“They are commonly known as the Osirian by other groups of so called deities.” I commented. “The one we meet is name Thoth and like most of their race, he has an animal head while having a human body.” I explained quickly. I turned my attention toward the owner of the stall who eyed us suspiciously. “We will be needing three camels to cross the land.” I told him in Egyptian. He nodded back looking much happier now.
“Are there books that can teach us the language of the lands we will be visiting?” Meli asked during a lull in our haggling. The owner looked once more at her but this time I felt the disdain that I woman would speak out of turn. I signalled her to wait with an open palm at her.
“I cannot part with them for less than two hundred dinars each.” the owner repeated to me. It had been the last offer made before Meli had spoken in Atlantian. I was still pleased that the glamoury I had placed on her and Sert made them look shorter than their normal height. Best not to be forced explaining why I travelled with giants considering the great difference between the humans and the Atlantians in height.
“Five hundred dinars for the three of them is the best I can offer back to you.” I replied. I knew it felt like hours passed to my companions as they stood not understanding the speech taking place before them. “What if I offer gold coinage instead of dinars?” I hazarded. I saw the man's eyes light up at my words. “A hundred solid gold coins would be more than ample cover for a trio of camels?”
“Acceptable!” the man shrieked. I knew he could get at the very least ten dinars per gold coins making him rich. We shook hands grasping at each others' forearm the way of warriors. I signalled Meli and Sert to follow as the man lead us down an alley at the back of the shop. I sensed Sert become overly alert at that moment but left him to his protective duties. Sert protective nature slipped from him as we neared a roped pen housing camels.
The owner yelled to a boy screaming orders to prepare his three finest camels for their customers. While the boy rushed to place saddles, bit, and bridals to these tall animals, I turned my attention to me shocked companions. I explained the basic ideas on how to mount these tall spindly legged beast.
“Do not worry about guiding them since they will be tied together leaving the lead as my mount.” I told them as they still looked stunned at the animals. I knew that for Atlantians, mounting camels would be easy and new for them. I marched along the camels making sure Sert and then Meli were settled on their mount. “Here!” I interjected at Meli. I held out a book to her making her eyes light up in the dusky evening. I went to mount my camel leading them along the back of the dilapidated homes to enter the see of sands.
I heard Meli giggling as she discovered that her gift was a beginners' guide to the Egyptian language written in Atlantian. I felt the urge to ask me who had created this work but a blast of cold wind mixed with sand made her read instead of talking.
To my surprise, Sert had quickly created a face mask from a piece of cloth in his gear. I had not even even seen him pull it out but it sat over his mouth and nose keeping the sand from entering unwanted. My curiosity regarding Sert had grown over the last four years since I had never seen him collecting new clothing or washing what he owned but his garb and armour were always in a pristine condition. What was more peculiar to me was how he had the right apparels for any situation that arose, like his sand mask.
This combine with the complete lack of any magical abilities had me more perplexed than any other oddity I had ever come across before. As an Atlantian, it was nearly impossible to be born without some type of magical gift. The rare few spent a life as citizen steering away from military service where Sert showed great skills both as a combatant and calm mind in the heat of battle. Our sessions had proven him to be agile in body and mind when facing adversities that I created for him including a pale version of my true form.
As for the one these two referred to as “the snake in our midst”, Colêsträ magic lied in his words and his mental ability to glean information without being noticed. I myself had caught myself before allowing information best held in silence from Cole's wondrous speeches. It was a mirror I had placed in my mind as I examine the two males that served me while spying on me. Sert lacked the drawing mind of Cole but presented himself unhidden when he spoke.
Cole was smart enough to stay out of the training field since Sert would not fall prey to talking once the battle had been engaged. While Cole would chatter trying to distract, Sert would turn into a silent stone faced adversary leaving nothing for Colêsträ to reach. These thought flew around my mind as we travelled on the ships of the desert into the night. We reached the hidden oasis at high moon to be greeted by priests of Thoth in full garb.
“He is by the water Sir.” the head priest informed me. I slowly glanced around at the half dozen male priest that stood waiting for us. All but this one man that had spoken were young bearing the robes of accolytes of the religion. “The path is clearly marked and the moonlight will aid your steps.” the older priest added. He bowed and remained in that position waiting for us to dismount and follow the the trail lit with globed candles.
“Leave everything on the camels.” I told my companions. I dismounted to survey the trail closer. “The trail is wide enough for us to walk together shoulder to shoulder without problems.” I remarked. Sert nodded as he moved to stand with me. Meli grudgingly place the book in her pack before joining us. I felt the shivering touch like spider webs against my skin as we walked down the path.
I glanced at my companions as they walked one on each side of me. Sert calm face made it clear he had felt nothing as we crossed from the real world into a mystic pocket that did not truly exist in the outer world. Meli step had faltered as she took a deep breath and scanned around her looking perplexed. Very few places like this existed in the world which gave a place that greater beings could stand with those that followed them. It was a piece of sub-space that sat between the upper spiritual realm and the mortal coil. Places like this gave home to most of the mystical creatures that lived with the humans.
“I will explain later about what you felt Meli.” I whispered to her. She straightened her shoulders as she nodded to me. I was happy she had detected this mystic shift since they would be walking into one that covered an island near the end of their journey. Circe's Island was a mystical pocket but it was caused by a Node Stone, a false rock created to store magical and spiritual energies allowing magic to work normally.
I seeded a few of these Nodes around the globe during my travels since I had been cast from the One God's Heaven. It was for the magical creatures I had formed them using my own limitless power to fill them. But, unlike the network Atlantis had form between their Hearthstone and the other similar crystals that sat upon it's satellites, mine remain separate and unconnected. Better to keep them a secret if they are not interwoven like the Atlantian net that gave that island it's formidable strength.
I had foreseen that the set created upon impacting with the gates of that deity's Hell would be tampered with by an echelon of darkness in the far future if this world lasted that long. I had already devised a trap for him while planning to turn that place into an Atlantian beach head if everything went wrong during this lifetime. My mind return to the presence as we reached the end of the trail. We found Thoth standing nearly twelve feet tall in the moonlight by the water of the oasis. The older priest that had followed us to prostrate himself before his god.
“They have arrived Holy One.” he stated without looking up. Thoth turned his head slowly, his bird headed body glowed dark while his white feathered head shone in the moonlight. I could feel the same detachment and disdain most of the other deities had toward the mortals that worshipped them.
“I thank you for guiding them to me.” Thoth stated. The priest groveled on the ground that he was not worthy making Thoth forcibly turn away from him. “Our ears and hearts are open to the One that seeks to keep the peace between us and our cousins to the north.” he told me directly. We both bowed toward the other in Egyptian fashion. “And his associates from the Island of Light are welcomed in the land of plenty that is opened before them.” he continued. Sert bowed in Atlantian military fashion while Meli curtsied next to him in a more flowing courtly fashion. The priest crawled away while Thoth had greeted us.
“From my celestial family and my adoptive mothers within your cousins, I greet you with nothing but peace and maat.” I responded formally. “And for my companions, I greet you in the name of Atlantis, her living Holy Heart Annianka, and your great cousins from the distant north.” I added. I bowed again toward our host in the fashion of the Osirian themselves. Thoth face twisted into what was a smile for his heron type face as he answered the bow in kind. He turned slightly to face Sert and Meli more directly before giving them a flawless Atlantian court bow. I ignored both the gasp from my companions and the chuckling beak clacking from our host.
“How fares your sweet mothers Eris and Discordia?” he asked more casually. “Still keeping their sisters and brothers too preoccupied to look beyond their borders to the other powers moving around the world?”
“Always!” I interjected with a chuckle. “They do their part to keep them from sticking their noses in the other pantheons' business.” I knew that Meli would catch the rare world but still like Sert be left in total ignorance of our discussion in the Egyptian tongue.
“They have always been wise even if disruptive in their behaviour.” he returned with a mirthful clack of his beak.
“Zeus and Juno have agreed to leave Egypt untouched but they will not have sway over their people forever.” I explained more seriously. “Even they have felt their people turning from them to follow ambitions of their own choosing.” I continued easily. “As yours have done since Osiris and Isis founded the man-god line.” I added. I prepared myself for Thoth's rebuke but he remain silent and unmoving. A great sigh slowly escaped him as his shoulders drooped with resignation.
“It is as I have heard from many of my cousins.” Thoth answered sadly. “The race of man wishes to rule its own destiny without our interference in their lives unless things go badly for them.”
“It gives them someone to call upon and blame for the darkness they have forced themselves into.” I reported caustically. “Your great cousins in the far north walk among their people giving them hope directly and showing by example what their lives could lead to.” I hazarded as advise.
“And your own people Alal?” he asked suddenly. I felt the frustration and anger wash through him. “Are they willing to walk with their people or have they like so many of us turned away to give them a chance to save themselves.” he squawked at me. He glared down menacingly waiting for me to make a mistake with my words.
“They could not continue upon this plane once they took the next step to end their war.” I answered calmly. “Very few of us from that level have retained our ability to step between the worlds.” I continued. “And we have no people left to return to Thoth.”
“But you walk among them?” he retorted.
“Because I know why I need to exist here.” I told him coldly. “Maybe one day they will rediscover why they exist at all but not until the people have turned to a belief of gold and power over others instead of freedom and honour.” I added dropping my head in respect.
“Well spoken like always old friend.” he returned with the same coldness. He step closer to me as I let my body shift in size to match his height. “Even you cannot see a hope for the higher planes to ever be one again with the mortal coil outside of these reserved spots between the planes that are dwindling fast.” he completed snapping his beak an inch away from my nose. I sensed Sert and Meli tense at my side but held out a hand to stop them.
“One day it will be forced upon the mortal coil so all of them will see the Light of Life as I have in my true youth.” I responded, I did not hide the righteous rage that boiled through me. “I promise you this upon my real bloodline and soul-honour.” I added bluntly. The moment froze for my companions while I allow my true form to show. Thoth stared in sudden fear as my body turned into liquid night sky and the stardust wings unfolded from my back. He looked wordlessly at this display and admittance from me. I reverted back to my human form before releasing the universe from that frozen second. We nodded at each other before I turned without a word and walked away from him. Sert and Meli followed in silent contemplation of the events they had witness.
A trio of tents had been erected within the sub-space by the priests and picketed our camels by the waters edge. A fire burned brightly which I ignored choosing the solitude of my tent to having to speak with my companions that night. I did not even check their minds if they understood since they left me alone for the night. I awoke to find the place changed. The priest and any sign of them having been there were gone. The mystical energy that allowed a meeting with Thoth had dissipated into the land leaving not even a trance it ever existed. I sat by the embers of last nights cheerful fire in pensive contemplation. Sert and Meli joined me but remained silently waiting for me to speak.
No comments:
Post a Comment