Tolak had shared all of this with me of the history of these lands and I true to my love for my profession as an archaeologist had listened in rapt detail to every word. Now however my soul was filled with disquiet for what would take place within this hidden realm as those above coveted to have control of it even as King Solomon once had.
Tolak's people would not even fully heed his warning of building extra boats. Oh they made the attempt at it, but their actions were one of slowness as they had no wish to leave their homes and brave the oceans of Undersea.
"Samantha?" A little voice called out.
I turned away from yesteryear's sorrows and called out, "Over here Sheatera."
The little girl scampered around a corner and then with a quizzical look asked, "Why you come visit the old ones so much?"
"Because history fascinates me." I said, in reply, as I took her hand and together we headed back to the village down below the escarpment of rocks where once King Solomon in his vanity had this temple built to suit his own latter life quest for self-glory and deification.
"You like bad history?" The little girl asked sounding perturbed.
Laughing I said, "No, but the stories whether good or bad have a message to teach. We can learn a lot about how we should live in the present based off of what has occurred in the past. Learning from our mistakes if you will."
The girl nodded and then changed subjects abruptly, "Did you hear the thunder booms earlier?"
I felt a line of worry crease across my brow as I glanced at the inner reaches of the island. "Yes, I did. Thunder without any evidence of a storm."
Shaking my head as I tried to distill the worries evoked by such a conundrum I said, "Come let's get back. Your father will no doubt be wondering where we are."
Making our way through the village I had apprehension once again creep over me as the normal bustling activities of everyone going about their daily lives was strangely absent. I picked up our pace at the sight of a gathered crowd upon the beach up ahead.
Reaching the crowd I pushed my way through, until with a gasp, I beheld what everyone else already had. All along the surf line of the beach bodies had washed ashore and even now with each new wave more were coming to shore. The bodies were not those of uplanders. They were the Sea People.
Struggling to keep the contents of my stomach down I left Sheatera, who was crying behind and made my way out to where Tolak and several other warriors stood gathered around the bodies deposited on the sands of the beach. At Tolak's feet lay the body of a young girl with hair it seemed that went forever.