I hope you guys enjoy this chapter.
Replies:
Thickneck: You'll have to wait and see- but I will say the minific will include a character I know a lot of you are looking forward to seeing.
Undeath9087: I mean, you probably aren't wrong lol. And there are gonna be some emotional moments lol.
Guest: Yeah Poseidon has no clue she's alive but it will show how he's reacted to and coping with Percy's disappearance. All will be explained later I promise you. But currently the Greeks believe the Egyptian gods faded- they don't know that the House of Life were sealing them up so when the Egyptian gods seemed to disappear the Greeks just made assumptions.
Rage2091: I mean, Percy was just never good at it.
Guest: You're not wrong!

A moment later Amos pulled back, smiling tiredly at them both as Zia called, "Percy, Sadie, it is good to see you both."

"Good to see you too Zia." Sadie called back, a light smile on her lips as Amos stepped to the side so that they could see into the room.

It was a war room. Percy had been there more than once. In the room was a large table inlaid with a full-color world map. The table's surface was crowded with tiny figurines—painted ships, monsters, magicians, cars, and markers with hieroglyphs.

Which Percy knew they'd been using to shore up their defences and prepare for the battles that were coming- and that were already raging, though Percy knew they avoided her hearing too much.

Zia was stood on the opposite end of the table from them, clad in camouflage clothes looking very serious, though she gave Percy and Sadie a warm smile. "It's good to see you both whole and healthy- mostly." her eyes lingered over the red puckered lines that were visible on Percy's arms and legs, and suddenly Percy wished she'd worn tights and a jacket.

Amos was dressed more seriously too- or more magician like anyway, in his traditional linen robes. With his barrel-
shaped figure, they made him look a bit like Friar Tuck, except with darker skin and cooler hair. His braided locks were decorated with gold beads. His round glasses flashed as he studied the map. Draped around his shoulders was the leopard-skin cape of the Chief Lector. It had taken Percy a while to get used to that.

"I thought you were visiting Ra?" Percy directed that at Zia, who gave a small nod. "Yes, but I came back here to help Amos not long after hearing about what happened in Dallas." her smile was tainted with sadness before her eyes narrowed when Amos spoke?

"Who is your new friend you two?"

"He is one of the Russians!" Zia's voice was accusing, "I saw him when we got the second part of the scroll."

"Calm down!" Sadie held up her hands when Leonid stepped back. "He's a friend- kind of. He showed up at the school dance, it's a long story but he's here to help us, he has information. Would have been real hard if we didn't have Percy- she can play translator right?"

"Yep." Percy nodded, "I speak Russian now-"

"You-" Amos blinked, "I suppose that does make sense-"

"Wait-" Zia frowned, "I don't-"

"I've been able to speak most languages since the whole- y'know, thing." Percy shrugged, "It's cool."

"Yes, but a bit of a strain for you," Amos' brows furrowed before he stepped forward and touched Leonids forehead. "Med-wah."

In the air above them the hieroglyph for Speak burned red:

"There," Amos said. "That should help."

Leonid's eyebrows shot up. "You speak Russian?"

Amos smiled. "Actually for the next few minutes, we'll all be speaking Ancient Egyptian, but it will sound to each of us like our native tongue."

"Brilliant," Sadie said. "Leonid, you'd best make the most of your time."

Leonid took off his army cap and fidgeted with the brim. "Sarah Jacobi and her lieutenant, Kwai…they mean to attack you."

"We know that," Amos said dryly.

"No, you don't understand!" Leonid's voice trembled with fear. "They are evil! They are working with Apophis!"

Perhaps it was a coincidence, but when he said that name, several figurines on the world map sparked and melted, and
Percy flinched- the scar on her neck itching.

"That is a serious accusation." Amos said gently, "You must give us more than that I'm afraid.

His ears turned pink. "After the death of Menshikov, Jacobi and Kwai came to our nome. We gave them refuge. Soon Jacobi took over, but my comrades did not object. They, ah, hate the Kanes very much." He looked at Sadie guiltily.

"After you broke into our headquarters last spring…well, the other Russians blame you for Menshikov's death and the rise of Apophis. They blame you for everything."

"Gee thanks." Percy grumbled the words, "Because Menshikov totally didn't literally kidnap me-"

"It's okay Percy." Sadie's arm was around Percy's shoulder gently. "And we're used to it Leonid. You didn't feel the same?" He pinched his oversized cap. "I saw your power. You defeated the tjesu-heru monster. You could have destroyed me, but you didn't. You did not seem evil."

"Thanks for that."

"After we met, I became curious. I began reading old scrolls, learning to channel the power of the god Shu. I have always been a good air elementalist."

Amos grunted. "That took courage, Leonid. Exploring the path of the gods on your own in the middle of the Russian nome? You were brave."

"I was foolhardy." Leonid's forehead was damp with sweat. "Jacobi has killed magicians for lesser crimes. One of my friends, an old man named Mikhail, he once made the mistake of saying all Kanes might not be bad. Jacobi arrested him for treason. She gave him to Kwai, who does magic with—with lightning…terrible things. I heard Mikhail screaming in the dungeon for three nights before he died."

Amos and Zia exchanged grave looks and Percy winced. It was a horrible thought but it wasn't surprising.

"I'm so sorry," Amos said. "But how can you be sure Jacobi and Kwai are working for Apophis?"

The young Russian glanced at Sadie for reassurance.

"You can trust Amos," Sadie promised. "He'll protect you."

Leonid chewed his lip. "Yesterday I was in one of the chambers deep under the Hermitage, a place I thought was secret. I was studying a scroll to summon Shu—very forbidden magic. I heard Jacobi and Kwai approaching, so I hid. I overheard the two of them speaking, but their voices were…splintered. I don't know how to explain."

"They were possessed?" Zia asked, which made Percy tense, shaking slightly- and Sadie's arm tightened even more around her- it was almost painful but Percy was grateful, truth be told. It anchored her in the hear and now. It was a terrifying thought. She hated it.
"Worse," Leonid said. "They were each channelling dozens of voices. It was like a war council. I heard many monsters and demons. And presiding over the meeting was one voice, deeper and more powerful than the rest. I'd never heard anything like it, as if darkness could speak."

"Apophis," Amos said, his eyes flicking to Percy, who let out a whimper despite herself, gripping at Sadie's shirt tightly, she remembered that voice, so horrible from inside of her own head, that powerlessness.

Leonid had gone very pale. "Please understand, most magicians in St. Petersburg, they are not evil. They are only scared and desperate to survive. Jacobi has convinced them she will save them. She has misled them with lies. She says the Kanes are demons. But she and Kwai…they are the monsters. They are no longer human. They have set up a camp at Abu Simbel. From there, they will lead the rebels against the First Nome."

Amos turned to his map. He traced his finger south along the River Nile to a small lake. "I sense nothing at Abu Simbel. If they are there, they've managed to hide themselves completely from my magic."

"They are there," Leonid promised.

Zia scowled. "Under our very noses, within easy striking distance. We should've killed the rebels at Brooklyn House when we had the chance."

Amos shook his head. "We are servants of Ma'at—order and justice. We don't kill our enemies for things they might do in the future."

"And now our enemies will kill us," Zia said.

On the table map, two more figurines sparked and melted in Spain. A miniature ship broke into pieces off the coast of Japan.

Amos grimaced. "More losses."

He chose a cobra figurine from Korea and pushed it toward the shipwreck. He swept away the melted magicians from Spain.

"What is that map?" Sadie asked quietly.

Zia moved a hieroglyph token from Germany to France. "Iskandar's war map. As I once told you, he was an expert at statuary magic."

"Those tokens stand for actual forces?" Sadie asked.

"Yes," Amos said. "The map shows us our enemy's movements, at least most of them. It also allows us to send our forces by magic to where they are needed."

"And, uh, how are we doing?"

His expression was grim, he didn't actually need to answer the question just from the look on his face it was obvious. "We are spread to thin." he admitted, "Jacobi's followers strike wherever we are weakest. Apophis sends his demons to terrorize our allies. The attacks seem coordinated."

"Because they are," Leonid said. "Kwai and Jacobi are under the serpent's control."

"How could Kwai and Jacobi be so stupid? Don't they understand Apophis is going to destroy the world?"

"Chaos is seductive," Amos said. "No doubt Apophis has made them promises of power. He whispers in their ears, convincing them they are too important to be destroyed. They believe they can make a new world better than the old, and the change is worth any price—even mass annihilation. You have to be strong indeed to resist such power- and that's if he bothers with seducing you to his side- which is what he's done with them- he's more than capable of taking control by force-"

"Stop!" Percy blurted out the words, "Can you stop? Please you're not even looking at me anymore I- you don't have to- we know-"

"Know what?" Leonid looked confused, but no one answered his question.

"I'm sorry." Amos' voice was soft, "Percy this must be hard-"

"Of course it's hard, the worlds at risk of ending." she grumbled the words. "Isn't that bad enough do we have to dwell on- on what the asshole of a snake wants from me? It- I stopped him, I'm fine now." of course the fact that she was shaking probably didn't help her case, but Sadie squeezed her shoulder gently, just once before releasing.

"Percy's doing really well, she showed him who was boss back in Dallas. There's nothing to worry about on that front." and really, Percy did love her big sister an awful lot.

Zia picked up a falcon figurine. She moved it toward Abu Simbel, but the little statue began to steam. She was forced to drop it.

"They've put up powerful wards," she said. "We won't be able to eavesdrop."

"They will attack in three days," Leonid said. "At the same time, Apophis will rise—at dawn on the autumn equinox."

"Another equinox?" Sadie grumbled. "Didn't that last bit of nastiness happen on one of those? You Egyptians have an unhealthy obsession with equinoxes."

Amos gave her a stern look. "Sadie, as I'm sure you're aware, the equinox is a time of great magic significance, when day and night are equal. Besides, the autumn equinox marks the last day before darkness overtakes the light. It is the anniversary of Ra's retreat into the heavens. I feared that Apophis might make his move at that time. It's a most inauspicious day."

"Inauspicious?" Sadie's brows furrowed in confusion. "But inauspicious is bad. Why would they…oh."

"Cause they're bad Sadie." Percy muttered the words, "Super duper bad."

Amos leaned forward on his staff, letting out a heavy sight. "We don't have the strength to defeat our enemies," he said. "I will have to use other means."

"Amos, no," Zia said. "Please."

And okay. That was... odd. Percy didn't know what had her so worried. But there was something big that Amos, Sally and Desjardins had all been keeping from her.

"Actually." Sadie spoke up, "Carter and I have a plan." and she quickly launched into an explanation, with Percy's help, telling Amos and Zia about their hopes that they could use Apophis' shadow to maybe permanently get rid of the snake.

When they were done Amos gazed at his map. "I've never heard of such magic. Even if it's possible—"

"It is." Percy said quickly, "I- if anyone knows it's me and he fears it. It's why he's destroying the scrolls. He is terrified we can kill him."

Zia crossed her arms. "But you can't. You just said all copies were destroyed."

"We'll ask Thoth for help," Sadie said. "Carter's on his way there now. And in the meantime…I have an errand to run. I may be able to test our theory about shadows."

"How?" Amos asked.

And Sadie hesitated for a long moment before speaking. "I want to find Bes' shadow. I think- maybe we can fix him."