C Chapter 3

A The Kanes Have a Bad Day (Again)

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I was absolutely horrified when Walt and Sadie told me about this new Underworld and new Osiris. The idea that my dad might be gone was horrifying. But the part that is talking about that is my irrational side. My good side (mainly the one that Horus talks to) told me that this was just another set of gods… the ones we were warned about. It was still a horrifying idea if you asked me, but nobody did.

"Sadie, what if they aren't looking for a fight? Maybe they just want to share the land peacefully," I suggested.

"No. No, that is not it," Walt said. "If they wanted peace they would have already come forward and asked for truce. I think we should be prepping the initiates for war."

"But what if these are secretive gods?" Sadie asked.

"Trust me Saide!" Walt snapped.

Sadie looked hurt but just leaned back a little and mumbled, "S'okay."

"Well I have two major questions," I said. "One: Why were you in the First Nome?"

"What? You ask why I was in the First Nome?" he blushed. "I was there because… well. I was searching for a cure again. You know, so I could separate from Anubis. More Sadie and me time."

"Oh Walt," Sadie was swooning in her chair. It shocked me she didn't say no. These were her to most crushable boys in one. Seriously if Selena Gomez and Zia Rashid were mixed in one body I would be saying no to the split idea. I dwelled on that for a moment. Then I got a real image and I changed my mind. I heard Sadie giggle.

"Two:" I continued, "Why would that door be there?"

"That's part of the reason I went through it. I wanted to know why Amos would be consulting with the other gods. I figured you ought to know because technically you are the pharaoh. But I never got an answer because, thank the gods, Sadie called me to her side before I became a Soul of the Damned," Walt had answered my question to the best of his ability.

"I suppose we should tell the initiates," Sadie said.

V-V-V

The initiates did not take the news well to say the least. Our newest initiate, James, was most startled. Other than his quietness the rest of the room was in an uproar. Questions flying here, curses flying there. Finally I grew to annoyed to take it anymore and I roared. Literally. That quieted the balcony down.

"If you want to curse at something or ask a question we will go around the table one by one!" I yelled.

I pointed to the closest initiates. She asked, "What if our gods don't come back in time to fight with us?"

I looked to Sadie for help. "Um… We will just…" Talk about a stumper. "I guess we will fight as best we can," I said, trying to boost their confidence.

"So you're basically telling us that if our gods don't return to help we are going to fight gods we know nothing of?" said an older initiate.

"Yeah, suicide mission," some others agreed.

I sighed. "No, we will fight until we can't anymore. Not suicide a noble death," I tried to tell them.

The initiates would have nothing of it.

V-V-V

After the argument settled down Sadie and I agreed it would be best to go and visit Amos in the First Nome. We (Walt, Sadie, and me) also agreed I had a right to know since I was the pharaoh of the House of Life now.

I can tell you that I knew three things. One: This was big. Two: This was bad. Three: We were probably going to die. Four: I had to try and save the initiates. Quite a quest, right?

I had Sadie open a portal and we stepped in. It was different than before. First of all it was triangular instead of circular. The most unsettling yet was the color inside the portal. It was dark red – the color of chaos. At first I thought our execration was failing and Apophis was rising, but then I remembered that the Egyptian gods would be back if Apophis was re-rising. My final assumption of the portal was that the other gods must have done this.

When we were in the First Nome I found myself mesmerized by the Hall of Ages. Sadie kept warning me not to touch the picture. When we reached the new age – Sadie's and mine age – I saw a crease and a growing piece, but not our age's color. I just figured it was a special time in the age. I wondered what it would be like to be part of three ages and if things changed drastically like they did in the Ancient times.

I heard Amos from about twenty feet away, "Ah, Carter, Sadie. Welcome and what brings you here?"

"Not much uncle Amos," Sadie said sarcastically.

"Ugh, let me cut to the point. Why is there a door to a different Underworld here?" I asked. I waited a few seconds then added, "And I also commend you to let me see it."

Apparently our uncle didn't like being commanded. He replied, "I have my reasons to have it here and I also take no commands from mortals."

"Mortals? Uncle Amos, what are you talking about? You are just as mortal as Carter and I," Sadie said.

"I never was good at keeping cover for long," Amos said.

Amos was floating in the air. His skin was peeling off and his clothes fell to the ground leaving him in some odd type of clothes I had never seen before.

"I really love a good war," saidthe thing that had taken Amos's body over.

V-V-V

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Being left at Brooklyn House with the initiates and me alone proved to be a bad idea. The balcony was so full of chaos that Khufu went in to eat his snacko (he asked that I call it that) and Philip of Macedonia was splashing around more than normal. I tried to gain order but I couldn't. They just kept on arguing.

I estimated they argued for two hours until there was a crash at the front door. I ran in and saw poor Khufu on the ground crumpled up and whimpering and in our door way stood a tall female dressed in Roman, no Greek, clothes.

"I am Athena, goddess of Wisdom and Warfare," she said. "The Greeks declare war on the Egyptians.