This time I am not leaving my mark. This time, Don Diego Vega, or Senor Zorro, like I am known among the peasant of this land, has killed.
The Spanish colonel is reversed on the ground, blood coming out of his mouth corner.
Bernardo, my mute servant, is kneeling over him, and then raises his face toward me, and shake it.
I put my blade back in the scabbard. I am on the top of the cliff. There is no time to give this man sepolture, the sea will be his tomb. With my foot, I push the body just beyond the rim of the rock.
The waves swallow him, in a cold embrace.
Tayden is looking at me, eyes wide open. “That sword is devouring you, Edulcore. Throw it away, you are still in time”.
I look over the cliff. On the other side of the lake, my friends have captured the Omicrons. Out of the mountain, among the huts that surround the entrance to the Lost City, the people are returning, following the big female dragon.
“Tayden, this man was trying to kill me. I just defend myself” I say.
“There is always another way” he whispers, heading toward an open door in the middle of nothing. The door is kept open by the Book. I take it back, then Mxy step in behind us. Strangely, he is silent.
On the other side of the door, my MBL associates are reunited, and with them are the Omicrons. I raise the book, exultantly; but nobody seems happy. Many are wounded, there is blood splattered all over. And this all, just for this book. I wonder if…
…no, the important is that we have succeeded. We have found the book. Nothing else matter.
“Ed, hand me the book”, asks… well, orders. I quickly hand it to him. He seems surprised.
The people of the village is around us. The dragon is purring quietly at Drax. Then, the two giant furry beasts take flight, heading for the top of the mountain.
Meanwhile, Grimm, Chance and Danny, the three field leaders, are consulting closely. They even talks in the satellite phone of Chance, with La Perdita, I suppose.
The people of the Lost City are all around us, now. They are wondering what has happened, and look puzzling at the tied up Omicrons. Among the faces, there is one that is familiar. But I can’t remember where I saw it.
Then, the three stops to talk in the phone, and calls us.
Is Chance to talk: “I have just talked with Quantos. There are problems with the Company, it seems we have been issued for bankrupticy. Pete’s money has been retired!”
Dirk takes out the cigar from his mouth, spits, and then says: “With the money for the book we don’t replace that fortune, but it’s enough for continue until we find more works. And this recovering will be a very good ad for us.”
Danny cough, and then says: “Problem is, the people of this place claims the book for being essential to their surviving. When we took the job, it was said that we had to RECOVER a book. Now, to take it, we have to STEAL it. I don’t feel this is right, but it’s a thing on which we have to decide all together. We must vote. Who is for keeping the book.”
Surprisingly, no hand is raised.
“Good, then” smiles Danny. He raises the book in his hands. “Who is your leader?” he asks, slow and loud, facing the crowd.
The one whose face is familiar steps further. “I am Joaquim de Cuccubao” says the man, and I instantly recognize the face as the one it was on the portrait we saw at the Uffizi Museum.
“The book is yours” says Danny, handling it to the man.
“We have seen you fighting valiantly with these criminals” says Cuccubao, pointing at the Omicrons. “Sadly, we can’t let people which have found our location returning to the outside world. Else, someone will return, searching for the book, or the dragon, or the spring of youth, and our peacefully lives will be destroyed forever. So, I am sorry to order you to remain among us. And I assure you we have means to force you into doing so.”
This is not going out as I planned. We’ll have to battle again. And now that we are tired and underpowered by the battle with the Omicrons…
Then, a thundering roars comes from the top of the mountain. We all turns to that directions, and we seen the two dragons taking flight in big circles.
Then, out of the gates of the Lost City, come three guards, garbed in colorful clothes. They talks with Cuccubao, which listen to them with increasingly surprise in the face. He then turns, and says, smiling: “Draconia will live!”
We look at him puzzled. He smiles again, then explains. “Draconia is the name of the city. The High Priest told you that a prophecy said that the City would survive only until the last dragon lives. Well, after a millenia, our dragons has laid eggs! And your dragon has fertilized them! You stranger have gifted us with a new future!”
Danny scratches his head. “That means?”
“That you can leave. There is no need to keep you prisoner, now” explains Cuccubao.
“Well… good… but what has changed? Your fear for the outside world should be the same, no?” asks Kristogar.
“But now we can leave this place, and look for a new place to hide our existence. With a new generations of dragons, we don’t need the water of eternal youth to keep the dragon alive. We can leave the side of this lake.”
Drax lands near us, on his face a satisfied expression. “It was great, guys!” he roars.
The rest of the story is quite simple. We took the Omicrons with us, the ones called the Sheik, Rose, X Acute, Mimic and Arges. Of the one we met at the tower, Xyber, there was no trace. Johnny Omicron, the leader, I killed him.
We found the Hovercraft nearby the clearing behind the mountain. We left the Lost City at UFO speed, while Chance and Kristogar where talking about the people of Draconia intentions.
Chance:“You really believe that they will renounce to immortality so easily?”
Kristogar: “ Why, do you believe that the water of a lake can give eternal life?”
Chance: “You have seen Cuccubao”.
Kristogar: “I have seen a face with a more than vague resemblance with the painting of Cuccubao. It could have been just a descendant of the sailor, my friend”.
I stop to listen their conversation, and open my backpack to see if my camera is still intact with all the action it has endured. The pack protected it enough well.
Perfect.
Behind the hovercraft, the Mexican gulf runs away faster than a speeding bullet. And ahead, the island of La Perdita is ready to welcome us, green little marble lost in the blue.
