by Dan Hunter
Stalking towards them through darkness and rain was the figure of a woman, her robes billowing behind her as if made of mist. Her head was that of a lioness, the muzzle wrinkled in a terrifying snarl, lips drawn back to reveal the deadly fangs filling her mouth.
A roar, loader than the thunder, split the air. The figure threw back her head – and let out a blood-curdling howl.
“It’s Tefnut, a Water Goddess,” Manu yelled to Akori. “I knew it wouldn’t just be water we had to fight.”
Akori didn’t answer. A deep hiss from behind told him that Ebe had changed form again. He felt wet fur brush against him as the giant cat came to stand at his side. Manu came forward to stand by his other side.
There was a flash of lightning and the red Stone on Akori’s chest glinted.
Tefnut glared at it and growled. Then she stared from Ebe, to Akori, to Manu, and stepped forward.
“You are to be punished for daring to oppose Lord Set and Oba, the true Pharaoh of Egypt,” she said in a deep voice that echoed like the thunder above. “That punishment is death – and I am the executioner!” She raised a hand. Long, wickedly sharp claws snapped out from the tips of her fingers.
Akori took a step towards her, his khopesh held steady, his knees bending into a warrior’s stance. “Wise men say it is unwise to shout ‘Victory!’ until the battle is over,” he said.
“Then let’s get it over,” Tefnut spat. Looking up at the boiling, black clouds above, she screeched, “Rain!”
At once, the torrent of rain increased. Now, every drop felt like a hammer blow. The torrents of water that fell into Akori’s eyes almost blinded him. Through the haze, he just made out the blurry figure of Tefnut before she pounced. Her claws slashed at his face. Akori swiftly ducked to one side, swinging the curved khopesh around with as much speed as he could muster. The blade drew a thin line of blood along the Goddess’s arm.
A foul curse filled the air. Snarling, Tefnut threw herself at Akori again. He whirled to dodge her, but this time her claws screeched down the golden armour that protected him.
“Only a coward hides behind armour,” growled the Goddess. “Next time, I’ll aim for your throat.” Tefnut clapped her hands together. “Clouds, do my bidding!” she yelled. Immediately, a thick, black cloud began spiralling down towards Akori like a spear.
Faster than a lightning bolt, Akori leaped to one side. The cloud crashed onto the ground where he had been standing, exploding in a shower of water.
Out of the corner of his eye, Akori saw Manu creeping round to circle Tefnut.
“You say he’s a coward, but you’re blinding him with rain,” Manu shouted angrily.
Tefnut whirled round to face him, her muscles clenching, preparing to pounce.
“Let’s see how you like it,” Manu yelled, flinging a handful of wet mud from the riverbank at her.
Tefnut snarled horribly as the mud smacked into her face. Barely stopping to shake it from her eyes she leaped at the weaponless Manu.
“No!” shouted Akori, jumping forward to protect his friend.
But Ebe was there first. The huge cat hit Tefnut halfway through her leap, smashing her to the ground in a tangle of teeth and claws.
As Akori and Manu ran to help, a roar from Tefnut filled the air. Ebe was thrown back, landing on four paws, hissing and spitting at the evil Goddess. Streaks of blood along her flank showed where Tefnut had clawed her.
Akori let out a gasp. The speed with which Ebe had been beaten – even in her Goddess form – was astonishing.
Overhead, thunder rumbled. A fresh downpour rattled against Akori’s armour. She’s too fast, he thought to himself. To beat her, I’ll have to be even faster.
He lifted the golden armour over his head. Although it was light and flexible, its weight did slow him down. He placed the armour on the ground. “Who’s a coward now?” he called.
Tefnut spun around, snarling and spitting at Akori. Tiny rivers of water ran down his bare chest and onto his soaked linen kilt. He wiped the rainwater from his eyes with the backs of his hands.
“Akori, have you gone mad?” Manu gasped.
A hungry grin spread across Tefnut’s lion face. “Maybe you do have some courage, little Pharaoh, but it doesn’t matter: you’re still going to die.” And with that, the Goddess pounced again.
Akori dodged, grunting as her claws grazed his cheek. He leaned back and spun round. The khopesh flashed through the air, marking Tefnut with a wound of her own – a stripe of blood across her shoulder.
Snarling, Tefnut made another furious pounce, causing Akori to stagger backwards.
With a cry of triumph, the Goddess was on him. Akori’s move had been a trick though. As she landed, Akori raised his feet and used the power of Tefnut’s leap against her, adding an extra push that sent her flying over his head. Yowling, she landed in a crumpled heap.
Limping slightly, Ebe stalked forwards, her golden eyes glowing. Manu also moved towards them, armed with a large rock.
“Leave her to me,” Akori panted, scrambling to his feet and raising his khopesh as Tefnut sprung up again.
“When I’ve finished with you, little Pharaoh,” spat the Goddess, as she circled him, “I’m going to kill your friends, as slowly and as painfully as I can!” But she seemed a little more wary now, watching Akori as if he was a mouse that had unexpectedly bitten her.
Akori felt rage flood through him. There was no way this spitting, clawing monster was going to harm his friends. Not bothering to reply, he darted forward, swinging the khopesh clumsily on purpose. As Tefnut leaped to meet him, he ducked to one side with the speed and agility of an acrobat.
The Goddess yowled in confusion and frustration as her claws met nothing but empty air. Akori shot like a comet to her unprotected side.
Tefnut whirled around, but she was too late. Akori’s khopesh moved so fast it made a buzzing sound as it spliced through the air and into the Water Goddess.
Her yowl was cut off, sharply.
As angry thunder rumbled above, Tefnut’s body spattered into a million tiny drops of water.
Finally, the torrential downpour of rain stopped.
Ebe had shrunk back to her normal cat-sized self again and was licking her wound. Manu crouched beside her, peering at the gash in her side. “It doesn’t look too bad,” he said softly. “I have some herbs back at the palace that will heal it in a few days. Are you all right to carry on?”
Ebe stopped licking, tilted her head to one side and gave him a look that said, “Of course I am.” Then she rubbed herself affectionately against his outstretched hand.
“She’s not too badly hurt,” Manu said, looking up at Akori.
“Thank Horus!” Akori answered, relieved. He pulled his golden armour back on and looked down at the collar with a sigh. Only the red Stone twinkled there.
“Horus said that to win each Pharaoh Stone I had to defeat one of the Gods working for Set and Oba,” he said with a frown. “I defeated Tefnut, but won nothing.”
“I know,” said Manu, looking up at the sky, where black clouds continued to swirl. “And why hasn’t the storm gone?”
“We’d better keep going,” Akori said. “But which way should we go?”
Manu stood up and both boys looked around. They realized they were standing at the edge of what seemed like an endless desert. The sand was a dark charcoal grey, carved by the wind into threatening waves that reared above their heads. Rocky outcrops jutted from the sand like rows of rotten teeth. Strange cacti dotted the gloomy landscape, thorny trunks twisted into evil-looking faces. A featherless, fleshless vulture took to the air, and began circling above them.
It’s waiting for us to die, Akori thought with a shiver.
“Where are we?” he asked.
Manu shrugged. “We could be anywhere. I’ve never seen a map of the Underworld, but I suppose it’s similar to Egypt. Once you leave the river it’s mainly desert.”
Akori looked down at the grey sand. As the wind whipped around
them, it sucked the grains into images of howling faces. He shuddered and looked away. They had to move fast. They had to find the labyrinth – that must hold the clue to the second Stone.
“Come on!” he said, trying to sound as positive as he could, as he put on his damp cloak. “The coffin dropped us close to where we needed to be last time. Hopefully the labyrinth isn’t too far from here.”
With Ebe trotting along beside them, the two boys headed into the desert.
Akori tried to move as fast as possible, but the ground kept tugging at his feet. It was as if the howling faces in the sand were trying to swallow them alive. The endless thunder was louder now too. To Akori’s ears it sounded like wicked laughter, mocking their efforts.
At last, they reached the edge of a dune. Ahead was a wall of jagged black rock. Before it stood a tall obelisk that looked as if it had been cut from the same stone.
“Maybe it will tell us the way,” Akori shouted. Eager to get out of the forbidding desert and the storm, which was building again, he half-ran, half-slid down the dune, sand billowing behind him.
Seconds later, all three of them were standing before the obelisk. Hieroglyphs had been cut into the stone. With a surge of excitement, Akori saw the same symbol for “labyrinth” that Manu had pointed out on the wall of his coffin earlier.
“The Labyrinth of Judgement,” shouted Manu above a boom of thunder that shook the ground beneath their feet. “But where is it?”
A jagged fork of lightning lit up the desert for a second.
“Look,” Akori replied, pointing to a crack in the wall of rock. “Do you think that could be the entrance?” He began running towards it, Manu panting behind him.
Akori peered into the crack. A dark, narrow passageway lay ahead. In the dark of the storm it was impossible to see where or what it led to. There was another colossal roar of thunder.
“Come on,” Akori said over his shoulder to Manu and Ebe. “Let’s go in.”
“But what if it isn’t the entrance?” Manu said.
Akori turned to him and shrugged his shoulders. “Well at least we’ll get out of the storm.”
Ebe mewed her agreement and slipped inside the rock. The two boys followed. The walls of the passageway were damp and cold. Akori felt the hairs on the back of his neck begin to prickle. What if this wasn’t the way to the labyrinth? What if this was some deadly trap laid by Oba and Set? What if he was leading his friends to their death?
Ebe gave a loud mew and began scampering ahead.
“What is it?” Akori called. “What can you see?”
Racing after the cat, Akori saw a pale glow at the end of the passageway. Heading towards the light, they came out on the other side of the rock face into a gaping valley. And there, in the centre, was a labyrinth. It was as white as chalk, and as they got closer, Akori saw why. The walls were made entirely from bones and topped with human skulls.
Akori cautiously peered through the looming entrance to the maze. He couldn’t help thinking of the last time he had been trapped in a labyrinth. It had been in Set’s temple and he had been chased by a fire-breathing demon. He wasn’t sure which was worse – the deathly demon or the rows of skulls leering down at him now through their hollow eyes. Who knew what dangers awaited them this time?
Akori felt for the Stone of Courage on his collar and bravery surged through his veins. He looked at the three passageways facing them. “Let’s try the left,” he said, beckoning to his friends. But the passage led them straight into a dead end.
They turned and retraced their steps, this time going to the right. But once again they found themselves at a dead end – and the menacing skull of a crocodile glowering down at them.
Akori could feel frustration beginning to bubble away inside him. The coffin text had said that they had to get through the labyrinth quickly. How were they going to do that when every path they chose ended in a wall of dry bones?
“It has to be the centre passageway,” he said. “Come on.” Akori began running back as fast as he could, his heart pounding in time with his feet as they hit the dusty floor. High above them, thunder continued to roar.
They turned into the central passage and were finally able to begin working their way into the labyrinth. But it wasn’t long before they reached another point where the passageway split into three. Akori’s heart sank. How much more time would they waste chasing up dead ends? But then he had an idea.
“Let’s take one passageway each,” he said to Manu and Ebe. “As soon as you reach a dead end, call out –” he glanced down at Ebe – “or mew out to the others. When two of us have called out, we’ll know that the third person has gone the right way. Then that person can wait for the others to catch up.”
With this new way of working they were deep inside the labyrinth in no time.
“Won’t be long now,” Akori called to the others. “We’ll be out of here and—”
An almighty crack of thunder caused the ground to quake and Akori was thrown to his knees. As Manu and Ebe came running towards him, a bolt of lightning hit the wall a few steps away. The dry bones burst into flame, showering sparks into the dark sky.
Akori leaped to his feet. “Quick!” he yelled, grabbing Manu’s arm and pulling him along a passage away from the fire. Ebe raced ahead of them.
“But what if this is the wrong way?” Manu cried, his face pale with fear.
“We’ve got no choice,” Akori shouted over the crackling of the burning bones. “The fire’s blocking our way back. Our only way out is to keep going in.”
Akori shielded his face from the heat and prayed that he wasn’t leading them all into another dead end. Now he knew what the writing on his coffin wall had meant. They had to find the fastest path through the labyrinth – or else be burned alive…
Still dragging Manu by the arm, and with Ebe racing along beside them, Akori ran for his life. Behind them, the crackling wall of fire hungrily devoured everything in its path. It was even louder than the thunder above. Without thinking, Akori turned left, then right, then right again and, when the passageway split into three, took the centre passage. There was no time to try and work out which might be the correct way through the labyrinth. Akori only knew that they had to get away from the fire.
He groaned, skidding to a halt. Ahead was another dead end. There was no choice but to go back. He turned and peered along the passage. By the light of the roaring inferno, he spotted another path he’d run past without seeing. The wall of flame was already leaping towards it. Knowing there were only moments before it would be too late, he forced his legs to move again.
“Wait!” Manu said with a cough. “The smoke, it will choke us.”
Akori heard a ripping sound. He glanced back to see Manu tear a strip of cloth from his robe and hold it out to him.
“Put this over your face,” Manu spluttered. “Ebe, come to me so I can shield you.”
Ebe leaped into Manu’s open arms and he gently folded her into the front of his robe.
Akori frowned. The fire was now even closer. As soon as Manu had placed a strip of cloth over his own face, Akori shouted, “Now!” His legs powered towards the new passage, racing against the fire. Never had he moved so fast. Feet pounding, ignoring the heat of the blaze, he focused on reaching the path that might lead them to safety.
Immediately the bone wall behind them burst into flame. Akori’s heart sank. Think, he told himself desperately. There had to be a way to beat the labyrinth.
Suddenly, he heard a cry. Whirling round, he saw that Manu had fallen and was trying to stagger back up. His face was creased in pain.
“I’ve twisted my ankle,” Manu cried as he limped forward. Beside him, a shower of sparks flew from the wall of bones as it ignited, causing the skulls on top to explode.
In half a second, Akori was by Manu’s side. Putting his arm around him, he ran forward again, dragging Manu clear as the wall fell in a roar of flames. The heat was more intense than ever. Akori took a sharp breath of smok
y air. The strips of cloth offered little protection. It felt like his lungs were on fire.
“Lean on me,” he ordered, coughing.
“No!” Manu exclaimed. “I’ll slow you down. Take Ebe and keep going.”
“Never!” Akori gripped his friend round the waist and forced him to carry on.
Think, he told himself again.
The answer came to him in a flash. Cheat.
“Manu,” he shouted. “I can get us through this, but I’ll need your help. Do you think you can carry my weight for a few moments?”
Wide eyes flickering in the firelight, Manu nodded.
Akori looked down at Ebe. “We need your Goddess powers,” he said. “Have you the strength to help us? Can you lean against the wall, as high as you can, with Manu standing on your shoulders?”
Ebe nodded her silky head and arched her back higher and higher. Then, when she was fully grown, she stood on her hind legs and rested her huge front paws on the passage wall.
Akori turned to Manu. “Now you, Manu.”
As Manu climbed up Ebe’s back, grunting in pain as his ankle wobbled, Akori glanced over his shoulder. The fire was so close. They had a minute at most. He opened his mouth to tell Manu to hurry then closed it again, knowing Manu was climbing as quickly as he could.
“This won’t take long,” he shouted when his friend was in position. “I’ll try not to hurt you.” Catching hold of Manu’s cloak, he pulled himself up onto Ebe’s back. Then he clambered onto Manu’s shoulders.
Manu gave a low moan of pain.
Akori gripped onto the wall of bones and pulled himself up straight. Trying to ignore the grinning skull next to him, he peered over the top of the wall.
What he saw made him gasp.
The labyrinth was huge, and at least half of it was on fire. Tongues of flame twisted high into the sky, lighting the desert for miles around.
Akori felt Manu’s shoulders sag a little beneath his feet. Reminding himself that he had to work fast, Akori gazed over the labyrinth. In the distance he saw a break in the wall that led out into the desert. The exit!