The Forgotten God

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Isaac, although half expecting the arrival of the God, jolted at the flash and sudden appearance. Immediately and instinctively, he bowed his head, cursing himself after he did.

Am-Heh raised an eyebrow but didn't comment on it, unaware of the potion and the memories it had opened. That door had closed and had been sealed long ago as far as he was concerned, the key rusted and defunct. It was hardly fool proof, they still leaked and those spectres still haunted him. No door, no wall could keep them at bay.

"Achieve what you wanted?" Isaac dared as the God moved back to his books.

"For now."

"This city wasn't the one that slighted you," Isaac said bitterly as he looked away. "It's just where you woke. I don't see your reason for messing up a place that had nothing against you." He gave a snort and shrugged. "No one even knew your name here until less than a hundred years ago. Most still don't."

“You think I’m focused on this city alone?” Am Heh let out a sharp laugh, his eyes lighting brilliantly with macabre amusement. “Good grief, Ish…mortal! Look down! Think of where you want to see and look down! These are not the only rivers that run with blood or the only ground that swallows the living!”

Isaac edged forward, increasingly aware of the deity’s frustration. Coated with humour it was dulled but the aura that radiated from him was contorted with rage and another emotion that he couldn’t quite determine.

Pain? Need?

Neither of those befitted the powerful being but they were the ones that resonated in his heart. Almost as if the souls were inexplicitly linked.

“This is the mere epicentre,” Am Heh said, turning away as Isaac’s eyes widened at the sight below. “All over people are beginning to feel the seism.”

The sands of the Egyptian desert were wild as conical winds screamed over them, opening the streets of the nearest towns with their power. The filthy Nile was now crimson and devoid of wildlife, all of it having sense to flee as the air changed.

Still, shadows lurked within, their mass surfacing just enough to make out the large shape that would break a man in two should anyone be unfortune to fall. Or when the banks finally burst.

"Christ..."

"Your prophet is not scheduled to return any time soon," Am-Heh clapped his hands, revealing the city again. "And I have my doubts whether he would be able to stop anything, he could guide the chaste and pure but his skills would not branch further."

He dismissed the conversion and looked about him, searching for some idea of what had caused the odd disturbance to his system.

Isaac kept his eyes down. He wasn't skilled at keeping his emotions from his eyes, often managing to look guilty even when he was innocent.

Am-Heh watched him, his gaze not free of suspicion. There was an odd sensation in the room, and he was not entirely convinced that it was natural, just the combined unease and awkwardness. It was similar, that feeling of trepidation dancing up over the spine and the heavy, churlish nag in the stomach.

Logically, it could be no more than that. How would the mortal have seen anyone? They hadn't the command over the spells, even if they could read them, and if they did have an iota of skill, it was too weak to do anything but make a mess, often leading to their demise or downfall.

Yet, that charm...he knew it all too well, and knew the draw it had, the strength and power.

"I will need your assistance soon," he said mildly, keeping half an eye on the young man. "Once I have the objects I need. Such items do not work without some encouragement."

Isaac looked up sharply, his eyes becoming as dark as ebony. "No. I'm not killing anything. Not a human, not a mouse, not even a fly. Do your own dirty work."

Am-Heh was beside him in barely two strides, hoisting him from the floor as if picking up a feather. His eyes flashed and, when Isaac looked into them, he would see the whirlpool in the centre, swirling, misty anger that glowed dangerously like errant fire.

"You will do as I say," Am-Heh hissed, his fingers wrapping the collar about them, tightening the shirt around his throat. "Unless you want to feel the agonies of the past tearing your skin?"

"I-"

Isaac was cut off, partly due to the garotte choking his air, but more due to the warmth radiating against his breast. From beneath the shirt the amulet shone,

Immediately, Am-Heh paused, a strange glimmer of disconcertion crossing his face and, almost gently, he released him, lowering him carefully back to the ground.

"Just do as I say. If I need blood then I kill my own, it will not work otherwise. All I would require you to do is cut it into pieces if that it what the incantation calls for. The main sin bloodies my own hands."

Am-Heh looked at his pale hands. His skin had lost some of its lustre from the centuries confined in the darkness, away from the worshipful rays of the sun.

Dislike was not a strong enough word, making him feel pallid and weak. However, in this world it seemed a safer colour to be. He had heard the hatred from all sides, someone was too dark, someone too white. Those who came in-between seemed to fare the worst. And whilst he embodied the form of a grand hunting dog, he was no mangy cur.

"Just...behave yourself," he whispered, turning back to his books, muttering to himself. "Curse those shells for being so damned slow."

Isaac looked down sadly, watching the first fiery speckles float down to earth, hissing madly as they touched the wet ground. He knew this was only the start of something far more damaging, imaging hail the size of footballs, blazing rocks that could shatter buildings and Lord knew what else.

He blinked as he caught sight of a dark...figure? The shadowy being was loping, a man walking behind, making it clear whatever it was wasn't human. More ape-like, its arms long and acting like extra legs to give speed.

He didn't know what it was, but the sight sent a gut-wrenching fear through him. It seemed to radiate an air of malice and slyness, and the man with him didn't feel much better. Even from up here, it was clear neither were up to any good.

The dark beast didn't seem bothered about the fire and ice that was sweeping up about them, pausing only to look around to its companion, gesturing aggressively and the cowardly and slower pace.

"Looks like you might have competition," he commented idly, wickedly anticipating the reaction.

Am-Heh whirled around and strode over. Confusion, then anger, rose within, a subtle red hue tainting his cheeks as he surveyed below. Clearly, he recognised the form below but his lips remained sealed.

Turning with a grunt he went back to the books, looking through them frantically and almost tearing the pages as he did so.

"Some use you are," he spat, glancing at Isaac.

“I’m not Smithers,” Isaac bit back “I can’t press a button and release the hounds.”

Am-Heh looked over, the modern analogy passing him by completely. He quirked an eyebrow and turned back to the work., regaining his cold composure with surprising ease.

The emphasis placed on the dogs bemused him though, suspicion rising. If the human was regaining memories, then he needed to tread carefully. It was inevitable it would happen, but he hoped, and still held that hope, that they would be vague and his task easy.

Fate was never that kind.

“I do not need you to do anything, except perhaps tend to any needs if I am not here,” he said coolly, hastening from the subject. "And you to mind your manners and attitude."

"Can only do my best."

Am-Heh suppressed a smile. The familiar, jocular tone something he could not help but find endearing. He disguised the amusement with a brusque waft of his hand, pausing as he came across something on the old papers. The words were dark and dangerous, requiring more than effort to bring them to being.

"I need to see what the fiend is up to," he muttered in barely a whisper, aware of Isaac straining his ears, his attention moving to a less drastic incantation. "I can't be rash and ruin what I have started. I can skin him alive like he deserves in due course."

"Who is it?" Isaac asked, getting to his feet. "I can see you know it, somehow I feel I do and it gives me the damn chills. Like the feeling you get as a child and you're scared of something in the dark, only this is real." He peered down. "It isn't bothered by whatever hocus pocus you've cast."

"You seem to know more than I desire already, mortal," Am-Heh said without looking up "perhaps your mind might develop further. I am not here to mould your thoughts or be your tutor."

He sincerely hoped not. They were times he wanted to leave sealed in the pyramids. He was regretting his haste in taking Isaac with him, allowing his heart to rule his head. Or, he shot a look at the dangling jewel, the amulet was as powerful as ever, its heat and construction fuelling and coercing his emotion.

'Take, open and burn the eyes

Give closer vision where the crow flies.

Be it bad, or be it good

Give me the sights of fire and blood.'

His eyes immediately felt as if they were on fire, his vision filling with crimson as if every blood vessel had ruptured. Pain spread into his head and he winced. He vaguely heard Isaac's voice, full of concern and felt him nearer. He hadn't realised he had pulled himself around to sit on the desk, unable to stand with the aches that grew ever stronger,

"I-I am fine," he wafted blindly "it will fade. The detriment of such power can be pain."

Isaac refused to move, even when the claw scraped his upper arm lightly, and reached out, brushing against his wrist and tracing the bangle that bound the limb tight in glorious gold.

"Breath," he said placidly "when I get a headache I concentrate on my breathing, it might not cure it but it takes your mind from it and eventually it may fade. "Just...try not to think of it."

The soft voice was full of compassion, straight from a heart that shouldn't care in the circumstances. With shaking hands, he pushed the water jug forward, the vessel had filled itself again, enchanted to do so without effecting the temperature of the water either.

Blindly, Am-Heh seized it. The cool water soothed the burn that had seized him and slowly the ache began to abate and his eyesight began to return, waiting to adjust when required.

The first thing he saw was Isaac's chestnut eyes gazing with deep, touching concern. Eyes he knew so well in all their moods.

Quickly he looked away with a terse nod of acknowledgment.

"Thank you," he said reluctantly "but leave me be, make yourself useful and translate these, saves me a task and time." He thrust a small, untidy booklet, bound with frayed thread toward me. "I need it in my own tongue, not in the language of the chosen ones."

Isaac frowned. "I'm not a practicing Jew," he said as he carefully turned the pages. "I don't know how good my Hebrew is, I was taught it but I went to a general school, my family didn't like the orthodox beliefs. In fact, my dad only converted so he could marry mom. He was more into Buddhism and Wicca. A real mixture. Not to mention I'm still learning how to translate your old language to English, let alone anything else."

Am-Heh glared at him. "Just do it. You might find you know more than you think if you apply the brains you humans were meant to be endowed with."

---

Thoth folded the paper carefully and set it aside, pressing a finger to his lips. From across the room Shu watched impatiently, his feet itching to take to the air with whatever news had come forward.

"Well?"

"I don't know what to tell you," Thoth smiled lazily "there are helpful clues but they need to be deeper, my spell must push further. He cannot sleep all the time so memories must come forth quicker. However," he raised a hand as Shu moved to interject "we can at least pass this on, and it will open some doors. Atum must know, although I feel he knows more than we do as a whole. However, like all creators, he hesitates."

Shu sucked in a breath. It was the only time he had heard Thoth criticise their creator. But he could not deny it wasn't true. He hung his head, not wishing to agree.

Thoth nodded kindly, understanding.

"I sense Atum may suspect rather than actually know," he said in soft tones "perhaps I phrased it incorrectly, he would not keep information that would be of aid. This may help his memory. Inform him I will be increasing the strength of my magic from here. The dead might be weak but in force they can cause chaos and Am-Heh will not have them simply claim what he needs, they will rend the living to shreds."

"I will be swift," Shu span about, whirling the dust that had settled on the wooden floor "and please, be swift also. The sooner we have the key from the past, from the present, the sooner we can end this budding nightmare."

Thoth smiled again, somewhat sadly, enigmatically.

"Perhaps."

Shu paused and contemplated him in bemusement but Thoth wafted his hand, fanning himself from the growing heat in the process. The fans on the blink again, living where he did his modern conveniences were fickle.

"Don't mind my jabbering, things will become clearer," he added and turned away to his cupboards "tootle off, I have work to do." He looked over with a rare frown. "And keep your eyes open, I think there is more threat than our old friend Am-Heh."