=W=
Diana flew to San Francisco as she set down near the townhouse that Professor Anthony Templeton made his home. She knocked on the door. The elderly African American man opened the door. “Welcome, Diana.” He gestured for her to come in.
“Thank you Professor.” She walked in as she looked around and saw all the religious icons and relics he had collected during his fifty year career. “The last time we spoke you were on a dig in Egypt.”
“Well fundamentalism being what it is, Diana…”
“Ahh.” She nodded. “I came as soon as I could; I understand that you had a visit with a Dark Angel?”
“Yes, it was more a warning.” He nodded. “I remember you telling me about your battles with some of the wayward Olympian Gods like Ares.”
“Yes, he’s still a problem.”
“I am sorry to bring up sore spots.” He paused as he lit a cigar and then he saw Diana’s eyes get wide. “Oh right sorry.” He put the cigar out. “I know this is going to sound like a history lesson but I need to go into it for a bit so you’ll understand what’s going on.”
She nodded. “Go on.”
“Forty-five thousand years ago the continent of Atlantis was thriving with colonies all over the world. Evolution had not touched them because they were able to keep the magical and scientific realms in sync.” He saw Diana growing a bit impatient as he tried to speed up his dictation a bit. “Well, during this time there was an upheaval of magic and torrents of small factions vying for the control of the Kingdom of Atlantis.”
“You’ve been talking to Orin, haven’t you?” She raised an eyebrow.
“A little.” He sighed. “Anyway, there was a great magician known as Arion who had been granted the title of Lord Protector of Atlantis and with his direction they had been able to quell the rebellions enough that Ares had decided to intervene on their behalf. Arion was the chief sorcerer that had responsibility of trying to protect the cities from necromancy attacks from other spiritual realms.”
That caught Diana’s attention. “I never knew of this.” She opened her eyes as she looked at him.
“Ares was quite the usurper, Diana, according to Atlantean myth.”
“Changes by him aren’t much it seems.” She mused as she went and looked at some of the Ancient Atlantean items and pondered what Orin was up to lately. His kingdom had been so quiet since the Crisis, she decided she would need to pay him a visit when things were calm. “I am getting the feeling that you’re going to tell me that Arion was key in his banishment from Atlantis and that he’s held a grudge ever since?”
“Umm, yes. Why, have you heard this before?”
“As Superman says, it’s old hat for him, Professor.” She cleared her throat as she looked at him with some forced manners. “I am sorry though, please continue.”
“Well during the ages, the power has been protected by various groups when Atlantis was lost to the surface world… the Knights Templar finally took control of the relics and it finally fell into the hands of a rebellious sect known as the Order of Saint John. The most active of these warriors were known as Σκοτεινοί άγγελοι.” He spoke those words in perfect Hellenic.
She raised an eyebrow. “Dark Angels?”
“Yes, they were agents to Lord Protector of the Order of Saint John when he took his place in defense of the Catholic Church.”
“This is venturing into territory that I am not comfortable with, Professor.” Diana was plain with her statement.
“I know, but what I am trying to tell you that it is a mysticism involved here and part of this is derived from your own heritage.”
She nodded. “I gathered that.” She had battled Circe in the past and it hadn’t been a pleasant experience. “You want me to find out what’s going on to find out why this Dark Angel is troubling you, correct?”
“Incorrect. I know why he’s coming here.” He handed her an amulet. “This is the Seal of Poseidonis… It is the only known mystical item to ever be found from the former capitol of Atlantis.”
She raised an eyebrow. “Orin let you have this?”
“He… He doesn’t know I have it, Diana.”
“He needs to know you have this, Anthony.” She dispensed with the formalities.
“I know. But, can you help me first?”
“I’ll do what I can.” She paused. “What do you need specifically?”
He motioned her to come with him to a drawing table with an ancient map that had all the ancient sites around the world that had either been discovered or destroyed over the ages. “You know more than I do that the world’s greatest treasures are either in museums or lost from this world forever.” He started as he saw her eyes wander over the map as she traced where Themyscira was at and then she looked up at him.
“Yes, of course.”
“The amulet is an aegis of Zeus’ temple in Chimaera….”
“There is no temple in Chimaera, it was burned in volcanic ash a long time ago.” She added.
“No. That’s what the Themyscirans were told, Diana.” He added softly. “Zeus doesn’t have any Greek temples remaining, but those that do remain hold some strange and wondrous powers and mysticism that is hard for mere mortals to understand.”
“Chimaera is a pit of volcanic ash and magma, Professor.”
“Chimaera doesn’t exist in this plane, Diana. It is there though; you have to trust me in this.”
“How does this tie into the Dark Angels?” She looked at him in some exasperation.
“The Dark Angels are aiding the ones that are about to bring war to the world again, Diana. They are responsible for many of the world’s conflicts that have claimed millions of lives.” He looked at her at her as he was asking permission to continue.
“Go on.”
"Every major conflict has had a religious background to it on the world's stage... Think about it. What did Columbus claim to do when he came to America... bring religion? What was the extermination of the Jewish people about in World War II? Why did the Catholic Church and the Greek Orthodox Church excommunicate each other in the 11th century... There are fundamental truths to everything, Diana." He looked at her as he waited until she could process what he was getting at.
“Basically you mean this cult intends on bringing war again on a massive scale?” She added simply.
“Religious fanaticism still exists and Jihad is easy to provoke if lies and deception are spread about, Diana.”
“I’ll need to consult with Athena, Professor.” She looked in pale seriousness. “I need to make sure that I am the right one to help you.”
“I trust that you are, Princess.” He smiled as he offered his hand to shake.
She shook his hand as she wasn’t fully convinced of that but she nonetheless decided to placate the eccentric for the time being. “Goodbye Professor.” She turned to leave as he said nothing but maybe he did. She know that things that were said were still fresh and hot in the political world, but she would need to consult with some much wiser than she was to give her some guidance.
