SAVVY

Chapter 12

My eyes fluttered open just as a bucketful of water crashed down onto my face.

"Spla eargh!" I spluttered as I rolled over and fell from the floating cot to the stone hard floor.

Sadie stood over me, laughing hysterically. "Oh, I totally get Zia now! She used to wake me up like this all the time, and I've always wanted to do that!"

"I'm so grateful," I growled, picking myself off the floor. "Where's breakfast?"

…

Fifteen minutes later, I was dressed in my usual, slightly crinkled attire in the Cleansing Room (though I'd just had a "bath", if you could call it that). I had had a lovely breakfast of air— Zia said I would get my breakfast after I "survive". Talk about drama queen.

I bounced on the balls of my feet, eager for us to start training. It's weird, I had felt really energized ever since Sadie's method of waking me up. I got really excited when Zia mentioned tattoos… until I realized she meant on my tongue. It tasted horrible. It was supposed to be the symbol of Ma'at, order and harmony, and should make me speak clearly. All it did was it made me gag. I spat it out instantly.

"So, how was your night?" Sadie muttered to me while we were walking through the city. I had told Zia that it was fine before, but I could tell Sadie wasn't easily fooled.

"Just brilliant," I said, mimicking Sadie's accent.

She scowled, offended. "Yeah, ok. Except when I woke you up just now, your headrest was on the floor, so I would think perhaps your bloody ba…"

"I didn't see anything you would need to worry about, ok?" I snapped, irritated, and sped up to walk with Zia.

I wasn't lying though. Sadie and her band of stupid magicians couldn't be bothered with Rachael. The truth was, I had been a chicken. I had turned into a shimmering, weightless form with wings instead of arms. I couldn't have that! I had willed myself to have a human form and somehow, I became Savvy, but still drifting and weightless. I had been carried out the window by a strong current, and the world had blurred before me before revealing a place I didn't think in a million years my ba would take me. A camp.

I've never been to a camp before, but I doubt that camps have lava rock climbing walls, warships moored at docks, or pegasus flying around. It was bright and sunny, and there were many cabins, as well as woods, beaches, a creek, a canoe lake, a big blue building along with other small buildings, and lush green strawberry fields. There were tons of kids running around, shooting arrows… sword fighting? I couldn't be sure. I couldn't tell where this camp was supposed to be.

I had zoomed in and my vision had blurred again before refocusing on a single figure shooting arrows, a look of uttermost concentration on her face. I could recognize that expression anywhere.

Rachael paused and wiped her forehead. I tried to call out and wave my hands, but I couldn't move. I just floated.

I watched as Rachael frowned and looked around like she knew someone was there, but she saw right through me. Then she sighed and muttered, "Where are you, Savvy?"

That was about the time I woke up. I didn't feel like telling anyone my dream, but somewhere inside of me, I resolved to never rest until I found that camp.

I clutched a leather satchel tightly to my chest. Zia had given it to me, and it was not unlike the one Sadie had used. In the bag of horrors contained a boomerang shaped wand, a rod that was supposed to turn into a staff, some papyrus, a calligraphy set, rope and wax. Somehow I'd always imagine magicians to carry a card pack and a striped wand, but I didn't question the bag.

I followed Zia out of a tunnel into a large room, Sadie bringing up the rear. And stopped.

The room was breathtakingly huge. It was a large round chamber decorated with brightly coloured pictures of people, gods and monsters. The stairwell we were standing on descended several stories down.

"This is the First Nome library," Zia whispered. "Touch nothing."

I didn't even retort. I craned my neck, taking in the room. There were no bookshelves or even books. There were round cubbyholes in the walls, each holding a plastic cylinder.

At each of the cardinal points stood ceramic statues on a pedestal with kilts and sandals, wedge shaped haircuts and black kohl. Clay shabti.

Zia marched over to a table and took out a papyrus scroll. She dipped a stylus in golden ink and held it out to me.

"Magic at its most basic can turn words into reality. You can summon the magic words from Ma'at, the creative power of the universe, and turn it into reality. Send power into words onto the scroll, and when spoken, the magic will be unleashed from the words." Zia looked at me pointedly.

I took the stylus. "Can it be English?"

Sadie sighed. "Hieroglyphics work better, but if you really want too…"

I paused, and then wrote the word cat. Nothing happened.

Sadie smirked. "I suppose, if that's the best you can do…"

I clenched my teeth. "What's one for water?"

She showed me. "Now speak the word and envision water in your mind," Sadie said, looking disbelieving.

I was getting exasperated from the way she treated me. "Water."

Instantly, several cubic gallons of water fell over Sadie's head. She shrieked, completely drenched from head to toe.

I started to giggle. "Oops! Guess it really does turn out like how you envision it!"

Sadie opened her mouth, but Zia cut in. "That was not bad for a beginner. I think you're ready to duel."

Instantly, Sadie's face cracked into an evil grin. "Excellent. You'll be duelling me."

For the next four days, my life settled into a routine. In the morning, I got up and got dressed (I had a huge argument with Zia about my choice of dress and won, I didn't have to dress in linen robes after all), ate breakfast, and met Zia in the library, where she would teach me scrying, scribing, and Egyptian history. It was Zia that oversaw my lessons, but Carter helped sometimes— he was a patient teacher, unlike his sister, who was merciless.

In the afternoon we'd practice duelling. Ever since summoning Ma'at, I couldn't perform magic as easily as before. Each magic drawn from my own reserves left me exhausted and hungry. Sadie would always love to show me how much better she was at duelling. She'd throw her staff and scare me as it turned into a lion, or she'd blow fireballs into my face, scorching my eyebrows off. We practised fighting, and I practiced with knives and daggers. I realized that I wasn't actually all that bad with close range weapons, once I got the hang of it. I also learned to ride Egyptian chariots, though the number of times I fell off contributed to the sore spots on my body.

I'd also have healing lessons and arts and craft, where I'd make things like shabti, amulets and magic weapons. After that and a relaxing shower, I'd have some time to wander the First Nome, which I'd always like doing. I would sit in a food stall, munching Egyptian food such as kushari (a common meal) and sipping sahlab (hot vanilla) and watching the magicians go about with their everyday life.

On my second day, I got lost trying to find my way back to the dorm and somehow found myself facing a stable. I love horses, and they seem to be the only animals that let me touch them. I'd wander among the chariot horses and fall asleep in the stalls amidst the comforting sounds of snorts and quiet whinnies.

I knew Zia, Carter, Sadie and Amos were wondering what kind of magician I was. Every magician had some kind of specialty, whether it be healing, amulet making, animal charming, an elementalist (controlling the elements), combat magic (what Carter did with Neper), necromancy, divining, etc. I had a knack for controlling elements, especially water, and some combat magic, but everything else I was pretty bad at. My shabti went berserk, my amulets turned out to be nothing just amulets… I couldn't even put on a Band Aid properly!

Also, they were wondering which path of the gods I followed. Ever since the magicians and gods started working together as one recently, magicians had started to follow the gods' paths again — learning the ways and magic of a particular god. Carter was following the god of Horus, Zia of Ra, the king of gods, and Sadie of Isis. All of them had even hosted their particular god at least once, but that was only because they had to, and it was necessary for slaying Apophis.

I learned a lot of weird things about Sadie, Carter and Zia, which made me think my life wasn't as weird after all. Sadie and Carter's dad is sharing bodies with (or being hosted by) the god of dead, Osiris, in the Underworld. Sadie's boyfriend Walt is also hosting Anubis, the god of funerals, and apparently she likes them both equally. Zia grew up in a village that was destroyed by a monster, and was placed under a deep sleep for some time before being awoken by Carter. Random stuff like that.

I was beginning to really like this new world, along with Carter, Zia, and even (gasp!) Sadie. Finally, there was an explanation, a real reason as to why my life was so… confusing. And depressing, though it wasn't really anymore. Far from it, actually.

However, I had no idea why Isis wanted me to meet these people, as they were obviously the "them" she was talking about. I mean, sure, she wanted me to find my place as a true magician, but there are many magicians who don't even know they're magicians in this world. Some even have lived their whole lives as a mortal without ever knowing their true past, according to Zia. So why me? Why did Isis pick me?

I also wanted to find Rachael, but I didn't know how. I mean,

I'm in Egypt and presumably she's in North America.

I don't even know where in North America— nowhere that I know that's for sure.

Believe it or not, I don't have her phone number. Or her email address. Or her house address.

Also, it seemed like Rachael was looking for me as well, as far as I could tell. I had a feeling it'd be better if I stayed put. Chances are, if we're all over the globe looking for each other, it'd be less likely for us to find the other then if one of us stayed in one spot.

But of course, nothing really works that way.

On my fifth day, I was lying feet up against a wall of a cramped stable stall, studying a scroll I had stolen from the First Nome. I've actually gotten really far when it comes to reading hieroglyphics. However, there were just too many for me to cram into my dyslexic brain. There's actually quite lax security on the scrolls in the First Nome Library (do they really think they can scare me into not nicking?), so retrieving the scroll wasn't difficult. Deciphering it is.

A horse snorted quietly in the stall next to mine and I closed my eyes as hieroglyphs started to float off the page and swirl around my mind. My mind sunk deeper under the waves of exhaustion…ah, relaxation…

Not. My eyes snapped open as a hole of swirling sand materialized above me and something heavy fell directly on top of me.

"Ow!" I yelped in unison with the person. I raised my head to see a dishevelled Sadie roll off of me and stand up, accidentally (purposely?) tramping on my fingers with her heavy combat boots as she did.

"Stupid portals," She muttered, brushing sand off her clothes. "So unreliable."

Let me explain. One way magicians like to travel is through portals. Portals are sandy holes through the Duat that are difficult to open, and take great concentration, which is hard to do when you knew you couldn't be certain if it would deposited you in Antarctica with the penguins, where the Three Hundredth and Sixty-Fifth Nome is.

Portals also have to be opened at an auspicious moment of the day, such as sunrise, sunset, midnight, eclipses, astrological alignments, the exact time of a god's birth, etc. But there are so many auspicious moments, it's not really a big deal.

I stood up as well, hopping from foot to foot from the pins and needles. "What's up?"

"The Set animal," Sadie answered. "C'mon." Before I could react, she grabbed my arm and jumped straight into the swirling vortex, pulling me with her.

For a few seconds, the world spun so crazily I almost blacked out. Then I came shooting out of thin air. I was deposited on my feet, but I crumpled instantly, coughing sand and dragging Sadie down with me. She cursed and pulled me back up.

"What. The. Hell?!" I yelled. "Thanks so much!"

Then I realized we were standing in the bunker in the Hall of Ages. I blushed when I realized Amos was there as well. Did I just yell at his niece… in front of him?

Amos didn't seem to care— he's probably seen it lots of times, anyway. "Hello, Savvy. Nice trip?" He winked, although he looked really worried over something at the moment.

I noticed suddenly that Carter was there as well, poring over the map of figurines. "What's wrong?"

Carter looked up, worried. "The Set animal, that's what. It's moved. We can't actually pinpoint its exact location, but we know it's moved from The Zues Hotel."

"W-What? What does that mean?"

"It means big trouble." Carter said, frowning at… an IPad?

"I thought we weren't allowed electronics? I thought electronics sent up a flare to every monster?"

Carter shrugged in response. "This is an emergency. I'm trying to track the monster on with it right now, and it seems to be running either after or from something, or someone."

Sadie shook her head. "What could scare the Set animal?"

"So what do we do now? Where's Zia?" I asked.

"She left not but an hour ago to the 249th Nome in Italy— there's been a sighting of a goddess, and she's there to find out if it's true." Amos shook his head mournfully. "By the time she comes back, it may be too late."

"So someone goes now," I said, then blushed as everybody looked at me. I wasn't used to leading. "Someone should go to Manhattan now, and find this Set creature thing before we've lost it."

Carter nodded. "But we'll need more than one person to go. Sadie and I could do it. And you too, Savvy."

I perked up. "Really? You think I'm ready?"

Amos grinned at me. "I doubt you'll need to wait a full week. You've been improving very quickly, Zia tells me. I'm very sure you're ready."

I couldn't help but grin as well. It was the first time someone had complimented me. I didn't even think I was learning at all. "Do we have to use a portal?"

"Unless you can find a posher way to travel," Sadie said. "The next auspicious moment should be in a ten minutes."

That was more than enough time. I didn't need to bring much — I always travelled light. I felt empty without Thorn by my side. These past few days I had been thinking about how I managed to get Thorn from that shop. I knew it wasn't coincidence. It must have been the gods. However, I wasn't grateful. A lifetime of fear, desolation and pain, and all they gave me was a stupid, now broken bronze dagger. What did Isis say? They tried to help me?

But right now, I had bigger, more pressing matters. Exciting, too. I had a messenger bag to store my staff and wand, but I was too jittery, I needed to hold them or else I would break something.

Amos conjured the portal up this time, his brow poring sweat as he did. Nevertheless, he managed a weak grin and imitated shooting a monster. I made a face and stepped through the portal.

A rush of nothingness, and then…

"OW." I groaned. I was on hard ground, and I had banged myself up… a lot. I glared up at Sadie and Carter, who were standing.

"What?"

"Nothing," I grumbled. Sometimes, I really hate that magicians like them could land on their feet. Stupid portals. Stupid.

Carter felt sympathy for me, and pulled me up. Dusting sand off my clothes, I glanced around, assessing the scenery.

The closest I'd been to Manhattan is Connecticut, on the Amtrak running away from… it's a long story, but it involves being chased by a herd of somethings. It was nighttime here, and different scents filled the air. Brightly lit buildings lined the crowded sidewalk, and yellow taxicabs were everywhere.

"Where are we?"

"Manhattan, you dweeb." That was Sadie, of course.

I shoved her playfully. "I meant specifically."

She shoved me back a whole lot harder, but she answered my question. "We're at the corner of 42nd street. This is the hotel where the Set animal was at for a long time before he scarpered today."

I looked where she was pointing. A dingy two storey hotel was squished between two grand buildings. The paint was peeling and the sign read: The Zues Hotel.

I didn't know much about Greek mythology, but I did know this Zeus is Zeus, not Zues. I didn't see how nobody in the hotel could know that a Set animal was living right under their noses this whole time, but the Duat, which manipulates mortals' eyes, can pretty much cover anything.

Sadie looked delighted to be back in New York. She and Carter had made it their home at the Brooklyn House while training initiates. "The Set animal is within a two mile radius, according to the IPad." She grinned at the buildings and people. "I know this city like the back of my hand! Carter can go south— down the 41st street. I'll go north to 43rd and you, Savvy, can go west along the Hudson River. We'll rendezvous back here at the hotel."

"West? I've never been to Manhattan before!"

"Well pardon me! You've stolen First Nome Library scrolls, haven't you? Shouldn't be too difficult," Sadie smirked.

Blushing, I glared and stalked off as Sadie sniggered and Carter exclaimed, "Wait, she stole a library scroll?"

…

I must be losing my touch, I thought as I wove through the crowded streets of Manhattan, a map gripped tightly in my hand. I'd stolen it from one of the tourists, as Sadie told me to do, but I had barely gotten out of that with a few scrapes. How was I supposed to know old ladies have fast reflexes? And heavy handbags, I thought glumly, unfurling the crinkled map.

My forehead wrinkled as I studied the map. I couldn't read the floating words and the numbered streets were so confusing! West? Where was that?

I looked up, and then consulted the map again. I was on Broadway Street. Broadway was west, or was it? I shook my head in frustration. Dyslexia was killing me.

I glanced up, aroused by a new thought. This spell was tricky to pull off, but it might work. Still, I didn't want mortals noticing if the spell went berserk and turned my staff into an armadillo. Carter did say something about that, anyway.

I placed my staff (because it wasn't activated yet, it was only a short rod) lightly on my palm and muttered "Naki." Point me.

The staff glowed golden and rose a few inches, spinning in my hand. It stopped spinning, the head pointing towards my right.

I snatched my staff and trudged towards my right. The spell was useful for travelling, if you wanted to know compass directions. The spell made me kind of hungry, though I ate barely twenty minutes ago in the stable. I eyed a hotdog stand eagerly, wondering if I stood a chance in pocketing something. I decided not too when the man at the stand caught my eye and glowered at me, as if like, I dare you. I took the hint and beat it out of there. New Yorkers are used to thieves.

I ended up walking along a lake, the Hudson Lake, according to the map. A closed amusement park was a little ahead, and the gurgling river to my left. I sat done on a bench, a little drained. There were no disturbances whatsoever, no sightings of the Set animal anywhere. I wondered if Sadie or Carter were on the monters trail right now. They were probably having fun, fighting like it was a piece of cake.

Jinx!

I wasn't really watching the traffic or anything, but suddenly, a mass of car horns filling the air made me jump about a foot high.

The road was a tangle of cars. Cars, buses, and taxi drivers made rude gestures and yelled at each other. Sirens wailed from a distance. What was happening?

At first, the wall of cars prevented me from seeing anything. Then, 20 to 30 yards away, something with reddish gray fur jumped onto a taxicab, flattening the hood. Something as huge as a horse with a lean, muscled body. Something with a curved snout, a forked reptilian tail, and ears shaped like ice-cream cones. Not to forget the deadly, dripping fangs. I had never seen him before, yet I recognised him right away. The Set animal had arrived. Excellent.

His glowing eyes spotted me and it jumped off and landed onto the road, growling. Even from here I could see the deep gouges left on the taxi hood.

Mortals were screaming wildly. They noticed something, at least. I jumped to my feet, my staff rod elongating into a full sized black/white staff with carved hieroglyphs and a lion on the head. I was more than ready for this fight. I was anticipating it.

What I wasn't anticipating was the arrow that sprouted out of nowhere and grazed the Set animal's ear. The silver arrow had a bronze head… like Thorn, I thought. It had a bronze blade too, and only that blade could kill monsters. The arrow burrowed into the pavement — it actually stuck into cement! It was followed by another arrow, which only missed the monster when it twisted in mid-air, blown of course by a sudden breeze. He made a series of yipping sounds and streaked away, leaping over the tall fence of the amusement park.

From behind a car, someone dashed out in pursuit of the Set animal. Someone, armed with a decorated pearly bow and a quiver full of bronze tipped arrows, someone so intensely concentrated on the Set animal that she didn't see me watch her in horror as she jumped over the 6 foot fence like it was nothing.

Guess who that someone was?

I had no other choice. I ran after them.