《Gods And Monsters: Rise of The Covenant》


 Of All The Gin Joints

    "Hope for the best, expect the worst."- By Some guy I want to punch


    If I could be candid, why of all people did this happen to me I liked my life good shows to watch beautiful woman to¡­ partially satisfy (cough)...eh I mean sure life had its ups and downs but that was how life worked you got to give as much as you take sadly I had no idea how true that was.


    My name is-¡­ well it was Edward Child¡¯s I was 23 years old I was an army vet served 5 years had a few bumps and bruises from my army strong days nothing to bad just a few bumps and bruises to many. doctors said my recent changes from an uptight private to a lackadaisical sergeant was due to a personality shift and (mild chuckle) and here I thought all that daily stress just mellowed out my need to care. So no shit there I was knee deep in the shit on my first contracting gig overseas it was a simple security guard position for an exhibit of artifacts on display in an old ruin (temple or whatever the curator called it just looked dusty to me) which brings us to today June 12, 2015 the day I call the fuck fest convergence.


    As I stirred from my sleep I could hear the Adhan being called through the slightly ajar window ¡°mph fuck time is it¡± I mumbled in an almost complete sentence given how late I stayed up I¡¯m surprised I put words together at all, as I struggled with my comfy captor I peer out the window from underneath my blanket to see the sunsetting on the horizon as it set the sky ablaze with a beautiful hue of vibrant oranges and mellow reds setting the scene to its final dalliance on its stage in the sky. With my captor subdued I crawl out of bed to assess my room a few clothes strewn about the vicinity and an overflowing trash bin (first day of work and I¡¯m already thinking of calling in) I think as I shake my head. As I make my way to my uniform across the room I start stretching my arms and legs to limber up for my patrol tonight as I¡¯m passing the ottoman near the couch where pants are laid out on, a sudden shooting pain assaults the bottom of my right foot ¡°aaahh¡± I grunt ¡°that fucking twatwaffle¡± I hiss as I hop on one foot noticing my room mates back up badge on the floor with the pin facing upward ¡°why the hell is this here¡± I ask an empty room I pick up the odd little badge with the two arms pulling the muscle man pose and squiggles in the middle of the badge (I swear if it isn¡¯t this company¡¯s wired taste in flash it¡¯s the crew they employ) I think while staring at the design emblazoned across it above it read Medjay security ¡°pft¡± I snort ¡°fancy name shitty service¡± deciding to use the badge since mine hadn¡¯t come in yet I finish closing the distance to the couch in the common area and start to get dressed.


    As I¡¯m going through the motions at the main security office I get the rundown on how everything works and what to expect while on patrol, the usual do¡¯s and don¡¯ts of the areas culture and how best to get around the crowded streets whether it was day or night. Now outfitted with both my duty belt full of security essentials and my handheld radio I was ready to go on my patrol. While listening to the back and forth on the radio and getting a good laugh out of my new coworkers antics, I start to come up on the ruins (temple of dust) walking at a easy pace not in a rush to have the decrepit building set off my allergies I notice something moving along the exterior wall ¡°great¡± I sigh looking around for one of the 6 guards on duty to pawn this off on to as I look down the streets that intersect the ruins I notice the streets are empty which honestly wouldn¡¯t be all that discomforting if not for the lack of noise not a cricket nor a audible tone came from any direction. My hands already reaching for my comm radio as a subtle knot starts to grow in my stomach throughout the entire action keying the radio as I raise it to my mouth ¡°officer Childs requesting any mobile guards to rally on possible threat at the exhibit¡± the words come out just fine but the tone in my voice tells a different story it comes out as squeaky beg instead of a steady command to be fair my social skills are nonexistent Its not a rare a occurrence that my voice goes Pee Wee Herman on me as I try to communicate with people in general but on the job no I¡¯m getting bad vibes tonight and me being socially inept definitely is not the cause of the unease in my voice.


    A several minutes goes by with no response a stark difference from earlier when The comms were full of chatter, the knot tightens in my gut telling me to walk away that someone else can handle whatever¡¯s going down in the ruins I take one more look down the usually loud and overcrowded streets and key my radio one more time for good measure ¡°any Medjay security personnel this is officer Childs requesting a radio check¡± 10 seconds 15 seconds , 30s as seconds turn to minutes I realize I¡¯m on my own in my time of need. Taking a deep breath ¡°wheeeew¡± I exhale from my mouth I look towards the ruins (and my impending Doom) and start to trot and slowly break into a jog across the street as I make it to the street corner I make my way to the nearest entrance to where I spotted the possible perp I reach down and unclasp my fire arm and pull it into the low ready firing stance [Click] the safety switch resounds as I switch it off, I¡¯m all for talking out problems but it takes a firm backseat to my own personal safety and if something is going on in there id rather have less moves to make if a threat is imminent. I cross the dessert lawn and come upon the door I notice that its being held open slightly with a book keeping it from shutting I push on the door with minimal force and jut my black combat boot into replace the book as I slip it out from the doors grasp.


    ¡°Shadowshaper¡± printed across the colorful book of a curly headed female covers the front of the book as if doused in cold water my Face immediately breaks into a frown no self-respecting master thief or gun toting robber would be carrying this to a heist I crack the book open to look at the covers back white page to see ¡°Happy Summer Vaykay Sammy- from Brooke¡± I could feel my face cramping and my eye twitching as i stare at the book trying to burn holes into it as I stare daggers at it (fucking kids definitely American) my head starts to throb from the level anger I¡¯m feeling at my self for my own cowardice and the however many twatwaffels inside oh there was reckoning to be had and I would be its harbinger and executioner gladly. Pushing the door open wider I open it just enough to slip in but trying to minimize the amount of moonlight I let fill the dark room.


    I don¡¯t want to alert my prey just yet ¡°mwahahaha¡±I laugh in my doctor evil voice imagining holding my pinky next to my mouth. Putting the book back in place as I back into the room stopping abruptly I quickly realize the alarm hasn¡¯t been going off so whoever¡¯s in here knows one of the big wigs running the this little dog and pony show of an exhibit, with all this old useless junk ¡°well call me an monkeys uncle¡± I whisper acknowledging the possibility of my now newfound knowledge giving me a more defined outline of my quarry, I mentally start greedily rubbing my hands together in my mind as I plan to milk this situation for all its worth. Turning around and making my way into the mausoleum at the low ready with the assistance of the moonlight from the windows giving the rooms a unnatural feel as well lighting my path ahead, as I make my way out of the third room I notice a light down the hallway ¡°oh I got them now..1..2.. Eddies coming for you¡± I whisper in a sing song voice as I near the end of the hallway I see the door cracked (the hells with all these damn half open doors damn kids raised in a barn ) I harshly critique in my head slowly shaking it as I admonish them internally, I catch the tail end of a conversation and hear music playing in the background as I enter hearing distance.If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    (Am I wrong - by Nico & Vinz plays in the background) ¡°I¡¯m telling you man if I had a woman like that hell yeah id fight my brother over her¡± a male voice announces while laughing at the end of his sentence (probably laughs at his own jokes on a regular basis) I think rolling my eyes ¡°you seem like the type, Desperate that is¡± a female voice responds and is met with a chorus of laughter after she heavily annunciates the D in desperate, coming up on the door I peek inside to see 5 teenagers sitting around in chairs with table with red plastic cups on it I see a few beer and liquor bottles in a blue cooler full of ice next to the table as two boys are setting up a long table with cups possibly beer pong¡­. Of course, it is I shake my head for the third time tonight at my own stupidity.


    Scanning the room I see five teens altogether three boys and two girls the boys are two Caucasian one with dirty blond hair and blue eyes 6ft way taller than my little 5¡¯8 self but I got the muscle to put him down I gloat to my self for no apparent reason the others a ginger soulless bastard freckles allover his mug maybe an inch or two shorter then his gigantic friend, the last ones Asian just as tall as the ginger over all the dudes looked like Calvin Klein models (the bastards¡­fuck you genetics) then the two girls a blonde haired top model in the making and her curly haired friend probably the owner of the book miss Sammy in the flesh she was definitely mixed hair like that (pft) and no amount of tanning could get a skin tone that even ¡°Sam no need to feel left out there¡¯s enough of me to go around¡± the Asian jokingly says as he stands up and spreads his arms Sammy and blondie both snort and join the boys by the table and start helping with the setup.


    ¡°maybe some day Ryan you¡¯ll grow a personality to go with that ego¡± she says while never looking up from the task in front of her during their exchange I was looking for anything to be concerned about before I busted in bad boys style sure there wasn¡¯t any cause for concern as I¡¯m moving already with the theme song running through my mind ( Bad boys Bad boys watcha gonna do when they come for you #@#!# all day $%$#%%$) sue me I don¡¯t know the lyrics I internally shrug as my shoulder hits the door I notice something painfully obvious to anyone paying attention there where eight chairs in around the table but 5 teens (well shit) all conversations stopped and were replaced with shrieks from what sounded like 5 girls (heh) seems I¡¯m on a power trip tonight.


    ¡°Don¡¯t Move!!!¡± I shout while pointing my fire arm in at a low angle to not flag them with my barrel don¡¯t need any incident reports about a black man shooting rich kids the media would be in a frenzy I silently chuckle at the irony ¡°alright tell me who let you in here and where the rest of you are???¡± I ask the group in a stern tone to Sammy¡¯s merit she looks the calmest out of the group seconded by her female cohort they start speaking at once which yay for singing like a canary but their voices sound like wild geese while talking in union ¡°Stop!! stop please one at a time¡± I quickly respond and massage my forehead with my free hand ¡°They went to the back to look around David¡¯s dad owns half the artifacts on display he let us in¡± Blondie said as soon as Sam closed her mouth (yes little bird sing mwahaha) seriously I¡¯m sounding more a 80s cartoon villain more and more next ill be monologuing my plan as they escape my clutches.


    ¡°Yeah me willow and our friends just wanted to see the exhibit we don¡¯t really know him¡± Sam followed up with head nods from the three stooges I could the wheels of the bus they threw David under passing by I sigh and lower my firearm ¡°So who¡¯s old enough to buy liquor¡± I say sweeping my gaze bout the room bringing up the third law they¡¯ve broken today ¡°Umm were seniors sir¡± Ryan says looking any where but my eyes I snort ¡°yeah high school seniors so how old¡¯s David¡± I mock him as I¡¯m closing the clasp of my holster clipping my firearm back into its little home ¡°um..I uh think he¡¯s 21 I¡¯m not sure¡± willow answers ¡°honestly we thought if we came as a group to hangout we wouldn¡¯t be in any danger from him if we were vulnerable¡± so David¡¯s got a thing for jailbait¡­ well 18 is legal but still though ¡°how old are you all of you¡± i say pointing to blue eyes ¡°I just turned 18, Ryan did a few months back, Aarons & willow are 17 and Sam¡¯s birthdays today¡° blue eyes tall guy dragon says while pointing everyone out I look down at my watch and say ¡°happy birthday Sam welcome to adulthood and consequences¡± with a bit of mirth in my voice as I¡¯m about to ask of David¡¯s whereabouts speak of the devil and he shall appear. Coming around a corner with two girls a brunette and a platinum blonde, come into view the brunettes hairs looking pretty wild somebody got busy in the back room and looks like it wasn¡¯t girl on girl seeing as how her friends appeance is prim and proper, which is odd enough given where they came from. If I had any form of sixth sense I would have probably took off running from the room at that very moment or at least waited to open my big mouth, I mean if this was a light novel or a movie i¡¯d at least have learnt everyone¡¯s name before shit happened.


    AsI took a step to the side to see beyond the statue of a jackal headed man to see Mr. David himself tossing some artifact up with a smirk of a man that just got some action everything slows down, I¡¯m not sure what I said in this moment but his face makes an O, all joy and self-appreciation draining from his face. The artifact still in the air from his last toss of it, no longer making it to the safety of his other freed hand hits the ground and all hell breaks loose. Everyone heard the resounding crack, all eyes turn towards David then the tugging sensation began and a blinding light. Everything was spinning out of focus and went from bright white to black as the last thing we hear is the clock chime signaling midnight. seems my watch was a minute or two fast little did I know a celestial event was happening causing electronic interference with electromagnetic signals making it impossible to make a phone call, watch satellite dish or call for back up on a radio I don¡¯t know what David dropped but whatever it was cleared a room and left nothing behind.


    In a room once occupied by several people now sitting empty, all that¡¯s left of are piles of clothes and shoes.Static rings out into an empty room full of clothes strewn about the exhibits floor some next to two tables others next to a statue of Anubis one pile in particular a security uniform with a holstered gun and squelching radio keying out ¡°hey Childs you there¡± ¡°hey you bum the silent alarms are going of in the exhibit check it out¡± silence falls once again ¡°..Childs¡­¡± "All Clear Here" A familiar voice responds.

 In the Nile (Denial)

    Perhaps you notice how the denial is so often the preface to the justification. -Christopher Hitchens


    Warmth engulfed my being as well as a cool current surrounding me gently pushing and pulling me as I slowly came into consciousness, I slowly began to become aware of my senses as my body began to reanimate itself as if awaking from a deep slumber, my hearing began to pick up the gentle lapping of water around me and my skin began to feel the emboldened gaze of the sun resting upon it as well as a familiar embrace around me.


    My sense of urgency nowhere in sight as I lay there feeling numb and untethered to reality waiting for this lucid dream to come to an end as time seemed to stretch itself on in a monotonous drag accompanied by the constant splash of waves it was quite relaxing I thought to myself I couldn¡¯t hurt to rest a bit. There are things one should never utter in situations that appear unfamiliar, Jinx is the word that comes to mind in the moments that came to follow, whatever kept my body float decided in that moment to release me as I felt a sudden movement of to objects move from underneath me plunging me into the water I before thought was a dream background instinct took over as my eyes finally flashed open in fright only to close due to the sudden exposure to the water I was submerged in the need to breath came just a soon as my eyes opened my chest burning yet feeling like a heavy weight pressed my chest threatening to cave my chest in.


    As I started clawing my way upwards hoping I wasn¡¯t upside down the second my hand breached the surface I swung it down with its cohort in a weird uneven push downwards that propelled my body upwards in a awkward motion but successfully achieved the desired result my head broke thorough the surface as soon as my mouth came above the water I inhaled trying to fill my lungs with some much needed relief only to further increase the pain I felt in my chest and spread the fire I felt in chest. I began to panic and clutch my throat for dear life I could hear my heart beating rapidly as the edges of my vision began to fade replaced with darkness once again a cold realization dawned on me through my panic I was going to die this is how my life was going to end not on a battlefield or in the line of duty but alone afraid and to weak to save myself from drowning as my mind started to find it harder to process my thoughts I felt a slight sliver of something race through my body before my mind went dark. Boom!!! barrage of attacks on my back brought me back and alongside an uncontrollable urge to retch up my entire stomach I coughed and spit up the water that had been in my lungs a hand came into focus as I began to descend back into the water catching me before I can fall back into the what would have been my murky grave.


    My senses since returned I moved my feet and found purchase on solid ground of rage and embarrassment could be used as a currency I¡¯d be filthy rich, if I had token stock of my surroundings I would have known internally chastising my self I looked around at my surroundings, we where in a river not to far from the coastline amongst the palm trees and sand, I saw several tents scattered about the camp ground were men, and boats and canoes tied along the beach.


    Peering further and getting a decent look around I finally noticed some familiar sights clearly, we were in the dessert somewhere along The Nile River to be exact, so I was still on the Giza plateau probably not to far from Cairo maybe a day or two walking distance to the nearest town I¡¯m guessing whatever happened at the museum was some sort of flash grenade giving my captors the leeway to deal with me and move me here for some reason.


    My short respite from the reality of the situation I hadn¡¯t truly contemplated why I was in the Nile river who put me here and worst of all I took a break from my mind trying to analyze this odd ordeal to look at my savior slash possible kidnapper. He was a giant of a man somehow large enough to hold my body easily as if I barely weighed anything I took a quick peek at the small group trying to count how many possible threats awaited me on shore, after 20 or so I gave up and look at the giant of a man.


    And then everything went to shit because as always Murphey and his law always find a way


    And it came in the form of a giant speaking to me ¡°so boy I see you are alert enough to regain your sense of mind. What of your awakening can you fully feel your sahu(spirit)¡± the large stranger asked after I finally rested my eyes on him I had no idea how I knew what he was saying it was foreign to my mind but I heard it as if he was speaking my native tongue not sure how to play this out I played it safe and played dumb by replying ¡°sahu¡± he leveled a glare at me watching my face for a while before he explained ¡° sahu our connection to the greater realms and connection to the earth mother¡± ah I thought so I¡¯m dealing with a psycho cult this is not how Imagined I would be dying by ritual sacrifice I sigh internally looking at him out of all my options I¡¯d say fake it till I make it because going toe to toe with Andre the giant here and his merry men not exactly sounding plausible in the slightest.


    So, I close my eyes and pretend to concentrate to give the appearance that I¡¯m trying, a happy cultist probably isn¡¯t a killing cultist well¡­ at lest I hope not. While I give the best constipation face I can muster a odd chill runs through my body startling me causing me to let out a yelp big man is pleased by my sudden discomfort given by his need to speak to me once more ¡° yes boy you¡¯ve felt it now you must harness it then you can break from your shackles with new purpose for our lord!!!¡± he said while letting me go. He clearly was on a roll as he began speaking of the virtues of serving his lord, so I tuned him out for the moment and tried to see if I could catch site of any roads posted signs or basically anything to indicate where I was exactly along the river. In all fairness with all this going on the near-death experience from drowning and giants roaming about talking about lords a guy could get distracted my stomach no longer felt like being forgotten as it finally protested its neglect by giving out a growling grumble, I couldn¡¯t tell if it was a blessing or a curse feeling slightly embarrassed I look at the man watching his face for any signs of aggression at my stomach interrupting his monologue.


    The man seemed to find some amusement from my obvious hunger he began to guide us towards the shore and his camp, as we approached I looked down at my feet moving forward step by step although I was moving my body my limbs felt foreign, raising my left hand to inspect I know knew why my arms felt unfamiliar they weren¡¯t mine. The color of my skin was no longer a dark brown but closer to bronze and they were bare no sign of tattoos, I start to run my hands across my face feeling the shape of my jaw, chin and earlobes searching for any scars or blemishes that seem familiar I look down at my chest once we exit the water and step on dry land at this point I know I¡¯m not myself any more but I hope for my chest to have any of the tattoos laying across my chest.


    Ah hello anxiety my old friend I think as it becomes hard to breathe my chest starts to rise and fall increasing in speed, falling to my knees I try to rationalize the Ws of the world who brought me here, why me and was I the only one to get body snatched, when did I get switched how long was I floating there, and what was going on I still felt the sliver of what the giant called sahu it was running trough my body increasing in strength every minute since I first felt it. Closing my eyes I knew where I was and that was the only answer I had and it¡¯s more than enough to help me survive long enough to make an escape until I make it to a town and contact the authorities.while I was losing it the man kept a distance and withheld what ever judgement he may or may not have garnered from my little episode since my awakening, thump-thump!!


    Someone was approaching us rather quickly made evident by the sound of feet slapping upon wet sand, I turn my head to view the newcomer he¡¯s wearing little to nothing except a skirt well it was probably a kilt and a thin shirt of terrible quality, he was shorter then the cult- napper but not by much. ¡°Abraxas I see your hem(slave) survived the awakening¡± the newcomer said to the now named Abraxas ¡°yes he took his time of it while doing so¡± replied Abraxas closing the distance between him and the newcomer ¡°are we ready to reach our first destination, I would like to get our journey underway it will take 10 years to to reach Thebes I¡¯d rather we make it to back before the final pyramid is complete¡± Abraxas continued the new comer nodded taking a quick glance my way he spun around and headed to the nearest group yelling to pack up. I was very familiar with this plot seen enough movies and read enough books to know this wasn¡¯t Kansas anymore, walking to the rivers edge I catch my reflection it¡¯s not easy to make out but I could see enough to know I was a child.Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    A boy probably between 9 or 10 I could make out my original face with slight tweaks that made me look Egyptian, possibly to match my environment so the cultist may have actually been my saviors. But from what the other man said I¡¯ve been here longer than my little swim. Abraxas looked over shoulder at me while he continued his walk to the camp ¡° boy do you wish to be food for the residents of the river if not get back to the camp and prepare to leave we have a conclave to organize and I won¡¯t be upheld even by my new apprentice¡± he snapped, fully aware of the reptile eyes of that were only 50 meters away from where I stand Nile crocodiles I back up slowly and turn around to jog next to Abraxas, cultist or not I knew death was waiting in the water I¡¯d take my chances with the weirdos I can outrun a man there¡¯s no out swimming what you can¡¯t see


    . Slowing my jog to match his stride I began to ask questions of my would be master/teacher ¡°where are we heading for.. the conclave¡± I honestly had no idea what one was so gathering intel was a must knowings half the battle, Abraxas stays quiet for the better part of our walk until he stops at a tent that I¡¯m guessing is mine given how poorly constructed it is Abraxas raises his right hand and snaps his fingers a strong wind picks up blowing sand away from us. I cringe slightly from his display, I look around to see several pieces of linen were strewn about at the mouth of the tent as well as a tablet, all of it previously buried under the sand Abraxas picks up the tablet and hands it to me ¡° next time be sure to stow your things away wrapping things up just doesn¡¯t cut it,¡± he scolds taking the tablet and looking down upon it I see a mixture of hieroglyphs and runes ¡° take care reading this on our journey we will begin your lessons once you complete your task get some rest we leave at mid day¡± I look up from the tablet towards the sun so high in the sky, I guess taking a nap would be best I¡¯ve been feeling tired and worn out looking around I see some of the men eating and decide a snack is in order before I pass out .


    So far I¡¯ve been running on autopilot reacting more then actually making decisions I thought while nibbling on the bread I snagged the foods available were made in a primitive fashion, I¡¯ve been easdropping on conversations and from what I can tell either they are great actors or I¡¯m in ancient Egypt they¡¯ve been speaking about the completion of the final pyramid for pharaoh khafu, being on the Giza plateau meant the pyramids of Giza I wasn¡¯t sure how far back I am but I new technology was a bust in my lifetime, at least there¡¯s some sort of magic or powers I guess I¡¯ll find out when I¡¯m done reading the hieroglyphs, I see Abraxas talking to Adom the man who met us at the river he¡¯s also a magic user saw him mumbling and a fire looted instinct existance for the men to cook with, he was Abraxas right hand man by asking small misleading questions here and there I learned that I¡¯ve been with these people for four years being taught and raised to serve pharaoh khufu which in these times was a great honor I was born a slave so my options were limited.


    But being taught magic seemed like a silver lining, I wore no chains the soldiers respected me well put up with me my station as a apprentice was favorable in these times, tossing the last piece of bread into my mouth I stand and make my way to my tent on the outskirts of the camp, which in the beginning seemed odd but made sense I was a slave before I became a apprentice so my place amongst the group had skyrocketed I would be getting better accommodations from here on. Lifting the linen flap I enter my tent looking once more at the shoddy craftsmanship linen every thing so far what I would give for a fantasyland world wear woman wore armor for sex appeal instead of protection, I chuckle instead I get historical accuracy and a sausage fest. Rolling my wardrobe of linen up into a pillow I use the rest to try to barricade the entry from any desert critters scorpions are a definite problem and I¡¯m not sure if those beetles from the mummy are real but I don¡¯t want to find out, curling up to my misshaped pillow I nod off into dreamland.


    Swirls I think..circles no¡­. a cycle staring at the swirling abyss I try to see if I can make out its source only seeing more darkness its truly unnerving it¡¯s just empty, finally looking around the strange landscape streaks that are reminiscent of lightning run through


    The sky and pulse in the ground. The last thing I remember was going to sleep in Egypt and now I find my self here a grey world with a familiar feel that i¡¯m certain I¡¯ve never seen, a oasis full of lush vegetation surrounding the pond al except a clear walkway that¡¯s large enough for one to pass through and above that a swirling mass of darkness suspended there like a tear in reality, I¡¯m in a dreamworld and I¡¯m sure I can¡¯t leave until I fulfill a purpose, enough movie and book plots make this situation dreadfully obvious I sigh making my way to the oasis as I pass the opening trail bordered by thick vegetation I can notice the pulsing underfoot turns into hum and I can feel the ground begin to vibrate the streaks in the sky flashing faster like a strobe light, guess I was on the right path continue as both the ground have become chaotic step by step,Crack!! Creak!!


    Somethings happening behind me I keep walking Boom!! I hear the sky roar as the streaks become lightning striking in the background, fearing what¡¯s happening to the ground I pick up my pace wanting to be at the pond, once I reach the water the world goes quiet silence reigns for a while. Looking behind me to see what was happening and I see the earth ravaged, looking at my own personal Grand Canyon I see Lightning streaking the apocalyptic hellscape. Standing at the ravines edge I kick a rock into the its maw waiting for it to reach the bottom, minutes go by and still no drop well I guess this truly the point of no return. Returning to the oasis I look into the waters surface, and nothing it¡¯s just water and all I see is my reflection.


    Taking a knee I close the distance between me and the waters surface and try to peer beyond it, still I see nothing just my reflection and water, personally I had my issues with bodies of water but


    Sitting here for what felt like years was killing me so I reach out


    And to disturb the waters Surface, as my fingers brush the surface causing little ripples with no change I decide there¡¯s nothing lurking beneath, oh how wrong was I.


    The moment I relaxed a hand broke through the waters clasping on to my wrist, ¡°Christ¡± I shouted as I tried to scramble back way from the water to no avail, whoever had me was pulling me in and my struggle was in no way hindering them. The moment my feet entered the oasis another hand grabbed my leg pulling me further below the waters depth, using my last hand I put up a pitiful defense, honestly I the I should feel as one of my recurring nightmares played out with me as it¡¯s victim, I should be bawling like a baby with snot hanging from my nose, I was terrified and the worst part was I couldn¡¯t feel the emotions I just knew how I felt in this dream world my mind was my own enemy and it knew this was meant to be.


    Nearly fully submerged I take my last look at the sky as my face sinks beneath the surface, bleak I thought the world seemed bleak. A child with his mother she¡¯s given birth to a girl and the fathers nowhere around, the boys life is full of constant strife he¡¯s a slave as is his mother but his baby sister is no longer a slave her father comes and collects his spawn there¡¯s a small joy to be had in that she will know a better life. The boy is five he¡¯s found by a court magi playing tricks on the guards says the boy has potential and takes him away from his mother. Abraxas teaches the boy how to read, write and everything he¡¯s learned on his travels the boy learns fast nothing is beyond his comprehension, Abraxas begins decides its time to truly begin their lessons. The boy grew under his masters constant watch and learned all he could, his skill in the arcane left much to be desired but his eagerness to learn pleased his master but the boy always remembers that his mother was alone and his family never far from thought.


    Abraxas tells him it¡¯s time for his ritual awakening into the court, the ritual will take place during their journey to begin the conclave a meeting of foreign magi from lands hidden from their prospective rulers,


    Fearing unneeded conflict the magi will discuss a coming event. The boys his chance to escape his master and see his mother one last time, as Abraxas leads the boy to the river he has him vow to forsake his past and give his all to serve the pharaoh and those to come, the boy lies and says his vow the magic takes its toll on his spiritual body vows cannot be uttered without consequence. The boy dies and lays there in the river, Abraxas takes this as a sign of disloyalty and begins to leave the body, as it sinks into the river he hears back to shore disappointment clear on his face years wasted he would have to begin anew only to be stopped by a disturbance in the water, the boy has awakened but his eyes are closed Abraxas rushes to his aid when the boys eyes finally open and I awaken in my tent I was the boy.

 A little Exposition in my life (and a little monica in the sun) mambo #5

    There is a place in the heart that will never be filled,


    A space


    And even during the best moments


    And the greatest times


    We will know it


    We will know it


    More than ever


    There is a place in the heart that will never be filled


    And we will wait and wait in that space ¨C Charles Bukowski


    (excerpt of "you get so alone at times that it just makes sense")


    Edward/Heka 2570 African continent, nine years old


    There are dozens of ways to express one''s feelings on any given situation; my personal favorite is the immediate dismissal of the problem itself, though the problem persists festering all the while I feign ignorance of its existence. Usually, that works, but considering the circumstances  I find this situation demands a different approach, how could one ignore the bizarre machinations that tore my world asunder and threw my concept of reality to the winds, well obviously you can''t people die like that.


    A caravan of merchants, soldiers, and high-profile members of court made their way through the Savannah moving at a leisurely pace, passing through villages as children ran along the parade of unfamiliar faces making their way through the small communities towards the closest kingdom. As the children followed along, they spotted a boy their age amongst the men and women, and he was no taller than any of the children present yet held himself as-well-as the adults. His skin was as dark as theirs a feature making him stand out amongst his bronze-skinned companions, the bravest amongst them a young girl of six ran up to him grabbing ahold of his arm to pull him along to join them. However, the boy wouldn''t budge an inch. The young boy regarded her with a calm gaze, pulled his hand free from her grasp, and patted her head, patronizingly, and continued to follow the convoy uninterested in the game''s the children played.


    Walking in as if in a trance, I contemplated what I was going to do and for how long in this new life, while my host''s mind continued to meld with my own. It was near 2 weeks after my episodic spirit quest, the memories of the boy named Heka mixing with my own giving me all the tools I would need to pass as a resident of these Era coupled with my years of experience. I felt far older then my current body would suggest appearing nine years old in form yet having 32 years of memories, 24 years of them from adolescence. Yet, more than anything else, there is always an unseen benefit to every given crisis; this one is the existence of magic.


    Knowledge of the arcane was compelling, and sadly my new master had yet to impart his infinite wisdom on the matter. This predicament left me with a significant gap in my training, and I found myself at a loss until I realized I had a plethora of memories about television and fictional books about supers and magic to carve my path.


    I was bending over midstride to scoop up several promising rocks for experimentation, only picking up one or two as I moved along within the convoy, ensuring to look up occasionally, ensuring not to be left behind. I held out my right hand, within the palm of my hand sat one of the pebbles I picked up earlier on the way, I intended to familiarize my self with the witches most underrated skill telekinesis. I would be remised if I did not explain, witches have an odd assortment of abilities: telekinesis, channeling, conjuring, mental abilities, and the coup de grace longevity.


    With these new powers bestowed upon me opened pathways, I could only dream of opening up a whole world of possibilities in front of me, and all I had to do was reach out and take it. Looking up from my hand, I scanned through the mob of moving bodies until I spotted the supposed master to be and the anchor that stunted my growth in my new life. Abraxas, the Envoy he was a newcomer to the pharaoh''s magi council, hedging a promising career as our lord pharaoh''s close confidant and spiritual advisor, it did not hurt that he was the pharaoh''s eldest sons'' best friend either.


    Our current journey was a byproduct of his and the pharaoh''s goal to sue for peace and prosperity; we were the peace delegation to our Kerman brethren, the other superpower on the Nile river. Tensions between the Kerman monarchy and Egypt have been rocky for quite some time since their founding the Kerman''s had no love for Egypt conflicts sparked across the Giza plateau.


    Where Egypt had the technology and infrastructure the Kerman''s had the numbers their agricultural ability paved the roads for expansion, the short of it was they had the means to supply an army Egypt would look prettier but would fall to their overwhelming numbers.


    I returned to my training, imagining a hand grasping one of the many stones I held in my open palm this was the best method I could come up with while pilfering through Heka''s memories and thinking of the force. All things considered, I was doing very well; in the beginning, no matter how hard I tried to move the stone, nothing would happen. I didn''t have the training that disciples received after their awakening ceremony, and this was partly due to this ridiculous odyssey we were undertaking; the other reason being was my mentor was to busy leading to instruct me on a damn thing.Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    So, I did what every red-blooded American would I would take matters into my own now tiny hands. I went around and watched the magistrate''s daily activities; only the mid-tier used magic intermittently throughout the day, low-class magi had their servants cater to the vainest of needs. It would seem power clouds the mind no matter what universe you were in alternative or otherwise.


    After days full of ass-kissing and schmoozing with the low-class magi for the slightest bit of clues on telekinesis, I pieced together what I needed using the poorly described explanations I received. Honing the most useful skill in my repertoire would be the best course of action as I was a defenseless boy in a world of super-powered bureaucrats.


    The stone began to levitate off my palm in my imaginary grasp, and the effort to raise it brought beads of sweat down my face as two more rose up shakily, threatening to fall right out of the sky. Slowly I began to make them dance through the air it was like wading through syrup, the act of moving three objects separately, happened to be just as hard as patting your head and rubbing your belly while hopping on one foot it was a nightmare.


    The battle against the forces of gravity ended abruptly when someone grabbed my wrist. The sudden action caused me to lose concentration; the stones dropped merrily, as if happy to return to the ground. I could swear the world had suddenly taken on a red hue as I raised my head to assess my soon to be victim, it was Habib, a low tier magus one that stood in the anti-Abraxas corner of the magi council. "Boy, what In Yahweh are you doing," Habib asked with a look of pure disbelief. "Training what does it look like" I responded heatedly quickly pulling my wrist free.


    Habib stared me down expecting some sort of apology I smirked at him and thought funny how he thought he deserved one


    "If you would excuse me¡­senior Hab-,'''' I started. "Boy your head is as empty as the sky, what exactly were you trying to accomplish, outing magic to the common folk" He interrupted. I could feel the heat rushing to my face as I took in my surroundings, amongst the weary convoy were common folk staring wild-eyed at me. "Heka wasn''t? It boy, I believe you''d better come with me. It would seem your education is severely lacking!" Habib said as he put his hand upon my back to guide me to our destination. I resisted the urge to slap his hand away, and it would appear the day was far from over, I thought as I resigned myself to my fate.


    Gamal the Forsaken 2570 African continent


    The sun had set upon another glorious day; the red-billed oxpeckers flew homeward bound. Gamal was enjoying this moment for what it was blissful; this journey gave him precisely what he desired. If this expedition failed, it was on Abraxas, and if they succeeded, everyone benefitted. Gamal returned his thoughts to the squabbling pair in front of him, Sabra and Dawud were deep into a debate about what mystical arts and advancements the Kushite would have to offer from the biggest threat to Egypt''s Dominance the Nubian menace, the Kingdom of Kerma. While the debate continued about absent a member, Gamal investigated a disturbance in the distance, making its way towards him. Habib looking frustrated beyond measure pulling a young boy along by the arm, upon further reflection, the boy seemed oddly familiar.


    Gamal could not help but smile at the thought of what this village boy could have done to send one of the most passive men he knew over the edge. Catching Habib''s gaze, Gamal gave the man a slight nod towards the boy, seemingly grateful Habib changed course mid-step, making a bee-line straight to Gamal. "Either the company you keep are getting younger, or you''re getting older, my friend!" Quipped Gamal. "Ah, I am getting older, my friend, and even more by the second with this one in tow." Habib replied with a sigh, "what did the Nubian boy do steal a loaf of bread" Gamal continued jokingly. Habib'' s widened and turned to the boy reappraising him. "Nubian?" the boy seemed just as surprised as his captor. Laughing at both of their surprise at the apparent piece of information, "look at him, it was quite telling by his features" Gamal supplied, "although I can see both Nubian and Egyptian features. A half-breed perhaps," Gamal continued surprised himself at the oddity before him.


    True, it was not unheard-of Nubians who were not much different from the Egyptians. Yet, the constant animosity seemed to demure any friendly advances on either side. "is that why I am here?" an unfamiliar voice questioned no one in particular. Surprising, Gamal even further Habib retorted, "no boy, you know damn well why you are here" the boy made an obnoxiously loud click with his tongue. Gamal could not help but chuckle at the gall the boy had in spades, Habib, on the other hand, seemed far wearier from the extended company of the Nubian. Habib looked to Gamal "The boy is Magi, I believe he''s the ward of Abraxas" pulling the wrist he held up to pull him closer Habib continued "I caught him using the Arts in the open for all to see" Habib surveyed the surrounding during his spiel no doubt wary of prying ears. The boy in question was silent and studying Gamal and Habib Intensely, not a hint of shame or fear on his face.


    Gamal sighed he had heard of Abraxas ward the boy was his key to buying access to Kerma, numerous attempts to placate the savages to the south, and we would do so with a child of mild import. Allowing the boy into the Magi Council showed our willingness to accept the southerners, having a man on the inside to pilfer secrets worked in our favor as well.


    The boy was not getting the tutelage he needed with Abraxas busy with this expedition, starving for an outlet for his budding power. This was a sign from the gods a chance for Gamal to impart his teachings to one who could rise to heights he never would. "Boy¡­what is your name?" queried Gamal with a new light of hope in his eyes as he saw past the boy towards the future. "Heka¡­my name is Heka." hesitated the boy now known to all as Heka. "Well, Young Heka, I have a proposition for you."