In which it is the weather that brings the forecast. Haha, get it? :D
oooOOOooo
Clouds
Anubis was back in his god form: human body, jackal head. He was in Cleo's room, standing before the mirror, slowly turning around. Cleo and Luxor were sitting on the bed and watched him.
Anubis's entire naked torso was covered with bright red lines that formed geometric patterns. Though the lines on his head were more recognizable. They were longer, and two were running down to his mouth. Cleo didn't want to admit it, but with this "make-up" Anubis was a near perfect reflection of Seth. Though Anubis was a jackal, and Seth was… eh, well… probably between a donkey and a crocodile. But both of them had long faces and sharp teeth.
The jackal let out a heavy sigh.
- Don't worry – said Cleo quickly. – I'm pretty sure Thoth is working on it!
- Oh that reminds me! – shouted Luxor. – Thoth and Bastet asked me to give this message: they are working on the solution and are asking you not to give up hope.
- Alright – mumbled Anubis, looking into the mirror. – Maybe – HOLY FEATHER OF TRUTH! – he suddenly screamed and fell back, bunging his head into the bed.
- What happened?! – Cleo sprung up and helped the god up.
Anubis stared at the mirror. He was getting mad, he was sure of it. Maybe he was just imagining things. But he would have sworn he was seeing another face in the mirror for a split second.
oooOOOooo
Seth chuckled, holding the bottle of the red ink. He had to admit, Shadow Gobbler's shadow made a good job.
He looked at the ink. If Thoth thought he was the only one who could make contact with it, then he was very wrong.
Note to self: stop scaring Anubis out of his clothes, he thought, recalling his little trick with a certain mirror from a minute ago, you need him sane. Sort of.
The God of Wisdom just wasn't tough enough, he soon realized after touching the ink with his mind. The best he could describe the ink was with a word from the modern Overworld: "jerk". It was big-mouthed and as soon as he made contact with it, it started swearing at him and his mother. Oooookay. He had to be rough too. And Thoth couldn't do it.
After two hours full of swearing at each other (Seth almost broke the bottle two times) he finally won. He managed to crush the ink's jerky part with his mind. Now it was a piece of cake.
- Shadow Gobbler! – he snapped. – Take it back.
- Yes, oh great Seth! – bowed the demon as his shadow grabbed the bottle and slipped away to the City to place it back to the night table.
oooOOOooo
Thoth woke up with a yawn and stretched out. It felt as if he was sleeping for hours. Anyway, it felt really nice, and he was no longer exhausted. That meant he could continue the battle against the red ink's will.
Oh yes, the bottle. It was on the night table. He picked it up and with a loud sigh he placed it to his forehead. He couldn't give up now. His best friend's and the entire Overworld's fates were at stake.
But he was taken aback. The ink was no longer fighting back. It let him in! Now he could look into the depth of its magic and figure out how it works. And if he knows how it works, he can create the opposite of it.
It was hard at first to navigate through the simple yet shifted mind, but he got used to it soon enough. Now for the even harder part…
oooOOOooo
- Ugh, I hate this weather – growled Cleo, looking out on her window.
Anubis turned back into his human form.
- What weather? – he hissed, rubbing the back of his head.
- When it's obvious that soon a storm will arrive. You know, when those ugly gray clouds can be seen at the horizon.
- What?! – Anubis sprang up and ran there to look out too.
- Wow, it's very dark – said Cleo clueless. – Maybe a hail?
Yes, the storm cloud that was coming was extremely dark, almost like the night sky itself. It did look like a hail. Anubis looked at it for a long moment. Yes it looked like an ordinary hail cloud, only it wasn't one.
- Cleo! – shouted a voice from below.
They looked down and saw Tut as he was climbing up on the tree near the window to get in.
- What now?! – she growled. She hated when Tut left the museum.
- Cleo, it's horrible! – the mummy huffed as he got up the branch and climbed in with the help of the two. – I… I saw symbols on the sky!
- You mean the clouds – stated Cleo angrily.
- No, in the clouds! I saw the symbols of misfortune and demons! – he explained worriedly. – Something bad is coming!
- Are you sure, sir?! – asked Luxor and he jumped off the bed.
- Never been so sure before!
- What is Seth planning now?! – huffed Cleo in annoyance.
- I do not think it is his doing – said Anubis. – He does not have power over the elements here. Since he is banished.
- Then what is it?
- I do not know – the jackal shook his head. – But I hope it will not disturb us.
- I say it's just a storm – said Cleo. – Let's watch a movie until it's over.
- I love horror movies! – cried happily Tut, immediately forgetting about the omens.
- What? – Anubis glanced at Cleo.
- Kids! Lunch! – shouted Gramps from downstairs.
He had prepared spaghetti.