Rebirth (Legends of the Kilanor Book 2)

by Jared Stone

  Argus turned to face the Gate. Its plumes of noxious gases spilled out toward him like arms straining to pull him into the darkness of his demise. Sure, Argus had died plenty of times before, yet he never once remembered enjoying the experience. He once again felt for the serpent dagger by his side, took a deep breath in, and exhaled loudly.

  “Here I go!” he exclaimed before sucking in another big breath of clean air, closing his eyes, ducking down, and plunging across the threshold into the black unknown. He immediately felt the hot vapors caressing his body and face like a vengeful lover who sought to take his life, and he began to already feel overwhelmed by the notion that he would suffocate there.

  Okay, thought Argus to himself, thirteen first. Move forward now. One. Two. Three. How do I know how long the steps should be? Four. Five. I mean, Bennu would have much shorter steps than I. Six. Seven. What if I go too far? Eight. Nine. What if the air pocket is not there when I arrive? Ten. Eleven. I have to breathe soon. I am surrounded by poison. Twelve. Thirteen.

  With this, Argus reached his hands up and felt the roof of the passage above him. The roughly textured rock was warm and wet, and he ran his hands along it, frantically searching for a change in the height. Reaching to his left, he noticed that the roof slanted gradually upwards, and so he moved to that position and stood up. He opened his eyes, but still saw nothing but darkness around him.

  Is there air here? he pondered anxiously. How can I know without seeing? I guess there is only one way to find out….

  With this, Argus took a tiny sip of air through his mouth, as if cautiously testing a hot drink. Though the air itself tasted and smelled dank and horrible, it did not seem to be poisonous. The man took a deep breath in and prepared himself for the next leg of the journey.

  Okay, I cannot stay in one place too long, Argus reminded himself as he ducked down again and continued on in the direction he was headed. This one is only six. One. Two. Three. Maybe I will make it out of here alive after all. Four. Five. Only to face death once again at the hands of Ini-herit, though. Six.

  Argus once again reached up and searched for an indentation in the ceiling above him. He shot his arm up to its full extension and still could not feel anything. He continued to investigate with his hands and soon realized that the pocket of air was actually directly above him. So he stood up and took another deep breath in.

  Thirteen, six, then what? Argus racked his brain. This is the long one, right? Twenty-four? That is such a long way! How will I make it that far? There is so much room for error! The poison will surely kill me.

  He suddenly realized that he was starting to breathe in and out excessively, irrationally agitated by his fear. No! I cannot stay here too long and breathe all the air! With this, he took one final breath in and ventured on uncertainly.

  One. Two. Three. Four. Argus, you are crazy. Five. Six. Seven. I should have stayed outside and taken my chances! Eight. Nine. Ten. After all, we have fared well against Ini-herit’s servants thus far! Eleven. Twelve. Thirteen. Maybe I should just turn back. Fourteen. Fifteen. Sixteen. No! I cannot turn back now! I have already come too far to give up! Seventeen. Eighteen. Nineteen. Where is this air pocket? Twenty. I am running out of air! Twenty-one. I need to find it quickly. Twenty-two. Oh, gods! I am going to die here. Twenty-three. Just one more, Argus!!

  The man felt the urge to take a breath flowing over him, trying to convince him that one little huff of poison wouldn’t be that bad. He began to feel dizzy, likely more from panic than lack of oxygen. He frantically slid his hands on the rough surface above him, desperately reaching this way and that in an attempt to find his salvation.

  This is it. I will die here. I have come all this way for nothing. Need… to… find…

  Just then, he slid his hand into a sloping indentation, gratefully jumped over to the spot, and stood up. He took in as much air as he could, feeling the relief of air-filled lungs wash over him. He wanted to stay there forever, basking in the glorious experience of regular breathing. But he knew that such a reprieve would not be possible. With one last parting sip of air, he crouched down again.

  Alright, this one is very short. One. Two. Three.

  Argus felt around, found the pocket, and stood up. I am almost there! I have made it!

  Taking a quick breath in, he ducked back down to finish this journey into the depths. One. Two. Three. Almost there. Four. Five. Soon you will be free! Six. Seven. I made it!!

  Argus reached up and began feeling around for the final pocket of air, but felt nothing above him. He couldn’t find the roof anywhere around him.

  “Argus…,” he could hear Dareia’s voice calmly say through the darkness. “Argus, you are here now. You may open your eyes.”

  Argus stopped waving his hands through the air and slowly pulled his eyes open. The cavern around him was lit very dimly by a pulsating light far down a corridor to his right, and he could see the poisonous mist floating around their legs and being sucked up behind him into the passage he had just exited. Although very little else could be seen, there was adequate light to make out the priestess standing there unharmed with an amused smirk on her face. It was then that Argus realized how much of a fool he must have seemed, crouching there with eyes closed and waving his hands frantically in the air. He stood up and adjusted his clothing awkwardly.

  “Wooo!” Bennu suddenly cried out, starling Argus and causing him to jump. The boy burst forth from the gaseous tunnel with arms raised in the air joyously. “That was amazing!” he cheered, looking through the darkness at his two companions. “What an exhilarating trip! I will have to do that again sometime!”

  Dareia seemed displeased. “You shall indeed have such an opportunity, if and when we destroy this high priest of Apep,” she reminded the intrepid boy before her. “Now, focus your mind on the task at hand. I believe that we shall not have to go much farther….”

  This seemed to take the wind out of Bennu’s sails for the moment, and he lowered his arms and stayed silent, as if pouting. Pleased that her scolding had resulted in its intended effect, the priestess turned her head in the direction of the pulsating glow.

  “That would appear to be our destination,” she said, holding out her arm to the side. “Shall we?”

  Before waiting for any agreement, Dareia began walking down the corridor in the direction of the light. The two men followed behind her, with Argus glancing around nervously and Bennu still seeming perturbed.

  It was only a short walk to the origin of the glow, and Argus was pleased that he did not have to worry about holding his breath while they made their way there. The corridor first wound around a bend, then opened up into a vast cavern. At the far end of this cavern, an altar to the god Pluto had been carved into the rock. On either side, two stone pillars stood with pulsating orbs of pure gray light floating atop. It was as if they were fire, but wholly self-contained and elevated by their own will alone. Argus could not remember ever seeing such a phenomenon in his lives before. Similarly, on the altar, an urn of some kind had been set. This, too, emanated a soft glow, but its color was a brighter white than the other two sources of illumination.

  “Ini-herit!” Dareia called out into the dark recesses around them. “Show yourself. We know that you are in here.”

  “Yes, stop hiding like a coward, for once!” Bennu added, his voice echoing off the bare stone walls.

  At this, the sound of laughter was suddenly heard, seemingly from all around them. “A coward, you say?” the voice said mockingly. “Hiding? No, no, dear child. I was simply waiting. Waiting for you all to arrive precisely where I needed you….”

  Argus looked around, straining his eyes at every shadowy corner and crevice around them. Yet, he could see nothing.

  “And what are your plans, slave to Apep?” Dareia called out again, clawed hands raised menacingly. “What do you want with my companion, Argus?”

  “Simple…,” the disembodied voice then proclaimed from behind the altar. All three of the companions turned
to face it and saw a man standing there, wrapped in a black cloak and wielding a tall black staff. “I shall need him to die,” he said calmly.

  “Why?” Argus inquired, both confused and fearful. “What have I ever done to you? I do not even know you! What good would my death serve?”

  Ini-herit smiled. “I harbor no ill will against you, my child,” he said. “Your death shall simply serve a much greater purpose….”

  “And what would that be?” Dareia asked cynically.

  “The opportunity to resurrect my departed son,” Ini-herit stated sullenly.

  “That rationale makes no sense,” Bennu exclaimed. “How would one man’s death lead to the rebirth of another? You are clearly mistaken, old man!”

  Ini-herit smirked and shook his head slowly. “No. You see, this is no ordinary man,” he said, holding his hand out before Argus. “Are you, Argus? Or Titus. Or any of your numerous other names. Have you not told your companions of your abilities?”

  “How have you come to know such things?” Dareia interjected furiously.

  “Ah, so the golden priestess does know,” Ini-herit said, amused. “And yet you still brought him here? Foolish girl….”

  “How do you know!?” Dareia snarled through her clenched teeth.

  “We have met before, Argus and I,” the dark priest explained. “Though he would not remember me, for he was, at that time, very young. But I assume you remember your life in Egypt, boy? By the name Bes?”

  Argus was shocked. One of his previous lives had been in Egypt, though he had died a young man before he could accomplish much. He even thought he remembered his given name Bes. But, how would he know…? Argus still pondered.

  “I noted your pronounced energy signature at that time, and I encountered it yet again when you were sold to me at the Coliseum,” the priest went on. “I remembered it quite well; yet, in a different body, there were only a few ways such a thing would be possible….”

  “You reincarnate?” Bennu turned and asked Argus. Argus simply nodded his head in return, as if it was something for which he should be ashamed.

  “What matter is that to you?” Dareia questioned the dark man at the altar. “I do not see how killing Argus in his current form shall aid you in your aspirations.”

  “Yes, few would understand,” Ini-herit responded smugly, as if anxious to share with them a secret he alone had discovered. “You see, upon death, Argus’ coalescence of spiritual energy – what some might call a ‘soul’ – must pass out of this form and into a another body. At this passage, the energy creates a portal through the boundaries of what common men experience as reality. In the precise moment this happens, if I were able to seize this man’s energy and replace it with another, that new ‘soul’ shall be the one to travel into a new form and be born again. Thus, my boy, condemned to an cursed eternity of disembodied wandering through the abyss by your priests and your gods, shall once again be able to live!!”

  “And what then happens to his soul?” Bennu asked, pointing his thumb over at Argus.

  Ini-herit looked down at them coldly. “He shall trade places with my son,” he stated. “And meet the same fate.”

  Argus’ stomach sank. He was originally considering helping the priest after all, if his single death could bring about the renewed life of another; but, after hearing of the sacrifice that must be made, he could not bear to think of wandering through nothingness for the rest of eternity.

  “We clearly cannot permit you to do this, then,” Dareia stated resolutely. “Your anger and desire for vengeance has clearly infected you and blinded you to reason and human decency. People are meant to die as their fates dictate. It is not right for a mortal such as yourself to play the role of the gods!”

  Ini-herit laughed again. “I did not expect you to go willingly,” he exclaimed, throwing back the sleeve of his cloak and revealing the glowing golden ankh on his bracer. “So I am prepared to force you to submit!”

  With this, the dark priest began to chant. “Mótóní az gí’ín dón segímahín yírdómahíns!”

  Following these words, his black armband began to emit a gray glow that grew brighter and brighter as he continued his mysterious chant. “Mótóní az gí’ín dón segímahín yírdómahíns!”

  Argus stayed glued to his spot, but Dareia began advancing forward toward the priest, with Bennu following along behind her. Yet, it was too late. As Ini-herit shot his arm high into the air above his head, the cavern lit up and blinded all inside. Argus raised his own arm to shield his eyes until the powerful rays had once again receded.

  When he was confident that he would be able to see again, Argus lowered his arm and glanced at the altar. He gasped in horror. There, where a man in a black cloak once stood, rose a gigantic gray serpent, coiled in a heaping mass at the base of the cave and rearing its head back, bearing its fangs menacingly. Even Dareia and Bennu halted their advance to stare up at the tremendous beast.

  “Woah!” Bennu exclaimed in a mixture of surprise and admiration. He did not take his eyes off of the monster in front of him while he unsheathed his two golden daggers. Argus reached to his side and did the same with the black serpent dagger he had kept there.

  After only a momentary pause, Dareia continued her charge with a roar. As she was running, she slipped her garments off of her shoulder and began to shift mid-stride. Dropping down to all fours, her transformation was complete by the time she leapt at the serpent before her. Her claws met Ini-herit’s underside but seemed to graze off it harmlessly. The priestess landed behind, pivoted, and turned to face the beast again. Yet the serpent’s oval eyes were instead fixated on Bennu, at whom he struck with the speed of lightning. Bennu jumped up and to the side, fortunate for his quick reflexes, and landed unharmed several feet away.

  “That was quite close!” Bennu said with a laugh. “Nice try, old man!”

  The snake whipped its head around and narrowed its eyes at the boy. It then brought its tail through the air in an arc and swiped at him, sending Bennu jumping again to avoid the collision. At the same time, Dareia had continued her assault, leaping up and clamping her teeth down on the snake’s hide with all the force she could muster. The monster hissed in displeasure, but the bite seemingly did little to deter it.

  Argus stood there watching. He knew that he would have to enter the fray to help out his companions, yet he was uncertain of exactly how much he could really contribute. Come on, Argus. It is time to end this, he stated to himself. No more running. Would an eternity of wandering truly be any different from the cycle of birth and death you currently cannot escape?

  That was all the pep talk he needed. He lifted the dagger and boldly charged at the snake, slashing downward with all his strength at the beast’s side. As the dagger entered and tore through flesh, black blood sprayed everywhere. Ini-herit cried out in anger.

  “Nice work!” Bennu called out as he, too, twirled around and drove both of his gold daggers into the monster’s tail. Another bellowing screech echoed deafeningly through the chamber.

  Enraged, Ini-herit swung his tail around forcefully and sent the boy flying off into the wall, the pair of daggers clanging loudly against the stone next to him. Bennu fell into a motionless heap on the floor. Dareia attempted to once again dig her claws into the serpent’s hide, but another swift whip of his body sent the lioness flying as well, sliding across the stone floor on her side. Arching upwards, the snake then aimed its open jaws at Argus.

  The man stood there, preparing to leap to the side but knowing that his reflexes were likely not fast enough to dodge as the other two had, especially considering the recent injury to his leg. I guess that this is it…, he thought to himself. At least the boy will have another chance at life….

  “Hey! Ugly!” Bennu’s voice suddenly cried out, breaking Argus’ stream of thoughts. “Leave him alone!”

  The boy was now standing atop the serpent’s back defiantly. He lifted up both daggers and drove them straight down into the monster’s scaly hide
, taking his time to slowly rake them across and tear open huge gashes in the black flesh. Ini-herit turned and immediately struck at the boy, managing to plunge one huge fang into Bennu’s left shoulder.

  “Ahhhh!” the boy cried out in pain, pulling out a dagger with his right arm and driving it into the serpent’s nose, holding on tightly. “Argus! Now!” he cried out.

  Argus shook off the daze in which he found himself and began running, as if in slow motion, toward Bennu. Coming up on the serpent’s head, Argus lifted his dagger and brought it down on the beast’s neck. Then again. And again. And again. The man just kept feverishly stabbing and chopping away, sending pieces of shredded meat and blood flying everywhere. As he did, his hand and dagger began to glow in a pale blue hue with ever-increasing brightness. Argus let out a furious roar, sending this blue aura exploding out from his limbs. With one final chop, the head was struck off, and the body writhed around and fell to the side on the floor.

  Argus stood there panting as he watched his energy fade from his limbs and the serpent’s form begin to disintegrate into dust. The body simply collapsed in on itself, and the head which had clamped down upon Bennu crumbled around the boy. Bennu fell backwards to the ground, grabbing at his punctured shoulder in pain. From behind them, the black metal armband which the priest had been wearing could be heard clanging to the floor in a series of loud reverberations, and the bright light which had once been housed within the urn upon the altar seemed to float out and away into the ether once again.

  “Heh, you did it, big guy…,” Bennu moaned with a smile. “Who would have thought you would be the big hero?”

  Argus dropped to his knees and inspected the boy’s shoulder. The hole made by the fang was gaping open and pumping blood incessantly, and he could think of no way to stall it.

  “We have to stop the bleeding,” Argus said, taking off his shirt and trying to wrap it tightly around the boy’s arm.

  “Heh,” Bennu chuckled lightly. “Forget it, big guy. Do not ruin your nice shirt. I am as good as dead. Even if you could stop it, I can already feel the venom in me. I would not make it two minutes more….”