Hello! Now the story shall progress!
Disclaimer: I do not own PJO HoO or any of Rick Riordans work.
Christine's POV
The day was September twenty fifth. My birthday was a week away. Seventeen. I couldn't believe I was alive at this age. I was actually very relaxed that day. I had come home from that place called school with Percy. They boys, Horus and Shay, still hadn't come home. Just as I was worrying that they had come and taken them, they walked in through the door. Sally was very sweet and worried for the boys and me as she would for Percy.
She made dinner and we relaxed the rest of the day. Well the boys did. I sat at the table and did homework. I rather enjoyed school. Waking up wasn't a problem. I'd woken up at dawn for most of my life. It was cake.
I put the young troublemakers to bed and sang songs to them. I didn't start with Mother's lullaby. I sang musical theatre then ended with the lullaby. They were asleep this time. I sighed. They hated school. They loved learning, it the getting up they hated. It's unreasonable to get up that early, they said. I laughed when they said that. They were excelling. School should've been easy for them.
I went to my spot on the floor in Percy's bedroom. Our brother was already asleep in his bed. He insisted I have the bed, but I was a guest. I was okay on the floor. I crawled in to my sleeping bag and fell asleep.
When I woke up there was a roll of papyrus on Horus's bed. I picked it up and walked out to the kitchen.
"Good morning Christine. How did you sleep?" Sally asked.
Distracted, I answered. "Just fine, thank you Sally. Did you see this note?"
"Yes. I put it on Horus's bag. I didn't know what those pictures mean. Percy said you would. Is he still in that shower? You two need to go in an hour."
I flipped it over and saw that it had the name Pharaoh called me. Kamilah. Shaking, I opened it. I took a breath and read the hieroglyphs like I had all my life.
'Kamilah,
I've taken your idiot brothers and a girl. A sister to someone you care for dearly. You knew this day would come, sweetheart. You knew I killed that bitch you called 'mother'. You should of thought of the consequences before you revealed yourself. Until you return and give me that beautiful pendant of yours, your brothers will be damaged beyond repair. Let's say, Horus might never be king. You have until the Festival of Hathor. You'll remember which pendant. The one your patron gave you. Now you either return and give the pendant, or you can allow your brothers to die a slow and painful death and you along with them. Better hurry. Time is not on your side.
Your most sincere and loving king,
Babafemi.'
The boys were gone. I had six days before my birthday. The Festival of Hathor. I ran to Percy's room and packed my backpack, not with schoolbooks, but with clothes and supplies.
"Christine, it's a day of school. It's not a quest," Sally said.
"I know Sally, but the boys are gone. Pharaoh has taken them. I need to get them. If I don't they'll die!" I explained, "Could you see if Percy hasn't been taken? I need a companion. Pharaoh won't keep his word."
Percy's POV
I had just put a shirt on when my mom knocked on the door. She looked rather distressed. I didn't know why. Christine, the boys, and I were safe. All together.
"Percy, you're not going to school today. Christine needs you," Mom said.
"What does she need me for? Homework? She should talk to Annabeth for that."
"No Percy. It's not about school."
I walked into the kitchen to have some breakfast before we left for school. When Christine saw me she sighed with obvious relief. She ran up to me and hugged me so tightly I thought I'd burst.
"Christine-"
"No time to explain. Grab Riptide and let's go!"
I started to question her actions again when there was a knock on the door. Christine answered it and gasped softly.
"Erik?"
Standing in the doorway was none other than Erik Dentler, son of Apollo. He had a small necklace in his hand. His eyes were full of worry. He briefly explained that his little sister had gone missing and the police wouldn't believe him. Christine explained quickly that she had reason to believe that the Pharaoh of Egypt had taken her.
"He's taken my brothers. In this letter he said he'd taken my brothers and a girl, who is a sister of someone I care deeply about," she said, hurriedly.
I immediately grabbed my backpack and packed some supplies. Ambrosia, nectar, the amulets Christine gave me, some clothes and money, both human and drachmas. If my brothers were gone than I was going to find them. I informed Christine I was ready to go.
"I'm coming with you," Erik declared.
"Erik no. I can't allow it. Pharaoh is a dangerous man. Manipulative, and heartless. He abused me all my life. It wouldn't surprise me if he was torturing our siblings now. I don't want you to get hurt," Christine argued.
"I don't care! Calla is my baby sister and I'm going to find her, with or without your help!"
"You won't find the palace without me. It's miles into the Sahara and is hidden under layers of magic!"
"Stop it!" I yelled. They both looked at me.
"Now. Chrissy how long do we have?"
"Until the Festival of Hathor. October fourth. My birthday. Six days."
"Okay. And how far into the Sahara is it?"
"From Giza? About thirty miles."
"Guards?"
"Lots. It's almost impossible to infiltrate the palace. Almost. You can bet there's going to be guards at every entrance with orders to kill us or bring us to Pharaoh."
I nodded. It was decided. Erik would come with us and we'd work together.
Christine's POV
So I was risking my brother and my friends lives. How wonderful. Sally said she'd book us a flight but we didn't have that kind of time. The boys and Erik's sister could be dead. Instead I walked into the living room and took out two skewers with powerful hieroglyphs written on them. I started to weave a door way right into the outskirts of Giza. I spoke with care. One wrong word and it would be over. One wrong word and I could kill us all. The sacred words of Nut and Geb, the sky and Earth, were fragile.
"Medou netjer. So hekret nezeratus ahk-he hamenatakus. Helrahdejer minatuhkia. Heka. Sia. Hu. Oh mighty Geb and gentle Nut. Grant us a passage to Egypt."
I continued chanting until the doorway was complete. I was exhausted and sweaty. But I'd have to deal with it. The door wouldn't stay open for very long. We said goodbye to Sally and Paul, her husband, and left. I got sand in my hair as I walked through the portal but that was normal. We were in Egypt. On the outskirts of Giza. I saw I was still in my pyjamas. A tank top and shorts. I only had flip-flops on and needed clothes.
"Come on," I said.
"Where are we going? I thought the Sahara was where all the sand was," Percy asked.
"True. But I need clothes to blend in. If you want, you two can stay here and wait for me and risk getting arrested for loitering," I snapped.
The two boys shrugged their shoulders. And with that we headed into town for a quick visit.
So definitions and translating.
KAMILAH-(KAM-EE-LAH) meaning perfection. The Pharaoh used this name to torment Christine since her mother called her an angel. Angels are seen as perfect creature who can do no wrong. Christine defied the king therefore making her a nuisance to him. Teasing her and calling her Kamilah was also the name for which he'd chosen for her seeing that Christine is not an Egyptian name.
Medou netjer- the words of the gods.
So hekret nezeratus ahk-he hamenatakus- I plead with those who have guided me to help me now and grant me passage through Duat.
Helrahdejer minatuhkia- Give me the courage to seek what I mean and destroy the evil which lives inside a soul.
Heka- divine magic
Sia-divine knowledge
Hu-divine utterance
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