The horrific scene unfolded before the group almost as if in slow motion. Jeneta lay on the ground, her eyes wide with fright and looking completely helpless as the gigantic god raised his sword and prepared to end the young girl's life for daring to intrude on his domain and challenge him. A moment later, her heart pounding in her chest from fright, Heather screamed out the one thing that entered her mind; "Jeneta! LOOK OUT!"
That was the one thing that snapped Jeneta out of her trance, and with a frightened gasp, she rolled out of the way of the deadly sword, and it smashed the spot she was just in a second before, leaving a large dent in the ground and dust flying up. Quickly, Jeneta got up to her feet and faced the enormous figure, panting heavily and clenching her fists to her side.
"Dammit! We can't just stay in here! We have to help her!" yelled out Ling, hitting the bars in the cage they were trapped in as hard as she could. But the silvery bars remained stubbornly unmoved, and she gave it one last kick before letting out an exhausted breath.
"Djoser, you can get us out, can't you?" Heather asked desperately as she turned to the tall dark skinned man beside her. "If not, Jeneta won't last much longer with that....that monster!! There has to be a spell or something..."
"These bars are spell-proof," Djoser said, frustration in his eyes. "I already tried two spells while you weren't looking, and it didn't work." He narrowed his eyes as he watched Jeneta dodge another swing of the Sekheti's sword. "But that doesn't mean I can't help her from here."
"What are you going to do?" asked Angeni, watching Djoser along with the others going into his pouch.
"Just watch." Djoser opened up a small, white scroll, and taking a deep breath, spoke softly a few incantation words. "Worlarim, incantantus sholashi...TOKONAI!"
In a bright flash, a white light....about the size of a large ball, appeared over Jeneta's head after she stood up from having rolled away from another swing by Sekheti. It dimmed a little, and slowly went to the ground in front of her. It began to take shape in short bursts of colorful light, and went it dissipated, a large, shining sword lay in front of her.
"Look! It's a sword! She can defend herself now!" cried out Prya, clasping her hands together. She was so worried about her new friend, she couldn't bring herself to speak before. Now there was hope, and it brought happiness like nothing into her heart.
The sword's blade was a shining silver, with its edge as sharp as any sword had been and nearly half the length of Jeneta's body. The hilt and handle of the sword was a bright blue, with about half a dozen emeralds going down and across it, almost forming a cross. For a few moments, Jeneta could only stare at wonder at it, marveling in its beauty, until Ling's voice broke through her reverie.
"Jeneta, hurry! Take the sword and kick his doggy-faced butt!" the Chinese girl yelled out in encouragement. Heather and the other girls, Danji included, also yelled out encouragements, their voices filling the air with hope.
"Go get him Jeneta!!" yelled out Angeni, then gave one of her traditional long and loud Native American battle cries, her voice rising high above the others.
With a grateful look and tears in her eyes, Jeneta turned to her friends, her heart filling with hope and joy at them caring so much about her. I think...no, I KNOW I can do it with them by my side! she thought to herself, bending down slowly to take the sword in her hand. She then looked into Djoser eyes, and her heart skipped a little beat when he smiled softly at her and nodded. But there was something else in his eyes she saw besides proudness. She wasn't sure, but..could it have been love? But she didn't have time to reflect on it more as she looked up in to see Sekheti raise his sword once more and bring it down.
With a surprised grunt, Jeneta brought up her own sword defensively in front of her just in time. When the two blades smashed together, it sent a loud clang into the air, and sparks flew out from between them. But the impact of the hit was so hard, it threw back Jeneta nearly a few feet, and she landed on the floor with a thud.
"Your sword is useless against me, pathetic mortal!" growled out Sekheti, walking slowly closer and closer to her. "Give up now, and I promise I won't make your death and theirs more painful than it has to be. Your friends have put empty faith in you." The god's eyes glowed yellow as he overshadowed the smaller girl.
"NO!" Jeneta painfully got up and held her sword in front of her as bravely as she could, sweat pouring down her dark face and the hot wind blowing her black hair around her. "It's not empty faith! My friends DO believe in me, and I believe in myself. I won't let you hurt them, I swear! And I won't let you keep me from my mission!"
"So be it. Die an unbearable death." Sekheti gave a loud roar, and this time swung his sword down in a low arch, so there would be no escape for her. But he didn't expect for her to actually use her sword to defend herself. Once more the loud clang crashed through the air as the swords slammed into one another again, but this time, Jeneta used the momentum of the force of Sekheti's swing to propel her into a backwards flip, and she landed expertly on her feet. Memories like she had never experienced flooded her mind then, and while Jeneta didn't understand where they came from, there was no time to question them, and she turned to the god in a fighting stance, ready to fight.
"Whoa, where'd she learn to do that?" breathed Ling, truly impressed.
"I don't know, but she is already starting to get weak. She might not last longer..." Danji said, his eyes fixed on the scene before him as Jeneta fought the immense god with expert swordsmanship and agility. But where did she get that fighting skill? he wondered to himself.
Heather looked at him with wide eyes. "No! She can't die, not like this! We still....!" But whatever more she was about to say was cut off as Jeneta gave a loud cry, rushing forward towards Sekheti with her sword held high. The god also had his sword raised, ready to strike her down, but just as he was about to bring his sword down, Jeneta bent down slightly and kicked her leg out, knocking his feet from under him. Sekheti went down with a loud thud, but he recovered quickly, and before Jeneta knew what was happening, he brought his sword up and stabbed her in the arm, drawing out blood.
The dark-skinned girl screamed loudly and fell on her knees on the ground, her other hand clutching at her wound.
"JENETA!" screamed out Heather as she held on tensely to the bars with both hands, tears streaming down her face.
"No! Please, you must stop! We'll give up, just don't hurt her anymore!" sobbed Prya, looking at the god with pleading eyes.
Sekheti walked up to where Jeneta was on her knees, and smirked as much as his jackal face allowed him to. "You see? All you have done was in vain. Now you shall die and your friends soon after. It is over now..." He brought his sword up for the final blow.
"It's NOT over now!" Jeneta said, breathing out in pain. With strength from somewhere deep inside her she didn't know existed, Jeneta crouched on her feet and jumped through between his legs, landing behind him just as the sword hit the spot where she just was. It was then Djoser shouted out to her, hoping that what he saw on the back of the neck of Sekheti was what he hoped it was.
"Jeneta! That jewel on the back of his neck! You have to break it to free him from Kumraa's spell!" Djoser shouted out, hope filling his heart. "Do it, now!"
Squinting against the bright sun, Jeneta indeed saw that bright red jewel glowing on the back of the god's black furred neck. Nodding to herself, she let go of the wound on her right arm, allowing the blood to flow freely, and after taking a deep breath, rushed forward with a loud yell and jumped as high as she could. Sekheti was just about to turn around when Jeneta smashed the point of her sword on the mind controlling jewel, and it broke apart with a loud crash, pieces of it falling heavily to the ground.
When she landed on the ground in a crouch, there was silence for a few seconds as Sekheti's body just stood still, then began to writhe in pain. The god fell to his knees and gave a loud painful cry. Within seconds, the yellow glow to his eyes faded, returning to their normal, brown color.
When it was all done, Sekheti raised his head and looked around in puzzlement, blinking his eyes. "What...what is going on here? Who are all of you? What is the meaning of this?"
"I believe we can explain...if you let go of my friends." Jeneta said, walking up cautiously to him. "But prepare yourself, it's a long story..."
With an unsure nod, the god stood up on shaky legs and waved his hand. Immediately, the cage disappeared, and Heather and the other girls rushed to Jeneta and began hugging and consoling her. While they were doing that, Djoser walked up to the jackal-headed god. "I am Djoser, and my friends and I are here are on a very important journey. What do you last remember?"
"I...I am Sekheti, God of the Underworld and the Weigher of Souls." Sekheti answered back softly, nodding his head. "The last thing I remember was confronting a very evil individual...a being with only a skull for a head. He was familiar, but then...just as I thought I defeated him, I...something happened. I'm not sure what." He looked at the girls hugging each other, and sadly noted the blood on Jeneta's arm and his sword. "I am ashamed that I nearly caused the demise of you and your friends. My job is not to kill, I only guide the souls of those who have died to the Underworld to be judged by me..."
"It's alright. You were under the spell of Kumraa, who means to destroy our world and spread his foul evil." Danji said, walking up to stand near Djoser. "But you are free now."
"Kumraa? You mean he is free? But The Ones Who Are Blessed...I thought they sealed him forever!" Sekheti looked at the two men and blinked his eyes in confusion.
"He is free now, and if you would care to listen, you will hear about our mission." With that, Djoser filled the god in on what they planned to do and what they have been through already, and where they were thinking of heading next. With pride, he introduced the girls to him.
When Sekehti finished hearing the tale and introductions, he nodded his head and turned to face Jeneta, who stood nervously in front of him. "Brave One, no words could express the sorrow I feel at having almost ended your life. You have shown skill far beyond your years. For this, I endow upon you the gift of one of the greatest swords on our world. Present your sword."
Jeneta looked nervously at the rest of the girls, but Heather nodded her head and nudged her forward, giving her an encouraging look. When Jeneta held her sword up before the god, Sekheti raised both his hands up high towards the sky. Then, he began chanting some words that were unheard of even to Djoser and Danji. Suddenly, the sword began to float out of Jeneta's hands as she looked on in amazement. A bright, white light erupted from the sword, and it began to get bigger and shinier, then finally disappeared. There was another bright flash, and this time, another, more elaborately designed sword appeared, much larger than the one Djoser conjured up. More jewels were on the hilt of this sword, giving it an almost rainbow color. In the middle of the blade, a symbol resembling an eye with a curvy eyelash appeared, gleaming along with the rest of the blade. When it was done, the light dissipated, and the sword gently settled back into Jeneta's waiting hands.
But it didn't end there. As soon as her hands touched the sword, the wound on her arm began to tingle, and Jeneta looked down to see it actually begin to heal as a bright light enveloped it. Soon, all that was left was a barely visible scar. Then, to everyone's amazement, there was another flash of light, and a medium-sized, golden medallion appeared around Jeneta's neck attached to a gold necklace. The medallion was intricately designed to look like an eye with a blue jewel in the middle to look like a pupil. When the light dimmed, Sekheti looked at Jeneta proudly.
"Brave One, I have replaced your sword with the legendary Eye of Ra, one of the five most powerful weapons on our world, and have given you ownership of one of the Sacred Medallions. Fortunately, I was able to erase my memory of where they were, so Kumraa wouldn't use them for his evil purpose. With his evil hold on me broken, I remember, and this medallion will help you find the others. Use it wisely, and it will serve you well. You have earned it." The God of the Underworld nodded his head and bowed slightly.
"Woooow." Jeneta said in amazement as she looked her sword up and down. She then looked up at Sekheti with puzzlement. "But..how will I carry it with me? I can't just walk around with this big..." She never got to finish her sentence as the sword suddenly disappeared from her hands in a burst of sprinkles and instantly absorbed into her body.
"When you have need for The Eye of Ra, it will come to you. Right now, it rests inside your soul, gaining energy." Sekheti said. "But for right now, you must continue on your journey. I have much to atone here for." He looked around him in sadness for a moment, taking in the devastation of the once mighty city of Colaris.
"He is right. Our journey has only just begun. We still have a long way to go." Djoser nodded and motioned for them to follow him back to the waiting horse at the front gates. With a tired sigh, the girls all turned to leave, but Jeneta looked back and gave Sekheti and grateful smile.
"Thank you, Sekheti. I...have learned much from you. I learned that sometimes, good and bad are not always so clear cut. And thank you for my weapon." She smiled and bowed her head.
"You are most welcome. Now go, go and fulfill your destiny, and free our world from the grips of hate and evil." With that, the god's body began to glow a dark purple, and he disappeared with a shimmer in the hot, dry air, leaving behind sparkles.
For a few moments, Jeneta looked at the spot where the god was, a worried look on her face. "I only hope I can Sekheti...I only hope I can. Along with my friends, of course." she said softly to herself.
"Hey Jeneta, what's the hold up? Come on!" shouted Ling, waving her hand over her head.
Meanwhile, Danji shyly walked up to Heather, and after a nervous look, gently took Heather's hand in his own, hoping to give some of his strength to her. Heather didn't mind, feeling comforted by his touch as she shyly smiled back at him. Behind them, the late afternoon sun slowly began its decent to the horizon, its rays golden and shining as if in celebration of the victory the girls had. But in her heart, Heather wondered if they were just lucky this time, and if so....when would their luck end?
**********************************************
In his dark and dismal castle, the evil god Kumraa growled deep in his chest as he felt the life-force of the god Sekheti be freed from his mind controlling spell. Those damn strangers from another world! It must have been them that freed him! His fingers curved on his arm rests, and his long, dirty nails scratched at the rotted word, sending splinters flying to the ground.
He then took in a long, raspy breaths, and tried to calm himself down. It didn't matter. They only had one of the five Sacred Medallions, and he would do his best to get the rest and destroy those girls, not matter what. "Yes..." he said softly to himself, his voice gravelly. "Yes..soon I will be rid of them, and I will take my place as ruler of this pathetic world. Then, I shall conquer this whole Universe! None shall stand up to me. Soon, I WILL be the greatest god among mortal men."
A second later, the door to his throne room creaked opened, and General Zain and his men walked in, their faces grim. Zain stepped forward and knelt down on his knees before his master. "My Lord, we have encountered a little....problem in apprehending Djoser and the strangers he has brought. They escaped and managed to..." He almost couldn't say the word,feeling so embarrassed, "...destroyed the griphalaxes. But I swear to you, next time, I WILL destroy them!" Inside, he was nearly shaking with anger. How DARE they destroy his prized hunting animals! To him, this has now turned personal. He would have revenge for his precious hunters he took so much time in training.
"See to it they don't, or you will pay with your life." growled out Kumraa, his pale, skeletal face set in determination. "No more failures..."
"Of course, My Liege." said Zain, bowing lower. "We know where they are headed now. It is only a matter of time." He stood and turned to his waiting men. "Let's move out!" With that, they all exited the room, confident that they will capture the renegades. When he was alone, Kumraa smiled to himself, already confident that his enemies will soon all be destroyed. Yes, and especially that fool Zain himself, by MY hands! he thought to himself. He grinned in a grotesque way, his yellowed teeth the only thing visible under his hood. When he succeeded in taking over, he didn't want to share his victory with anyone, and if that meant killing Zain, then so be it. He was just one of Kumraa's many pawns in his bid for power; a pawn who's memory he made sure he erased and replaced with his evilness.
Kumraa thought back to when the man now known as Zain was brought to him, his body broken and near death, the older prince of a destroyed kingdom. With a sadistic grin, Kumraa revitalized his body and mind with his evil energy, and turned him into his most fierce soldier and given him the new name of Zain. Now, with him on his side, Kumraa's victory was assured. He knew it was possible with all the battles Zain had fought for him. But he will not share his victory. The demon clenched his bony fists tightly in determination. No, he will NOT share it with anyone!
***************************************