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Chapter Fifty-Four
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2024-10-29 19:42:56It had been some time when Atum had last entered the centre of a city. He sometimes frequented wine-bars, mingled at the more exclusive clubs, but they were often set away from the general hub. The wear and tear of life assaulted his senses every time he looked at the towering offices and slumped figures in their suits, carrying the majority of their life in a branded briefcase.
The luxurious cars went past, carrying their bosses and showing off the wealth they had at the expense of their workers. Yet still some refused to acknowledge it.
Even like this, desolate and quiet, it still reeked of corruption and capitalism. Although that was perhaps not quite as bad as the dead and dying, the stanch of rot and welling chaos.
"Lead me to the museum," Atum ordered. "The potion I have needs a better vessel and I should be able to find one there. The residue of history adds potency to these charms, heightens them."
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"It-it will cost...my life..."Aiden sank to the ground, his sole leg buckling like sodden paper beneath him. He reached blindly to touch the large paw of the hound who moved to his side curiously, shuddering at the cold feel of the claws."Babi cares not for you. But for the power your body will have. The blood of a virgin, however soiled with the pestilence of life and excess, is rare and grand for any magic."Aiden's head shot up, his eyes wide in feigned indignity, his cheeks flushed. "Wha...?""Don't try and lie," Am-Heh's lip curled in contempt and Aiden drooped, nodding in beaten obedience. "It does not become you. You voiced your desire to die, I am giving you the chance to do it in glory. To do something that endears you to your fellow man and will hold sway in the beyond.""I...suppose so," Aiden looked across at a growing shadow. The sound of dragging feet and grunts o
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Whatever spirit inhabited his body had no fear of pain, it hadn't in life and certainly not in death. Blood stained Aiden's leg and broken glass cut into his hands but all Aiden himself felt was a dull ache.Above him, a crow flew, giving Am-Heh a view of what was happening so he didn't need to follow.He was pulled onto his haunches, a gurgle coming from his throat. Aiden felt something dribble from the side of his mouth. Blood? Salvia? He couldn't tell.Even though his blood had run cold at the approaching shadow, malformed and hunched, the spirit seemed excited. Waiting with tense expectancy for Babi to appear.It did not need to wait long. The God, ungainly he might be, was swift when needed. His dark eyes took in the wretched form, slowly trailing the body that was no longer inhabited by one he could call a slave. But that aside, the blood was still useful, even if the person was not.And, although he
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'There will be three.'Shu mulled over the words as he lingered over the bloody view. Hidden in the form of a soft breeze he had the perfect opportunity to listen in without risking his skin.He had not gotten far when he heard the shriek of the spirits and loyalty to Atum compelled him to return.'Lucky I did,' he thought gloomily, drifting to sit atop the broken eaves of a tall building. The roof had caved in, drowning the offices in debris and damp. 'Someone must remain and make sure the humans are safe. And, at the expense of bruises, I suppose it has to be me.'---Every step the great dog took sent ripples of power through the parched earth.Am-Heh's voice, rich and sultry, pulsated through its mind.'O shabti, allotted to me, if I be summoned or if I be detailed to do any work which has to be done in the realm of the living, if indeed any obstac
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The earth trembled as you passed by,Turning everything sacred as you walked.And you set your blue eyes upon me for the first time,speaking at me with the depth of the night...like a nightingale who doesn't need its wings to fly.What a blessing it is to be worthy of your look.I have seen rain on the desert,and all impossible things coming true.All of my prayers carry your name.&nbs
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The events that were transpiring spurred Atum on. In his haste, some of the powder was lost, carried away on the wind. He swore under his breath, sheltering under the remains of a bus stop, the seat still in usable condition.His hands were shaking as the sound of the crumbling warehouse reached him."Shu!" He called up into the empty sky, looking up only briefly lest he lose any more of the precious mixture. "Do not allow the humans to be lost!"'Yes, great one,' Shu's voice carried back, mingled with the soft wail of a crying baby. 'I must make sure these are safe too, then I will on of swift wings.'Atum nodded, muttering some nonsensical words of acknowledgment. He could see in his mind, the half-dead mother, desperate to save her child, fearful in the arms of her dead husband and older daughter. All around them, life was evaporating and Shu was their only hope.He turned
The Forgotten God Chapter Sixty
Kyle had no idea on how to approach the gathered dead. It seemed, rather stereotypically, a blow to their skulls finished them, but there were more than ten of them. Not to mention the mounted templar who, eyeless as he was, looked thirsty for more blood to stain his hands."Why are you listening to him?" Marie whispered, lifting her voice enough to be heard over the grunts and groans. She wasn't sure why she was showing him any pity, not after what he'd done. She assumed it was just her social conscious, and the strict teaching of her mother, never to turn ones' back. "You could do so much better.""Shut your mouth," Kyle snapped, feeling Babi's icy gaze on him. "You don't know anything! This is my only chance in life to get anywhere, to get anything. Life doesn't care about people like me.""I thought that. Once."Kyle wrinkled with nose and picked up a fallen plank. It would do. With enou
The Forgotten God Chapter Sixty-One
In Egypt; Anubis watched as the city smouldered. The cyclone sliding back down from the bubbling skies like a reverse volcano, sweeping away the crumbled remains of homes and business.He hung his head, feeling powerless for once in his long existence. The help he could give was like sharing a grain of rice among a starving village.Worthless.In London; the Thames bubbled. Strange beasts rose and fell in the boiling water that threatened to burst the banks and roast alive anyone who fell in its path.People sheltered in basements, in attics and had even pried the covers off manholes, only to find the threat beneath just as great.In Africa; the rich were crushed by the opulence they had hoarded, money unable to save them from the rage of nature. And the poor cowered, finding dents in the ground or concealed hidey-holes in desperate attempts to shield the most needy of them all.All over the world, s
The Forgotten God Chapter Sixty-Two
Am-Heh didn't baulk at the chaotic sight that met him. Instead, he looked with disdain at the gangly beast that was struggling to free itself and the summoned spirits that hissed at it.It seemed humans were not the only beings that refused to work in tandem.He offered a curt nod as the injured Templar. His use, and that of the others, were over. The last thing was to strengthen the rising forces, and his blood would suffice.It would give the might to break the chains but keep him tethered until, and if, he was required.He didn't watch as the broken body struggled to its feet, stumbling over the remains of his shattered horse, wielding his sword. He heard the clang of steel, the swing striking tough, leathery skin that refused to break under the blade. In the corner of his vision, he saw sparks as the steel chipped, flakes of flesh flying amongst them. He could picture the defeat from the violent, wet noises that sounded beh
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The Forgotten God Epilogue
Several Months LaterIt's strange how people react after disaster. You see the best of people and the worst. Thankfully, it's mostly been the former. Things are being repaired, getting back to normal with the help of big companies and small. Not to mention the dedicated do-it-yourself people.Scientists have been wracking their brains to find the cause of such a global phenomenon. The best they have come up with so far is an imbalance in the eco-system and perhaps in the space around. And, of course, religious nut-jobs have been having a field day preaching about how sin and immorality is the cause. They haven't pinpointed a particular sin this time, they can't, it's too wide. So, the whole world has been tarnished. Except for themselves of course.Funny. They're actually closer than the scientists when it comes down to it. Except that it isn't the doing of the God who watches now.Mysteries come out daily. Strange creatures spotted in the sea, too rapid for anyone to get hold of, a
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The dogs ran rampant through the living dead. Limbs flew, congealed blood oozed and the smell of rotting flesh permeated the air even more.Those who tried to fight back, biting and clawing were soon defeated, their blackened teeth unable to even scratch the thick skin.Blood and foam frothed at the mouths, neither willing to allow the rancid meat to drop down their gullets. They still remembered the luscious fresh meat that had been given in their best. Tender and prepared with care. What they caught now, on those rare occasions they needed to feed, was not a patch on it.And these beings were not fit for rats.They ignored the humans, save for knocking some over. None seemed injured, even if they hit the concrete hard enough to break a bone. They simply sat up, or lay there. Dazed and in a world of their own. With no voices ringing in their heads, their addled minds forged on to return to normal.They had long since given up on trying to understand anything.When they finished here,
The Forgotten God Chapter Sixty-Six
You have changed me by your love.Thus say I in my heart,In my soul, at my prayers:"I lack my commander tonight,I am as one dwelling in a tomb."Be you but in health and strength,Then the nearness of your countenanceSheds delight, by reason of your well-being,Over a heart, which seeks you with longing.Time felt as if it were slowing down as Isaac made his way over the debris and towards where the horrors had occurred. Everything frozen in eerie stillness under the decrepit skyline.Dust puffed up with each step he took, his heart beating harder as the shell of the main room opened up to greet him.Immediately he saw Atum, shifting from one foot to another as if he had a cramp he couldn't release. The look in the older God's eyes immediately heightened his anxiety and he hastened forward, only to be stopped when Atum lifted his hand.What is written on the brow would inevitably be seen by the eye and his silence said more than his words."Do not allow yourself to weaken. Your st
The Forgotten God Chapter Sixty-Five
The door shook with the force of the crowd outside, throwing themselves against it blindly. Three had moved to the window and already, their palms were bleeding as the glass cracked and pierced their skin, staining the shards red. Mr Montford and Ash hauled a small book case across the room. The carpet and their haste making it all the more difficult. If there was something for it to snag on or get caught on, then it did. Penalty, perhaps, for dumping its contents into an unsightly pile as if they were logs for the fire. "Is there an attic?" Marie called as she leaned against the sideboard they'd positioned at the door. The drawers already flung from their cubby with the force from outside. "A basement is no good, we'd be completely trapped. But an attic...that seems safer." "I didn't see," Mr Montford answered, sweat pouring from his brow and impeding his grip. "I doubt it. I remember these houses being built. People exchanged attics for garages, easier to access." "And they didn
The Forgotten God Chapter Sixty-Four
Shu beckoned the mortals down one of the alleyways that cut through the buildings to the once bustling streets. People had emerged, loitering hopelessly about the abandoned cars, their eyes glazed and their ears deaf to anything but the words of an unseen being."I cannot guide you to safety," Shu said, his voice full of remorse. "I must find Atum. This battle will ricochet about the world, and you humans do enough damage without the added help. Please," he looked at the four imploring. "These humans are bedevilled. If you can avoid harming them, I would be grateful.""We won't," Isaac spoke up, still struggling with the tight ropes about him. Try and they might, the bonds refused to give. "But you must tell Atum that Am-Heh is not behind all of this. There has to be mercy in him." Tears stung his eyes. Glistening droplets he swiftly blinked back. His voice becoming soft. "I don't want to lose him."Shu gazed at him. Lost for words. No reassurance could be uttered, he couldn't read At
The Forgotten God Chapter Sixty-Three
A shrill shriek shattered the atmosphere as Babi tore towards Am-Heh, the sword raised high. It swung down, shattering through the arm of the reaching demon.One bite from the blade meant agony. And the wail that left the putrid mouth told of it.The eyes glazed with bubbling anger, and it swung, showering the area in burning blood. All the while trying to rise further, stopped only by the undigested meal in its stomach.Mr Montford grimaced as the warm blood descended, trickling in thick droplets like the vilest of rain. It wouldn't stop him. One dig he was on, many moons ago, never stopped even when they hit a sewage pipe.Although it delayed them when trying to clean. And when the local authorities got involved to remedy it.He slipped on the gore, trying his best to avoid it as he made his way over to where Ash indicated. As he neared, the air seemed to become thicker, as if he was walking through tar or against a high wind.His breath became harsh as the pressure became stronger.
The Forgotten God Chapter Sixty-Two
Am-Heh didn't baulk at the chaotic sight that met him. Instead, he looked with disdain at the gangly beast that was struggling to free itself and the summoned spirits that hissed at it.It seemed humans were not the only beings that refused to work in tandem.He offered a curt nod as the injured Templar. His use, and that of the others, were over. The last thing was to strengthen the rising forces, and his blood would suffice.It would give the might to break the chains but keep him tethered until, and if, he was required.He didn't watch as the broken body struggled to its feet, stumbling over the remains of his shattered horse, wielding his sword. He heard the clang of steel, the swing striking tough, leathery skin that refused to break under the blade. In the corner of his vision, he saw sparks as the steel chipped, flakes of flesh flying amongst them. He could picture the defeat from the violent, wet noises that sounded beh
The Forgotten God Chapter Sixty-One
In Egypt; Anubis watched as the city smouldered. The cyclone sliding back down from the bubbling skies like a reverse volcano, sweeping away the crumbled remains of homes and business.He hung his head, feeling powerless for once in his long existence. The help he could give was like sharing a grain of rice among a starving village.Worthless.In London; the Thames bubbled. Strange beasts rose and fell in the boiling water that threatened to burst the banks and roast alive anyone who fell in its path.People sheltered in basements, in attics and had even pried the covers off manholes, only to find the threat beneath just as great.In Africa; the rich were crushed by the opulence they had hoarded, money unable to save them from the rage of nature. And the poor cowered, finding dents in the ground or concealed hidey-holes in desperate attempts to shield the most needy of them all.All over the world, s
The Forgotten God Chapter Sixty
Kyle had no idea on how to approach the gathered dead. It seemed, rather stereotypically, a blow to their skulls finished them, but there were more than ten of them. Not to mention the mounted templar who, eyeless as he was, looked thirsty for more blood to stain his hands."Why are you listening to him?" Marie whispered, lifting her voice enough to be heard over the grunts and groans. She wasn't sure why she was showing him any pity, not after what he'd done. She assumed it was just her social conscious, and the strict teaching of her mother, never to turn ones' back. "You could do so much better.""Shut your mouth," Kyle snapped, feeling Babi's icy gaze on him. "You don't know anything! This is my only chance in life to get anywhere, to get anything. Life doesn't care about people like me.""I thought that. Once."Kyle wrinkled with nose and picked up a fallen plank. It would do. With enou
