(A/N: I just wanted to put in a note about how much work this is taking. I realized that if I wanted to pull demons into this clash of ideas (this story is beginning to sound like I put a bunch of different stories in a blender and pressed "puree"), I needed to find out what Egyptians thought of them. Apparently, they thought a lot about them- too much, actually. I pulled out the highlights of my "research" and included them in this chapter. Review, or it's going to be a wasted effort and I will have to take out my anger on some unsuspecting innocent)
Disclaimer: For all of you morons who still have no reading comprehension skills, this is a FANFICTION. Which means that I am basing this FICTIONal story off of someone else's work, because I am a FAN (hence the name?) Therefore, some of it is not mine. And to think they insist on including this stuff.
Chapter-uh, what are we up to? Five? Yeah, I think its five. Chapter Five- Badass Wildcats Avia and Arimsa backed against the door, trying to get away from the horrible glow of those eyes. Arimsa was still frantically trying to open the gate, but it was obviously not going to budge. Avia's mind was completely blank with terror. Then, the creature walked into the light, and things only got worse.
"What in Ra's name is that?" Arimsa whispered hoarsely. Avia could understand his outburst. The thing before them looked vaguely like a dog, but hideously twisted. It was skeletally thin, with block- like ears and a long, barbed tail. Its entire body was a dusty tan, except for its eyes, which glowed an eerie red color in deep- set sockets. Its fangs looked no larger than those of a dog, but the gleam of its eye gave it an air of great power and malevolence.
"I think it's a Seti" Avia whispered back to her brother.
"A what?' he murmured, keeping his eyes on the beast, which was beginning to pace before them.
"A Seti" Avia repeated. "Its like a dog, but sort of…infused with Seth's power. They are very fast and very intelligent. Speak very quietly, I think most of them can understand human language."
"Well, that's all terrific trivia, Avi, but HOW DO WE KILL IT?" her brother asked her hotly.
"I don't think we can" Avia replied. "Only special types of knives will harm demons like that, and obviously we don't have access to any of those."
Arimsa did not look thrilled with that news flash. "Come on, Avi, think. There has got to be a way to get rid of this thing."
Avia struggled to come up with something, anything, but the Seti was beginning to close in on them. "I don't know how to kill it, I was only learning about them yesterday! I only know that they live in the desert and only come out at night!"
"Does that mean they don't like light?" Arimsa asked, eyeing the torch behind them"
"As it's in the light now, I would say no." Avia cut back, panic making her edgy.
The creature gave another one of it's growling barks and began to move forward. The light glinted off of its sharp teeth and claws, making the twins gulp. They watched in grim fascination as it tensed to spring at them, something akin to delight shining in its eyes. It opened its mouth- and a yowl echoed across the temple grounds.
Avia looked around, wondering where the sound had come from- certainly not the Seti, that was for sure. Sensing movement to her left, she turned, deciding that she would rather face whatever it was than keep her back turned. To her amazement, a gigantic black panther sprang into the circle of light, slamming directly into the side of the demon. With another angry snarl, the giant cat swiped at the Seti, grazing its back with it's wickedly sharp claws. The Seti voiced a whimper and began to back off, recognizing its new, much more threatening enemy. Sensing victory, the panther lunged forward after the demon, chasing it from the torchlight. Avia caught a glimpse of bright green eyes and powerful flanks before it disappeared, among animalistic screams and yowls.
"Oh, gods" Arimsa groaned, sinking to his feet with relief. "This is too much for me."
Avia joined her brother on the ground, completely drained after having so much energy coursing through her body. Her mind was still whirling around, trying to make sense of the last few minutes. "What just happened?" she finally asked, giving up on working things out for herself.
"We were almost killed by some sort of monster, which you seemed to recognize, and were saved at the last minute by a wild animal." Arimsa sighed. "I'll give you one thing, you certainly make life interesting."
"Thank you" she remarked dryly, still trying to organize her thoughts. She felt strangely lightheaded, in fact, she had been feeling out of sorts right before the panther appeared. Shaking her head to clear it, she realized that Arimsa had just asked her a question. "What was that?" she asked him.
" I asked how on earth you recognized that thing" Arimsa said. He tried to sound nonchalant, but it was evident to his sister that he was about to pass out with worry.
"From the Book of the Dead. Siete and I started reading it a few weeks ago. It has all kinds of information on things like that Seti."
"Why would you want to read a book like that?" Arimsa asked incredulously.
"Siete told me that the Daughters of Isis were an order of women who fight demons- like that Seti. He said if I wanted to know more, we could get started reading the Book. Actually, we're lucky it was only a Seti- there's much more dangerous things to run into, particularly so close to the desert." She was referring to the fact that the temple was on the outskirts of the town, and it was not far from the barren Red Land, or desert.
"What does the desert have to do with anything?" Arimsa asked, sounding more put out every minute. He hated to feel ignorant, and to loose control of a situation- and now, both had happened.
"Demons were created by Seth. They all serve him on some level, even ones that claim to be independent of him. Since Seth is the god of infertility, the desert is considered his home, and his territory. Most of his kind will be found there."
"Why would anyone want to follow him in the first place?" Arimsa demanded. "This sounds very fabricated to me."
"Think about it, Arimsa" Avia replied. "Not everything in the desert is bad. There's gold, amethyst, lapis lazuli, rubies, emeralds, stone quarries- barren it may be, but there is still plenty to tempt someone with."
Arimsa nodded slowly, seeming to understand. Avia could almost see the gears of his mind working to process all the events that had taken place. "Wait a minute" he said, looking, if possible, even more angry, "if you're supposed to be one of the Daughters of Isis, or whatever they're called, doesn't that mean that she wants you to actually kill things like that?"
"I guess it does" Avia replied, trying not to let on that the thought had haunted her ever since she began to read the Book of the Dead. "But come on, lets get inside before anything else happens!"
………………………………………………………………………………………………
Arimsa did not take the attack by the Seti very well. For weeks afterward, he would jump at the slightest noise and constantly searched dark hallways and gloomy rooms for any sign of threat. At such times, Avia claimed they weren't related. She was mostly unaffected by the attack. She took it as a matter of course and moved on. In her eyes, she might as well get used to it, and that settled the matter. What really bothered her was the panther.
After careful thought about the situation, Avia was positive that no real animal had saved them that night. The way it had appeared out of nowhere and suddenly saved them from their plight was not the usual behavior pattern for dangerous wild beasts. And somehow, the panther had looked wrong to her. She wasn't even sure if it had been its appearance that bothered her, or if she had just sensed that it was not real, but she knew to the depths of her soul that it was no ordinary being that had saved them. The Book spoke of beings called Ani which were able to take on the forms of animals at will, but there was no reason for such a creature to help them; in fact, it should have assisted the Seti in killing them! The problem was a puzzling one, and Avia still had no concrete answer.
That was not all that was bothering her in the days that followed the attack. Avia's lessons with Siete were leaving her with more to think about then just evil demons bent on her destruction. Every time their hands touched, or their legs bumped together, heat coursed through her body. She loved to catch his eye, or to guess what he was thinking, and cherished each and every glance he sent her way. His face, as always, was an unreadable mask, but occasionally she caught him looking at her, and was not ashamed to look back. He never held her eyes for long, but even the brief connections they shared were enough for Avia to formulate her own opinions about his feelings for her.
One day in the beginning of the flood season, about a month after the incident with the Seti, Avia was out by the river banks, this time without the company of her brother. She was idly sitting under the shady tree, thinking about nothing as she dropped clumps of grass into the fast moving water, when she remembered the odd message Isis had given her: that she was able to call the goddess at will. Avia would have thanked the deity to explain herself a bit more, but thought it was worth a try. Standing up, she raised her arms majestically and called out "Isis, come!"
The riverbank remained as calm and as cool as ever. Avia flopped back down to her feet, feeling very foolish. Suddenly, she heard quiet laughter behind her. Whirling to face whomever had the audacity to laugh at her, she came face to face with Siete's chest, as he stood almost a head and shoulders taller than she.
"Trying your hand at invoking the gods, eh?" he asked her mockingly.
"Watch your tone, Siete. I've been known to dunk people twice my size into the river; don't think I can't do it to you" she shot back, mentally telling her breathing rate to calm down. He was just a man, and an annoying man, come to that; there was no reason to get flustered.
"You have got to be kidding me" he laughed back. "You not big enough to see my face without straining, let alone drag me into the water."
Avia simply smiled sweetly, then gripped him around the waist and hoisted him into the river. Spluttering with surprise, Siete seemed to hang just above the water, when he suddenly fell in with a splash. He stared at her in complete confusion from his watery seat, as Avia shook with laughter on the bank.
"How did you… how can you… you're stronger than you look" he finally managed, viewing her with more respect than he had before.
"Yes, it seems like everyone thinks that. It's a good advantage when getting in to arguments and fights with people bigger than me."
"Can you use any weapons?" Siete asked appraisingly. His eyes flickered across her form, seizing her up as an opponent.
"Of course not." Avia told him. "You think they let servants, especially female ones, around armories here? Come on Siete; don't be thick. You're not from that far away."
"Pity. You'd probably be a nice opponent. And why should your sex have anything to do with it? Those Daughters of Isis you are so fond of all use weapons, and that order is entirely female."
Avia's deep eyes were round in her face as Siete clambered out of the river to sit beside her on the sandy patch of earth that dipped toward the water. "They use weapons? And no one stops them?"
"Of course they use weapons, what do you think, they fight off demons unarmed? Or just with magic? That would be nearly impossible, even for them. And I would like to see someone try and stop them!"
"They can use magic as well?" Avia gasped.
"Avi, it's the Daughters of Isis. As in the goddess of magic? It's an ability they share with their patron. I don't think they are anywhere near as adept as she is, but they enough power to fend of most would- be attackers."
"What about the weapons? What kind of weapons do they use?" Avia pressed, completely ignoring the supernatural aspect of her apparent heritage. She was much more interested in the mundane ways that Dratia Irisia killed their foes.
"I don't think there is any one type of weapon they use. As I said, I met two personally; one used a battle-axe the size of my head, the other used a spear. I suppose it depends on the particular person involved. I do know, however, that they use such weapons, whatever they may be, with deadly accuracy and skill. It was uncanny how they were in sync with their weapon; they moved so quickly I could barely follow their movements, and neither of those weapons is exactly easy to maneuver."
"What do you think I would use?" Avia asked on an impulse. If she was expected to defend herself, she might as well have some idea of what to use.
"Not an axe or a spear, that's for sure. Too flashy. You're subtle, Avi: you'd want something that's easier to wear and conceal."
Avia gave him an indulgent grin. "How would you know if I'm subtle or not?"
Siete matched her smile with a wicked one of his own. "Oh believe me, I know"
"So you're a mind reader on top of a wealthy noble from some far off land that no one ever seems to name?" Avia asked teasingly. (A/N: I could make an excuse for this, such as "Well, nobody knows where Siete is from, he's too old", but I will be honest: I am being lazy and don't feel like getting into Siete's past and/or homeland. Sue me.) It occurred to her, on some level of thinking, that they were flirting, but she ignored this and concentrated on the conversation.
Siete's grin widened. "In a manner of speaking. Now, what was I going to do? Oh yes…" and without any warning at all, he grabbed her arms in a deadlock grip and pulled her, shrieking, into the cold river water.
Avia felt a brief moment of panic as she was forced below the surface, but she quickly relaxed as strong arms brought her back above the water. As she surfaced, she gave a cry of mock outrage, and tried to force him under again. He grabbed her hands midway and forced them easily back toward herself. Avia was left once again to marvel at his strength.
"Siete, don't-" but it was too late; he had already pushed her back under the water. Spluttering, she swam away from him into a deeper part of the river, the water almost up to her shoulders. Sensing his presence behind her, she pretended to be winded by their struggle, waiting until he was almost behind her before backing up quickly, sending him into the frothing current once again.
Avia doubled over with helpless laughter, waiting for him to emerge from the river and seek revenge. But, as she scanned the water where he had gone down, she could see nothing of her unusual friend. Beginning to worry, she started to search for him. Suddenly, the water behind her erupted nosily, and she turned around just in time to see Siete's grinning face as he tackled her to the ground once more. "How did he get behind me?" she wondered, but her thoughts were broken as the wind was sharply knocked from her lungs.
In searching for Siete, she had drifted too close to the riverbank, so when he grabbed her, she had fallen backwards on to the painfully hard ground of the riverbank. Completely winded, Avia lay still as she waited for her breath to return.
"Avi, I'm sorry…" Siete started, but trailed off. Finally gaining her bearings, Avia realized she had fallen backwards, legs splayed apart; and Siete had conveniently fallen right between them.
"Oh" Avia managed, turning slightly red as she became acutely aware of all the places their bodes touched. She moved to get out form underneath him, but was stopped by his hands on her arm.
"Where do you think you're going?" Siete murmured playfully, leaning in to catch her lips with a quick kiss. He pulled back, smiling at her.
"Nowhere now" she replied with a mischievous grin, pressing her lips back against his as her arms went around his neck.
………………………………………………………………………………………………
Arimsa was furious, to say the least, that Avia returned so late from her trip to the river, in the company of Siete, no less. When she finally arrived in the room they shared nearly two hours after she said she would be back, Arimsa continued to give her a full lecture on her behavior. She was a disgrace, she had no common sense, what was she thinking, anything could have happened, ect. Avia wasn't really listening to him; her thoughts were lost in a dreamy haze that left her blissfully unaware of her surroundings.
"Are you listening to me?" Arimsa finally demanded, his patience already tried to its limit.
"Not really" Avia replied, oblivious to her twin's anger.
"I give up! It's pointless to argue with you!" he finally cried, throwing his hands into the air and sitting down on his bed with a thump. Avia shook her head to clear it and realized that some damage control was necessary.
"Aw, come on Rimmy, I'm sorry" she said in a soothing voice, reaching out to take his hand. "Besides I didn't get hurt and nothing unusual happened. All's well that ends well, right?"
"I didn't even want you to go down to the river in the first place. What if one of those Seti was lurking around there? I doubt that any more heroic wild animals are going to come leaping to your rescue."
"Seti are nocturnal, I seriously doubt they are going to come down into a river in broad daylight. And besides, Siete was with me. Nothing would have happened." Avia put in defensively.
"And that's anther thing!" Arimsa burst out. "I don't like that man one bit! It makes no sense: suddenly, he shows up, catches you deliberately breaking the rules, and then offers to teach you to read? It makes no sense whatsoever, Avia, and you know it! He's creepy, and we know nothing about him! He could be anyone, and he could have done anything: we don't know, and it bothers me!" Breath coming sharp with anger, Arimsa glared at his sister, looking angrier than she had ever seen him.
"Arimsa…I had no idea you felt that strongly about this." She told him gently. "Why didn't you say something? You know I listen to you."
Arimsa looked calmer than he had moments ago, but he was still obviously angry.
"You were happy" he replied, "and it looked safe enough at first. He just doesn't seem exactly normal to me. I don't know how to describe it. I don't think he wants to hurt you, but I get a feeling of…malevolence whenever I'm around him. Most of the servants have noticed it too. Well, I can't stop you from taking lessons, since I seriously doubt you would let me, but will you please just be careful?"
Avia smiled at her brother, looking relieved. "Of course I'll be careful. I am always careful."
"I know" Arimsa told her, "but I still worry. Everyone else may be under the impression that you are invincible, but I know better. And you missed a meeting with the goddess today."
"She was here? What did she want?"
"Nothing" Arimsa replied. "I called her. I finally figured out how to do it. When I first did it, the other day at the riverbank, I was picturing her, seeing her in my mind's eye. That's how you do it. Picture her and focus on the image, and she comes."
"I don't think I'm going to be very good at this magical stuff" Avia told him with a sigh, flopping down on the bed beside him.
"That's why there's two of us" her twin said, grinning. "If you or I had all of these abilities, instead of split between us, we would be too wonderful to live with."
"I like to think we already are" Avia told him with a grin.
"Oh, you're difficult to live with, that's for sure" Arimsa told her, "but it's not because you're wonderful. No, don't hit me. Tell me what you have been learning with that- Siete."
(A/N: Here's all that wonderful demon information I had to look up. I thought I would put it in here, so I don't have to have a rambling dialogue in the middle of an epic battle scene to describe what the heck they are fighting. When in doubt, refer to this chapter.)
"I read about some different kinds of demons last night. There's mut, you may have heard of them: a spirit- type demon, made from the soul of criminals who don't want to enter the underworld. Not very powerful, but they drink blood in order to keep themselves in this world, so they attack innocent people as well. There's also the Walking Dead, which are spirits of the dead that inhabit the bodies of others. They are much harder to defeat, because one the body is destroyed, the spirit of the demon usually remains unharmed. I read about the Messengers of Sekhmet, which are among the weakest of demons, controlled by other forces to do their bidding, mostly spying and tracking. Ani, which are animalistic demons that can change their shape into many different animals, and one other…oh yes. One of the worst. Aldinach. An elemental demon, each one corresponds to a different arcane element. They bring natural disasters, like floods and earthquakes, and can only be defeated- this was odd, I didn't understand it at all- by using the 'superior element'. What is that supposed to mean?"
Arimsa was still trying to take in all the information his sister was spilling out. Realizing she had asked him a question, he replied that he had no idea whatsoever. Just then, the dinner bell rang, and the twins hurried into the hallway.
"So, what are we doing for our birthday this year?" Arimsa asked as they took their seats.
"Our birthday?" Avia asked, beginning to sink back into day dreams.
"Yes, our birthday! Its in three days! Don't tell me you forgot. That's an all-time low, even for you, Avi.
Avia flung some butter at her brother, then admitted that she had forgot. "Good grief, we have to plan something! We'll let our loyal supporters down- or we would, if we had any loyal supporters."
Avia was referring to the fact that each year on the twins birthday, they created a rather catastrophic environment, full of tricks and pranks. Some people thought it was funny, and others referred to it as the "annual apocalypse". Avia could not believe that she had forgotten that their birthday was so close. With the new things in her life, from reading to being attacked by demonic creatures, it was hard to remember the mundane things.
Both twins looked at each other, and displayed equally wicked grins that made their fellow servants quail slightly.
"We'll have to begin planning tonight" they said in unison.
REVIEW!!!
