Chapter Seven
Groggy with pain, Harry Potter forced himself awake. Glazed vision slowly refocused as he studied the dark shadows and reddish glowing smoke when a low growling caused him to freeze.
Painfully pushing upwards with shaking arms, tensed from the bouts of 'crucio,' Harry slowly turned to see behind him. At first all he saw was a brimstone colour wall, almost as tall as Hagrid if not slight taller, glowing with large cracks oozing free flowing lava. In the middle of the huge wall stood elegant gates of black shadowy vines, intertwining with two pillar shaped stone angels, both in shades of red and black.
Despite his sudden appreciation of the gates, the steady growling grew in response. Emerald eyes widened as he spied the shadows parting. To his right he could see an abnormally large wolf bound to the wall by a thick thread of rope, trying to break free. One side of his mind said the rope would break but the other part could see that it was stronger than appeared with every strong jerk against it. The jaws were wet with spit as the lips curled back to show off its sharp canines.
To his left he could see another large canine, this time a regular dog, but with four eyes, covered in splashes of dripping blood, who was also bound, this time with red glowing chains. His snarls pulled back the threatening lips, snapping the eager teeth in his direction.
But it wasn't just the two smaller canines that really caught his attention. It was the gigantic three headed canine suddenly stepping forward from the twining shadowy vines. This dog put 'Fluffy' to shame, when he had accidentally came across that three headed dog in his first year at Hogwarts.This dog seemed bigger and meaner, and walking towards him like he was the fresh meat.
He swallowed hard, scuttling backwards like a crab. Three heads of sharp rows of teeth and foaming with spit, feral glinting eyes narrowed, and one body containing them grew closer when a soft voice literally purred.
"Hello, my child."
Looking for the voice as well as watching his advancing foe, "Who?"
From behind him stood a strange female, "Down, pets, down." The three canine creatures standing before the gates bowed to the floor, docile like a baby kitten. "He's given entrance from our Master." Turning to the seated Harry Potter, "I am Bastet. I am an ancient being here in Mitnal."
Emeralds could only stare the sudden appearance of a clearer figure. The woman, Bastet, was a literal female feline, complete with a long tail, ears, and whiskers. The soft brown blended well with the softer colours of her golden breast plate and Egyptian skirt. Warm panther green eyes twinkled as the twitching ears flickered beneath the weird golden tiara, trapped within long jet black strands of impeccably neat hair. "You're…"
He couldn't seem to finish as she laughed, "Yes, my boy. Come." Gently, she tugged the young man to his feet, leading him through the shadowy vines. "I come from ancient Egyptian times. I've been known as the Cat Goddess. The ruler over felines, the home, pleasure, music and dance. I have also been slightly related to war."
He smiled shyly, "I never learned much about other religions."
She mentally frowned, her thoughts running rapid, No wonder he has no clue. He never even learned who he truly is, was. "Here in Mitnal, there are quite a few ancient beings."
As they steadily walk, her pace set slowly to his pain, Harry wasn't too sure why he was here, "Mitnal?"
Flinging a hand around, Harry could see the curtain of red smoke. Behind the smoke he could see moving shadows, most on the ground trying to flee or move away from the ones raining blows or punishment down on them. Trapping a whimper, Harry wasn't too sure he wanted to be here. "This is Mitnal. The ancient Mayans named this hellish realm long ago This is where the true wicked are punished and tortured, preceding the crime in their lives before death."
"Why am I here?" His voice was soft, low to try and keep from being heard.
