An action figure!
Ellen didn't feel too protected now.
Dora handed Ellen the well modified action figure of Xena in 2001, a bow and quiver of arrow hanged around the small sized figure dressed in legionnaire armour. A sword was sheathed at her waist alongside a shakram. Dora was so proud of herself Ellen wondered what the smirk on her face was about.
"Dora" Ellen complained "How does this protect me in a dangerous place"
Dora sighed "You'll see"
Honestly, Dora didn't sound too assuring, now Ellen just wanted to throw the action figure in Dora's face and walk away. Too late.
"In Apophis, you won't have your godly prowess, you'll be reduced to a mere mortal"
"Yeah I got that" Ellen hissed
"Once you drop_"
"Drop?" Ellen raised an eyebrow "Who said anything about dropping? and from where?" almost every word coming out Dora's mouth didn't sound good or assuring which deflated Ellen's courage level.
"You need to find Jaimie the moment you touch down. That's all on you"
I'm going to die Ellen cried in her mind.
"I've charmed your boots to mark your steps, if you run into a monster or gigante you have to kill it. Remember they will be powerless but you'll have protection."
"By an action figure" Ellen murmured.
"Jaimie will be stubborn, if he's found a way he'll return with you" Dora paused.
"And what if he hasn't?"
Dora's smiled "You'll have to persuade him but tell him this, Eton call upon you."
Ellen put her head-on Jaimie's chest, her heart thumping faster than a rolling side drum. "Retrace your step back to where you dropped and bite down on this" Dora inserted two alkali stones in Ellen's palms.
"Dora" Ellen called "If I get back you're never shutting me out again, Got it?"
A light smile surrounded Dora's face. She placed her hand on Ellen's head and Jaimie's head, started reciting a spell in ancient Greek, then began to chant.
Ellen felt light headed, her vision blurred out and she begun to lose focus of her vision like she'd been drugged. She clenched her fist around the action figure and alkali stones so hard she they may have cracked, and she lost herself in darkness.
APOPHIS
The sting on the wind against Ellen's face made her teary eyed. She flailed in the air free falling from a thousand feet and descending quickly. Ellen gazed at the darkness below her, and felt her heart thump. How was she supposed to land safely in this chasm below her? Just then she remembered her hands were still clenched into a fist. A hissing cloud of steam began erupting from her palms like she'd been holding a hot iron rod. Painfully, she released her fist.
Action figure Xena 2001 suddenly burst into a ray of light, blinding Ellen. She obscured her vision with her left hand quickly before any damage was done. Just then the white light begun to surround her, gently shaping itself around her body and fitting something on her skin.
At the sudden burst of the light Ellen caught a glimpse of solid ground and landed on two legs with a heavy thud.
That wasn't so bad.
Ellen caught the two alkali stones before they fell to the ground. She placed them in the spaces between her breast seeing it was the only trustworthy and safe place she could think of. She felt like Lucy Lawless in Xena capable of defeating any monster or gigante as she admired her whole figure.
The legionnaire armour around the Xena 2001 was fitted on her, on her arms lay overlapping scales, her boots reached all the way to her thighs, the shakram hanged on her waist, next to it the sword was tightly sheathed. She touched the string of the bow and brushed her fingers through the fletchings of the arrows. Ellen felt adept with all the weapons at her disposal.
Taking a step proved to be difficult to Ellen, the ground seemed to be glued to the sole of her boots. She forced them out.
A fog of darkness covered the whole atmosphere, she barely saw her surroundings.
The clouds didn't even float. They looked like rocks hanging on strings bouncing in the heavens like a yoyo. They were red in colour like hot lava, randomly shaped and very huge. Ellen feared they might eventually fall on her and squish her like an ant.
As she walked on the land, if it was really land she stepped on, every step sounded like egg shells being broken, splat, splat.
The air she breathed was sour, dry and rough to the point anytime she inhaled it she felt like a pneumonia patient and had a whooping cough. It burned her nostrils and pierced her lungs.
She heard heavy crushing at the far end below. She then guessed she was at the summit of a hill or mountain. She followed the crashing sound until she came to the commencement of a stream flowing downhill.
Ellen didn't know what to even make of it, the water glistened like diamonds, it didn't act like a fluid but as a solid with shape yet when she run her fingers through it poured like liquid. She committed a mistake by taking sip, her tongue burned and the bitter taste overpowering her taste buds caused her to spit out. She held her chest desperately, jabbing at it like that would force her body to relinquish the taste and stop the burn. She muttered a curse against her curiosity.
Gazing down the surface below yielded nothing, only thick fog of darkness stretched down the horizon, what seemed like tree's stood tall and what also seemed like a forest was sprawled all over the brittle land.
Ellen's next move was clear to her. When she reached the ledge, Ellen was sure she'd signed her death warrant. The cliff dropped more than ninety feet, perhaps even more. Her tongue felt raw and burnt. Ellen studied the hill side carefully, her eyes managed to see the narrow crevasse running downhill. She might be able to climb down, but she knew the idea was crazy, yet she could not see any other way around it. She went down with a grave imagination of falling down at some point.
The crevasse was barely wide enough to allow a toehold. Her hands clawed for any crack in the burnish rock. There more she put pressure on her right hand, the more her flesh wound bled out. She grunted as she reached for a handhold and slipped, fortunately for her, her left hand was firmly clamped to the deep crack. She cried out as her shoulder muscles strained. Breathing heavily, and fearing for the worst she gathered her strength and pulled up her right hand into the handhold. The rock kissed her burnt palms badly. Ellen bit her tongue to prevent herself from crying, she knew if she gave up this second her life would end.
Ellen continued down unto the surface, taking well calculated steps and panting heavily. She reached roughly a fourth of the way down the hill, still a long way down.
Her breathing intensified as the air down here got more intoxicating, like the smell of concentrated acid.
Just great she thought, poisonous air breathing down my neck.
She grunted and almost missed a foothold, she found the ledge in time as beads of sweat stung her eyes. Even my sweat stings she complained. She shook her head to rid herself of the acidic liquid dripping down her face. Thankfully her hair was tied in a ponytail or things would have been worst.
Ellen finally made it to the ground, just a few inches off base she jumped and stumbled to the crunchy floor. At least it's still crunchy. Her eyes were blurry, her body hot as coal, her tongue felt blistered and to make it worst the pain seemed to be spreading to her throat right down to her chest.
Ellen scouted the land sprawled before her, pieces of bones lay almost every meter away, first it was skull, then a limb, then a hand with eight fingers. She gulped down a lump. Her stomach suddenly clenched tighter than a G-clamp, she didn't think she'd want to eat anything from this realm or drink anything.
The crunchy sound approaching her suddenly scared her. Her senses cried like an alarm in a school. The sound got louder and closer, moving at a fast pace. Ellen armed her bow with an arrow and aimed in origin of the sound. Her hand shook wickedly, her eyes searched like a prey looking for its predator. What is it? Where is it? her mind kept barraging.
Ellen jumped out of the way faster than on a bouncing castle, she rolled over and balanced herself on one knee while keeping aim at the horrid creature which slammed into the hill. Her vision was blurry, her hand ached so much she didn't have the strength to keep on aiming at the tiny creature shaped like a dog, its fur was pointed and sharp like thorns which produced a high pitched noise like a cry from a baby. Blood oozed from her ears, she felt it and she knew things would get worst. The creature snarled at Ellen displaying a pair of huge curved canines the size of a tusk.
It clawed at the crunchy land digging out tiny grains of rocks. The creature paced back and forth taking in Ellen's form. Ellen remained in her position, her eyes fixed on the dog. She aimed for the one eye positioned where the nose should have been. The beast launched for Ellen wide and ready for a bite.
She let go of the arrow and rolled out of the way, then a loud cry followed behind. It almost made Ellen feel bad because it sounded like a puppy's cry. We are in Apophis, this monster tried to rip you to shreds her subconscious bantered.
She unsheathed her sword like a terminator, and beheaded the creature before her emotions got in the way. The creature quickly deflated like a bouncing castle and turned to a shedding.
Ellen fell on her sword panting and sweating, I'll be dead before noon. Then again she could not even tell night from day. She looked up to the stony clouds, pondering if this was how her father felt anytime he went on duty in Afghanistan, lonely, scared and a strong survival instinct breathing down her neck.
The waterfall! At the top of the hill the stream poured downhill, now that she reached here there was no river. Ellen didn't want to know why. She discarded the thought quickly.
Baby steps Ellen, Baby Steps her father's voice reverberated in her mind.
She picked up the sword and sheathed it then hang her bow around her. The flesh wound on her hand bled out, she ripped part of her Legionnaire skirt and tied it around her palm to stop the bleeding. Hopefully.
The only road ahead was a haze of fog and darkness. She remembered seeing the forest from the summit of the hill. Taking a last look at the rabid creature she'd just killed gave her an idea.
Ellen walked in the footprint of the dog, though not so big it helped her cloak the sound of her footing. Across the plain she heard echoes of crunch steps all over. This place is a death zone. She remembered the call of duty of game her dad used to play to help him get over his depression. The game was all about survival, shoot to kill. Your enemies didn't see you and you didn't see them, at any moment guns would blaze, or a sniper would take you out, and she felt like she just landed in a simulation of that game.
She trotted in the paw print of the dog, and came to a stop at the entrance of a dark forest. The trees smelled like decayed poop kept under intense heat for a long period of time. Spikes of bones protruded from their trunks covered by tendrils which slithered around them. At the top were rotten leaves, like burnt paper waving in the hazy air. A leaf wafted through the air, gently it fell on what seemed to be an ant crawling its way on Ellen's boots. The tiny insect had the misfortune of turning in a pinch of ash upon impact. Ellen quickly shook the ash off. Great even the leaves are acidic.
"Baby steps Ellen, Baby steps" She whispered to herself, by the time she was done she panted heavily. She moved through the thick forest carefully avoiding the spikes and the leaves falling altogether. Half way inside the forest, a tree broke like a piece of candy bar. Ellen dived out of the way. A huge crunchy sound bellowed from a mile away, approaching her direction.
"I'm Hungry, Food"
A gigante
Ellen's heart thumped. Of all times she thought. She run in the opposite direction. The sound drew closer by each step; it shook the foundations of the crunchy land.
"I'm Hungry, Food'
The dullness of the voice only made it more difficult for Ellen to run. It sounded like a video put on slow motion. She jumped out of the way as another tree collapsed and blew her off. Her breathing hurt, and she was almost out of energy. Ellen wondered if everything in this realm was meant to kill, nothing was made for the benefit or comfort of a living thing. She picked up her pace, running and running. Then she stopped. It was gone, nothing but her own crunchy steps echoed.
Damn
It slammed Ellen directly into the spikes of the tree. The spikes broke upon impact. Ellen was dazed in the trunk of the tree. Her sight was foggy and slowly disintegrating. The legionnaire armour protected her body but her head was completely tuned out of place. The high pitched tune in her ear gave her a head ache. She moaned.
"FOOD"
The gigante clapped in joy. The gigante came into full view. It was ten feet in length, in crocodile skin sewn into pants. From the waist above was an even number of sixteen packs into well cut muscles.
"My food not dead"
The gigante cried.
Blood dripped from Ellen's forehead. She looked at the monster in fear. She'd never seen anything so tall and overpowering looming over her.
"Food must die"
The gigante raised it hands for another sweep. This time Ellen knew once those hand came crashing down she would not survive. Upon impact she veered out the way and drew her bow, armed it much faster than the receding hand coming back for another swing. She fired the arrow into the gigante's chest, and it bounced of like a piece of bungee gum. Ellen dashed away from the trajectory of the receding hand before it slapped her into a splatter.
The leaves rained down, dissipating anything it touched including the gigante's own skin.
"Cursed trees" The gigante cried.
Ellen cleaned the blood from her from face. Her tongue felt numb, her eyes rolled in circles, her ears bled from the high tune vibrations ringing in them.
"Where my food at?" the gigante searched helplessly.
Ellen took cover behind a felled tree trunk. The atmosphere was dusty and foggier than usual. Everything in sight was hidden from her eyes including the gigante. Saved by the dust she thought.
"Found you" the gigante gleamed, a crushing grin curved over his face.
Her eyes flew wide open as the shadow loomed over her, falling at high speed. 'Too late' Ellen thought. She would be squashed by the gigante. The aerial impact was too huge for her to escape.
She watched as the gigante was swatted out of the air, the boulder crashed the giant.
"AAAAH" the giant howled in pain.
She looked at the rising dust like the explosion of an atomic bomb. There were a million questions chemically brewing in her mind. Adrenaline rushed in her veins, wondering where the boulder flew from. Her vision was still sluggish, her hand burned so much the ripped piece of legionnaire skirt was soaked in blood. Her breathing could almost kill her, the air was now a mix of acid and concentrated sulfur. She choked so much her chest constricted. She forced herself from behind the affected zone and rushed in any direction. She stumbled over a branch and fell face first.
"Who are you?"
Ellen was on her feet and armed with her bow and arrow she didn't feel her legs wobbling so intensely like a newborn baby trying to walk. She aimed everywhere and nowhere.
"Who sent you?"
She turned behind her trying to pinpoint the person, but it echoed from all around, trying to gaze the origin was futile.
"I'm Jaimie"
This time Ellen's heart skipped a beat. She almost wanted to believe and be filled with relieve but she just couldn't.
"Show yourself"
"I'm right behind_"
Ellen swung the bow behind her. He ducked so quickly and cut the string to the bow. Ellen turned the grip of the bow against him but Jaimie was already behind her with a knife to her throat.
"Don't move!"
His voice was dead serious, and the cold touch of the serrated edges of the knife was convincing enough to Ellen. He reeked of bleach, and his skin was rough as a sandpaper.
"Who are you?" Jaimie asked.
She collapsed to her feet before she could breathe out her name. Ellen felt her legs were in a grinder ripping away every muscle in them.
"My name is Ellen, and Dora sent me after you" she panted, her voiced sounded like a Doctor in a hazmat suit, choked and constricted.
Helpfully, Jaimie receded his dragon bone dagger "And you were brave enough to venture Apophis" He chuckled "She knows how to pick 'em". He dipped his hand into the waist bag sewn from hide and picked up what seemed to be bunch of grapes.
Ellen couldn't make it out, even his face was blurred to him. The only thing she felt was the roughness of his palms supporting her before she was rendered unconscious.
"Here" Jaimie put the grapes in her mouth "Eat" he urged.
Ellen's mouth opened wide enough for her to take a chunk of the grapes. He cupped Ellen's mouth quickly knowing what her next actions would be. The grapes tasted like chloroquine, he would know because he forced himself to take it. Ellen struggled with him to spit it out but his palms were firmly cupped on her mouth.
Jaimie could almost feel the burning desire in her to kill him. He swallowed hard.
After a moment of death stares he finally released his grip and she spat the remainder out of her mouth.
Ellen panted slowly.
It worked like magic in her body. Her sights were suddenly clear like a car wiper had cleared the dirt off the windscreen. She felt life flowing in her legs, arms and upper body. The wound on her fore head completely sealed and her head ache was gone, the burn mark on her palm vanished like it never happened.
"Thank you" she managed.
Jaimie rose to his feet, proud and satisfied of himself "Your welcome". He looked in the dark fog in the horizon where the boulder landed the gigante, the dusty fumes was not as thick as it was and there was a slight trail coming their way.
"We need to leave"
Ellen was up, and they run in the other direction. It was no mystery to them they were being chased. The vibrations in the earth called for them. Even though Ellen had been through hell this couple of minutes or hours her body was fired up like a newly built car engine. She followed Jaimie through the forest. The vibrations got heavier and Ellen legs carried her at her fast pace. Suddenly Jamie stopped, they reached the ledge of a narrow crevasse which fell over fifty feet. Ellen was reminded of the burning sensation in her palms.
"Jump!" Jaimie ordered.
Ellen was almost ready to slit his throat "Are you crazy?" she blustered "that's nothing but a free way to hell, I would rather ...."
Jaimie pushed her into the abyss as he beheld the gigante approaching and then followed behind her.