Ok, sorry for the enormously long wait for this chapter. Hopefully I'll update sooner next time. Thanks for all your reviews people.
Yawning widely, Atemu stretched and sat up, confused by where he was. He was in a shallow cave, dimly light by the embers of a dying fire.
A girl about his age was sleeping a few feet away from him, attired in what looked to be gypsy clothes.
'Where am I?' Atemu wondered as he stood up. Then he remembered the events of the past week: Set's betrayal, leaving the underworld and coming here, and meeting Jazii.
Shaking his head, Atemu leaned over his friend and shook her shoulder gently. "Jazii, oi Jazii, wake up."
The girl murmured sleepily and rolled over. "Shut up Atemu, it's like 3 in the morning. Get some sleep."
"I can't. I feel like something's wrong. Are you sure it's safe to stay here?"
"Of course it is, silly. We walked all through the day, and this is the only cave for miles. Why wouldn't it be safe?" Jazii snuggled down inside her fur blanket and closed her eyes.
"I don't know, something just doesn't feel right. Like we're not meant to be here."
"You know what?" Jazii sighed and stood up. "You're too much of a drama queen. Stop overreacting. This is a free cave. It's not like there's a name on it anywhere."
"You could be wrong there." Atemu's choked voice made Jazii turn to see what he was looking at.
Carved into the rock wall was a shiny crystal insignia. It was egg-shaped, edged in a ring of flames.
"What is it?" Jazii made her way over to Atemu and rested her hand on the emblem.
"I have no idea." Atemu traced his finger along the lines etched into the crystal.
A shimmer of color caught his eye. There was a reflection in the crystal, some sort of red shape that seemed to be growing larger and larger.
A soft but shrill cry sounded from behind them. Turning, Jazii looked with horror into the glowing amber eyes of the most terrifying, hideous, evil beast she had ever seen.
"Bennu!" Squealed Atemu happily as he launched himself at the creature.
The bird was only about a foot long, with about 3 feet of red and gold plumage on its tail.
The tips of its crest glowed with an inner fire, and it chirped happily.
Atemu hugged the bird tightly, wrapping his arms around its small body. "Stop it!" Jazii shrieked, and whacked the bird viciously with her bag. "It'll burn you!"
"No he won't!" Atemu shouted indignantly. "And he's not an 'it', he's a he. And he's called Bennu."
"How do you know this thing?"
"Bennu's not a thing, he's a phoenix actually. I learnt about him in one of the few history lessons I actually listened to."
Jazii sighed and shook her head. "I should've known." She sat down a safe distance away from Bennu.
"Well, now that we're up, we may as well hit the road again." Atemu gathered his things and stuffed them into his pack. Bennu chirped and sat on Atemu's shoulder.
"Fine." Jazii wrinkled her nose. "But keep that bird away from me. And we better find a town or an oasis soon. You stink."
"Thanks." Atemu muttered dryly. "I'm sure you're not much better."
Round, smiling faces full of laughter and joy just to be alive. Bouncing blonde curls, bright eyes, and chubby little fingers that grasp yours.
That's what children are supposed to look like. These didn't match that description at all.
Atemu and Jazii looked in revulsion at the children gathered before them.
Pale, gaunt faces full of remorse and despair, devoid of any happiness. Limp, dark strands of hair, hollow, lost eyes, and corpse-like skin.
The children lived in the run-down village all by themselves. The older ones fed off carcasses found in the marshlands, and the younger ones ate nothing except warm flesh boiled with milk.
They whispered among themselves, black eyes darting across the newcomers, judging the prospect of a fresh meal.
Saddened, Jazii turned to head away. "What happened to them?" She whispered.
"I don't know. They're just kids. Why should they have to go through this sort of thing? It's sickening."
"You got that right." Jazii knelt down in front of a young girl who looked to be about 4 years old.
The child raised her hand to Jazii's face and stroked her cheek. "Araza." The girl smiled sadly.
"Araza? What does that mean?" Atemu asked Jazii, unaware that the girl was backing away fearfully.
"It's, it's a sort of prayer, used before a meal." Jazii gulped and turned to look at her friend.
"And I think the meal is going to be us."
The group of children drew closer around the two, smiling a little and drooling. "Jazii!" Atemu let out a squeak. "Don't let them get me! I'm too important to die!"
"Shut up you fool, now keep close and follow me lead." Jazii closed her eyes and swept her hands around her in a half-circle.
"Jazii! This is no time to be meditating!"
Without answering, she pivoted on one foot and faced the children. Drawing her hands back behind her head, Jazii whispered a spell and thrust her palms towards the oldest child.
Red lightning leapt from her fingertips and blasted the boy in the chest. He screamed and fell backwards, his skin crumbling and falling to ash.
With the fall of their leader the children milled around uncertainly, momentarily halted.
Atemu stared, his eyes wide. "I didn't know you were a wooo."
Jazii glared at him. "What the hell is a wooo?"
"It's a person who does magic, like Seto or Isis. You're a wooo too." Atemu blinked and grinned. "Hey, that rhymed!"
"Now is not the time, pretty boy!" Jazii leapt onto the top of a small house and yanked Atemu up next to her.
"Now move!" She pulled Atemu in line behind her and sprinted along the rooftops. Bennu squawked and flew after them.
The second oldest child, a female, shrieked and gestured towards the pair. The children hissed and raced after them.
Dimly aware of the cannibalistic children chasing after him, Atemu let his feet do the work and focused on Jazii's back.
A thin, ragged boy jumped onto a wooden plank and leapt behind Atemu as he went by. The child sank his teeth into his leg, biting down with all his force.
Atemu yelped and danced around, madly trying to shake the boy off. "Jazii, help! It's gonna eat me!"
Jazii turned around and ran back to Atemu. "Sometimes I wonder why I have to do everything for you."
"Medra!" The boy screamed in pain as the red magic slammed into his body, knocking his frail body off the rooftop and crushing it to ash.
Atemu heaved a sigh of relief and nodded his head at the pile of cinders. "Whew. Thanks for that."
Jazii rolled her eyes. "Don't thank me yet. We've sill got a long way to go." She ruffled Atemu's hair affectionately, and then cuffed him over the head.
"Ow!" Atemu cried, and held his head. "You are so evil."
Jazii laughed and turned away. "I am not. Now let's get out of here."
