Explosions - 3. Delivery

The unseasonal weather began a few days before Alketa and his people were due at Temple Island. Northern winds whipped the waters surrounding Atlantis, making them seem to boil, and waves crashed against rocky sections of the island in a spectacular display of Mother Nature’s fury. When the rains came, the downpour resembled the waterfall cascading from the central mountain. Visibility was so poor it was difficult to see more than a few feet from where one stood.

The deluge was replaced by thick fog on the appointed day. Basilios sounded worried. “It’s a short distance we need to travel, but I fear for the safety of our people. Our boats are liable to miss the channel and strike a hidden rock.”

“Anul will guide us.” Alketa applied pressure on his friend’s back, turning him to face north. A sunbeam shone faintly; where it met the ocean, the fog parted. “There! That’s our signal. It’s time to move our people.”

Ferrying the entire wolf-people population took hours. Afraid of capsizing, each boat owner restricted the number of passengers. Alketa, Basilios, and Tejan coordinated and supervised from shore. The fog did not dissipate as it usually did at midday. The flotilla remained hidden from human eyes.

Once on Temple Island, Alketa issued directives to his two companions. “Basilios, carry our offering to Anul’s temple. Tejan, make sure all the boats are secure. I’m not sure how long we’ll be here, and we don’t want them floating away with the tide.”

The shrine’s circular design evoked the full moon. Columns ringed the altar platform and supported the pierced roof. Open to the elements otherwise, Anul’s worshipers watched their leader approach the animal held on the central stone slab. Its cry was loud in the nearly complete silence. Alketa repeated his previous prayers and actions; when smoke rose from the sacrificial pit, he stepped backwards.

“My children.” Anul’s spectral appearance silenced the worshipers’ murmuring. “Your presence and your sacrifice please me. Alpha Alketa, allow the smoke to envelop you.”

The stench of burning flesh assailed his nose, but the man remained still as a gentle breeze blew through the colonnade. He assumed his life was forfeit and was glad he had extracted the promise to watch over his son from Basilios. When a second shape appeared in the rising smoke, he was not entirely surprised. He bowed his head before the ruler of the sea and dropped to the ground.

“I am Onaeco.” The fatherly figure with short hair and beard seemed to inspect the man kneeling in front of him. “Rise, Alpha. Anul speaks highly of you and your people. She asks for my assistance in your time of need. I’ve come to offer you an escape.”

Onlookers whispered and pointed at the apparition.

“Forces beyond your comprehension work below land and water as we speak; before the moon is round again, Atlantis will break apart and sink below the waves. And just like this corner of the world is about to change, so are you. Tonight, your ability to become wolves ends.”

Mutterings and whispers became complaints and shouts. “SILENCE!” Onaeco waved a hand, and the smoke dissipated. The fog bank surrounding the area extended a wet, gray branch. Floating in midair, it meandered over the spectators’ heads, settled over the structure, and grew. Once again, Anul and Onaeco appeared.

“You will, from this night, become cetaceans instead of lupus when you shift.” The sea god’s words instilled fear and confusion. “Anul, water if you please.”

The moon goddess closed her eyes, and a moment later, rain pouring through the oculus drenched Alketa.

At the same time, Onaeco blew in the man’s direction, and water droplets shimmered as they slid off Alketa’s body. “SHIFT!”

The order woke something inside Alketa. He tried to envision his wolf as he did before any shift but could not maintain the mental image. As his body changed, he and his people saw what the future held. Instead of crouching as he always did when shifting, he remained standing. All his body hair disappeared and his skin tuned an opalescent gray.

“You will become children of the sea, your hide and your new feet will help you swim.” Onaeco described each change as it happened in slow motion.

Looking down, Alketa watched as his feet flattened, grew wider, and his toes fused together. He felt his slicker skin and noticed a soft membrane grow and connect his fingers.

“Your webbed hands will help propel you through water faster than you could ever imagine. Feel behind your neck.”

Gasps from adults and shrieks of fear from the children punctuated the running commentary. When Alketa felt where instructed, he realized his head had elongated, his vision had changed when his eyes moved to the sides, and a round opening had appeared in his back.

“You will be of the sea but unable to breathe beneath the surface. While riding the waves, you will inhale and exhale through the opening.”

Alketa’s mouth morphed into a snout resembling a wolf’s, and his teeth grew sharper. He realized they were also designed to tear flesh.

“This is but one of the shapes you will be able to take. It will allow you to move through water while retaining the ability to function on land. Shift again. Envision a porpoise.”

The marine mammal was something they were all familiar with. They frequently followed boats venturing out to sea, and stories of them assisting floundering vessels abounded. Alketa fell to the ground as his body once again changed.

“Just as becoming a wolf has been second nature, the ability to shift between human, merman, and dolphin will become instinctive. When Atlantis disappears, you and your people will be free to swim to safety.”

Alketa tried to speak but only clicking sounds came out. He concentrated and returned to his human form. “What about the children and the elderly? How will they survive if they can’t shift or travel the long distance to a new home?” They were the first words he uttered since the gods appeared. It displayed his concern for the wolf people.

Anul had remained silent until then. “Your anxiety about the wellbeing of others speaks highly of you. I approve of where you’ve chosen to resettle.” The goddess did not explain how she knew of their intentions. “And I concur with your plan to take your larger vessels with you. While not everyone will fit aboard, they can transport those unable to shift, those too infirm to travel on their own, and whatever supplies you may wish to take.

“However, before you’re able to embark on your journey, we do need to complete the conversion. My children, all of you, follow Alpha Alketa to the shoreline.”

Once everyone waded into the shallows, countless glowing organisms surrounded them. From shore Alketa commanded his people to shift. Apparently fearful, nobody did until a young girl who had recently had her first one took the lead. As others followed, exclamations of surprise and wonder filled the air. Their wolves became part of history as the Dolphins of Atlantis came into existence.