Chapter 27

Ongoing conflict

Takmet and Yakumi were still exchanging attacks. Takmet had not allowed himself to be hit at all, but so far Yakumi had taken a small beating. It seemed that they were almost equal in skill and power, despite the tremendous age difference that Rei had mentioned long before. The contained fighting area created a disadvantage for both as well, constraining them to a type of arena.

Yakumi zoomed toward Takmet, orange light in hand. Takmet prepared to block her, but he was knocked on the ground before he knew what had happened. What he had seen coming towards him was an illusion. The real Yakumi had appeared behind him and brought him to the floor. His head was near the edge of the platform when Yakumi pinned him, with both her magic and an arm resting forcefully across his chest.

“Hmmm…Too bad we aren’t in this position on better terms,” Yakumi smiled foxily.

“Thank Ra we are not,” Takmet snapped as he struggled momentarily to relieve himself of the weight of the spell that kept him grounded.

Yakumi sensed something and looked up. Her expression changed to one of mild surprise. “Well, would you look at that?” She rested her chin on her hand.

Takmet craned his head upwards to see what Yakumi was looking at. His eyes widened as he saw Sasaki, a grotesque hook-like structure protruding from her back. He watched as she removed herself painfully and collapsed to the ground, hands red with the blood she had shed.

“He was good for something after all,” Yakumi mused.

Takmet turned back to Yakumi, his eyes burning with fury. “You damned demoness!”

Yakumi only grinned at him. She held out her hand and a curved blade of obsidian materialized conveniently. She teasingly swung it above Takmet’s neck, touching his chin with its razor-sharp edge.

“Spilling the blood of Osiris’ earthly vessel would do wonders for my powers,” she smirked greedily. “The end is here, dear Takmet.”

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Throughout the palace the pharaoh and his men dismantled the endless barrage of walking dead. Snakes had promptly joined the ranks of the evil army, and many men had already been bitten and killed by their venom. But when the familiar flying sliver serpents appeared, only Marton, Rei, and the scattered mages of the palace could do anything against them.

Marton suddenly whirled and looked back at what had been the throne hall. A bad feeling had just washed over him. “Rei!” he called over the clanking and clattering of metal and bones.

The genie barely caught the sound and diverted her attention from the fallen serpent she had been fighting. “What is it?” she yelled back.

“They need your help,” he called back.

“But you need me here!”

“I can manage. Go! Or else we’ll all see what the underworld looks like on earth.”

Rei only hesitated for a moment, spurred by the mage’s description of the possible future. She vanished, leaving a new scaly opponent quite confused.

The opening Rei had left created an opportunity for that confused snake to focus on the target that had been behind her. The pharaoh…

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Rei burst into what was left of the throne room. She was astounded at what had occurred already. In the middle of the room, Chloe, Mandi, and Ami were trapped in cages of curved blades. Above were the platforms that had risen out of the ground. On one of these were Sasaki and Eric, and Rei saw Sasaki skewered by the wing that Eric was growing. On another were Takmet and Yakumi, the former in a rather helpless position.

Rei ran to the caged girls. She made several hand movements and muttered a few words and the shield vanished. As Rei parted her hands, so did the blades, allowing the girls to step out.

“Oh, they’re gonna get it now,” Chloe growled as she disappeared. Mandi followed.

Ami attempted to, but Rei stopped her. “You’ll only get in the way,” she said. “Stay here and keep us informed of what happens.”

Ami only struggled against Rei for a moment. Resigned to the fact that her forte was imaging and communication, and not fighting, she waved her hands in front of her to create two floating pictures. One of Sasaki’s fight, and the other of Takmet’s.

Eric stood above Sasaki, wielding the blade of her destruction, preparing to deal the final blow. Sasaki was in shock. She had never been so seriously wounded. She could almost see through her shoulder. The blood had stained her clothes red and streaks of it gleamed on her face. She began to chant in Egyptian even more ancient than the Egypt she was in. She made feeble signs with her hands, almost as if she were being directed when she herself could do nothing.

Eric smirked as he looked down at her. She would not resist nor would she defend herself in this state. He swung the blade in front of him triumphantly, prepared to strike. As he brought the blade down, Mandi appeared in the strike path. She met his blade with one of her own, identical to the one Eric thrust down at her. Mandi’s blade sliced through Eric’s, being made of steel, and her blade almost caught Eric’s hand.

“Back off!” Mandi yelled at Eric, a ferocity in her eyes that no one had ever seen before.

Eric pulled back enough only to avoid being injured by her weapon. He stepped back and ruffled his wings in agitation. “You back off! This is between her and me.”

“Like hell it is,” Mandi said forcefully. “If it involves her, then it involves me as well.” She raised her weapon at him.

Eric crouched, then lunged toward Mandi with a new weapon. This time a bladed staff had appeared by his will.

Mandi held out her empty hand, and a weapon identical to her shorter blade appeared. With two long knives she blocked the swing of his staff and pushed him away. Eric saw that direct attacks weren’t going to get anywhere with Mandi’s increased strength and weapons capability. Eric knelt and spread his wings. The scales peeled off in dozens, replacing themselves, then peeling off again to fly faster than the eye could see toward Mandi and the incapacitated Sasaki. They were made out of obsidian, with edges as sharp as any blade.

Mandi twirled and maneuvered her blades so quickly that Eric could hardly see them himself. She deflected every single shard, and once she got the hang of the aiming, was sending them flying back at Eric just as fast. He cut off his attack and the scales that were flying fell to the ground. He stood up. Suddenly, Mandi disappeared. For a moment he thought she had transported somewhere, but then a force hit his chest with such speed that he skidded backwards and off the edge of the platform. Mandi stood momentarily to watch him fall to the next pillar down, then ran back to Sasaki.

Mandi knelt down and took her by her good shoulder, shaking her. “Snap out of it, Sasaki!” she yelled.

Sasaki’s eyes focused on her friend. “Mandi…”

Mandi saw her friend’s shoulder. “Oh, my God,” Mandi gasped. “Sasaki…my God, oh my God…”

Sasaki looked down at her shoulder. “Looks painful, doesn’t it?” she managed.

Mandi tore some of her dress and tried to tie it around Sasaki’s shoulder. Her eyes began to water as she did so. “I can’t help, Sasaki. It won’t stop bleeding…I can’t…”

In all the time they had known each other, Sasaki had only seen Mandi upset once before. It showed how much she was hurting inside now, just as it had then.

Suddenly Eric reappeared on the platform with a fury of wing flapping. He immediately came in for the attack again. Sasaki glared at him, and a power stronger than the last blasted him off of the pillar again. Sasaki hunched over from the expended effort.

“Sasaki,” Mandi whispered, “don’t do that. You’ll only…” She couldn’t finish her sentence.

Sasaki looked at her with weak but steady eyes. “You’ve always wanted to help people. You have the power to do so now.”

“That’s not possible,” Mandi replied.

“Put your hand on my shoulder,” Sasaki coughed.

Mandi stretched out her hand cautiously, but afraid of hurting Sasaki further and repelled by the blood.

“Do it,” Sasaki ordered. Mandi did so. Sasaki cringed. “Do what comes to you.”

Mandi closed her eyes and tried to wipe away the tears. She wished with all her heart that Sasaki’s shoulder would be made whole again. She would die otherwise.

Eric appeared again, landing with a skid in his haste and frustration. Sasaki put her hand on Mandi’s shoulder.

“That’s enough, Mandi,” Sasaki said.

Mandi opened her eyes. She glanced at Sasaki’s shoulder and her eyes widened. “It’s …healed.”

“Well enough,” Sasaki replied. “Thank you,” she said sincerely. “But you should leave now. Eric is back and he’s getting serious.”

Mandi turned on him with a glare fit to send even the devil himself back to hell.

“Go,” Sasaki said. Mandi obliged after seeing Sasaki’s seriousness. Eric was walking towards her now, looking more than a little pissed off.

Sasaki met his stare and said to herself, “Let it end here.”

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Takmet struggled to break away from Yakumi’s spell. She swung the knife menacingly over his neck.

“Time to say goodbye, Takmet.”

Suddenly Yakumi was drenched with water. She coughed, moving the wet hair away from her face and turning around. Takmet coughed and blinked the water out of his eyes. Yakumi searched, swiveling around while she still sat on top of Takmet, but she saw no one. Then something large, cold, and solid hit her head, shattering. Bits of ice skidded on the floor as Yakumi rubbed her head and looked upwards.

Chloe waved from a pillar set above Yakumi’s. “Long time no see,” she smiled, waving daintily.

Yakumi glared at the girl. She swung her arm out quickly, pulling thin curved knives from the air. She flung them upwards at Chloe.

The blue-haired girl disappeared, avoiding the projectiles. She quickly reappeared standing behind Yakumi and Takmet. “I don’t think Takmet is very comfortable in that position.”

Yakumi whirled at the sound of Chloe’s voice. “There’s only one person I know that should be sitting atop him like that, and it isn’t you, I regret to say.”

Yakumi scowled and plucked more small knives form the air, sending them whistling towards the blue-haired nuisance. Chloe dodged them easily. “You’ve improved, I see,” remarked Yakumi rather darkly. “I guess I will have to stand up to deal with you. And I was so enjoying myself, too,” she sighed.

“Let Takmet go first.”

“I don’t think so,” Yakumi replied.

“That’s all right, I suppose. He can take care of himself.” Chloe leaned over so she could see his face. She winked. “Right, Takmet?”

Yakumi bristled. “How dare you…” She removed herself from her sitting position and stood up, facing Chloe.

“Leave her alone,” Takmet said from his helpless position on the floor. “Chloe isn’t involved.”

“Oh, she is now,” Yakumi muttered. The evil woman advanced on Chloe, smirk of confidence on her face.

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Eric glared as Sasaki stood up. He threw two whips of power at her, attempting to stop her advance. Sasaki merely blew them aside with a sweep of her hand.

“Surrender or die,” Sasaki said sadly as she continued toward Eric.

“I don’t think so.” Eric frowned as he loosed two more attacks. Sasaki dispersed them before contact.

Eric’s eyes narrowed, watching Sasaki walking toward him. He lifted his wings and furrowed his brow in frustration. He concentrated and manifested a larger and much more powerful attack.

“It won’t work,” Sasaki said. She softly spoke ancient Egyptian under her breath as she advanced, slowly building up her dwindling energy.

“Shut your mouth,” Eric retorted. He let his attack fly and watched helplessly as it slowed and Sasaki held it safely within her grasp.

“I’ll say it again,” Sasaki began. “Give up. I don’t want to kill you.” Sasaki was now only several feet away from the winged traitor. He stretched his wings and with a great downward stroke soared into the air. Sasaki’s gaze followed her rising enemy.

“I will kill you!” Eric yelled down at her as he began throwing all he had at her. Taking advantage of the break in Eric’s attacks, Sasaki knelt down and bowed her head. She prayed mentally for the power to see this part of the threat to its end. Suddenly white feathers sprouted from her back, wings stretching full length. She swept her gaze up to Eric, and he saw a determination there that frightened him. Sasaki soared into the air.

The two of them flew high into the black swirling mass that had been the sky. Eric continued to throw weak attacks behind him, but Sasaki dodged them easily. She was speedily catching up to him, and with determination she suddenly appeared hovering in front of him. Eric flapped his wings backward frantically, barely avoiding a collision with Sasaki. His eyes narrowed as he materialized a spear-like weapon. He attacked her, commencing a close-range battle of aerobatics.

Sasaki’s eyes were fixed on Eric and in a sudden realization he saw that she was now serious about killing him. Sasaki went on the offensive then with a tremendous blast of magical energy. At close range Eric did not have time to dodge and it blew him away, causing him to lose control of his flying for a moment, but spear still in hand. His flesh had been burned somewhat by the blast, but his wings were untouched, protected by their obsidian scales. Sasaki did not hesitate to attack again.

Sasaki appeared so close to Eric’s face that he backed away and frantically let a small attack fly, only trying to push her away. The attack hit her left shoulder by chance. Sasaki cringed but kept her composure, flight unfaltering.

Eric dodged her as he said, “So your shoulder isn’t completely healed.”

“You won’t have a chance to take advantage of that,” Sasaki growled.

To Eric’s ears Sasaki’s voice had become strange and eerie, seemingly with a double tone.

“I am not just Sasaki!” she yelled as she charged him, voice echoing in his mind. She disappeared before contact.

Eric spun to counter her anticipated blow from behind, spear whirling. He struck out with it after defending, but it tore itself away from his grasp and landed in Sasaki’s.

“It’s over,” Sasaki said sadly.