Rebirth (Legends of the Kilanor Book 2)

by Jared Stone

  With this, the priestess stood up and confidently strode over the hill without waiting for the input or cautioning of her companions. With little other choice, Argus climbed up and over the ridge as well, followed by Bennu in close pursuit.

  As Dareia came into view of the priests, they looked panicked and rushed over. “Who are you?” one asked nervously in Latin. “State your business!”

  The woman held up one of her hands calmly and continued walking forward. “I am Dareia,” she stated, “High Priestess of the Goddess Juno. I have come on commission appointed by the gods to seek the council of your High Priest.”

  The priest’s face suddenly became less terrified and more stern. “I apologize, High Priestess,” he said, “but our High Priest is not here now. If you would like to return a few days hence, he might have returned by that point….”

  Dareia did not look amused. “I have been informed that a fugitive of the gods has sought refuge here. Is this true?”

  The priest swallowed hard. “I do not know of such matters,” he responded coldly. “Please, come back in a few days….”

  Dareia paused for a moment, locking her emerald eyes with the man standing there before her. Then, without warning, she lunged forward and grabbed the priest by the throat, her nails pressing harshly against his flesh. Behind him, the other priest ran away frantically into the small temple structure and slammed the door shut. As the man in Dareia’s grasp struggled to breathe, she brought her face in close to his and stared into his wide eyes.

  “I shall not ask you again,” she snarled. “Where is Apep’s servant, Ini-herit?”

  The priest shot a quick glance over to the gaseous entrance to the underworld, then immediately back to the priestess. He choked out an “I…, I do not know…,” but Dareia’s powers of observation were too keen to be easily misled. She looked behind her to the arched crevasse.

  “In there?” she asked the man. He bit down on his lip and remained silent, writhing around in vain. The priestess shook her head disapprovingly. “Tsk, tsk. Well, I shall just have to send you in there to see if you can find him, then….”

  Following this proposition, Dareia began dragging the priest by the throat toward the deadly vapors. The man kicked and screamed wildly, but it was no use against the iron claws of the golden priestess. Finally, as they were nearing only meters from the entrance, the panicked man choked out, “Alright! Alright! I will tell you!”

  Grinning smugly, Dareia released her hold on the priest, and he fell to the ground, grabbing his sore throat. “You had best tell me quickly, if you value your life,” she threatened.

  The man looked up at her with a mix of fear and despair. “He is there,” he admitted with a nod. “He has indeed entered the underworld through the gate. But no ordinary mortal is able to pass through and live!”

  “Then how was Ini-herit able to do so?” Argus cut in.

  The priest on the ground turned to look at Argus. “I do not know,” he stated truthfully. “The dark priest wielded a powerful magic, the likes of which I have never seen. He effortlessly murdered our high priest when we attempted to resist him, threatened the lives of those who remained if we did not keep his secret, and descended into the depths!”

  “It appears that perhaps Hades has not knowingly harbored a fugitive of the gods after all...,” Dareia mused aloud. “However, either way, there must be some method by which we may enter that place.”

  “Only those with sacred skills are permitted to enter and emerge unscathed,” the priest continued. “The high priests of Pluto and the Galli….”

  Bennu stepped forward. “Do you believe that the Galli could lead us through?” he inquired.

  One could clearly see the uncertainty on the priest’s face. “I am not sure,” he said. “The Galli carefully guard their secrets. Only those of their order know how such miracles are performed. I, myself, am not even worthy of knowing how it is done.”

  “Who are the Galli?” Argus asked. He thought he might have heard of such people before in his life-times, but he had no clear recollection of who they were or why they might be important.

  “The Galli are priests of the sole Phrygian goddess, Cybele. In emulating Cybele’s consort, Attis, the Galli ritualistically castrate themselves…,” Dareia explained.

  “Wait,” Argus cut in, “you mean…?”

  “Chop!” Bennu exclaimed, accompanying this with a rude chopping gesture toward his crotch.

  “Precisely,” Dareia added with a look of distaste. “The Galli travel around the land dressed garishly, begging and advocating for the business of their gods. And these Galli are some of the only known humans with the ability to enter into the Gates of Hades unscathed. Regardless of this skill, they are a very guarded people. There is no chance they would share their secrets with outsiders, even if we were able to find a Gallus.”

  Argus sighed. There had to be some method to get inside that cave without dying or chopping off his… parts. They hadn’t come all that way just to give up right outside the gate to their destination. He racked his brain for possible solutions.

  “I actually know a Gallus,” Bennu then announced, eliciting surprised stares from his two companions and the priest who still sat on the ground.

  “How do you know a Gallus?” Dareia questioned the boy in disbelief.

  Bennu looked offended that anyone would ever doubt him. “He is a friend of mine!” the boy stated defensively. “I actually saved his life once! He owes me!”

  “Uh oh. Not again,” Argus said with a shaking of his head.

  “What? I am serious!” Bennu countered adamantly.

  “Well, it is unfortunately the best lead we have…,” Dareia admitted reluctantly. She then looked down at the priest below her. “Flee now. You and your brothers. We shall be back to deal with Ini-herit ourselves, as quickly as circumstances allow.”

  The priest at first looked as though he didn’t truly believe the priestess, then scrambled onto his feet and began to scurry off. “Th-Thank you!!” he cried out as he left to alert the other priest barricaded within the temple. “May the gods protect you!”

  Bennu sighed. “Aww, why can we not kill them??” he whined.

  Dareia scowled at him. “Because this is not, in fact, a mission appointed by our gods,” she clarified. “Without a mandate from the Great Goddess Hera, I cannot go about and wantonly kill the priests of other gods. That would constitute a deliberate act of war!”

  “Ugggh,” Bennu moaned as he watched the priest continue to run over the surrounding hills and out of sight. “Such a missed opportunity….”

  “Well, we should go find this Gallus that you speak of,” Argus suggested, anxious to avert the boy’s attention to more productive pursuits, “before we waste any more time here.”

  “Agreed!” said Bennu with a big smile. “Alright, follow me!”

  * * *

  Argus had originally despaired at learning that they had to travel to Pessinus, the seat of the Cybele cult, which was a journey several days farther northeast from Hierapolis. However, from asking around the city, it just so happened that Bennu’s Gallus friend in question had been traveling the area recently and was likely still staying in a town only a few hours away. Overjoyed at their good fortune, the three companions packed up their things and made their way to the suggested location.

  Upon arriving there, it did not take long for Bennu to determine the temporary residence of his friend. Everyone he asked seemed to immediately know of whom he spoke, pointing and motioning them in the right direction, though Argus could not understand anything that was being said. When they found the correct house, Bennu stepped forward and knocked several times against the wooden door.

  “One moment!” a high-pitched voice called out from within in Latin. Argus was relieved that he would finally once again be able to understand what was going on. He could hear a ruffling of things on the other side of the door, then a jingling of many tiny metal pieces as the individual inside the house ap
proached.

  When the door was pulled fully open, the travelers beheld a very peculiar person standing there. Argus had always expected a man, but the figure before him defied every masculine norm he had ever held to be true. He stood tall, made even taller by an oversized golden mitre on his head, and his slightly puffy face was caked in layers of liberally applied makeup. His ears, neck, arms, and wrists bore all manner of golden jewelry, and the gown which he wore was embroidered lavishly with gold floral patterns. He stood there looking at the three of them for a moment until he noticed Bennu.

  “Oh, no! No, no, no, no!” he cried out in a dramatic flurry of hand motions before he slammed the door shut in their faces again. Argus, Dareia, and Bennu stood there, stunned.

  “Battakes!” Bennu called out through the door. “It is I! Your old friend, Bennu!”

  “Get away from here, you accursed little imp!” Battakes shrieked. “I have no time or patience for your fatuous imbecility! Your presence is like a blight upon my doorstep!”

  Dareia smirked. “You were right, boy,” she said. “It does seem that he knows you quite well, indeed.”

  Bennu frowned and leaned against the door. “Come now, Batty! I need a favor! For old time’s sake!”

  There was a moment of tense silence.

  “Old times!?” Battakes’ voice suddenly burst out. “Old times!? Which times would those be, exactly? When you stole my mitre and danced around the Roman assembly like a buffoon? Or perhaps when you lit my robes on fire and almost burned down the temple? Oh! I know! It must be the time you filled my undergarments with crushed rose hip itching powder!! No, no, no, no!”

  Bennu let out a stifled chortle. “Okay, that one was pretty funny,” he admitted to Argus.

  Dareia roughly pushed the boy aside and stepped up to the door. “Oh, great and venerable Gallus!” she proclaimed, addressing Battakes with accentuated reverence. “We humbly require your assistance. The holy Plutonium of Hierapolis has been defiled by a servant of the Egyptian god Apep. We intend to put a stop to his aspirations, but we cannot enter the gate to the underworld without your knowledgeable guidance.”

  There was silence once again from within. “And to whom do I have the distinct pleasure of speaking?” Battakes’ voice then rang out pleasantly.

  “My name is Dareia, High Priestess of the Roman Goddess Juno,” Dareia announced again. “If you lend us your assistance, my Goddess and her retinue would be most indebted to your noble service.”

  At this, the door slowly creaked open, and Battakes peeked his head out. He critically scanned his eyes over the priestess first, then the two men by her side, narrowing his gaze suspiciously when he again beheld Bennu. The eunuch then sighed.

  “Fine. I shall assist you,” he said reluctantly. “But only because the sanctity of the Plutonium must be preserved above all else. Still, I have one important condition….”

  “And what is that?” Dareia asked.

  “You keep that disastrous little monkey away from me!” he cried, waving one of his long fingernails at Bennu.

  “Aw, Batty, that hurts!” Bennu lamented playfully, laying his hands over his heart. “After all we have been through together? I even saved your life! You owe…”

  “I owe you nothing!” Battakes cut in with wide-eyed hysteria. “You rescued me from a landslide you started! If anything, I deserve an apology!”

  Dareia once again stepped in front of the boy. “I assure you, great Gallus,” she said, holding up her hands calmly, “that I shall have even less patience for his foolishness than you. He shall behave under my watch or suffer the consequences.”

  With a contemplative pause followed by a single, cautious nod, Battakes assented. “Alright,” he said. “I shall take you at your word. I ask that you wait just a few minutes while I prepare myself for the journey. Then I shall lead the way!”

  With a flick of his wrist and a theatrical twirl of his body, the eunuch closed the door and went back inside, leaving his three visitors to wait on the threshold anxiously while he reapplied his makeup.

  * * *

  When Battakes had finally finished getting ready, the four travelers set off, back in the direction of Hierapolis. Though the priest’s fancy gown made it near impossible to mount a horse, they had no other means by which to make it back to the Plutonium expediently. As such, Argus and Dareia had to push and pull and strain to get the Gallus up onto the horse’s back while Bennu watched helplessly from the sidelines; he had been absolutely forbidden to participate by Battakes. The eunuch’s numerous bags and provisions also had to then be strapped on the back of the poor animal under him, creating a giant, lumbering creature that was more elephantine than equine. Once that matter was settled, Dareia mounted her horse while Argus and Bennu climbed onto the other together.

  “Oooooooo, so cozy,” Bennu whispered playfully to Argus, followed by a wink, as he climbed up onto the saddle between the man’s legs. “Do not get any wild ideas, big guy!” Argus just laughed lightly and shook his head.

  After only a few hours of riding, they were back at the Plutonium. The sun was finishing its descent, burning through the sky in deep oranges and reds that made the horizon appear as if it was aflame, and soon darkness would cover the land. Tying up their horses, Battakes, Argus, Dareia, and Bennu all walked directly into the empty temple area.

  “Oh, yes. Yes, yes, yes,” Battakes murmured upon approaching the site. “There are, most definitely, malicious forces here….”

  “So, you will be able to lead us through the Gate to where Ini-herit is likely still hiding?” Argus asked him excitedly.

  The Gallus stopped walking and stood somberly. “I shall instruct you in the secrets of passing through, yes,” he said with a nod. “Yet, I warn you: the path into the underworld is not without its dangers. Though I might teach you the manner by which to succeed, it shall not guarantee your safety. One misstep shall ensure your demise, and nothing I say or do shall forestall that.”

  Argus swallowed hard. He wasn’t afraid of death; it just sounded like a very unpleasant way to go.

  “Well, today is as good a day as any to die, I suppose!” Bennu said almost cheerfully.

  “Yes, and I welcome you to do so at your leisure,” Battakes mumbled back as he turned around and continued leading the travelers to the Gate. Once they had arrived at the opening, he addressed them once again.

  “You must follow my instructions very carefully,” the Gallus stated seriously. He looked around, as if to make sure no one else was listening nearby, then brought his voice down to a whisper. “The secret to surviving the descent lies in the layout of the caves. Though poisonous gasses pervade much of the air within, the benevolent god Pluto has provided his devotees with small pockets of breathable air in specific locations. You must crouch down low and hold your breath while you make your way to these, then stand up to breathe quickly, after which you travel to the next. Do not linger in one place for too long, however, for even the air which does exist is not plentiful and will likely be exhausted by more than a single breath from each of you. And, just remember: thirteen, six, twenty-four, three, seven.”

  “What is that?” Argus inquired.

  “Steps,” Battakes answered. “You must count your steps to ensure that you do not go too far or not far enough. That is where you shall find the pockets of air by the ceiling of the tunnel. And do not stray too far right or left, or you shall miss them. And rely on touch to feel for the location of pockets; you shall not be able to see anything within the tunnel. And be wary of the twenty-four steps; it is longer than it seems when you are not able to see or breathe. And I cannot caution strongly enough that you should not stay in one place for too long, though you shall wish to….”

  “What do we do if we miss an air pocket?” Bennu asked.

  “Then you die,” the eunuch priest shot back quickly and without apology.

  Argus already felt overwhelmed. There seemed to be so many things to remember all at once, and it was all coming at h
im so quickly. “Will you come with us and lead us through, or at least call out the next steps?” he requested hopefully.

  The Gallus shook his head. “I fear that there shall not be enough air for all four of us to make the journey there and back,” he said. “And I have no desire to encounter this malicious force of which you speak. No, no; I shall leave here immediately, lest you fail and the evil one come for me next!”

  Thanks for all your help, Argus thought to himself sarcastically.

  “We shall be fine. Thank you, Great Gallus,” Dareia said to Battakes. The man performed a graceful bow in return before the priestess addressed her two companions once again. “I shall go in first. If any-thing is blocking our way, I shall alert you before you venture further. Argus, you follow me. You can follow behind us, boy, and ensure that Argus does not fall or lose his way.”

  Bennu seemed ready and willing to assume the task assigned to him. “Understood!” he exclaimed with a look of determination.

  “Good,” responded the priestess. She then turned to face the entrance, which continued to exude its inexhaustible supply of poison into the atmosphere. “May Hera protect us all….”

  With this, she ducked down and stepped into the cloud of vapors without hesitation. The three men stood outside, watching in complete silence, yet no more was heard from behind the gate.

  “Well…, I suppose that I am next…,” Argus said apprehensively.

  “May Cybele watch over you,” Battakes said with his hand raised before him.

  “Oh, you will be fine, big guy!” Bennu added with a pat on Argus’ back. “And, if you cannot make it, I will be there to drag your lifeless body out and give it a proper burial!”

  Argus cringed at the boy’s disastrous attempt at encouragement. “What were those steps again?” he asked the Gallus.

  “Thirteen, six, twenty-four, three, seven,” Battakes responded.