The Forgotten God

Chapter Thirty-One

Aiden gratefully stepped into the room. Immune to the unholy smell of w**d and unwashed bodies. To him, it was as homely as the scent of flowers and laundry, it meant he was amongst his own people again, even with the knowledge that none of the men saw him as anything more than an insect to be crushed.

"It's a long story, but the guy, if you can call it that, who sent me was the one who did this," he gestured to his leg. "I'd say he sent me as he wants your help but I don't think he needs any. Regardless of that, he wants to strong ones in this city." His voice began to slur, his body weakened from exertion and blood loss. "Not one to tamper with."

Harrison gave a nod, and the two men grabbed hold of Aiden in their beefy hands, hauling him onto hard wooden chair, the legs screaming with the sudden weight.

"I-I honestly don't know how the describe things in a way that doesn't make me sound as if I'm on sort of loony acid trip," he looked up, lips set in a grim line. "I'm not. I haven't had anything for three days; I haven't had the cash. I'm still trying to get a decent enough job, I had one pending with a delivery company but obviously this means I haven't heard."

"Just get on with it," Harrison growled, seizing up a green bottle from the shadows and uncorking it. "And make it snappy, give me the details and none of the lesser crap. I don't like long-winded blathering."

"How do I begin? Would you even believe that Kyle has teamed but with a thing that's got so much body hair he looks like a miniature sasquatch? Although, his strength is a hundred times greater than you'd expect," he indicated to the stub of his leg. "I mean, I guess it saved me from blood poisoning but if you think it's pleasant seeing your leg torn off and half eaten, you'll be wrong. He said he wanted help, those with nonce and a flair for creating fear and control."

The words might have been exaggerated, but massaging Harrison's ego was the best way to keep his attention. He gave a shaking smile.

"He also said rewards would be great, if Kyle thinks so then it's pretty sure. Money, gold, power, that sort of thing."

"What about chicks?" One of the heavies asked with a lecherous grin, his gold teeth winking in the gloom. "Wouldn't be the same having all the cash you want without the bimbos and spoilt girls to go with it. Gotta love the ones who'll tail along and do anything for a piece of paper."

"Yeah, probably," Aiden answered, not really listening "have to him, or it. Whatever. God, where to b****y begin?"

The tale spilled from his lips, sounding more unbelievable the longer he spoke. He cringed at his words and felt the sceptical gaze boring into him. Several times he indicated to his leg, the dried blood and cauterised wound hopefully proving some of his words. No one could say he'd not lost it and the ragged edges indicated a violent removal.

When he finished, he was quite out of breath, heaving badly. Harrison was silent for a time, exchanging a look with his heavies.

"Well, it was certainly entertaining to say the least," he said at last, reaching into his pocket for a cigarette. "Gotta admit, although it impacts my savings, I'd lay off the w**d if it's causing nightmares like that." He lit the end, filling the room with a pungent smoke, inhaling the tobacco thoughtfully as he eyes locked onto the damaged limb. "And yet, part of me leans to believe some of it, I mean, I can't imagine how you lost your leg, don't look like any damage from a normal accident."

He rocked back in his seat, blowing a circle of smoke from his lips, looking across to the boarded window that had begun to smell of charred plaster as the embers clawed at it. He didn't want to go out there, but at the same time he was intrigued to find out the cause of the mystery. And if reward came with it then all the better.

"Alright," he flicked the ash off the end of the cigarette, gazing fixedly at Aiden. "I'll go along with this. But I warn you, if this is some wind up or product of your messed up mind then your leg will be the least of your problems."

---

"I can't help think that we've made a huge error," Ash pushed the last of the rotting remains from the room and closed the door. "Something doesn't seem right, I mean, why are we putting faith in that thing? And I know the guy with him, he's a right jerk, and that's putting it politely."

"It was the less of two evils," Mr Montford sighed, turning the other relic over in his hands. "Had we not given in then I fear it would have been our remains decorating the floor."

"And why would that be?" Shu's voice echoed around them as a cool wind announced his silent entrance, a spiralling breeze whirling the dust from the floor as he appeared unpretentiously amid them. "Have I missed something important? I am journeying to our grand Lord Atum, but I sensed I should call in. I would not want you thinking I, or any other, had decided to abandon you."

"We most certainly appreciate it," Mr Montford said carefully, aware any slip of the tongue could easily bring down a far worse storm. "I was speaking of coming in here, instead of trying to flee. Those-those things were surrounding us though, slow they might be I didn't want to risk Marie or Ash coming to harm."

Shu looked to where the foul odour emanated and the congealed, dead blood stained the floor with fragments of flesh. His brow furrowed as his eyes snaked to the humans, their form and strength combined, in his mind, not enough to have caused the damage. A sense of secrecy enveloped them, but he could hardly force them to speak if they didn't want to, a curse of humanity, the wisest path was never followed.

"I see. Well, I think you might be best staying around here. You are somewhat protected from the elements and clearly," he nodded at a severed finger, lying limply near the door. "You can fight. They will have been sent to gather something, do as you are doing and keep them back. But, and this I stress," he looked stern "if they become stronger, more aggressive. Just let them take what they want and run. There will be much death by the time this is over and my aim is to reduce that as much as I can, even if it is just three lives saved. Understand?"

"We'll do that," Marie nudged Ash as he opened his mouth to protest "personally I'd rather not have my hair burned and frozen. One is enough." She chuckled, fingering the ends of the coarse locks with a smile. "I'll be honest, I'm vain about it. It takes me so long to grow it back."

Shu looked softly at her. The proud features reminding him of the Amazonian women who patrolled the desert sands so confidently. Their minds and skills as vast at the land they owned and their presence formidable in battle. She had the soul of one of them, dulled only by a sense of morality and kindness towards others. The bitterness of their treatment faded from her memory.

If indeed she had been such a woman. Some people were simply new life rather than a recycled soul. It wasn't for him to know.

"Be careful. Your friend will need you when he returns," he said quietly "do not worry about him too much, I doubt he will be harmed. He is highly important."

"Wha-" Ash's query went unfinished and unheard as Shu whirled around, vanishing in a vortex of wind and evaporating into thin air, reaching his destination before any of them could even blink.

"Let's take the time and block the door," Marie said with a weak smile "we can talk this over after. We don't know if there are any more of those things and whilst that other creature can mow them down, we can't. Hopefully he'll do the same when he returns, although personally I'd rather see the back of him." She paused and shook her head. "Although not literally. He can keep that towel on."

She pulled at the side of one of the display cases, the force tearing the splintering plastic away, her face set in grim concentration. She trusted Ash and Mr Montford but knew the only person she could truly rely on was herself. Briskly she handed the jagged piece to whoever was nearest, thrusting it into Ash's hands.

"Break it up and throw it out," she ordered "it might slow them down a bit. Even if it just means they slip in their own blood."

---

Am-Heh stiffened in fury as he watched the events below, sensing the relic taken further from reach. He had been so close to obtaining both and now those humans had hindered his progress. His anger radiated, like a volcano ready to erupt with deadly consequences, and Isaac shifted back.

He knew that anger, but this time he felt powerless to quash it, even, if that memory that twinkled in his mind was correct, it had been only slightly.

"It is said that if you want something done properly then you do it yourself," he fumed, his fingers cracking the surface of the desk as his claws dug deep. "Then so be it!"

"Great one..."

Am-Heh shot a deathly cold glare in his direction. "Speak not. I will not have you swaying my judgement, or trying to! The dead will remain active, and once I take what I need then more woe will befall them!"

He snapped his fingers and the room shook as darkness rumbled over the globe, the skies threatening horrific storms, from tsunamis to tornados and fire falling from the clouds.

Below, the world cowered, trying to make sense of the sudden change in the environment. Man-made? Natural? Supernatural? Theories varied from person to person, but none, unless in close contact with one another, would hear others, the networks had failed and the TV and radios were all defunct. How primitive and helpless they now felt without the technology that connected them all.

"Fear will entwine about their souls like barbed wire," he hissed as his body began to fade "and darkness will seal their eyes. Then all will be over and they will suffer or meet paradise."