Incredible Adventures Along the Seven Wonders

By Madina Del Terra Solicino

The heart is yearning for some antiquity?
Legendary?
Adventurous?
And fantasy?
Then this is for you!
Visiting antique cities of
•Egypt
•Greece
•And Babylonia!
“That was connected with an ancient legend. There was said that somewhere beyond the river, in the Candle Valley there existed the Water of Eternity. And the Candle Valley situated beyond the Nile in the Unexplored Land.
How would it be if the Pyramids were poured with the Eternity Water? Undoubtedly, no matter whatever curse had been laid on them, it would be immediately removed and the breakdown would stop at once. They would stand for eternity. But who could bring that water? Who can vanquish all the difficulties of the mysterious path leading to the Candle Valley?”

Rediscover the Greek myths making conversations with the Olympic Gods.
“Perseus, don’t be so stubborn. After you return to your city, the time will come, when everything will depend on you – the destiny of your city and your people”.
“My people?”
“Yes, listen. There, with this sword and shield, you’ll have to protect your city from horrible Medusa Gorgon”.
“Sanam, stop, what are you talking about?” impatiently, her friends interrupted her. “We know the legend of Perseus. But how this ordinary, real Perseus could be that legendary Perseus? That’s impossible!”
“It seems, we, not aware of it ourselves, turned to be the characters of unwritten pages of the legend”.
“But I am just a son of ...”
“... a poor fisherman? No, you aren’t,” Sanam ignored it before Perseus could finish the sentence. “Athena is your sister, Apollo’s your brother and you’re the son of Zeus”.
Unforgettable visit to the dense of the Peloponessian forest and making acquaintance with spirits of nature...
Nymphs, satyrs, sirens and maenads...
“Ah! Too much have we wandered in this forest. I’ve begun to see phantoms!” startled Amira. “What nonsense – had a tree turned to a girl?”
“Then, we’ve all gone crazy, because, I can also see the girl,” said Sanam staring at the girl, who had a peculiar appearance. She was dressed in, very strange, yes, wooden clothes. She had a thick stem-belt on her waist; leaves, as smooth as silk were covering her body; little flowers, hanging from thin twigs were her skirt. All her appearance made an impression that the girl had been hiding in the tree-cloth and her face wasn’t visible because of dense leaves. And when she moved and raised her head, it was seen that she was a real girl in a wood-cloth. The tree-girl noticed Parnissyd first.
“Oh, Viva to the beauty of the nymphs!” she said. “What made a nymph, a satyr and three human beings visit our place?”
Ancient legends and ancient mystery were reborn in the modern world!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Madina Del Terra Solicino
• Release date: Jul 12, 2016
• ISBN: 9781311728296

Madina Del Terra Solicino

Hi everyone! Today I'm here to tell you my story as well as the story of my first book.I was 12 years old when I'd started writing the book and 16 when I finished. So the whole job took four years, though with some intervals. During that time I made a lot of changes: added, subtracted, improved (or made worse, who knows :) . Anyway, I hope that you'll enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. And I want to let you know that I deeply appreciate your opinions and can't wait to receive your sincere rating.

Book preview

Madina Del Terra Solicino

Incredible

adventures along

THE SEVEN WONDERS

PART ONE

The Egyptian

adventures

Chapter one

The beginning of the journey

She is wandering in an endless valley, in golden sunshine. Beyond the river of Nile, there is the city of Memphis, showing off all its glory and beauty.

In the centre of the city there is a grand palace that could have astonished anyone by its Egyptian luxury. As we slowly enter this noble palace, we can hear joyful laughter of the people, merry melody of the instruments we’ve never heard before and much and much of noise.

But as we continue investigating, we find something strange, or rather someone from the stranger world. And soon, we observe the girl –she, whose name is Sanam, despite having the same Egyptian dressings as the others and her Egyptian-like name, is not in the least like the others. Being surrounded by a crowd of well-dressed Egyptians, she is unceasingly talking in an agitated tone:

"I awfully regret that, but I have to leave Memphis, right now. I must go back home and it’s so far away..."

"Where’s your home, I wonder? Haven’t you come from the stranger world?" jokingly, remarks one of the young Egyptians.

"Sort of... smiles Sanam. But... will you see me off to the Mediterranean Sea? From there, I can easily return home... she sighs, ...go back to my dear Sicily... At least, I hope so..." Sanam doesn’t not have time to finish the sentence. Unexpectedly, it all begins trembling, crackling and breaking down.

An earthquake? No, even worse. Before the people realize what is happening, terrible sand storm carries away them all..."

Sanam, wake up! Wake up!

Oh, no, that’s unfair... Where am I?

Did you forget? Today we will set for the journey. But, if you don’t want to, then you may just...

What? Sanam jumped up immediately, Mum?!

Yes!

I am at home? Well, well... The journey... Ah, aren’t we getting late for the plane? Aren’t we... Or is that, is that...

Oh, calm down, my darling, smiled Mum. Wash up and join us for the breakfast. We’ll talk then.

Sanam and her family lived in the south of Italy, in Sicily. Sanam was cheerful and vivacious girl. She was an unordinary type, like her name. She was keen on history – the history of the Antique times and especially, the Egyptian history. Sanam was a fan of historical films, historical novels and historical computer games. And she had read great number of historical novels. She never got bored of history. But the most surprising of all was that she always dreamt of travelling back into historical times...

She had a strange habit, which was related with her five flash-pens of five different colours: green, violet, golden, grey and pink. She always carried a writing pad and these pens with her. Each pen had its own function: She used grey for making to-do lists (in Sanam’s opinion, grey was a colour that makes neither happy nor sad). Green was used to write about what interesting events happened during a day, as Sanam thought green was the most suitable for this. The most important and useful information and recipes were taken down in golden – expensive information needs an expensive colour, explained Sanam. She wrote necessary foreign words with violet and she wrote her dreams with pink colour.

Sanam had a friendly family, consisting of four members – her father, mother, her baby brother and her.

As for the journey, which was mentioned above, it was one of her biggest dreams – journey to France. A happy holiday in the city of dreams, Paris. Her Dad prepared it as a birthday present for Sanam. She was really glad of the promised journey; she was counting days and hours. She could’t help herself imagining how wonderful that was going to be during the holiday...

By the midday, the family had already got aboard the airplane successfully. Soon, Sanam got acquainted with a nice girl of her age, who was also travelling with her family. Her name was Amira. It didn’t take a long time for them to make up friends – a couple of minutes. They had got plenty hours to get to the destination, so girls were going to have a great time.

A few minutes after, one more girl joined them. Both Sanam’s new friends were from France; they came to Italy on holiday, and now, were returning to France. Sanam told them that they were, on contrary, going to France to spend their holiday.

Amira lived in Bordeaux, one of the most important seaports of France . The other girl, Hasine was her name, came from Corsica, a wonderful island in the south of France.

Hasine went on with her tale about medicinal herbs and their use. Hasine knew many things related to the traditional medicine. She learnt that from her old grandmother, who lived in a country and was a healer.

I guess that sounds pretty strange, a healer, in our modern world, but I fancy her when she deals with patients so accurately, despite having any of this little modern medical stuff.

That’s cool! Amira and Sanam kept on exclaiming as long as Hasine was talking.

What’s this? Is that your diary book? Hasine indicated to Sanam’s writing pad.

Well, no, maybe it seems strange to you, but... after few seconds of hesitation Sanam narrated everything about her habit of flash pens of five functions.

Oh, that’s interesting, isn’t it? said Amira. Each person has its own strange habits. Take for an instance, me, I always carry five hundred counted beads with me.

Oh, what do you do with them?

Actually, I knit jewellery. In some sense it’s my hobby. But must often of all, I lose them, then I count them, when I realize the loss, I begin troubling and wiping... Amira chuckled. And I would be glad if the beads turned up to be precious. It would be really great!

At first, everything was perfect: the sun was shining, the sky was blue, clouds were white and fluffy and the flight was smooth and measured. But, as ill luck would have it, the weather changed. The sky turned dark and miserable. And then, the airplane was flying through the dense gloom of the black clouds. The passengers saw how lightning stroke in the sky. It stormed heavily.

The wind was playing with the plane so airily, just as little kids play with their flying kits. The storm carried it away wherever it would have.

Suddenly, the passengers realized that the airplane touched the ground. Everybody thanked God and thanked the pilot, because the whole equipage remained safe and sound.

However, the situation was troubling, as the plane landed not on a station, but on the middle of a deserted valley.

Has the plane broken down?

Maybe so, maybe even worse...

That was really bad. The plane was, indeed, in crack-up.

That’s a bad sign, the journey hasn’t even begun yet and there’s an accident...

The steward tried to calm down the passengers.

Nothing serious. Don’t panic. Everything is OK. The plane is being examined. It won’t take more than an hour or so.

It passed half an hour. It passed an hour. It passed two hours.

The passengers had already stopped feeling anxious, on contrary, they distracted themselves by watching the picturesque view of the country, for the mountainous country they had stopped was marvellous and full of charms of nature; the valley was wonderful with its sublime mountains, with its twinkling waterfall and fresh, sweet, sweet air.

Sitting inside, the passengers got bored. Some of them got out of the plane and walked in the valley. The three friends – Sanam, Amira, Hasine with their parents were also outside.

The valley was, no doubt, beautiful and walking there was entire pleasance. But there was also something, something along the valley, up the hill and in the mountain: something, that couldn’t be left unobserved; something that was calling, beguiling and enchanting the passengers – the mysterious cave of the mountain.

The tourists decided to explore the cave in order to kill time and amuse themselves by learning peculiarities of the landmark. So the they set off.

The mysterious cave was, indeed, full of extraordinary spectacles. In the cave, there were rocks in different strange shapes, like statues; musical fountains, frozen crystals, drawn pictures on the wall and so on... Beguiled by the view, the three friends could not realize they were going inner and inner. They were enchanted by their own curiosity. They didn’t know that the paths of the cave were as implicate as a real labyrinth.

As the girls moved on, the path widened down. When they reached the widest part of the path, Amira saw glittering stones on the wall of the cave.

The gems of my dream! applauded Amira cheerfully.

The girls climbed around to pick up gemstones. But the cliffs where the gems were found turned out to be soft. Suddenly, it all began crumbling; the water gushed out of the cliffs and struck the girls. They began screaming and calling for help. A strong current took them away.

Some time later, when the current had brought them to God knows where and the water leaked through the crack of the stones to the ground, they at last managed to get a proper look at themselves: the jeans were torn and their skin was scratched enough, not mentioning about their clothes were totally sopping. The girls deeply breathed in, breathed out and looked around. The first thing they noticed was that there was no one else around but them.

No matter how hard tried the girls find the way back, it all went useless – they only went astray. All the attempts and all the paths led them to the same place, where the water threw them away. There wasn’t any way back. Despite that was hard to accept, they were lost. Lost!

Why on earth did we enter this cave?! Amira kept on repeating. Why did we touch those damned gems! Now, we’ll stay here forever and no one will find us ever! Never! We’re all finished! Who will save us?! What shall I do, eh? And my family, my parents... Amira began sobbing. What will happen to me? Why am I here? Oh, poor Amira, oh, unlucky Amira, where did you come...

*

I know, I know exactly – there must be some path, which leads us out. Think of little, think thoroughly, muttered Sanam incessantly.

Useless, useless at all, again, Amira began sobbing. It’s all over! I’m fed up with walking along these endless paths; I’ve lost all my energy. If there were any chances of getting out of this cave, we would already be out! We-are-finished! Why did we come here! Why are we so unlucky?!

Amira, you stop sobbing or not?! cut in annoyed Hasine. Even I began feel wretched because of your cries.

Well, you think that’s only you who should feel good and it’s no matter how I am feeling?

It’s not about who should feel good or bad. Just, if you go on with your sobbing and complaining, it will be even worse to you. In addition to, you’ll spoil our mood and break our aspiration.

So, no matter what happens to me, you’ll sit there and relax, is that so?

Who’s sitting and relaxing? Amira, you’re making my blood boil!

Well, if I am not wanted here, then...

Amira, Hasina! cried out Sanam. I don’t understand if you’re looking for reasons for quarrelling? Instead of that, maybe it would be better to find out a solution to the problem?

And I’m saying just the same thing, but Amira...

Amira what? What do you want to say? interrupted Amira Amira, Amira... Amira is always guilty in everything. Did something and Amira is guilty. Did nothing and again, Amira is guilty.

Having said so much and yet you consider it’s nothing?

Yeah, I did nothing, it’s not my blame, said Amira with complete confidence. It’s you who’s one to blame. Or do you have any objections? Tell me then, whose idea was exploring this damned cave? Not yours, eh? Who did lead us there? Who’s guilty in that we’re lost in this horrible darkness?

Surely, that’s you are, replied Hasine, with even more confidence. Let me remind you that we were exploring around safely until we picked up those precious gems. As a result, the water took us away and we got lost. Tell me please, whose idea was picking the gems?

That’s not important whose idea it was, but that’s important who put it into action.

Who then?

All three of us. That’s why my fault may not be less than yours, but at any rate, is not more either.

Indeed?

Girls! Girls, listen! Sanam was trying to stop them from quarreling. But they were involved in argument too deeply, so they didn’t hear anything.

Girls, I worked out how to get out of there! cried out Sanam at last.

How?! asked Hasina and Amira in unison.

Look at these walls! Sanam indicated to the direction of the cave walls.

Hah, I thought that was serious... said Amira, who disappointed at once. In your opinion, we can broke pierce those walls?

Just look and listen, said Sanam. Do you want to get out of there unharmed, safe and sound?

Of course, we do!

Then, continued Sanam, we all have to try really hard. The place where we found artificial gems was the last place until we got lost. Therefore, we should find the place, from there we can easily find way out of the cave. There was water, as you remember. So we should attentively listen to water’s dripping voice and orientate by hearing. If we find water – we’ll find way out.

Both girls agreed with Sanam. They moved on. There was quite gloomy inside of the cave. Amira was carrying a lantern, but it gave a little light. The girls were going silently, so silently that they could hear their own heartbeats.

As they approached to the end of the corridor, it became more brightly. At first rejoiced girls thought that they found the way out.

Nevertheless, when they arrived to the place the brightness came, they were lost through astonishment and disappointment. The light wasn’t coming from outside as the girls supposed. The girls came across with an unbelievable view – light was coming from an enormous golden sandclock, as high as ten men’s height. The path they were walking leaded to a deep abyss and the sandclock was hanged upon the abyss. Its lid was as large as a whole room. There was also a suspension bridge connecting the end of the path and the lid of the sandclock. Having come across with such an incredible spectacle, the astonishment and curiosity in girls became immeasurable. They crossed over the suspension-bridge in order to observe inside of the room upon the sandclock.

If it were a real gold lid, I would carry it away with me and became a billionaire, said Amira. Unfortunately, the lid is artificial as well as the gems. Maybe, that’s just brass, coloured in golden.

And even if it was pure gold, it would be of no use to us, said Sanam.

Why? frowned Amira.

Because we don’t have enough strength to carry it away.

Ah, I’ve got it – you wanna deceive me by saying so and possess the whole gold lid yourselves.

Then, when you said it’s brass you planned to deceive us, too, by making us disappointed of treasure and get a rid of abettors!

So much quarrels for unreal treasure! We have not even found way out yet, remarked Hasine.

The girls giggled cheerfully. Even the imagination of the possible treasure rose up their mood.

Inside of the sandclock was stunning. The room had a rounded shape, the ceiling was golden, the walls were glacier and the floor was marble. At the very centre of the room there was a little table made of slender crystal and the floor under it was made of the same material. On the table there was a map-like piece of parchment and a compass-like round object, but a bit different from a compass because of its antique decorations and strange patterns. Curious Hasina rushed towards the table. She had only taken the map and the compass, when the fragile floor under her feet broke down. It fell down and Hasina was gone with the splinters of the floor. She had fallen down into the sandclock.

Hasine cried out for help at the top of her voice. Sanam and Amira, who were rushing for help, slipped down into the sandclock, as well. Horrified girls closed their eyes.

They found themselves completely in another place when they opened their eyes. For some minutes the girls did not stop from coughing.

It seems like we’ve got out of the cave, spoke Amira at last.

The weather was extremely hot and dry. The girls who weren’t accommodated to such weather were hardly breathing. And they had no idea of where they got into.

The place is unlike to the valley where our little plane had stopped, observed Hasine while looking around. It’s strange, this place. And quite unordinary. It’s so hot here and yet, I’m sure we are not in a desert.

Indeed, the ground was full of bushes and other various plants which girls had never seen before.

I agree with you, said Sanam thoughtfully. In fact the place is magnificent. Where are we, I wonder?

It seems like there’s something behind that hill. Let’s go there, maybe we’ll find our people there.

Amira said these words in such a confident fashion, that the girls followed her at once.

So you think we’ll reach the place where our plane had stopped by walking so? asked Hasine quite loudly as Amira had already left them behind and wasn’t walking but nearly running.

Of course I do, replied Amira as quickly as she stepped.

But how? Sanam stopped from walking. Don’t you see we’re in absolutely different place from that valley? We don’t even know where we are.

No problem, we’ll inquire then.

By this time, they reached the top of the hill.

Will you? asked Sanam, frozen in astonishment and staring at the view behind the hill. There was a city behind the hill. But not at least like our modern cities.

Will you? repeated Sanam who could not believe her eyes. Will you ask? Ask from them? she indicated to the city.

It was an ancient city with its ancient huts and palaces, bazaars and temples, aristocrats and beggars.

At the other side, there stood the Sphinx, glorious and magnificent.

I did see that very Sphinx in my dream! exclaimed Sanam And... we were going to visit that place with my family... I must go there, by saying so, Sanam ran towards the Sphinx. Hasine and Amira followed her.

Now, they were doubting no more that it was ancient Egypt.

Unbelievable, Hasine, unbelievable! unceasingly, Sanam kept on repeating. We’ve fallen down into the sandclock and turned up there, in ancient Egypt! I know I’ve always dreamt of the similar event, but... It is the miracle!

I believe in miracles... That’s great, indeed, said Hasine who was staring at the city.

As for me, I believe only in that what I can see with my own eyes, pronounced Amira in an important fashion. Then looked around and added, in a desperate voice: Oh, can’t believe my eyes! It must be a dream!

The girls chuckled.

*

The three girls wandered about the Sphinx for a long time. They could not decide whether it was right to enter the city or not. And they argued about how they turned up there. Then, tired of arguing, the girls went silent.

Sanam took her five flash-pens and started writing about the miracle that happened that day and that was hard to believe it to be truth; maybe that was a dream and they were dreaming in the cave, tired of searching for way out or maybe, even, Sanam was dreaming on the board of the plane, tired of waiting.

Amira, bothered of their being in a strange land, started complaining about that they had nothing to live with. Then, she added that she herself had nothing but to four hundred ninety-nine beads, in exception to the lately lost one and began counting them to check if she was right.

Hasine neither did, nor said anything. She was in a deep thought.

Meanwhile, they noticed an old man approaching to them, with white beard and dressed in white. And a number of men and women followed him, all dressed in long white clothes.

Arguing broke into again. Amira suggested hiding in somewhere, Hasine protested saying they didn’t have to panic before time, reckoning the strangers weren’t coming towards them at all, but just only passing by on their own way. And there weren’t any suitable place for hiding after all.

Sanam said nothing. The only thing she did was to quicken writing so that to have time to write down everything she intended.

Hasine was wrong, as they came and stopped exactly in front of the girls. And the strangers stared at them so penetratingly, that the girls felt uneasy.

Amira, realizing it was too late to hide, attacked first:

We understand that the land is yours, folks, I know that’s your property and you have to protect it. But, we don’t have any wicked intentions and if only we could find way back home, we would immediately leave your weird country.

Scarcely had Amira finished these words when she noticed how both her friends were staring at her in greatest amazement. Because Amira had spoken a language, absolutely unknown to her and which could not be known to her – ancient Egyptian. But the more amazement caused that, the following words, spoken by the stranger in the same language were understandable for all three of the girls:

No one is driving you from this land. On contrary, we’ve come here to invite you to the city.

What? Why? asked Amira, even more stupefied.

Because, firstly, one of you was counting, the other was writing and the third was thinking. Secondly, it’s the right time.

How’s that could be important making notes and counting beads? asked Sanam. And, could you tell us, please, who are you?

"I am the primus architect and the primus priest of Egypt. But you may call me, just architect Tuthmon. And these are the trusted architects and the trusted priests. And you may trust them as well. The three signs which I have mentioned recently are the signs of the three girls, whose arrival was predicted. And the time of their arrival was defined to be this very moment and this very place. And those three girls you are".

That’s impossible! exclaimed the friends in unison. You must’ve confused us with someone else.

No, no, that’s the truth. Just tell me if you have the map? That’s the second sign of those adventuresses.

Yes, we do... was the reply and the girls nearly believed him.

We have this map. In fact, it was because of this map we had fallen into the sandclock, commented Hasine.

What? You had fallen into the sandclock? Perfect, that’s the third sign. You’re exactly those travellers from the prediction. I am grateful to you for your coming just in time.

Then he asked for the map-parchment and compass. As he carefully opened the map, the girls fired him with questions, such as: "What kind of prediction is that?