So it was that three cantankerous runes growled into existence; circling about Thrall's head as if eager to uncover the source for which they had been summoned, and belching sparks as they gorged themselves on the ample energy from the spiritual weapon.
"Long time no see, my friends," Thrall laughed, stowing the sword back into its flame-retardant scabbard. "I have brought you a great wealth of power to fuel you in your hunt. The fires of Lahat Cherub burn brighter than any source of flame in all of God's creation. Hopefully this was enough goods to render your services?"
The first answered by igniting the air like a slender fuse. It burned a glowing line that stretched for roughly a yard long, before expanding into segmented vertebrae that grew to resemble a floating spine. A burst of sparks carved a rib, then two, then five, into the air adjacent; and before long, there was an entire rib cage of glowing embers hanging there. The other extremities exploded forth in similar fashion, and then an open flame danced across the very tip of the spinal column. Like the open mouth of a furnace, the flames lapped at the open air before condensing into a small, glowing auburn canine skull.
Red hot glowing magma dripped over the shoulders and along the back, as the second word took on his role. The fountain of molten steel poured down over the length of the body in miniature filaments intertwining into complex structures, like organs, and then the muscles themselves. They wove like an intricate striated quilt of musculature across the entire form.
It was only after the third rune ignited into a swirling mist of exploding hydrogen that the settling embers raining down upon its form revealed itself to be a simple jackal with eyes like blooming coals vacant and searing within its sockets. The fur along its back was like a newly extinguished candle, smoking and begging to release its energy with but a little excitement from the wind. The hair on its tail kindled and roared with excitement every time it swung back and forth.
Unlike the previous incantations, neither Follow, nor Past, nor Trail had any inherent protections to contain the heat of the sword, and the radiance burned loudly, rippling the air above its back with the fury of righteous indignation. 'Aswad balked with eyes wide open at the sight of Thrall's strange and magnificent hex. He had never seen so miraculous an act done by one who was anything less than a god themselves!
He fell on his face and cried out "My Great Neter, I apologize for my actions. I had no idea you were so worthy of respect! Please spare me the pain I so plainly deserve for my misconduct! I will give you all that I have, if you just allow me to continue to serve Nephthys in peace."
The jackal turned its head rapidly in reaction to the motion, and quickly leapt toward the supine corvidae. Its muzzle wrinkled and curled upward in a leering snarl, as it growled lowly and approached with little trepidation. It stopped only when its snout was inches away from the fallen bird.
Thrall raised his hand to stop the animal, but it was no use. It opened its mighty jaws and barked out an order back to the Seraph whom had summoned it. He had the scent. The crow remained half buried in the dirt, untouched; as all Thrall was perturbed by was the actions of this ashen-backed local. "Wh-what are you doing?!"
"Prostrating myself before you, Neter Thrall." He replied, holding his posture firmly into the soil as if to make himself even more defenseless, somehow.
"Get off the mud bank. You're making yourself filthy."
Xantheaa called back to them, "Gentlemen, I believe our guide is leaving!"
Sure enough, the wolf-like creature was quickly bounding away in a path that lead almost directly away from the Nile, into the wide open sands that filled the desert beyond the marsh. A slender trail of marred reeds and torched papyrus followed the animal as it sprinted with utmost finesse that told how simple a task it was. No efficiency was lost as it dove through the brush almost so quickly that the foliage had hardly enough time to notice that it had been burned.
"After him!" Thrall shouted, diving into the air with much ardor. "He told me he's already found the spider!"
"B-but... My great Neter—" 'Aswad mumbled from the mud, before Thrall cut him off.
"I am neither great nor a Neter, myself. I just serve one more powerful than yours. Let's go!"
So the trio began to trail behind their inflamed companion, through Cypress and Sycamore, over high wind-swept dunes and sandy valleys. They soared over an endless desert, wiring east and west as the canid followed the trail of this fleeting spider.
The jackal bounded tirelessly the entire time. Hours stretched on end with little sign of fatigue or exhaustion. The sun could not impede their impetus as they were born of heat itself. Then as suddenly as they began, they screeched to a sudden stop, in the space between two high dunes.
"What happened?" Xantheaa asked, swooping high overhead, in lazy circles. She was rather beginning to enjoy the timeless trek. It reminded her of a time without such pressing stakes, where she was eagerly exploring the void between her world and Thrall's. The air was so much more beautiful than the vast emptiness. She had never been able to remain in the sky for so long in her real world.
The thermals, and the dry desert air were a sensation that she knew next to nothing about, and it enriched every aspect of the novel experience. She felt so very close to the air which is her birthright. Almost like she could hear its voice as it tucked under her wings and carried her aloft.
Thrall said that she was born of the ruach... could this be their aspect communing within her? It was so close to audible, she could almost taste it.
"Why did it stop?" She continued, disappointment writ plainly across her face. "I don't see any sign of lodging or civilization, here. Did you give them the wrong instructions?" She turned towards Thrall, who shook his head. Not a good sign.
"That thread was part of his body, it couldn't be a more obvious tie to his essence if we had a limb from his body. There's no reason..." But he trailed off as he noticed the Jackal's impatient posture, pacing back and forth in a straight line, perpendicular to its former direction; restless. It was like it was waiting for something.
"It stopped because it can go no further," 'Aswad supplied. "I believe I recognize this area. We are without the right to tread these grounds."
Thrall perked up, again glad to have brought a guide along for the journey. "What do you mean? Whom do we need to appeal for the right to traverse the land ahead?"
"Why, the sphinx, of course." and with that, he landed daintily aside the burning creature. Suddenly, the mountainous dunes began to shift.