Who are these characters?
Chapter Five
Golden grains of sand bit into the sides of the frosted glass as a gale blew within the Hourglass. The large black wings above it shuddered, shoving the fog out of the way with powerful strokes to reveal the night sky with its myriads of stars. Ice pricked its way across the frame of the monstrous time keeper, melting and freezing in an endless cycle.
Red eyes stared through the presumably unbreakable glass, watching as lightning struck into the sand. The particles melted with the color of blood, leaking and webbing down through the rest of time. Again and again the lightning struck, leaving patches of crimson amongst the vast desert of time. The watching eyes narrowed as a hairline fracture appeared as a final strike of lightning hit with thunder following soon after. Frost and ice started to weave their way from the crack, edging out across the rest of the glass.
"The Ood had the correct time, brother," the face holding the eyes spoke softly, but loud enough that his voice echoed through the ancient cavern.
"His death leads to the end of the universe," another male voice replied.
"Blood of silver, eyes of pine, and heart of ice," the first one growled. "She was supposed to make sure that his death took place. You know that's what was supposed to take place after his regeneration."
"The Keeper of the Hourglass makes sure that the glass does not shatter," the second male chided gently. His baritone voice rang out clearly in the cavern as he came to stand beside his brother. "The universe would end if he died."
"The universe would be saved if he died," the first replied sternly. Both creatures stood elegantly with their eyes cast up to the tumultuous storm brewing in the upper half of the glass. "All have to follow the rules of time."
"Rules are made to be broken," the second said.
"Rules are meant to be bent when the Hourglass is in dire need of it," the first inhaled sharply and snorted. "Time was going according to itself, but now that she's interfered a fracture has appeared."
"When a bone breaks, you must re break it to set it right," the second said gently.
"He was breaking time," the first spat. "When there is a rock on the arm, you remove it and then the bone may heal."
"Brother, you have turned a blind eye to the great deeds this man has done and has yet to do," the second raised his muzzle to the Hourglass, the lightning of the gale reflecting off the red of his irises.
"No, you have turned a blind eye to the trouble that he causes," the first bared white teeth and fangs in a snarl. "He plays with time, using it for his own enjoyment. The ones he travels with have become privy to things that they should not know, and the majority die from his foolishness."
"How is he much different than what we do?" the second asked.
"We observe time, make sure it stays on track," the first whispered, laying the large ears on his head back. "She manipulates time to fix the errors that he causes. Whenever he's done, I have to send her back to correct what he undid."
"She does not only work for you, brother," the second said with a tinge of smugness in his voice.
The first turned to face him, eyes narrowed and teeth bared. "You have sent her to disrupt time?"
"Just as you have done when it is called for," the second nodded calmly. "I have seen that she wears the necklace of you, but I was the one who raised her and she also carries the Dagger of Aapep from me."
"Fair argument, brother," the first exhaled slowly and straightened his posture. "But I will set the time stream right."
"She will not allow you to do that," the second brought out. "She has a deep connection with him, and she feels that she owes him her life."
"Her memory serves her too well," the first shook his head. "It was very many years ago that happened, and yet she still feels indebted to him."
"She feels no debt," the second snorted. "She feels the need to pull him out of his insanity and back to the former glory he had when she first met him."
"She looks at him with a look that I have not seen in a long time," the first smiled darkly. "If her sister were still alive, then she would make sure the time stream was set right."
"Cleopatra does not need to be brought into this," the second grumbled, laying his long ears back. "She does not have feelings for him as you imply. You still treat her as a heart broken child, and she is far older than that. She knows that what she's doing is going to save the universe and time itself."
"She is mistaken," the first sighed. He turned and started to stalk off into the dark, being accompanied by smaller creatures with lanterns hanging off their antlers.
"What extremes would you go to, Acheron?" the second shouted at his brother's retreating back. His red eyes glimmered in the faint light of the lanterns as the creatures turned and followed their master.
"I won't leave the matter be until I have seen the life leave his body for good," Acheron answered and glanced over his shoulder. "She can try to stop me, but we both know that time can't be kept from progressing forever, Anubis."
Well then. Acheron and Anubis. Intrigued yet? Thanks for reading and reviewing! :)