Hey guys- enjoy this chapter in which Percy and Zia actually work well when fighting together.
Replies:
SentinalSlice: Well they are also somewhat restrained by having to possess people or animals, if the host isn't very powerful then they're not at full power.
Ryan Fowler: Literally anyone with a shred of sense trying to cause trouble and then spotting Percy, Sadie and Zia 'Oh fuck no I wouldn't try and take on even one of them let alone all three of those bitches'
Guest: Zia knows somethings up but she doesn't know what exactly, which is understandable. And with the relationship between Percy and Sadie- it's somewhat complicated still at this stage- Sadie's starting to not hate Percy as much as she did, she knows none of it was her fault, but there's still jealousy at feeling replaced- and she still feels like Sally wants to replace her mom- which we know Sally doesn't but Sadie's understandably resentful and dealing with some hard emotions- which Carter, for all his best intentions is not fully helping.
Guest: At this stage I feel like yeah they'll stay the same- though I am willing to listen to suggestions.
Percy gritted her teeth, glaring ahead as Sadie squeezed her hand so tightly that it was almost painful- though that was probably partly because Percy had bruised her hands when she'd hammered of the sedan's door. She couldn't blame Sadie for the clear terror- there had to be millions of the scorpions, it was a sight that would make anyone nauseous- and Serqet was even worse than the scorpions- somehow. .
From a distance she looked all right, but as she got closer Percy could see her better. Serqet's pale skin glistened like an insect shell. Her eyes were beady black. Her long, dark hair was unnaturally thick, as if made from a million bristling bug antennae. And when she opened her mouth, sideways mandibles snapped and retracted outside her regular human teeth.
The goddess stopped about twenty meters away, studying them. Her hateful black eyes fixed on Zia. "Give me the younglings."
Her voice was harsh and raspy, as if she hadn't spoken in centuries.
Zia crossed her staff and wand. "I am mistress of the elements, Scribe of the First Nome. Leave or be destroyed."
Serqet clicked her mandibles in a gruesome foamy grin. Some of her scorpions advanced, but when the first one touched the glowing lines of the protective circle, it sizzled and turned to ashes. Percy's nose scrunched at the smell- it was not pleasant.
Still, it had the positive effect of making the rest of the scorpions back up- clearly they didn't want to be disintegrated.
They retreated, swirling around the goddess and crawling up her legs into her robes, within second all the scorpions had disappeared into the brown folds of her clothes- and Percy was willing to admit that the sight of it made her skin crawl- she felt as if they were crawling up her arms and legs and into her clothes at the sight- not a pleasant feeling even if Percy knew that it was all in her head.
Then the air seemed to darken behind the goddess as if she was casting an enormous shadow. Then the darkness rose up and took the form of a massive scorpion tail arcing over Serqets head. Percy's eyes widened in shock and she yanked yanked Sadie behind her, thrusting her arm back and using her staff to push Carter backwards at the same time as the tail lashed down at blazing speed- but Zia raised her wand and the sting glanced off the ivory tip with a hissing sound. Steam rolled off Zia's wand, smelling of sulfur and Percy stepped forward slightly, smacking Carter's arm with her staff when he tried to reach out and yank her backwards.
As she did Zia pointed her staff towards the goddess, engulfing her body in fire. Serqet screamed and staggered backwards, but the fire died almost instantly. It left Serqet's robes seared and smoking, but the goddess looked more enraged than hurt.
"Your days are past, magician. The House is weak. Lord Set will lay waste to this land."
Zia threw her wand like a boomerang. It smashed into the shadowy scorpion tail and exploded in a blinding flash of light. Serqet lurched back and averted her eyes, and as she did, Zia reached into her sleeve and brought out something small—something closed inside her fist.
Percy didn't hesitate, didn't even think- she ignored Carter and Sadie's shocked yells as she rushed forward, following Zia before either of them could stop her.
"No!" Carter's voice was horrified, "Percy wait!"
"The gate!" That was Sadie- and Percy glanced backwards. The space between the two columns at the temple's entrance was now a vertical tunnel of sand, as if Percy was looking into the funnel of an enormous sideways hourglass. She could feel it tugging at her, pulling her towards it with magical gravity.
Then her gaze shifted back to Zia and Serqet- and she leapt into motion too- though she'd admit that Zia was good, she swirled and spun, her staff alight with vicious flames- which burned wherever she went in the air behind her, and Percy ducked around her, using her staff to smack the goddess across the head before darting away- and Percy had always thought about fighting like a dance- she and Zia almost moved in time with one another- when Zia got in close Percy backed off, and when Zia leapt backwards to dodge a blow Percy surged in from behind to land a blow, it was a rush, Percy would admit that. It made her feel alive.
She laughed at the startled look that Zia shot her- not many nine year olds, even ones with training could move like Percy could- one of the many perks of being a demigod- sure she couldn't read easily- but she could sure as all heck fight.
Percy could hear Sadie and Carter's voices behind her bit she didn't didn't focus on them- all of her focus was saved for the battle, she ducked low, letting Zia strike Serqet with her staff and flames before Zia moved backwards and called, "Keep her distracted for a few moments!"
And Percy grinned, "YES! Party time!" and Percy launched herself at the goddess, focusing, she felt a pulling sensation in her stomach, and just like at the British Museum the sprinklers burst into life, which admittedly doused Zia's flames, but it gave Percy more to work with- and she felt a rush of pride- she was good at small things with water- but she was definitely improving- she always worked best under pressure.
She focused, gripping her staff tighter and twirling it- she wasn't really using magic- but she had long ago learned that using her demigodly powers was easier if she had something to focus on- so she twirled her staff, and the water pouring down around them started to twist, twirling swirling around Serqet, caging her in.
Then Zia's voice came, "Step back now!" and Percy leapt backwards- turning her head to look over at Zia, and she saw the ribbons that Zia had summoned- she recognised the spell, and she instantly dropped the water that had been caging the goddess in- and it was just in time, the ribbons, which had started small had quickly grown until they were several meters long. There were seven of them, and they zipped around, orbiting Serqet, ripping through her shadow scorpion as if it were a harmless illusion. Finally they wrapped around Serqet's body, pinning her arms and legs. She screamed as if the ribbons burned her. She dropped to her knees, and the shadow scorpion disintegrated into an inky haze. Zia spun to a stop. She pointed her staff at the goddess's face. The ribbons began to glow, and the goddess hissed in pain, cursing in a language that Percy couldn't understand- maybe Egyptian.
"I bind you with the Seven Ribbons of Hathor," Zia said. "Release your host or your essence will burn forever."
"Your death will last forever!" Serqet snarled. "You have made an enemy of Set!"
Zia twisted her staff, and Serqet fell sideways, writhing and smoking.
"I will...not..." the goddess hissed. But then her black eyes turned milky white, and she lay still.
Percy moved almost instantly, ignoring Carter's panicked yell about the portal as she dropped to her knees next to the fallen goddess- and then Zia was next to her, touching Serqet's forehead as block smoke billowed from the goddess's mouth. Serqet transformed and shrank until they were looking at a completely different woman wrapped in red ribbons. She had pale skin and black hair, but otherwise she didn't look anything like Serqet. She was just some human woman.
"Who is that?" Sadie's voice was horrified- Percy couldn't blame her honestly, sure she knew how it worked but- it wasn't nice to see it- to see how the woman had been used like that.
"The Host." Zia's voice was stiff, "Some poor mortal who the goddess possessed- see now why we-" she froze, looking up with a start, looking over Percy's shoulder.
Percy turned her head, and the black haze was no longer dissipating. It was getting thicker and darker again, swirling into a more solid form.
"Impossible," Zia said. "The ribbons are too powerful. Serqet can't re-form unless—"
"It's Set- Set's doing this he has to be." Percy gasped the words.
"Well she is re-forming!" Carter yelled the words, "and our exit is coming- Percy come on! Please!"
And Percy was frozen, her eyes wide with horror as the black cloud took the shape of a two story tall scorpion- a very angry one- and she felt a rush of terror- there was no way she'd stand a chance against that, no matter how strong she was.
And then Zia was grabbing her, hooking her arms under Percy's armpits and physically dragging her to her feet, hauling her backwards, "Your brother is right girl-" and Percy managed a nod, twisting and letting Zia keep a tight grip on her arm- she had turned just in time to see Sadie physically dragging a screaming Carter into the swirling vortex that was the portal- clearly he hadn't been willing to leave with out her- and Percy found herself grateful to the older girl- at least she cared about Carter enough to force him to leave when his life was in danger.
Then Percy and Zia were leaping through the portal.
Percy had never summoned a portal- never travelled through one before. Everything went dark and her stomach twisted in the way it usually did when she was at the top of a roller coaster- that moment of weightlessness before the drop.
Percy latched onto Zia tightly- the girl had already been holding her arm, but Percy grabbed her wrist with her free hand as they hurtled forward. Hot winds whipped around them and Percy felt as if her skin was burning as they tumbled out- and really, they were kind of lucky- they could have landed on a cold hard tile floor- instead they landed on top of Sadie and Carter.
Percy was moving almost instantly, rolling off of them both, releasing her grip on Zia as she scrambled to her feet, and she could hear Carter complaining beneath her as she started brushing off the fine layer of stand that was covering her body- and it really was fine. Almost like powdered sugar.
She looked around, her eyes wide- they were in a big building- huge actually. It reminded Percy of a two-level airport concourse, with shops, lots of windows, and polished steel columns. Outside, it was dark, so they had to be in a different time zone. Announcements echoed over the intercom in a language that sounded like Arabic.
Sadie spit sand out of her mouth. "Yuck!"
"Come on," Zia said. "We can't stay here."
People were streaming fast as Carter and Sadie pulled themselves to their feet.
People were streaming past—some in Western clothes, some in robes and headscarves. A family arguing in German rushed by and almost ran over Carter with their
suitcases.
It was Carter who recognised their location first- which Percy was kind of embarrassed about- after all, they'd been there dozens of times.
"This is the Cairo airport."
"Oh yeah!" Percy gasped the words as she looked around and spotted what Carter had seen. In the middle of the concourse stood a life-size replica of an Ancient
Egyptian boat made from glowing display cases—a sales counter for perfume and jewelry.
"Yes." Zia said quickly, "Now let's go."
"Why the rush?" Carter's voice was suddenly very worried, "Can Serqet. Can she follow us through that sand gate?"
Zia shook her head. "An artefact overheats whenever it creates a gate. It requires a twelve-hour cooldown before it can be used again. But we still have to worry about airport security. Unless you'd like to meet the Egyptian police, you'll come with me now." She grabbed Percy's arm, almost dragging the younger girl with her- she clearly knew that as long as she was dragging Percy, Sadie and Carter wouldn't have any choice but to follow.
They probably looked like beggars in their old-fashioned clothes, covered head-to-toe in sand, because people gave them a wide berth- though nobody tried to stop them.
"Hey! Slow down- and stop dragging her like that!" that came from Sadie, "Why are we here?"
"To see the ruins of Heliopolis-" and Percy froze up, her eyes going wide with shock- and she should have realised where Zia would have brought them earlier.
"Let me go!" she gasped the words, "Let me go! I don't want to go to the First Nome!"