50. Through the Veil of Time
In the Altima room, the sound of a tram was heard. Everyone looked around.
A yellow tram appeared before them. “Malta” was written on its front.
Barrel, the dwarf from the beer clan, waved his hand. His long white beard remained as magnificent as ever.
On Suri’s wrist, the device Tempes that Bahar of the Bahar tribe had given him long ago reappeared.
“It’s Tempes. I’ve set it to show only one trigger. In Tempes, one trigger equals about 40 minutes in your time.”
Suri felt like he could hear Bahar’s voice again.
“…The dwarf has work to do. We need to find the gap between modern Malta and ancient Malta. We need to lift the barrier and enter ancient Malta… Alatus Baieto~ Come on… let’s board the tram… Eridan, hurry.”
Suri overflowed with confidence.
Everyone boarded the tram. As expected, the tram was empty. The seats were vacant. Everyone took their places.
“Alice… tell the Thorwayne through your echo… we’re heading to Malta…”
Sabi whispered into her jacket pocket. Lightning flower Alice poked her head out and nodded.
“Now… we’re departing.”
The dwarf shouted excitedly.
“Can we trust a drunk?”
Maru chuckled. Suri didn’t hear Maru’s joke. He only looked at Eridan. Then he turned to gaze out the tram window. Red, blue, and yellow lightning swirled in serpentine forms. Between them, baby lightning flashed intermittently.
“…Sirius lightning is following us… protecting us.”
The tram stopped before long. The employee whose face was hidden beneath his deeply pulled cap suddenly appeared.
“Get off! Get off! Last stop!”
This time the employee shouted through a megaphone. Suri looked at Tempes. The number had changed to 0. Everyone disembarked from the tram. Malta’s sky was blue like the Mediterranean Sea. The baroque limestone city still seemed to hide many secrets.
“It’s Valletta… Valletta within Valletta… Barrel, Barrel… hurry…”
Suri called out to Barrel emotionally.
Barrel nodded, lifted his amphora, and gulped down beer. Then he raised his hand toward Valletta and shot lightning. A bolt burst powerfully from his fingertip. The transparent barrier lifted, revealing another city.
It was Valletta within Valletta.
“Now… we’re entering ancient Malta.”
Suri took Eridan’s hand.
The sky of ancient Malta was no longer blue. A massive lightning shield covered all of Malta like a transparent dome. It had become a trap that allowed sunlight to pass through while imprisoning the heat.
Fires erupted everywhere, and the heat was so intense it was hard to breathe. Dead birds littered the ash-covered ground. Forests had either vanished or were still burning.
“All living things will die. Malta is burning. Look… it’s all pillars of fire.”
Terror gripped Suri.
“…I wish it would rain… oh right… it can’t rain… the sky is blocked… it’s become hell.”
Fear crept into Sabi’s voice.
“Look at that, Eridan.”
Suri pointed at the lightning shield.
“Look above the lightning shield… do you see? See?… Sabi, Maru… Marblem… the lightning that comes every 72 years is suspended there.”
Suri shouted excitedly.
“…We have to shatter the lightning shield.”
Marblem spoke up.
“How? By what method?”
Maru was frustrated.
“…Oh… I just remembered… there is a way to break it… remember the fire serpent from before… that giant snake?”
Suri fumbled.
“Yeah… of course… that disgusting thing…”
Sabi grimaced.
“…Kalima… Kalima are giant serpents controlled by the six tribal great wizards… Since the Emperor controls the great wizards now… the great wizards can control Kalima… They can break the lightning shield.”
Eridan spoke with grim determination.
“…But… Eridan… you have the same blond hair as Marblem?”
Suri asked.
Eridan nodded.
“…How do we summon Kalima?”
Sabi asked.
“There’s a secret area underground in Malta… to get there… we need to go through the Fairy’s Chimney… that’s where Malta’s engine is…”
It was Marblem who answered.
“…Oh… the Fairy’s Chimney… the city that appears only once a year… but we need the Helix sword there… Helix was planted at the prophesied location… and never found again.”
Suri looked troubled.
“Suri… Helix will find its way back to you.”
Eridan looked at Suri with warm eyes.
[To be continued…]
** Starting November 2023, The Korea Daily is excited to publish the fantasy novel series “Sword of Malta – Lightning in 72 Years” on our website. This new captivating series follows a trio of young adventurers on their quest to uncover the mysteries of ancient civilizations, including the Maya and Inca. In an exciting development, Netflix is currently adapting the novel’s storyline into a film.
The ‘Sword of Malta – Lightning in 72 Years’ is the latest novel authored by Jeeyoon Ha, who created the “Pangaea series.” Ha’s debut novel, “The Pangaea: Finding Xibalba,” was selected by the Korea Creative Content Agency in 2022 as part of their initiative to support the global export of fantasy literature.
Readers can eagerly anticipate the online publication of two installments each month, with new chapters appearing bi-weekly, offering a regular escape into this magical realm. *Mark Oh translated the Korean novel into English.
