The Golden City
Prologue
Tawque sat like a bird of prey, perched on the stone cliff face, watching the ghostly apparition weaving its mystic dance over the sacred valley’s moonlit sky. Vibrant hues of green, red and purple—silhouetted in a streaming glory of colors; ribbons twisting and intertwining to a silent song, calming the early winter winds to a whisper, marking the seasonal change to fall. The warrior had little knowledge of the science behind the phenomenon, but the strange occurrence appeared regularly at the full moon of the fall equinox every seven years after the “Battle of Flaming Eagle.” The light-dance was a reminder to the Blackfoot people of that desperate day over twenty years earlier when his tribe battled the “Sky Gods” in this very valley. It was believed the glowing aurora was the souls of the lost trying to exit the confinement of the firebird’s wrath.
To Tawque the reminders burned deep. He became an outcast before the war, but fought with his brothers at the battle to rid the land of the strange warlike demons that had plagued his people. Many of his tribe died when the winged goddess belched forth fire,—striking mother earth. The ground shook with pain and the wound that was opened spewed forth winds leveling the plains, bringing a sudden end to the war.
Tawque didn’t know about aliens, flying ships or understand the advanced weaponry of the visiting creature’s technology. Few, even in our day could explain how the explosion that ensued,— fused the elements buried deep within the surrounding mountains, charging their resources like a battery, and acting against the magnetic fields of the iron rich soil,— could open a portal of mystery deep within the confines of the hidden crater below. Every seven years the energy built up to a point...
Continuation