Ya know, Kida, sometimes seemingly unwise decisions can lead to good things."
"I know what he suggests may help our people, but are you saying you agree with him?"
"No, no," he waved his hands. "I-I mean what I said. What would have happened if, more than a year ago, a princess, with her fellow hunters, decided to obey the law? Where would we have been if you had not taken the risk of bringing explorers into the city?"
Kida looked up and smiled, impressed, at Milo. "That is true." Her eyes looked to the side, as one who does not want to speak directly to someone for fear of spreading their troubles. Smile having languished, she continued. "He wishes to change our system of rule. I have warned him of the need of royalty so the Heart may save us in times of dire need, whether by lineage or by marriage. I know not if he heeds it." A weak laugh met Milo's ears. "He is to government as you are to language and culture."
"Yeah, I know. When we returned from our trip several months ago, he was asking me about the governments we encountered." He stopped to chuckle for a second. "Khobdesheh wants me to take notes when we go out."
"He wishes the best for our people. He searches for a strong, stable government because he believes it will ensure our survival, that we shall not suddenly collapse. Strange, it is, that he thinks that now that we are on the rise. Where chaos reigns, savagery and death are sure to follow. What does he think of America's version of democracy?"
"Oh, he doesn't like it, but at least he makes a good point why." An insect landed on his glasses, which he ordered away with waves of his hand, looking as if he were gesturing. "He says it depends too fully on the education of the people. The 'uneducated masses' as he puts them. " His fingers mimicked quotation marks, and the erudite man saw his wife cock her head, uncomprehending and curious of the gesture. Milo continued before he forgot his words. "'The people are to ignorant to rule themselves.' He sounds like the Founding Fathers must have," he communicated with a chuckle at the consultant's narrow-mindedness.
"Founding. Fathers?"
"The men who established America. I'll teach you later." In a brief silence, save for some calm murmur of the wind and distant call of yeragos, the multilingual man placed his arms around her ribs and her arms encompassed his shoulders.
Pulling away, just slightly to see her face better, Milo came to a realization and began to state it. "You. don't seem to worry about being a good queen."
The look of love melted from her tattooed face as she broke from his embrace. The graceful woman did not answer immediately as she put her arms on the railing in a similar fashion to the way she sometimes placed her arms on her husband's shoulders. He watched her eyes scan the city in its magnificence.
"I do worry, Milo," she spoke solemnly. "I do not worry about being the best I can possibly be. I have spent my entire life with the people and I believe I understand their needs. I will strive with all my spirit to help them. I fear encountering something I cannot solve, that no one can, and, as a result, we shall fall again."
The husband's face was sympathetic and comprehending. "Don't worry. We'll get through everything." he walked to her side and placed a tattooed hand on hers, ".together."
"I know." Her tone conveyed she was comforted by his very presence though she bit her lip. The academic felt a warm hand on top of his. "How are you fairing as king?"
"Well, I settled a minor dispute in the marketplace as I met with the people." Milo continued as he folded his hands on top of his head. "There was a new vendor selling these specially bread yeragos. Really pretty things. Blue green and crimson. Anyway, there was an argument between him and a customer over the care of them. We finally went to the breeder and settled it. Did Khobdesheh tell you a strange machine's been found?"
"I am aware. He is not fighting for research on it rather than the currently non-existing one. What else is there?"
"Oh, the museum's going well. I found an alcove of trinkets from before the Great Flood. I mean, a visual presentation would help others learn about the past easier, right? The classroom for learning to read and write has been moved to inside that building--well, a part that was in the building years ago." The scholar leaned against the railing. "Did I tell you Khob's been doing a good job making sure the classes continued while we were on WEH-dihn-tem?"
"Yes, you have. My King," Kida said with a gentle nod. She said "My King" with the same affection as one would say "my love."
"I don't know why you're all so eager to call me your king. I'm just a representative, you know."
"I do. You say you wish to learn more of our customs and grow more experienced before taking the full role."
"Yeah. I can still run the museum and classes when I'm king, right?"
"Why could you not? You may do anything you like as long as it is in the best interest of the people."
"Of course. I want them to call me by my name, though, not 'king.'"
"As do I. One finds out more about others when they are more relaxed," her voice vibrated through laughter. His chuckles melded with hers. "I do wish you had let us conduct at marriage the ceremony of the bind--"
"I know, just when I'm ready, okay? I don't exactly have thousands of years of study in Atlantean royal procedures, you know." He rubbed the back of his neck and quickly changed the subject. "Oh! By the way, do you want me to bring more scrolls along the way so we can continue our studies."
"Yes. Bring your spear as well, so we may also continue your learning."
"Sounds good." His voice trailed off as he looked at his staff and his wife's, both very different, yet both sporting gourds of crystals and were lovingly designed by their spouse. His eyes moved along the angles of the Atlantean "A" of his truncheon, finally landing on the crystal that hung in the center, representing his courage in saving the Heart of Atlantis and his will to protect it. Kida stirred, moving her spear-like staff slightly. The gourds rattled from a hook that symbolized in its strong, yet gentle curve both her determination and kindness. From it his eyes moved to hers. Her concerned eyes were once again gazing at the city.
"Something else is wrong, isn't there?" The bend of his arm lightly caught her supple waist. "Khobdesheh and the weight of being queen never bothered you that much."
The huntress queen sighed quite audibly before turning to him. "This problem we may not be able to solve. You are aware of kriperlok, are you not?"
"KREE-puhr-lokh?" It was his turn to sound things out as he shook his head.
"You should have come on the last hunt. It is a plant, and it is toxic for most animals to eat. They are covering everything. The armags--"
"Okay, what are 'UHR-mugs?'"
"Armags eat kriperlok. However, they are becoming scarce. Using the vehicles we have herded as many as we can find into an area where their only predator, the Charokhs, cannot ambush them."
"Land beasts?"
"Yes. You must come with me next time." Kida continued. "We hope their numbers will increase enough they may solve the problem. We have been hunting the Charokh even more to reduce their killings."
Milo vividly remembered the taste of Charaokh meat. A difficult food to work with, the substance would taste almost bitter if poorly prepared. It was, however, known for its nutritious properties. Shaking himself out of the flash of memory, he asked, "Are the plants poisonous to people?"
"No."
"Why don't we try eating them, then?"
"One would receive more nourishment eating a strip of shokah bark than to eat all five meals consisting of that plant. Armags can make good use of what nutrition to provides, while we cannot."
"Do we eat armags?"
Milo saw her curious look as she shook her head.
"Well, if we don't eat them or the plants, and the plants are only dangerous if the animals eat them, what's the problem? The animals don't eat them for the most part, do they? Keeping a species alive is important for the obvious reason, just to keep the food chain balanced and make sure the charokh don't eat themselves out of house and home, but." He shrugged.
"The plants interfere with the hunt. They have a tendency to crunch when trod on. There is no way to muffle it, and it alerts the prey. Additionally, it is easy to become caught in their dry vines and fall."
"We'll figure out a way to increase their numbers."
Kida put her arms around him. "Yes."
"Why didn't you tell me there was a problem?"
"It did not affect you. Why should I worry you with something you could not help?"
"True, but even so, if you need to talk, it won't bother me. Like with your father. You talk to me about missing him. Think of it as the same thing. We don't need to keep anything from each other."
"Thank you." A single tear peeked out of the corner of her eye before her husband wiped it away.
They stood in silent embrace for several moments, gently swaying for comfort. The wind carried the sound of breath rushing through a giant spiral shell. The flourish did not make the couple move.
"They are here," the queen spoke softly.
"I know." They held each other a moment longer.
Based off the Disney Picture "Atlantis: the Lost Empire." The name "Atlantis: Revelation," "armags," "kriperlok," and the characters Temlohn, Duma and Neil are my (Rebmakash's) property. The characters, "MUH-suh MIH-kee" and Khohbdesheh are my property, and I acknowledge I do not own the names. Fan fiction storyline also my property. Milo Thatch, Kidagakash, Puknohl, Wandehm and other characters, names, concepts, and all Atlantean in this story are property of the Walt Disney Company. I also recognize certain lines (such as "Salt, salt, and sodium chloride") are also property of the Disney Company.