Raphaela's chest heaved as she giggled, one hand deep inside her own chest, fingers brushing against something squishy.
"Am I going to die now?" she asked, her tone teasing, yet her eyes darted downward with genuine curiosity. She twisted her hand slightly, feeling a strange sensation like a deflating balloon inside.
Anubis, his jackal ears twitching, gave a sharp growl. "Not if you stop doing that," he barked, his tail whipping around to knock her hand away. He carefully nudged her heart back into place with the dexterity of someone who had done this a thousand times. "Unless, of course, you have a death wish."
Raphaela blinked, feeling a tug at her ribs as her body began to stitch itself back together. The veins, tissue, and skin flowed like a living zipper, closing the hole as if it had never been there. She poked at the newly healed flesh.
"Ugh," she sighed, disappointed. "You ruined my fun before I could get to my intestines. Ever wondered what they feel like? I bet they're all slimy and... wiggly."
Anubis' glowing eyes narrowed, and he let out a long sigh. "Just be grateful you're still alive."
She pouted but quickly straightened up, glancing around. "Speaking of alive… are my friends still breathing? You were kind of busy grinding their faces into walls and tossing them around like rag dolls."
Anubis smirked, baring a set of sharp teeth. "Of course, I keep my promises. Look behind you."
Raphaela spun around, her hair whipping in the air. Behind her, four skeletons were lumbering toward them, each one carefully carrying her unconscious friends, Jasmine and Akira. The skeletons set them down gently at her feet, bones clicking and clacking as they moved.
Another skeleton dragged Ben by his ankles, face scraping against the ground. It dropped him unceremoniously at Anubis' feet, his nose bleeding and smeared with dirt.
Anubis knelt down, lifted Ben by his shirt, and blew a gust of cold air into his face. Ben's eyes flew open as he gasped for air, flailing wildly until Anubis released him. He fell to the ground with a thud, clutching his head.
"Ow!" Ben groaned, rubbing his scalp. "That hurt, you know!"
Anubis rolled his eyes. "Oh, please. You fell maybe two centimeters."
"It still hurts."
Raphaela stifled a laugh. "You're such a baby, Ben."
Before he could retort, Raphaela knelt down next to Jasmine and Akira. "Are they okay?"
"They'll be fine," Anubis said with a dismissive wave of his hand. "A quick healing spell should do the trick."
"Yeah, about that…" Raphaela scratched her head. "I don't know any healing spells."
"No worries. I'm sure your teacher does."
As if summoned by the words, a voice chimed in from behind them. "Indeed I do."
Raphaela turned to see Tamamono, her fox-like features shimmering in the light, standing beside Anubis. She grinned and blew a puff of smoke directly into Anubis' face.
"Well, if it isn't the fox and the hound," Raphaela said, stifling a laugh. "You two aren't planning a live-action reboot, are you?"
Tamamono groaned, rubbing her temples. "These kids today…"
"...have no respect for their elders," Anubis finished, crossing his arms.
Tamamono shook her head, but a smile tugged at the corner of her lips. "For that, I'll heal your arm first."
"Why, thank you," Anubis said with exaggerated politeness, offering his injured arm.
Tamamono placed her hand on his arm, her fingers glowing with a soft, golden light. The muscles and bones reformed instantly, as if the injury had never existed.
She turned her attention to Jasmine and Akira, healing their wounds with a quick touch. As she approached Ben, however, she smirked and knocked him out cold with a playful slap.
Ben's unconscious body hit the ground again with a thunk.
Raphaela raised an eyebrow. "Was that really necessary?"
Tamamono shrugged. "He'll be fine. Besides, a little nap never hurt anyone."
Anubis chuckled, his tail swishing behind him. "Come on, let's get back to business."
Raphaela folded her arms, impatient. "Yeah, what do you need us to do this time? And why are my friends always the ones getting beat up?"
Anubis' expression darkened slightly. "I need you to steal something for me."
"Oh, great. We're thieves for hire now?" Jasmine grumbled, groggily sitting up.
Anubis ignored her and continued. "I want you to retrieve something that was stolen from my father a long time ago by my uncle Seth."
Raphaela's eyes lit up. "Is it his trouser snake?"
Tamamono burst out laughing while Anubis shot Raphaela a murderous glare. "No, it's not that. It's his life. He wants to walk on Earth again, with his wife by his side."
Raphaela tapped her chin. "His wife? Don't you mean his sister?"
"Yeah, we're not going to deal with that scandal today," Tamamono interrupted with a wave of her hand. "So, how do you plan on bringing him back?"
"With the Golden Fleece," Anubis said solemnly.
Raphaela's eyes widened. "You mean, like, from the Jackson stories?"
"No… that's Jason," Anubis corrected. "Jackson is the guy with the hockey mask who kills people."
"Oh, right." Raphaela nodded. "That guy."
Jasmine groaned, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Rafie, it's Jason. Trust me."
Ben finally stirred from his unconscious state, sitting up and rubbing his eyes. "Who do we have to fight this time?"
Anubis grinned, his eyes gleaming with excitement. "This is going to be a fun one. You'll be up against the man who thinks everything belongs to him, and who is madly in love with his own youth."
"And who is this charming fellow?" Raphaela asked, narrowing her eyes.
Anubis paused for dramatic effect before replying. "Gilgamesh—the first hero this world has ever known."
A heavy silence fell over the group, broken only by the distant crash of waves on the beach. The air seemed to thicken as the weight of the task settled over them.
"Gilgamesh, huh?" Raphaela muttered, a hint of excitement in her voice. "This is going to be interesting."
"Interesting?" Jasmine said, groaning. "This sounds like suicide."
"Don't worry," Raphaela replied, flashing a mischievous grin. "We've died before."
Raphaela's brow furrowed as she processed the name Anubis had dropped. "Who is this Gilgamesh, anyway?" she asked, her voice a mix of curiosity and apprehension.
Akira's eyes widened, a flicker of fear crossing her face. "Only the most powerful being we've ever faced," she whispered, her usual confidence wavering.
"We're doomed for sure," Jasmine groaned, running a hand through her hair.
Tamamono's golden eyes flashed with determination as she stepped forward, striking a dramatic pose. "What's with all this negativity? It's not like you're going to face him alone. I'll be joining you this time around."
"Really, Master?" Akira's eyes lit up with a mixture of excitement and relief.
Tamamono's tails swished as she glanced at Ben, Jasmine, and Raphaela. "That's not for me to decide," she said, her voice softening.
Ben straightened up, a prideful smile tugging at his lips. "Well, we don't really have a choice, do we? We're going up against the first hero the earth has ever seen. Who, might I add, is also one of my ancestors. So naturally, he'd be super powerful and awesome."
Tamamono snorted, stretching her arms out as wide as they could go. "Let's not delude ourselves, kid. He's way more powerful than you. Like, this much more powerful."
"Okay, okay, we get the picture," Raphaela grumbled, pushing herself to her feet and dusting off her clothes. "Are we done for today? My back is killing me, and I've got some anime to catch up on."
Tamamono's eyes glinted mischievously as she sauntered forward, positioning herself behind Akira. "You've got a point, spider girl. But I've got something very important to tell you about that anime you like so much."
"What?" Raphaela leaned in, curiosity overriding her exhaustion.
Akira's eyes widened in horror. "Master, don't! It's a crime!"
But Tamamono was already opening a portal, her hand gripping Akira's collar. "Yachiru dies," she called out, leaping through the shimmering gateway.
"No! You bastard! Why are you so evil?" Raphaela's anguished cry echoed through the attic as the portal snapped shut.
Ben and Jasmine exchanged a knowing look. "I think this is a good time for us to leave," Ben muttered.
"Yep, I think you're right," Jasmine agreed. They quietly slipped out the attic door, leaving Raphaela to her anime-induced meltdown.
As the sound of Raphaela's curses faded, replaced by the gentle whisper of wind through the mountains and the distant crash of waves on the beach, a heavy silence settled over the group.
Anubis cleared his throat, his dark eyes grave. "You shouldn't underestimate Gilgamesh," he said, his voice low and ominous. "He's not just any hero. He's the King of Heroes, the very foundation of legend itself."
The group turned to face him, their earlier banter forgotten in the face of Anubis's solemn demeanor.
"They say he's two-thirds god and one-third man," Anubis continued, his gaze distant as if seeing across millennia. "A being of unparalleled strength and cunning. The tales of his exploits have echoed through time, growing more magnificent with each telling."
Ben's earlier bravado had evaporated. "What... what exactly are we up against?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
Anubis's eyes locked onto Ben's, and for a moment, the young man felt the weight of eternity bearing down on him. "Gilgamesh possesses every treasure known to mankind. His vault, the Gate of Babylon, is said to contain the prototype of every heroic weapon ever wielded. And his most prized possession, Ea, is a sword that can tear apart the very fabric of reality."
Raphaela, who had calmed down and rejoined the group, felt a chill run down her spine. "So, how do we even stand a chance?"
A small, enigmatic smile played at the corners of Anubis's jackal-like muzzle. "That, young ones, is the question. Gilgamesh's power is beyond measure, but so too is his pride. And in that pride may lie our opportunity."
As the group exchanged uncertain glances, the air seemed to thicken with anticipation and fear. The legend of Gilgamesh loomed over them like a shadow, both awe-inspiring and terrifying. What would it be like to face such a being? How could they hope to overcome someone who had become the yardstick by which all other heroes were measured?
These questions hung unspoken in the air as the sun began to set, painting the sky in hues of gold and crimson. Somewhere out there, the King of Heroes awaited them, a challenge beyond anything they had faced before. And as night fell, each of them couldn't help but wonder: were they truly ready for what lay ahead?