The Island of Golden Zandolie

Main characters

Chapter 1
The hard landing. The quest has begun

A small passenger plane flew over the island of stunning beauty. The steep slopes of the emerald mountains with sparkling rivers and waterfalls amazed the eye. Some of the mountain peaks were piercing through the clouds. The endless play of sunlight and the shadow of the clouds seemed to divide the mountains into the teeth of a giant dragon.

But the beauty of nature, most likely, fully delighted only those who flew here for the first time. For many others, the Island was just a wild place, where it is difficult to land, where uncomfortable bays and inaccessible mountains, where it is difficult to build houses and grow crops…

A feeling of unreality and anxiety gradually seized all the passengers of the plane, which was flying too low, almost maneuvering between the mountains and tilting its wings.

The plane has already flown several times like this, swinging its wings, between the mountains and soared into the sun-blinding sky, circled over the sea and again returned to the Island. It was as if the crew were repeating an encore over and over again an air ride between these magical mountains and forests.

Denis, an angular, tall brown-haired man with a funny ponytail of sparse hair combed back, also began to worry. During long flights, he reviewed old films on a computer - and now the next in line was "Jurassic World". And when he looked out the window, he saw exactly the same mountains as in the film. The only thing missing was the flying dinosaurs.

“Something is wrong,” he thought. “We've been circling like this for about fifteen minutes. And too low for the mountains. Where is the airport!? It seems like it's high time for us to land!”

Denis totally forgot about his movie and was glued to airplane’s porthole, continuously fixing his glasses. You can see he was extremely excited. Then he finally remembered that he was flying with his childhood sweetheart and best friend Olga. And he watched to her direction. She was peacefully sleeping, totally exhausted after long series of flights.

Olga was blond petit young woman in yearly twenties, totally rapped in a blanket. All of a sudden little plane violently swinged and dropped, and Olga woke up. Denis showed to the porthole with strange enthusiasm.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” he shouted. “Olga, this is an amazing island in any sense! A unique microclimate with rare species of flora and fauna, a very interesting history and culture, so many mysterious legends and myths…”

Olga has long been in complete exhaustion, reclining in her chair in a small and stuffy airplane, looking around with unseeing eyes. This journey was too long and exciting. She and Denis no longer remembered, how many transfers from plane to plane they made and when they last ate or slept in the normal way…

Olga was already tired of worrying and just lay next to the always over-enthusiastic Denis in a semi-faint state. They flew to work on a contract on the other side of the world. And now they almost arrived at last, but could not land in any way… When will this ever end!?

A voice from the aircraft's speaker clarified the situation.

“Ladies and gentlemen! This is your captain speaking! Please accept our apologies for the delay in landing! We've been trying to do it for a quarter of an hour! But my pilot can’t learn to land on a short runway in the mountains!! When he finally learns, we will land right away!! Thank you for your patience!!!”

After this announcement there was a spectacular pause, then the small cabin of the plane exploded with shouts, weeping and prayers with singing. All the passengers were a very motley crowd of different races and religions, which added a dose of local flavor to this cacophony.

Yes, the Island promised an indescribable adventure, in advance, even before landing on it!

Suddenly the plane went low between the mountains again, leaning to the side without swaying, and somehow almost fell sideways at the beginning of the runway that suddenly appeared. The brakes screeched disgustingly, the smell of burnt rubber hung in the air, and the plane froze right in the middle of a short strip, which effectively went into the sparkling sea. Apparently, the novice pilot was so afraid to land his plane on the water that he stopped in the center of the already short runway.

After standing for half a minute, the plane timidly started off again and quietly and peacefully taxied to the airport building, or rather a low slate canopy - a little more than a bus stop. Under the shed were several coast guards, cargo carts with suitcases, and a multicolored crowd of passengers.

Denis was already twisting his head with delight, gleaming glasses in the bright sun. He was ready to accept any challenge of this new place of work and life - at last he stepped onto this legendary Island. The quest has begun!

Olga, in a rumpled summer suit, with a shapeless hat and huge sunglasses, obediently followed Denis, not looking around, thinking only about good shower and sleep. Denis took care of the of passport control and customs for both of them.

While they were waiting in the queue at the immigration department, Denis learned that their plane had landed very oddly. Usually planes here land from the side of the sea strictly from the beginning of the takeoff run and then very quickly, but gradually slow down to the end of this very short strip. It's really hard to land here on this strange island. And there are no night landings – it is too dangerous because of the mountains and winds. Their young pilot did the absolute impossible – he landed the plane from the opposite end of the runway, from the mountains! How did they really survive!

Olga was not listening to the conversations of the crowd. She was so tired that she was already almost in a zombie state. And the local English was too specific for her understanding, already clouded by a long journey.

Finally, Denis and Olga came out onto a busy street on the other side of the airport. Here people and cars tried to squeeze through their destination in strange zigzags, not yielding to each other…

Denis was the first to notice a huge black guy with a wide smile, sparkling with sweat and cordiality. He shouted to them in English.

“Hey!!! Russians!!! It's me – Lindsay! I am here to pick you up! Where is your luggage? Here is my car! Yes! Here is my “white old lady”! Come in! Let’s go! We were waiting so long!”

Olga was finally started feeling some relief, getting into a car, cool from the air conditioner, with heavily tinted windows. But, all in vain! She barely had time to smile languidly in response to Denis's happy smile. Lindsay, beaming with exuberant hospitality, started the car and pulled away at third speed, skidding slightly in place with old tires.

Dexterously maneuvering through the crowd of people and cars, Lindsay jumped out onto a narrow and winding mountain road and raced, almost without slowing down at frequent turns.

The narrow road was built without any fancy – on one side a mountain wall, on the other an abyss without any fence. Sometimes there were small bridges over mountain gutters, sometimes rare posts or fences, where the turns were dead sharp.

Olga simply closed her eyes in horror and did not open them all the way.

And Denis stuck to the window, not noticing, that he was convulsively grabbing Olga's hand with one hand and the handle above the window with the other.

The roller coaster was child's play comparing to the island's roads and Lindsay's carefree driving!

After an hour and a half of desperate swinging in the car, they finally arrived at their destination – a picturesque chateau in a mountain valley. Electronic gates slid away soundlessly, wheels rustling on the fine gravel.

Finally, the car came to a standstill in the shadow of a covered garage. A side door opened inside the garage, and a strong red-haired guy jumped out, barely holding two huge dogs by the short leashes made of iron chains. He greeted everyone cheerfully in Russian and pointed into the house. He went in first and took the dogs away.

Lindsay, with the same enthusiasm and a big smile, helped to move the suitcases into the house and to find the allocated rooms.

“The Russian guy's name is Alex,” Lindsay explained. “And our mistress is now at her quarters. Rest, sleep as much as you like! Dinner will be brought to you. And tomorrow we will get to know the whole office and the island too. Bye-bye!"

Denis and Olga did not yet know what unusual adventures await them on this island. They will have to go through spiritual storms, mortal dangers, romantic discoveries and a complete reboot of their understanding of the reality…

In the meantime, it was time to unpack their bags and look around. A mountain valley, densely overgrown with untouched forest, clean humid air, the sound of a nearby river, joyful singing of invisible birds – the local nature was welcoming them.

Chapter 2
An emergency anchorage. Julia and Marley

The island was emerging above the sea like a military citadel. Inaccessible rocks, overgrown with scanty, bent by the wind bushes, and the mountains, so high that the peaks are lost in the clouds stuck. The names of those mountains were quite eloquent -"Peak of the Devil", "Gates of Hell", "Dragon's Tooth".

Many of the mountains were dormant volcanoes. There were also eternally smoking and seething, not-so-well-fragrant sulfuric springs, periodically exploding with a series of huge bubbles or a high column of boiling water and steam.

There was also a whole lake in an impregnable crater in the center of the Island, which is not for nothing called the "Boiling Lake", hidden from the eyes by clouds of steam.

This Island was fairly well inhabited. Tens of thousands of people of all races and religions lived here. Local aborigines, the descendants of the Indians, could be found in special reservation. There was a small trinkle of tourists here, but more of fans of ecotourism.

…A huge cruise liner suddenly stopped and went into an emergency drift due to a minor accident in the engine room. The local ports were too small for this sea giant to anchor. The land could only send a coast guard boat to assist with repair of the ship. But the coast guards could only help with the delivery of the parts ordered by plane, which would arrive only the next day…

The ship's passengers showed no interest in the wild-looking Island, which lacked trendy restaurants with gardens and pools or boutiques. But several crew members were willing to go ashore, and the coast guards agreed to take them.

Julia was one of the enthusiasts for landing on the sparsely populated Island. Her work in the ship's gift shop was not full of adventure, and the girl was happy to break free from an endless series of boring shifts, tiresome inventories and monotonous glamorous ports of call.

This Island was just a “lost world”! As in that classic science fiction novel by Conan Doyle, which Julia re-read on her tablet while whiling away the long hours on board.

The coast guard boat dashingly flew on the crest of the wave, rapidly approaching the port. "The capital of the Island" – the corporal, the head of the boat, announced importantly.

The capital consisted of several rows of low buildings, similar to warehouses, and a couple of spiers of picturesque neo-Gothic churches with small gardens around. A couple of higher colonial-style buildings and a stretch of waterfront with stone benches set back to the sea view! As if the locals did not want to know what is beyond the horizon.

The feeling of unreality did not leave Julia. The corporal warned them, that he would be waiting for everyone to be back on the dock at four p.m. and advised all to stick together.

Julia was a pretty young girl of short height, about twenty-five years old, with a round face, round green eyes, a small round cherry-shaped mouth and a large rounded chest. This is where her round shapes ended. Julia was rather slender, with a small foot, with a short haircut of slightly curly dark red hair.

Julia went for a walk around the island in short shorts, a T-shirt, a thin shirt with long sleeves rolled up to the elbows and a funny hat with narrow brims. And, of course, shades and a backpack on the back. Remember her in this outlook – because she will not return on board the cruise ship ever again!

Julia, of course, did not know that she would remain on the Island forever. She and the other crew members enthusiastically agreed to the local taxi driver's offer to ride his minibus around the Island – it would only take a couple of hours! The spontaneous excursion was just super! A fat, cheerful black taxi driver, constantly wiping sweat from his neck with a small towel, chatted incessantly, seemingly in English. However only few words were understandable – such as "beautiful island!", "want to take a picture?"

Soon they turned off the main road along the sea onto a narrower road leading uphill to the dense center of the land. Almost immediately, trees and clouds completely obscured the sun. The air was noticeably thinner and colder. Everything around became dark and damp, as if they were all transported to Scotland or Canada. The road snaked upward. There were almost no oncoming cars.

All passengers of the minibus were simply mesmerized by the views of the sheer mountain wall on one side of the road and the bottomless abyss on the other. The careless speed, at which their local “shuttle” was rushing along the narrow winding road, was also straining. The bus often skidded at all bends, as the road was slippery from the damp mountain clouds.

The fog was thickening. The picturesque rainforest has been replaced by mossy stones and fern bushes. Low trees of bizarre shape sometimes came across on the way.

Suddenly the bus turned sharply right into the sky, someone shouted something, or rather howled. Or was it the wind? Or was it a lapse in time? Everything turned into a multi-colored funnel with a bright light in the center. And then there was silence and darkness…

… Julia was sleeping sweetly in a comfortable, soft bed. The singing of birds, the measured rhythm of the surf and the rustle of tree leaves in the breeze was a completely magical melody of the awakening morning somewhere in the south. It was like sweet, old, childhood memories of summer in the village, when you can sleep and sleep as much as you want… and long, careless days ahead, full of wild fruits and swimming on unfamiliar beaches.

In early years every day was full of amazing discoveries… Without fuss, without looking back at the time… In childhood, there were no plans for a summer vacation, the world was perceived in its original glory, without fear, without thoughts about the future or remorse about the past. The beautiful “today” breathed deeply and happily…

Julia stretched and opened her eyes. She was in a small house with a veranda opening directly to the sea. The veranda opened into the pier; a boat swayed at the pier. A house right on the water? No, Julia heard the singing of birds and the rustle of the leaves of the trees. It meant there was not an open sea around here, the coast was close. She tried to get up, but the darkness came over her eyes, and the nausea rose in her throat. The walls began to revolve, which was completely unbearable. Julia closed her eyes and lay there still, trying to breathe rhythmically…

Then there were an indistinct shadow and a slight sound – Julia immediately opened her eyes and involuntarily smiled. In the doorway against the background of the sea, silvery in the sun, an incredibly handsome young guy was standing. In any case, against the light, he looked very impressive. Tall, muscular, in a T-shirt and shorts, a smooth body of a caramel shade, a slightly rough, narrow face, with well-shaped nose, sensitive lips, huge black eyes and a heavy wave of long black braids-dreadlocks, a high, slightly slanted forehead (apparently, heavy hair pulled the skin back), black well-defined eyebrows. Mulatto Rasta man? Or just a wonderful dream?

The guy was holding a coconut in one hand, a machete in the other. He noticed that Julia woke up and smiled broadly. Then he spoke in a slightly hoarse, low voice (in English, like all the inhabitants of the Island).

“Hello! Woke up? Excellent! That's what you need most!”

He held out a tall glass full of coconut water. Julia tried to get up again, but the room was spinning again, and nausea came right away…

The guy nodded, poured coconut water into an empty plastic bottle and handed it to Julia. He also went to the head of the bed and slowly lifted Julia's pillow, pushing some kind of towel or sheet to make it easier for Julia to drink… Despite her poor health, Julia admired every movement of this human tropical beauty. What bottomless eyes, what an affectionate smile, how much smoothness in every move!

“My name is Marley,” handsome fellow said. “This is my home. I need to leave for a while. Don't worry, just rest. Try to sleep. The toilet is right here, behind this door. Here is a water cooler. The rest is all later. You are still very weak. You just need some time. Everything will be fine. Rest, sleep!”

Julia wanted to say something, but she opened and closed her mouth like a fish! But that’s not a problem. It's very nice here, peaceful, she will sleep, and everything will pass.

“Tomorrow everything will be even better,” she thought. “Everything bad in life has already ended, forever… There is nothing more to worry about, and only happiness ahead… What am I thinking about!? I guess I hit my head pretty hard! No, I don't have to think about anything, everything will be fine! How wonderful… “

A faint feeling of fear, of surreal intake of all events, a cold wave passed down her back and disappeared. Julia plunged into a sweet dream, similar to hypnosis or drug intoxication.

Do you know this feeling when everything is too good and what's the catch?