Lost City of Gold: Ancient Quest Mystery, #1

By Rai Aren

Lost City of Gold: an archaeology adventure novella

 

A dangerous adventure beckons deep in the Amazon jungle...

Reckless treasure-hunter Rick Braeden sets out into the uncharted reaches of the Amazon jungle in a dangerous search of the fabled Lost City of Gold. It's a quest for an ancient city shrouded in mystery that he believes will place him in the history books and bring him all of the riches and redemption that have eluded him. He also hopes to succeed where more than one hundred others, who were either lost or died in the attempt, have failed. As he embarks on this potentially deadly expedition something or someone deep in the jungle waits and watches...

 

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Lost City of Gold is the first volume in the Ancient Quest Mystery Series: by Rai Aren, the co-author of the award-winning mystery novel, Secret of the Sands, and its sequel, Destiny of the Sands, and the author of Revelation of the Sands. The Secret of the Sands Trilogy explores the mysterious Great Sphinx of Giza and much more!

• Language: English
• Publisher: RFS Publications
• Release date: Dec 31, 2016
• ISBN: 9781484111642

Rai Aren

RAI AREN and TAVIUS E. have been friends since college. Their common interests in ancient Egypt and archaeology, as well as fantasy and adventure stories, led them to pursue their passion in storytelling. Secret of the Sands was their first novel. You can visit them at: www.secretofthesands.com or send them an email at: [e-mail]. For news on upcoming releases and exclusive bonuses, sign up for Rai’s newsletter: raiaren.com/Subscribe

Book preview

PRAISE FOR DESTINY OF THE SANDS

High adventure, past and present, merge into a multi-leveled tale of epic proportions in this triumphant sequel to the best-selling novel, Secret Of The Sands!

– Gary Val Tenuta, author of Ash: Return Of The Beast and The Ezekiel Code

PRAISE FOR SECRET OF THE SANDS

2009 READERS FAVORITE SILVER MEDALIST FOR FICTION-MYSTERY

This is my kind of book. Please, please make a continuing series and a movie! The authors are extremely talented. I cannot praise this book enough. Fast paced, page turner, character development, fascinating plot...what more could I ask for.

– ReadersFavorite.com

Their detailed storytelling paints a picture of ancient Egypt in all its glory. The reader feels they are a part of the book, living amongst the Kierani people. The end of the novel leaves the reader curious and wanting more. This reader can hardly wait for the sequel, Destiny of the Sands.

– Authors on the Rise Book Reviews

This is a WOW of a book!!...For those of us who are lovers of the ancient worlds, Egypt, present and past, archaeology, the metaphysical, and mystical happenings, this is a great choice for you.

– Ellen in Atlanta, Amazon Vine Voice, Top 1000 Reviewer

This is a beautifully written book and I enjoyed reading it very much, and I would readily recommend it to anyone looking for a good story to read.

– Jym Cherry, reviewer, Sonar4 Science Fiction & Horror eZine

This novel is innovative, concise and enthralling. Fluctuating between present day and ancient Egypt, the pace never decelerates. The reader is treated to plausible theories regarding many riddles of this mysterious civilization. This time-honored culture is so clearly portrayed with characters which are so skillfully brought to life that one can easily imagine they are actually present as events are unfolding. The story comes to a clear conclusion yet leaves the reader desperately hoping there will be a sequel.... or a trilogy.... or even better yet, a whole series of these phenomenal books!

– www.allthesebooks.com

The authors have successfully woven a story based on archeological events mixed with their own ideas of what happened to the Sphinx and the mysteries surrounding it.

– www.sabrinareviews.com

Rai Aren & Tavius E. write a spellbinding mix of mystery, history, fantasy, and adventure in this tale of two histories - one told in the present, the other told from the past - telling a story of misused power, learning how to trust, and the fate of civilization.

– www.TeensReadToo.com

A deep probing mystery riddled with prophecy and danger, Secret of the Sands uses Egypt and her mythology as a backdrop to delve into the meanings of life and religion.

– McNally Robinson

Rai Aren and Tavius E. have crafted a fast-paced, exciting novel overflowing with mystery and intrigue. The tension is constant. The characters fully developed. And the plot gripping. Ancient history and present day relevance are so expertly intertwined, that you might forget you are reading a work of fiction.

– Thomas Phillips, author of The Molech Prophecy

Secret of the Sands has BLOCKBUSTER written all over it! ...Fans of what might be called the Indiana Jones genre of fiction will be thrilled with Secret of the Sands. Like a race horse on steroids it blasts out of the gate in the opening prologue and doesn't stop running until it reaches the finish line. This remarkably well conceived and well executed first-time novel by Rai Aren and her co-author, Tavius E. is loaded with adventure, prophecy, mystery, secrets, deception, epic-scale battles, romance, good guys, bad guys, liars, cheaters, scoundrels, and, of course, heroes...Secret of the Sands is a thrill-ride...

– Gary Val Tenuta, author of The Ezekiel Code

Secrets, deceit and lies can make almost any novel exciting. But, add to that, two stories simultaneously told then throw in some romance, science fiction and a power struggle and what do you get? A true page turner that takes you on one heck of a journey.

– Michael Balkind, author of Sudden Death & Dead Ball

The pacing is flawless, the characters well-defined, the history thoroughly researched. The authors have done their homework, and I can't wait for the sequel. I would enthusiastically recommend this novel to anyone who wants a real page-turner!

– Norma Beishir, author of Chasing the Wind & the bestselling novels Angels at Midnight & A Time for Legends

ALSO BY RAI AREN

Secret of the Sands (with Tavius E.)

Destiny of the Sands (with Tavius E.)

Revelation of the Sands

The e-books are also available in a discounted box set:

The Secret of the Sands Trilogy

Click on the links below to learn more!

Find The Secret of the Sands Trilogy box set at your favorite retailer

You can also click here for the paperbacks on The Book Depository

For news on upcoming releases and exclusive bonuses, signup for my newsletter:

raiaren.com/Subscribe

This book is a work of fiction. Name, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination (excluding references to actual historical figures and events) or are used fictitiously and should not be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

LOST CITY OF GOLD. Copyright © 2013 by Rai Aren. All rights reserved. Published in the United States of America. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. For information address: [e-mail]

FIRST EDITION - Published by RFS Publications, May 2013

Aren, R.,

Lost City of Gold: a short novel/Rai Aren

Visit Rai Aren on the World Wide Web at: www.raiaren.com

Cover design by Gary Val Tenuta, GVTgrafix:

www.bookcoversandvideos.webs.com

Editing by Janet Bessey of Dragonfly Editing:

dragonflyediting.blogspot.ca

Book formatting and design by Maureen Cutajar:

www.gopublished.com

Print ISBN-10: 1484111648

For my husband, you always inspire me...

Table of Contents

CHAPTER 1

CHAPTER 2

CHAPTER 3

CHAPTER 4

CHAPTER 5

CHAPTER 6

CHAPTER 7

CHAPTER 8

CHAPTER 9

CHAPTER 10

CHAPTER 11

CHAPTER 12

CHAPTER 13

CHAPTER 14

CHAPTER 15

AUTHOR’S NOTES

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

OTHER WORKS

The forest did not tolerate frailty of body or mind. Show your weakness, and it would consume you without hesitation.

– Tahir Shah, House of the Tiger King

CHAPTER

1

I know I'm not the first, and I won't be the last. But dammit if I'm not going to take my shot at the brass ring. This will be my legacy. I can feel it in my bones. Or maybe that's the jungle fever. Either way, I'm not stopping. Not after having come this far.

Rick Braeden. Adventurer. At your service. I've been scouring the Amazon jungles for weeks now. And I have the scorpion and snakebites to prove it. Out here, if the malaria doesn't get you, the jaguars will. But so far, I'm still walking and still sane, and still determined to find what others have tried and died doing.

Where’s here you ask? The Mato Grosso region of the Amazon jungle. It’s lush, it’s dense, it’s deadly. But it’s where I need to be. I must find the Lost City of Gold. I will find it. It won’t stay lost forever and I won’t let anyone beat me to it.

* * *

Rick glanced up at the thick canopy. The jungle was alive with a cacophony of shrieks, whistles, and brightly varied songs. It was warning others that someone was here who didn’t belong. Someone who could easily be killed a dozen ways before breakfast.

Sergio! Rick called out. Does the map show where we should cross? He placed his hands on his hips as he surveyed the murky greenish-brown water. Ripples showed themselves every dozen or so feet. Crocodiles. Hungry crocodiles, just waiting for them to slip up. His throat went dry. He reached for his canteen, taking a sip of water. He lifted his hat and wiped his brow with his shirtsleeve. His wavy, dark brown hair was drenched. The day was hot, the air thick, the humidity off the charts. At least the jungle provided plenty of shelter from the sun if you stayed under its seemingly endless awning.

No, Señor Rick, Sergio called back in his thick Brazilian accent. Though many of the inhabitants of this region spoke Portuguese, he was Spanish.