Chapter Two:
An Amnesiac Magician
is Tight with Isklander

Z I A

A/N: Don't ask me how Zia's narrating if she's a shabti. I do what I want.

Zia here.

Sorry to cut into Atem's explanation, but I'm afraid I'd narrate this better.

So, I lead the Kane siblings down the Hall of Ages.

They seemed mystified. Once, I had to pull Sadie away from an image.

Sorry, but I didn't want any burnt-up magicians.

Up to the dais, where not only did the Chief Lector sit, but also another.

I could tell that he was somewhat tall. He wore some sort of uniform- a blue jacket lined with white, the collar popped, along with blue trousers, and some sort of leather, sleeveless shirt- which I would not recommend to magicians- two belts crossed across his waist, one with a holder big enough for a deck of cards. On his wrist was...

What was that?

It was like a long, thick, pure gold bracelet with an intricately designed wing closed up on the side.

I could feel the magical energy radiating off of it- dark, and very powerful- but the blue-clad boy seemed not to notice.

His hair was another thing all together.

It was shaped like a star- fanning out around his head, two spikes popping out behind his neck on either side, black, edged with dark purple. His bangs were sharp, thin and bright yellow. He must use a lot of hairspray.

Isklander turned to us, as did the spiky-haired boy.

"Zia," Isklander said, speaking to me in Alexandrian Greek, "I'd like you to meet Atem."

Atem nodded to me politely.

"Pleasure to meet you." He said.

"You as well..."

Isklander looked at Carter, and I could tell by his tense muscles and scared expression that the Chief Lector was seeing "what he's got".

Isklander turned and called for Desjardins.

The man stepped from the shadows, and I heard Carter inhale swiftly.

Naturally, he said something smart.

"He's really old. Why isn't he sitting on the throne?"

[Sadie is laughing right now. Can't blame her, can you?]

Desjardins inhaled sharply, but Isklander just laughed.

"Master Isklander thanks you for noticing that, yes, he is quite old. The throne is... Comment di-ton... Symbolic. He, as Chief Lector is to be in servitude to the Pharaoh. That is why he sits on the steps."

"If you..." Carter said nervously, "If he can understand English... What language is he speaking?"

Desjardins sniffed.

"The Chief Lector understands many things, but prefers Alexandrian Greek, his birth tongue."

Carter seemed to be fitting things together.

Sadie cleared her throat. "Sorry, his birth tongue? Wasn't Alexander the Great way back in the blue section, thousands of years ago? You make it sound like Lord Salamander is-"

"Lord Isklander!" Desjardins hissed, "Show some respect!"

It seemed Carter had fit things together at last.

Isklander looked Carter in the eyes and smiled, speaking in Greek.

"The master says not to worry. You will not be held responsible for the past crimes of your family. At least, not until we have investigated you further."

"Gee..." Carter muttered, "Thanks."

"Do not mock our generosity, boy." Desjardins warned, "Your father broke our most important law twice: once at Cleopatra's Needle, when he tried to summon the gods and your mother died assisting him. Then again at the British Museum, when your father was foolish enough to use the Rosetta Stone itself. Now your uncle too is missing-"

"You know what's happened to Amos?" Sadie blurted out.

"We are searching," Desjardins said. "But you cannot worry about Amos. You must stay here. You must be...trained."

I knew Desjardins did not mean 'trained'. He knew that they were godlings. Ra, I'd been able to tell.

Atem looked up at Desjardins, raising an eyebrow.

So he knew English.

Strange. He'd spoken to me in Ancient Egyptian.

"If I may, Desjardins." He said. The frenchman looked at the spiky-haired boy with dislike, but he obviously sensed the power that he had, "They look much too old to be trained properly, don't you think?"

He sounded genuine, so perhaps they hadn't informed him of the Kanes' god-like abilities.

"They are Kanes, Atem." Desjardins said, "They will do fine."

"Some ancient bloodline?" Atem asked.

Was he even a magician? Everyone knew that the Kanes were descended from the Pharaohs. Narmer, specifically.

"Very ancient." Desjardins confirmed.

Atem nodded, seemingly understanding.

"I'm sorry," Sadie said, "but, uh, who are you, exactly?"

Atem shook his head desperately.

"I wish I knew."

"His name is Atem." I said.

"That I knew." Atem said.

Sadie nodded.

"You three," Desjardins said, nodding to the Kanes and Atem, "will sleep with the trainees tonight. When you awake in the morning, the Kanes will go about their duel-"

"Duel?" Sadie demanded.

Atem seemed horrified at the thought.

"You're going to force two children to duel?" He demanded.

Desjardins' eyes fell on the winged bracelet on Atem's arm.

"Not a duel in the way you're thinking."

Atem blinked twice, as if he couldn't understand what he'd been arguing about.

"A-alright."

But he still seemed a bit suspicious about Desjardins' priorities, just as I had always been.

Perhaps he was not a threat.

But... -My eyes fell on the winged bracelet, still having no idea what it did- But he was definitely powerful.

How, I could not even begin to imagine.

Nor did I want to.

…

SORRY IT'S SO SHORT

I tried to tune this into the actual chapter of The Red Pyramid as best I could, and this is what you get.

SHADOW MAGIC IN THE NEXT CHAPTER

K, love y'all, BAI