That's the last thing an Egyptian god will do", said Julius as he threw a splinter into the fire. "We have to try", insisted CJ. "Have you seen him! He's not your modern mixed white washed Egyptian, his Ancient", exclaimed James. "We can't get... get through without one of us dying. He can, and I am positive he can take them on", persisted CJ.
"You know this is what I hate about house niggas", I said eyeing CJ. The lot were bewildered because suddenly I just happened to materialize. I'm starting to like this Spirit Nomad gift. "I didn't mean to disrespect you like that- ", "it's cool, besides I require the box as well, not for the same feat. I require what's in it", I said. No one said a word, "deal", initiated Phoebe.
It so happens that they were a couple of meters above our target. James, who was sent by the lot a few days ago informed me about the surroundings of the tunnels, every trapdoor, concealed trap, etc. "I'm just glad I made it out alive", he confessed. I had a feeling that it was Anansi who perturbed my thoughts so that I would show mercy to Carolina, which as result I acquired the key embedded with the Bearer's symbol. Anansi blew me here to meet a band of culturally confused demigods who failed to retrieve Pandora's Box.
It all made sense now, Anansi wanted the box for some reason that had nothing to do with Mami. "Are you really a god?", Rita asked me as she joined in the conversation. "Do you doubt me", I asked though it hardly mattered. "Well, you did fall from outer space and you don't look like an astronaut", she slouched next to James.
"One thing I do know is that a normal human being could never survive such a fall. Nor have we seen any human move as fast as you did", said Phoebe, "well then, you should have seen me in my pugnacious self", "you don't mean to say you much faster", bewildered CJ. "I am, though only with Makela", I confessed. "together, we are indestructible…", the melancholy was visible.
The plan was simple, well, if I survived. The tunnel was a direct passage to a ruin pavilion. The direct path was the quickest way through the deadliest. Traps, monsters, etc. Apart from that, there were two labyrinths behind two open entrances, one on the left, the other on the right. If you take the maze, then it's just a mind game with a couple of trapdoors and monsters. The easy way, long way. It took James twelve weeks to get to the ruin pavilion. We had not twelve weeks to play Maze Runner.
"So, we execute at dawn", suggested Phoebe and the lot nodded in agreement. Phoebe was their leader, so by default, they would adhere. "No, we execute now", I disagreed. "You aren't ready", exclaimed Phoebe. "Observe and learn", I replied.
I had tribal markings in ancient scripts on my body, how? I do not know, honestly, I only noticed it then and there as I stretch my hand closer to the fire though I masked my astonishment with disappointment. Phoebe shrugged in defeat, "okay...", she sighed. The markings were scripts in rings around my joints, beginning from my fingers to my shoulder on either side and yes, I could feel the marking even though I could not see it past the hem.
On my right forehand bore the Apostle symbol, an abstract "A" in ancient Egyptian script with a line moving diagonally from the bird's neck and arch between the diagonal line and the bird which made it look as though there were two "A", one in Ancient scripts and another sort of a Roman character abstract. Next to it in small font size were two rows of "X", five in each though there was the "M" in hieroglyphics after the last "X" in the first row. I had no idea what it meant or how I got it.
In an hour or three, the sun was going to rise, all eyes were fixed on me, we stood outside the entrance that gave way into the underground tunnel. The pungent smell of anxiety, mostly because they feared I would desolate them, since, I simply did not care. For one, I could not help feeling inimical towards them, I was taught in both worlds that the Greeks and Romans with their Western Concept were nothing more than the defilers and adversaries.
Unfortunately, human beefing had nothing to do with Anansi, he had no care of who he used as long as he achieved his feat.
I had to lead Roman and Greek American demigods into the tunnel and out to the ruin pavilion in one piece. "The fastest among you should be behind me and the slowest, last", I instructed, before they began to arrange themselves I entered the tunnel.
Slippery, slimy, spacious and I was going to enjoy it. As soon as I entered I noticed that both entrances that lead to the maze are on either side of the straight path. Phoebe joined me after a few seconds, "maze runner…", muttered Phoebe as she inspected the surrounding. "is that a demigod thing? I hope for your sake you are prepared for this. No touching nor leaning against the wall", I instructed, "roger that", she confirmed. I focused my hearing, three heavy breathing objects about twenty meters from my position, Phoebe gave the signal for her lot to join in.
I began to sprint, "too fast!", she bellowed from behind. I had reached my desired speed and slid down on both knees while releasing my Ark into spear gear and Nimzy at the ready. While in motion, my spirit travelled to the position where the heavy breathing objects were. Three ugly humanoid Neanderthal Abominable hairless snowman hybrid with nail pointing wooden clubs.
Two were on either side of a corner ready to break me while the other was suspended to the ceiling at the ready, to smash me. I quickly returned to my body before it reached the "BJs". On cue, the first two monsters swung their clubs in brutal force, unfortunately for them, I lowered my back closer to the slimy surface. I chopped the monster's left foot off with Nimzy, it groaned like the beastie it was. Simultaneously, on my left, my Ark spear sliced opened its abdomen. It instantly gurgled eerie goo. The third BJ was a meter and a half so that gave me enough time to reach and release The Gaddafi's Carbon dioxide arrow.
I could not help but feel incomplete, it is true, I was impressive though I was not myself and my pugnacious skills were mildly imperfect. Anyway, the third BJ was dumbstruck to see an arrow pointed at it and as soon as I released the carbon dioxide arrow, my suit turned white, my helmet activated and my wings extracted to shield me from the blast produced by the arrow. By the time I got up, piles of rubble covered the two monsters which also made the way difficult for the demigods to pass through.
An eerie gas began to materialize from the surface, the space was getting smaller. "The walls are closing", bellowed Phoebe, "anyone claustrophobic?", I chuckled. The colour of my suit which was formally in its native Black was once again defiled in white, my helmet activated. The gas was toxic. I sprinted forward, I had to reach the end of the tunnel before it closed. What about the demigods? I thought to myself.
Surely the walls would have clasped them to death. I felt vibrations on the surface, it got stronger, like a force coming towards us. A figure in the shape of a large animal was coming towards us, and furiously fast. The ferocious object in the mist made noses kin to a deadly beast, I could hear tinkering mechanisms and combustion with a tinge of vapour release, like, on a steam train. Oh! No! This is what occurred when one rolled with Greek and Roman demigods. I was on their turf so I would probably meet their typical bad guys.
A Colchis bull, I realized when I was a couple of meters away from it. Think, think, think. For the first time as an Apostle, it took me a while to think of a solution, how to ensure that all the demigods got out alive and how to defeat the Colchis bull without delay. Like, was it actually necessary for Hephaestus to invent such a thing? What was he trying to prove? That he is the god of Blacksmiths!?
I kept sprinting, moving further to the right which was difficult because the wall was pushing me closer to the centre. I had to do it on time or be bull kill. Unfortunately, I was not fast enough, the bull's left horn pierced my suit. The first time I had felt so much excruciating pain, like a thousand knives directly stabbing the edge of my lower midsection.
I grimaced as I whirled free out of the bull's horn as it collided with the moving wall, simultaneously, flexing myself against my body's will to chop the head off. The rest of the robotic body spasmed as the walls pressed against it on either side. The wall stopped closing as the motionless bull impeded the process. Blood trickled, cascading to the surface.
Finally, we reached the ruin pavilion, "in one piece", beamed CJ as he revised the difficulty they had whilst in the tunnel. Phoebe frowned when she looked at me. I was still losing blood, I had not much time. I began to observe my surroundings. Piles of stones, some columns stood tall while others inaptly on the ground. A particular pillar laid diagonally like a ramp.
"Do Egyptian gods bleed in red?", muttered Phoebe. I had not answered; my gaze and silence were enough to mollify her curiosity. "though I do not doubt what you say you are. Only gods move with such ferocity. I have read of gods turning mortal as a punishment though you are the primordial Egyptian god, who would punish you?", she continued. "Perhaps I went against my own law and to justify my laws as absolute, neither I was above it", I replied. "You punished yourself!?", Phoebe astonishment turned to respect.
"Ra, as soon as you step on the edge, the Abyss, a hellhound guards the box just on the opposite side", said James while pointing at the edge, I had not noticed it. The abyss gapped about five meters wide. "Cerberus?", I asked. "Kaliberus, the Hephaestus mechanical one headed version of Cerberus, newly built to guard the box.", replied James. Sweat trickled down James' forehead, just the thought of the mechanical beast frightened him.
I knew what to do. I sprinted to the ramp like pillar. Calculating every step to the feat. As soon as my right foot stepped on the edge, I performed a moon Sault. In mid-air, with my head faced to the abyss, I spread my wings, stretched my feet and partially hovered for a second or two. There it was, Kaliberus with its mechanical jaws opening for a bite to kill. I released The Gaddafi, four fingers on the string to release three carbon dioxide arrows.
The hellhound's snout materialized above the chasm. For a second, I thought I heard the demigods gasp in a combination of amazement and terror. I released the arrows which shot directly into Kaliberus's open muzzle. A loud ferocious explosion, mechanical gears colliding with stone, the noise of short-circuits and absolute oblivion. I felt my feet touch the ground, though, I had not known on which side of the ruined pavilion.