"It-it will cost...my life..."
Aiden sank to the ground, his sole leg buckling like sodden paper beneath him. He reached blindly to touch the large paw of the hound who moved to his side curiously, shuddering at the cold feel of the claws.
"Babi cares not for you. But for the power your body will have. The blood of a virgin, however soiled with the pestilence of life and excess, is rare and grand for any magic."
Aiden's head shot up, his eyes wide in feigned indignity, his cheeks flushed. "Wha...?"
"Don't try and lie," Am-Heh's lip curled in contempt and Aiden drooped, nodding in beaten obedience. "It does not become you. You voiced your desire to die, I am giving you the chance to do it in glory. To do something that endears you to your fellow man and will hold sway in the beyond."
"I...suppose so," Aiden looked across at a growing shadow. The sound of dragging feet and grunts o
Whatever spirit inhabited his body had no fear of pain, it hadn't in life and certainly not in death. Blood stained Aiden's leg and broken glass cut into his hands but all Aiden himself felt was a dull ache.Above him, a crow flew, giving Am-Heh a view of what was happening so he didn't need to follow.He was pulled onto his haunches, a gurgle coming from his throat. Aiden felt something dribble from the side of his mouth. Blood? Salvia? He couldn't tell.Even though his blood had run cold at the approaching shadow, malformed and hunched, the spirit seemed excited. Waiting with tense expectancy for Babi to appear.It did not need to wait long. The God, ungainly he might be, was swift when needed. His dark eyes took in the wretched form, slowly trailing the body that was no longer inhabited by one he could call a slave. But that aside, the blood was still useful, even if the person was not.And, although he
'There will be three.'Shu mulled over the words as he lingered over the bloody view. Hidden in the form of a soft breeze he had the perfect opportunity to listen in without risking his skin.He had not gotten far when he heard the shriek of the spirits and loyalty to Atum compelled him to return.'Lucky I did,' he thought gloomily, drifting to sit atop the broken eaves of a tall building. The roof had caved in, drowning the offices in debris and damp. 'Someone must remain and make sure the humans are safe. And, at the expense of bruises, I suppose it has to be me.'---Every step the great dog took sent ripples of power through the parched earth.Am-Heh's voice, rich and sultry, pulsated through its mind.'O shabti, allotted to me, if I be summoned or if I be detailed to do any work which has to be done in the realm of the living, if indeed any obstac
The earth trembled as you passed by,Turning everything sacred as you walked.And you set your blue eyes upon me for the first time,speaking at me with the depth of the night...like a nightingale who doesn't need its wings to fly.What a blessing it is to be worthy of your look.I have seen rain on the desert,and all impossible things coming true.All of my prayers carry your name.&nbs
The events that were transpiring spurred Atum on. In his haste, some of the powder was lost, carried away on the wind. He swore under his breath, sheltering under the remains of a bus stop, the seat still in usable condition.His hands were shaking as the sound of the crumbling warehouse reached him."Shu!" He called up into the empty sky, looking up only briefly lest he lose any more of the precious mixture. "Do not allow the humans to be lost!"'Yes, great one,' Shu's voice carried back, mingled with the soft wail of a crying baby. 'I must make sure these are safe too, then I will on of swift wings.'Atum nodded, muttering some nonsensical words of acknowledgment. He could see in his mind, the half-dead mother, desperate to save her child, fearful in the arms of her dead husband and older daughter. All around them, life was evaporating and Shu was their only hope.He turned
Kyle had no idea on how to approach the gathered dead. It seemed, rather stereotypically, a blow to their skulls finished them, but there were more than ten of them. Not to mention the mounted templar who, eyeless as he was, looked thirsty for more blood to stain his hands."Why are you listening to him?" Marie whispered, lifting her voice enough to be heard over the grunts and groans. She wasn't sure why she was showing him any pity, not after what he'd done. She assumed it was just her social conscious, and the strict teaching of her mother, never to turn ones' back. "You could do so much better.""Shut your mouth," Kyle snapped, feeling Babi's icy gaze on him. "You don't know anything! This is my only chance in life to get anywhere, to get anything. Life doesn't care about people like me.""I thought that. Once."Kyle wrinkled with nose and picked up a fallen plank. It would do. With enou
In Egypt; Anubis watched as the city smouldered. The cyclone sliding back down from the bubbling skies like a reverse volcano, sweeping away the crumbled remains of homes and business.He hung his head, feeling powerless for once in his long existence. The help he could give was like sharing a grain of rice among a starving village.Worthless.In London; the Thames bubbled. Strange beasts rose and fell in the boiling water that threatened to burst the banks and roast alive anyone who fell in its path.People sheltered in basements, in attics and had even pried the covers off manholes, only to find the threat beneath just as great.In Africa; the rich were crushed by the opulence they had hoarded, money unable to save them from the rage of nature. And the poor cowered, finding dents in the ground or concealed hidey-holes in desperate attempts to shield the most needy of them all.All over the world, s
Am-Heh didn't baulk at the chaotic sight that met him. Instead, he looked with disdain at the gangly beast that was struggling to free itself and the summoned spirits that hissed at it.It seemed humans were not the only beings that refused to work in tandem.He offered a curt nod as the injured Templar. His use, and that of the others, were over. The last thing was to strengthen the rising forces, and his blood would suffice.It would give the might to break the chains but keep him tethered until, and if, he was required.He didn't watch as the broken body struggled to its feet, stumbling over the remains of his shattered horse, wielding his sword. He heard the clang of steel, the swing striking tough, leathery skin that refused to break under the blade. In the corner of his vision, he saw sparks as the steel chipped, flakes of flesh flying amongst them. He could picture the defeat from the violent, wet noises that sounded beh
A shrill shriek shattered the atmosphere as Babi tore towards Am-Heh, the sword raised high. It swung down, shattering through the arm of the reaching demon.One bite from the blade meant agony. And the wail that left the putrid mouth told of it.The eyes glazed with bubbling anger, and it swung, showering the area in burning blood. All the while trying to rise further, stopped only by the undigested meal in its stomach.Mr Montford grimaced as the warm blood descended, trickling in thick droplets like the vilest of rain. It wouldn't stop him. One dig he was on, many moons ago, never stopped even when they hit a sewage pipe.Although it delayed them when trying to clean. And when the local authorities got involved to remedy it.He slipped on the gore, trying his best to avoid it as he made his way over to where Ash indicated. As he neared, the air seemed to become thicker, as if he was walking through tar or against a high wind.His breath became harsh as the pressure became stronger.