Chapter 1
Ghosts
Zia walked alongside Carter, Walt, Jaz and Sadie, slightly awkwardly. It was the kind of normal American day she had never imagined she would have, much less with people her own age. They were at a place called Coney Island. It was a nice sunny day in New York City; a calm warm Atlantic breeze blew in from the southeast. Zia wasn't exactly sure why she had agreed to come along on this day of 'fun.' So far, it had been anything but. Sadie and Jaz had warned her that Carter would be making subtle attempts to remind her of her 'past' with him. So far, everything Carter had said to her today started with: "Remember when..." And besides that, it was loud and filled with crowds; definitely not something Zia enjoyed.
After they got off the subway, Sadie pulled Carter aside for a brief heart-to-heart conversation while Zia and the others continued ahead. Ever since then Carter had been completely silent. She understood that he was just trying to help; after all she was jarred after learning that she had been asleep for three months. It was time she would never be able to get back. But of course the stubborn side of her didn't want to hear it. She wanted to believe there was some ulterior motive to his kindness. He wasn't just trying to be nice; he wanted a relationship out of it. She knew that much. Then Jaz's voice jolted her out of her deep thought.
"Zia, we're going to get lunch. Are you hungry?" she asked.
"Oh, yes, lunch sounds good," Zia replied.
They walked up to one of the many concession stands, each of the magicians gazed at the menu, trying to decide what they were going to order, and from where. After they all relayed their decision to Carter, he placed the order. Then they all sat down on a nearby bench, patiently awaiting the arrival of their food.
Carter, however, seemed uneasy.
"Carter, what's wrong?" Walt asked.
"Just...that wind is blowing pretty fast," he replied.
"Not really, it's barely a breeze," Jaz countered calmly, raising an eyebrow.
"You feeling alright?" Sadie asked him, looking worriedly at her brother.
Carter still had a confused expression on his face, but nodded.
"I think I was just imagining it." He told them casually, as if nothing had happened.
As much as Zia wanted to deny it at the time, she too had felt an unusually strong gust of wind blow in. The Duat itself was also giving of significant ripples of power, for a brief moment Zia felt as if she was in a boat that was being tossed about in a storm. She wondered if Carter had felt the same sensation, but didn't want to ask.
"Order number 15!" a woman from the concession stand called.
"That's us!" Carter said cheerfully, walking to the concession stand.
He came back with two trays filled with food, as he began giving everyone one their lunch Sadie and the others began to discuss their next order of business.
"Okay what rides are we going to go on guys?" she asked.
"The Cyclone looks like a lot of fun." Walt said, pointing to a white wooden roller coaster.
"I think we need to go on the Wonder Wheel at sunset," Jaz suggested, pointing to the large red Ferris wheel that was directly in front of them.
"Yeah, that's a great idea!" Carter exclaimed.
"Here it comes..." Zia thought.
"Good thinking; you, Walt and I can go in one car and Carter and Zia can go in the other," Sadie explained.
"Yeah...sounds like fun." Zia said absently.
"What ride do you want to go on Sadie?" Walt asked.
"Hmm...I'm going to have to say the Parachute Jump," she answered.
"Um, hate to break it to you sis, but that ride has been closed since the 60's." Carter explained.
"Oh, well maybe we can check out one of the Haunted Houses," she suggested.
"That ought to be fun," Jaz said with a grin.
"What do you want to go do Zia?" Carter asked.
Zia thought for a moment, looking around to find something that was going to appeal to her. Then she saw the Bumper Cars. She figured it would give her opportunity to inact revenge on Sadie for booking her a seat on what would be the most awkward Ferris wheel ride of her life – though, admittedly it was also the only Ferris wheel ride of her life.
"The Bumper Cars look like they could be fun," she told her companions.
"That should be our first stop, that way we can let our food settle before we hit the big rides," Walt said thoughtfully.
"Sounds like a plan to me," Jaz said standing up, having finished her lunch.
Sadly, this plan they made would not be carried out.
There was an enormous explosion in the direction of the harbor, followed by terrified screams. A cargo ship was blown in half by a thundering shock-wave that flipped cars, small boats, shattered windows, and made the ground tingle with electricity.
Then Jaz saw it.
"Guys, look!" she shouted.
"Ra help us," Zia muttered, terror filling her. She recognized the thing in the harbor.
In the sky, shooting down from the sun, was a four-winged serpent the size of four buses. It had metallic black scales that seemed more like demonic armor then scales, blood red eyes with ghostly silver pupils. It had only two arms, with razor sharp golden claws and four-toed 'Y' shaped feet. Its four wings were black on their underside; the wing membrane seemed leathery and was riddled with holes, tears and claw marks. Its roar was loud and fierce, like thunder. It had a golden underbelly, and golden spines that started small at the back of its head and ran down the creature's spine. They got fairly large at the middle of its torso and then got smaller as it reached the end of its tail. At the very end of the serpent's tail was an ugly mustard yellow spade shaped chunk of what seemed to be bone.
It made a low pass over the area, lighting the southern half of the island ablaze with sun fire. Sun fire the hottest fire known to any man - or god, for that matter. It required a large amount of energy to cast, since the caster pulled flames and heat from the sun, through the Duat and then channeled it out of whatever you were casting the spell with. In this case, a tiny purple vortex opened at the back of the serpent's mouth and the sun fire shot forth from the vortex and out the monsters mouth.
The catch with casting sun fire was that you needed nothing but clear skies in the area of battle. Unfortunately for everyone at Coney Island, that's what the forecast called for. Another disadvantage to casting sun fire, once you start channeling the flames you can't change the direction of the attack. You have to let it run its course (a course that lasts about thirty seconds, unless you will it to go longer.) The serpent completed its initial attack and perched itself atop the Wonder Wheel. Its massive weight putting a lot of stress on the weathered steel that made up the Ferris wheel, causing it to bow and creak.
Zia's eyes grew as the serpent gazed directly at her; she knew it recognized her. It roared, revealing its three rows of dozens of fearsome serrated dagger-like golden teeth. The roar itself was like being hit by a wall of wind. The force knocked the magicians and other tourists off their feet, leaving them dazed and confused.
"Rashid, we meet again. I'm going to enjoy tearing your friends to shreds in the name of my master" the serpent hissed in a much older dialect of Egyptian, a dialect that dates back to the birth of Egypt. Few knew it even existed, fewer were left alive who could understand it, much less speak it.
Zia stood petrified as her worst fears were confirmed. The serpent's name was Chauphis, and he had killed everyone she ever cared about; starting with her family, and then her father-figure. He had fought against Iskandar and poisoned him with his acidic venom which had finally killed her father figure only months ago.
"Getting a sense of déjà vu, are we?" it asked, gliding down from his perch and landing about ten feet in front of them, crushing multiple shacks and shops as he did so.
"We need to run, now!" Zia told her friends, who were preparing for battle. Fear bubbled in her stomach; she knew this serpent's power and strength.
"We can take him!" Walt insisted optimistically.
"This is beyond any of us, we need to go!" Zia begged, hands shaking.
"Are you serious? Zia when did you become the cowardly type?" Sadie asked sarcastically, rolling her eyes for emphathis.
"Sadie, I'm serious! Look at me, I'm being serious!" Zia screamed, fighting back tears and the childish urge to curl into a ball and start crying.
"Cowards run, heroes fight! Stand your ground, Rashid. Die honorably!" Chauphis bellowed, slowly advancing on them.
"I won't let you hurt Zia!" Carter shouted, drawing his khopesh.
"Foolish boy, you burn first!" the serpent snarled, preparing to reduce Carter into ashes.
"No!" Zia shouted, her voice coarse as she tackled Carter and sent them both tumbling out of harm's way as the serpent unleashed a stream of bright red fire that destroyed everything in its path.
Haha Cliffhanger! Well I hope you enjoyed the opening chapter to this story.
It was a lot of fun and I'm already preparing to start CH2.
Special thanks to my beta reader: I'mDifferent-GetOverIt!
She added her own little bits of awesomeness in here and there.
I look forward to continue working with you Diffy!
This is my first TKC fic so I'm excited (and nervous) to see what you all think.
Please review and thanks for stopping by!
-Blu Wolf 23