16.03.2015

Bast

It was getting late and I was getting worried. I can't believe they chose to take a baboon on the mission instead of me! My kittens could be bleeding out to death right now and I'm stuck waiting for them on a roof.

I kept trying to tell myself everything is probably fine, and then Brooklyn lit up. Building after building were being swallowed by white flames, a ghostly mirror of the fires trailing through the sky. At the head of that trail of flames, like a burning comet, was… A Griffin? And is that a boat tied to it? Why is a boat tied to the back of a Griffin?

Local authorities were apparently also wondering the same thing, because helicopters were circling the area. The flames seemed pretty harmless, thank Ra, but people were flooding the streets in panic.

After some swaying from side to side and what looked like a wrong turn, the Griffin hovered above the roof, wings flapping so fast they were a blur. It took profound concentration to not jump away from the monster. I could feel my fur spiking. Sorry, hair. Same thing. If I scared the Griffin now, it would probably behead Carter, who was trying to guide it to a stop.

The boat landed a bit rockily, but everyone seemed alright. That was until I counted the heads I could see inside. Four. A kitten down.

I jumped aboard and scanned the boat. There, head in Sadie's lap, eyes closed. I shook my head.

"Congratulations kittens, you managed to take out your only rekhet."

Noone answered, which was fair enough. Carter was already over the side, taking the beast's harness off. I was about to tell at him to keep the thing tied, when Sadie called out to me.

"Bast!"

"My poor little kitten." I purred.

Sadie was holding her left hand away from her, white flames almost hiding a scroll from view. My stomach dropped. That would explain the Brooklyn panic.

I should be happy. I should be excited about Carter and Sadie finding the scroll, the first puzzle piece of three. I should want Ra's return. Like a loyal warrior, a good daughter. Yet when I saw the scroll I felt only dread. Somehow the plan didn't really feel real before. There was no turning back now.

I forced my eyes away from the burning scroll. Sadie's other arm was wrapped around Jaz. There were tears in my kitten's eyes.

"Can you help her?" she whispered.

I kneeled in form of her and gently moved her hand away from the unconscious girl.

Jaz's breathing was slow but steady. Heartbeat seemed fine. I reached to open her eyes and could feel the hair on my arm rise up.

Sadie gasped.

"Kitten," I said before she can comment. "Please go and fetch a stretcher, could you? And some blankets."

"But her eyes-"

"Sadie, now!" I pulled her to her feet. "Get Walt, find a stretcher - there's bound to be at least one in the infirmary. Send Walt back here with the stretcher, pick up blankets before following him. Don't think, kitten, just act. That's when you're at your best."

She nodded and hurried off.

I turned back to Jaz. Honestly, don't think Sadie would handle looking at her for any longer. Not with the glowing white irises, light so bright you can barely see how bloodshot the eyes actually are.

Closing Jaz's eyelids again, I murmured "What did you do, kitten? What did you do?"

The rekhet is alive but unresponsive. That's all we know until we get Jaz in the infirmary.

All of the noise and tremors from a griffin being detained, had summoned the initiates of the twenty-first nome to the roof. Most had huddled around Jaz. I left the rekhet in the hands of her friends and looked around for Sadie.

My kitten was sitting on the floor in the far corner of the roof, eyes on something in her lap. I sat next to her.

"Are you all right?"

Sadie quickly hid whatever she'd been looking at. I'll have to question her later on tonight's events.

"I'm fine" she said. "Just..."

Sadie waved her flaming hand about helplessly.

I held back a sigh. The scroll glued itself to her hand, because of course it would. I'm honestly surprised the magical flare up hadn't been worse. You see, magical energy is not passive. It tends to react, much the same way chemicals do - and some magical objects are more reactive than others. Carter had mentioned that they were looking for a statue. In this case, the stone would have acted like a magical insulator - keeping the scroll's energy from coming in contact with outside forces. Take it out slowly, letting it adjust to the outside world, and everything is fine. Take it out too quick and you get an energetic explosion.

"Mmm. Let me see what I can do."

I began to chant, slowly dispersing some of the flaring energy into the air. When I finished the scroll's flames sputtered out and the papyrus dropped into Sadie's lap.

"God, thank you," she said.

"Goddess," I corrected. "You're quite welcome. We can't have the power of Ra lighting up the city, can we?"

Sadie look out across the borough, surprised the fires had ceased. I let her take in the scenery.

"The power of Ra?" She asked after some time. "I thought the scroll was a clue. Is this the actual Book of Ra?"

Alright, I panicked. In a very foolish, very childish way. I knew that feeling - back from when I was young and used to run around the cities of Kemet with my sisters - fear of consequences. I did something stupid and now dad's coming home and I don't have enough time to hide the mess I've made in the kitchen. And the worst part is, I'm not even sure I regret it. I just dread the look of disappointment on my father's face. He trusted me and I let him down.

Sadie was looking at me expectedly and I realize I'd gone quiet.

"The scroll is…part of the book. And I did warn you. Ra's power is almost impossible to control. If you insist on trying to wake him, the next fires you set off might not be so harmless."

"But isn't he your pharaoh?" Sadie asked. "Don't you want him awakened?"

I should have. But cats aren't the bravest, are we? I got up, avoiding Sadie's face.

"It's best we talk in the morning. You need rest, and that scroll should only be opened in the daylight, when the power of Ra is easier to control."

Sadie stared at her lap. The papyrus was still steaming. "Easier to control…as in, it won't set me on fire?"

"It's safe to touch now," I assured her. "After being trapped in darkness for a few millennia, it was just very sensitive, reacting to any sort of energy—magical, electrical, emotional. I've, ah, dialed down the sensitivity so it won't burst into flames again."

Sadie took the scroll reluctantly and I helped her to her feet. "Get some sleep. I'll let Carter know you're all right. Besides…" I managed a smile. "You've got a big day tomorrow."

It was an attempt to cheer her up, but I guess it didn't work. Sadie looked around the roof and sighed. "Maybe you're right. I'm not needed up here."

Aww, kitten. She walked away, eyes staring straight ahead the entire time. Definitely not looking towards Walt and Jaz, not stopping to take in the girl on the stretcher.

Maybe I should have checked on Sadie, made sure she's alright. Just then Carter called out to me.

"Bast! Can we talk in the library?"