Dawn came with cool air and a light breeze, but it would soon turn into something much more scorching. We awoke in the Amazon camp, with Tives, Stella, myself and the elite warriors preparing to return to the nest of the Ungalons. The battle with King Thunder was behind us, but now a greater challenge awaited us: the deserted Cosmoworld.
We dressed in thick cloths and blankets, covering our heads and bodies, protecting us from the sun's rays that awaited us on the other side of the portal. The Amazons, as expected, flatly refused to shod themselves. "The feet must feel the earth," one of them had said proudly, although they agreed to wrap their bare feet in cloths so as not to burn in the scorching sand.
"Well, at least they'll be somewhat protected," Stella commented, as she checked her coordinates on her gloves one last time before the portal activated.
Finally, we were all ready. The cosmic portal opened with a flash of light shining into the Ungalon nest cave, a tunnel of energy inviting us to jump inside. With one last look at the cave that had brought us there, we took the leap into the unknown.
The deserted Cosmoworld was an imposing sight. The vast expanse of golden sand stretched as far as the eye could see. But we were not alone. On the horizon, a gigantic city loomed like a desert colossus, its walls enveloping what appeared to be an ancient civilization. The city, divided into several levels that ascended in the shape of a pyramid, was clearly the center of power of this cosmos.
The first level, miserable and chaotic, looked like a hive of slaves toiling incessantly, without even seeing the sunlight. Muffled screams and wails could be heard from deep within, while on the upper levels, luxury and opulence were undeniable. Each higher level was cleaner, more ornate, but the air of tyranny permeated everything.
At the top, on the ninth level, was a huge temple of gold and stone, covered with statues. The larger ones had lion heads and muscular bodies, with sabers in their hands, guarding every corner. Female statues, also with lioness heads, moved about the gardens, feeding the hippopotamuses with condemned prisoners or carefully cleaning the surroundings.
The heart of the city was the throne of the pharaoh. An immense golden seat, adorned with red and blue paintings, with a golden scarab on top, with emeralds embedded in its eyes. Seated on that throne was the Pharaoh, a girl of about 12 years old, with dark skin, short navy blue hair and an emerald green gaze that radiated power. Although young, her eyes hid an indescribable cruelty. Around her, several female statues fanned her as she rested her feet in an armchair, enjoying their silence and apparent tranquility.
The silence was interrupted when one of the statues entered dragging an old woman by her feet. The woman, emaciated and with sunken eyes, could barely move. Her bones seemed as frail as her spirit. The statue reported in a mechanical voice, "This old woman, from the subway floor, dared to climb to level one."
The old woman's arms were broken and she was deposited on the floor, where she began to crawl toward the pharaoh. "Since I was a child I was told stories of you, of the great goddess...," the old woman murmured with effort. "But now I see that... you are only a child. You are not a goddess. A revolution could destroy you."
The pharaohess let out a childish giggle and slowly rose from her throne, walking calmly towards the old woman. "Revolution? How funny you are." He raised an eyebrow as he looked at her with disdain. "You'll die knowing you've seen all there is to see. The whole city is beneath my feet, and if there's anything to fear...it's me."
The pharaohess placed her foot on the old woman's head. "In fact, I am a goddess," she said, as a twisted smile crept across her face. "And I can turn anything into sand... just as I will do with you."
With an almost casual motion, she pressed her foot against the old woman's head, who began to transform into sand, starting with her skull. The pharaohess turned her foot, finishing off the transformation as if crushing an insect. Soon, the old woman's entire body was nothing but a pile of sand scattered on the ground.
"Pick it up," he ordered, as a female statue came over to wipe her feet. "Let them use the sand to make cement on the subway floor. We must keep building."
The pharaohess returned to her throne, taking a bunch of grapes and beginning to eat as the statues busied themselves cleaning up the remains of their latest victim.
Meanwhile, Ryuji's group had passed through the portal and was now walking under the scorching sun of the deserted Cosmoworld. The sand was burning beneath our feet, and although we had blankets and clothes to protect us from the heat, the terrain was unforgiving.
"My feet... they still can't get used to this burning ground," Tives commented, as she advanced next to us, her feet wrapped in cloths, though clearly uncomfortable. "It's impossible for anything to live in this place."
The heat was unbearable, and our strength was beginning to flag. Stella, who kept her eyes alert, spotted something in the distance. "An oasis!" she shouted, pointing with her arm.
We all looked toward the horizon, and there, among the dunes, was a cluster of palm trees surrounding a shimmering lagoon. Hope was reborn in our group, and without a second thought, we started running towards it.
What we didn't know, however, was that we were being watched. Hidden among the dunes, a golden statue in the shape of an anthropomorphic grasshopper watched our every move, its empty eyes gleaming as they reflected the sunlight.
High on her throne, the Pharaoh was enjoying her power, unaware that new visitors had arrived in her kingdom. However, she would soon discover that not everyone was willing to bow to her tyranny, and that the balance of power in the deserted Cosmoworld was about to change.
End of chapter 10. End of the first arc.