Senior
Abraham stood there looking at the Hidden City then seen by him with the tall gates partially opened and it was guarded by two menacing looking dark shade scorpions that was twice the size of himself. He felt Hasnah standing beside him had tensed on the sight of the desert stingers. They had returned there on the insistence of the Master who was dying on the bed in the chamber. His words to them after he coached them on the needed skills to challenge Imtep.
“Time is of essence. You are given all I could muster in the short time left. You will do fine. The scimitar that was mine is not yours.” Master Osis told Hasnah. “Take the task to heart. When you do come back, read the ancient scrolls. What you may do today, will not vanquish the demon but subdue it for a period of time till your son emerged. Then the final battle will end your task.”
“Shall we?” Abraham looked towards Hasnah.
“Are you daft? The fact I am here should tell you I am with you. And more to that, you can’t make it alone.” Hasnah looked at Abraham. “Do men listen to conversations or heed only their own words.”
“Hold your … I meant I … You are not even my wife yet you speak like one.”
“You speak like my …. husband and yet we have not wed. Not even as a lover. Shucks, I am a virgin but I doubt you are. Now you speak like …. my father?”
“Can we focus on the task? Are you sure your father did not coach you on how to float in?” Abraham looked at the two guarding scorpions. They had arrived at the precise hour when the city could be seen then.
“No, he did not but he gave his scimitar.” Hasnah then ignored the man and walked on. She was with her bow and quiver of arrows with the scimitar in her hand. She had on then was a slung bag across her chest. She pulled out the scimitar and waved it front of her with each step she took. She approached the gate and the scorpions there reared their tail sting but she did not pause in her steps. She moved on and then saw the scorpions there have retreated with the doors opening for her to enter the city. Unlike their previous visit, the streets were empty. They saw the rows of structures that resembled shops and some had the double levels on them. It was different seeing the structures from eye level, when earlier they were sighting it from above. Instead of roofs and verandas, they saw were the shuttered doors and windows. walked past the empty shops with the windows shuttered. The demons they saw on the street were also missing.
“This is unusual. Where are the demons? I am sure there are….”
The demons soon appeared in various forms; there were four of them. One had the looks of a serpent head with a body of Man and the other three were undead corpses with the decaying flesh. Hasnah waved the scimitar at the demons. They stopped in their movement and then retreated. It was working then.
“Let’s us move.” Hasnah called out. She took two steps and then saw the four demons started moving towards her.
“Oh, Northerner. I don’t think the scimitar works. Father may be wrong.” Hasnah levelled the scimitar at them.
“You have something to fight with?” Abraham heard the lady and then pulled at his arm greaves. He was ready to fight then. The hooks protruded out like a set of claws. The serpent headed figure charged out and Hasnah was ready. She swung the scimitar with both her hands and slashed the demon into two across the middle.
“Anyone wants to try?” Hasnah called out to the other three demons. It was then she saw the Serpent body moved and merged into one again before it stood up.
“I guess you don’t die easily.” Hasnah rushed at it and that time, she went for the head slice and cleaved the serpent body from head down. The demon shrieked out and then it fell on the ground. That move jolted the other three demons to retreat.
“That was easy.” Abraham sighed then. Soon he saw the retreated demons did not actually leave but called on reinforcements. There were five more of the Serpent bodied figures with five undead figures.
“Told you that you are unbelievable.” Hasnah glared at Abraham. “Shall we dance then?”
“Dance?” Abraham asked. “I don’t dance.”
“Learn now. Hold me and then release me in a series of jumps. Like ….” Hasnah felt the man’s hands grabbed her waist and then swung her off her feet. She used the momentum to kick at the approaching demon and then called out.
“Now!” Hasnah felt her body released and with it she kicked out with both legs to twist her body with the scimitar swung out to sever the demon’s head. She beheaded one before landing on her legs. She then ran towards Abraham who had cradled his hands in front of him, and she took the step with the right leg and was tossed up. Hasnah went high and then somersaulted to cut the demon in half from the head. She landed on her feet and then with her right hand swinging out, the scimitar beheaded another demon. She landed on her feet and looked at Abraham.
“You could fight too.” Abraham nodded and then lashed out with his right-handed hook and cut the demon in his path across the neck. The demon shrieked out before its head fell onto the side with only part of the flesh holding it there. Hasnah had then beheaded another demon before the rest retreated.
“How did you do that? You were into my mind.” Abraham looked at her.
“Father taught me the art of speaking without words. He also taught me how to imprint the mind together so that…” Hasnah stopped there and then looked away.
“Let us move on.” Hasnah took the lead and they walked on.
Soon they reached the doorway to the Inner City. The duo stared at the high tower that they had entered just days ago with the Master himself.
“We need to go forth for the hidden gateway.” That was easy but instead of an oasis and the courtyard they visited the last trip, they were confronted by the sight of a descending steps into a huge cavern below.
“What happened to the flower beds and the ….” Abraham asked. He leaned over to look at the cavern depth and it was spiralling downwards. On the walls were sights of flaring arms reaching out yet they could not climb out. He saw the surface of the wall was smooth and yet it was covered with a slick of oil coatings but when he crouched down to touch and it does not stick on the skin. The flooring on the steps were of the same material but their steps looked firm and solid.
“Father did say do not trust your sight.” Hasnah reminded him. “We are in the inner city and nothing here may be what it appeared to be.”
Abraham saw then the figures clinging onto the cavern wall as it they were scaling it but they were all facing different directions. He saw the three guards that had perished from the previous journey. They looked alive but their facial expressions were blank to any emotions. Hasnah took the cue to step onto the descending steps and ignored the crawling bodies on the wall. She felt Abraham’s hand on her’ and they moved on. The surface of the wall was smooth as seen earlier and when he reached to touch it, he saw the coat of slick but it does not stick on the skin. The flooring on the steps were of the same material but their steps were held back by some suction on the soles. He pulled his leg out on every step and descended while he ignored the sights of the bodies on the wall. Their descent was slow and then Hasnah saw the doorway ahead. It was the only one seen upon their descent. They reached the doorway and looked into the open doorway.
The doorway that showed them the sandy sands and the inverted pyramid.
“Is that the doorway we took earlier?” Abraham asked. It was then he released her hand to step forward but found himself slipping off the steps. He was falling for he felt something pushed him off. He called out and then fell.
“Hasnah!” Abraham fell but just then he released his left hook towards the gateway where it opened to the sandy sands. Hasnah had then stepped into the doorway and was surrounded by the sandy sands. She was no more in the cavern, and she lost Abraham. Then she saw the hook that was on his greave sprang out of nowhere and hit the sands. Without any solid hold, the hook was slipping away. Hasnah grabbed the hook when it passed by her and pulled at it. She saw then at the other end was the rope that was ending into the sands. She pulled and heaved with all her might.
Abraham felt the pull on his rope but he was without any holding areas. He struggled in mid-air and then felt the rope being pulled. He could not assist and did the next best thing. He released the right-handed hook into the doorway and that hook held firmed on the sandy sands. It was the hook with blade that was inscribed by the Master. He felt then the pull and his body went shooting into the doorway.
Abraham fell onto Hasnah and saw himself looking at the lady.
“I am sorry.” Hasnah heard the man and then pushed him off her. She sat up and saw the temple where they met Imtep. There was a lady standing there.
“Hello, I am Madame Deauville. The Aide of Master Imtep.”
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