Enchained WATTPAD VERSION [Inter-Universal Protectors: Book 4]

30

Hathor, Horus, Aurora, Arthur and Lydia had gone ahead slightly further. The adults could handle themselves, after all. They had looked back when Dan got captured, only to burst into laughter at Amneris' failed attempt. While Colt freed them, the small group continued to follow the old road. 

"Soooo," Arthur started. "Vine monster."

"Not the weirdest thing you'll find here," Horus laughed. "I've seen way worse. There was this one time with a sludge demon--"

"Ew," Hathor shivered. "It's impossible to get the smell out of your clothes after being hit by those things."

"Let's just try to avoid sludge demons and vine monsters, yeah?" Aurora said, making a point to stick to the middle of the Old Road. If it could even be called a road. It was just a bunch of rocks laid out in the shape of a pathway. For some reason, the local flora hadn't overtaken it. "Hey, how long ago did your mum do all this damage?"

"Five thousand years ago," Hathor and Horus answered.

Lydia made a confused noise. "Alien planets are weird."

"Earth is so weird," Horus countered.

"Humans are even weirder," Hathor said, raising her finger. "I hear they destroy their own planet because a few Humans think money will give them power throughout Creation. They care more about it than their environment."

"Well, you're not wrong there," Aurora said. "They also seem to think that getting rid of plastic straws instead of actually doing something about all the companies pumping toxins into the air and oceans will solve climate change."

"Don't forget how so many think climate change is a hoax," Arthur added. "Because, you know, God will save them and won't let shit happen and the world is run on money and obvious Facebook is right and scientists are wrong."

"The Gods won't save them," Hathor said, wrinkling her nose. "They're sworn not to physically interfere, only provide their people with the materials necessary to save themselves."

Aurora coughed, "Religious anti-vaxxers," and coughed again. The group laughed. "But seriously," she said, "the lengths some people will go to because they think they're right and everyone else is wrong is just insane."

"And unfortunately very common throughout Creation," Horus said with a sad sigh. "Though Humanity seems to handle it the worst by far. And they want to make contact with 'aliens'. Please. Most make it a point to avoid the planet."

"Fear right?" Aurora asked. 

Horus nodded. "No one wants to be caught and experimented on."

"Ever think that's the only thing keeping alien races from enslaving Earth?" Arthur wondered allowed, resting his hands on the back of his head. Hathor and Horus exchanged concerned glances. "What?" No answer. "No, seriously, what?"

"Uh." Hathor tugged at her braid. "It's just that there are some versions of Earth were they have been enslaved by aliens."

"Let me guess," Aurora said, rolling her eyes, "All the rich upper-class white men and maybe a few women, along with possibly a few scientists and doctors but mostly military all escaped through the Stargate and left the rest of Humanity to the mercy of the Goa'uld." 

"Yeah. Exactly that in a few cases." Hathor said with surprise. "How did you know?"

Aurora stopped walking. "Are you telling me that fucking Stargate is real?"

Horus shrugged. "Everything exists somewhere."

"Seriously?" She grinned. "Are the X-Files real as well? Have you met the Doctor? Can you introduce me to the Demigods at Camp Half-Blood and Camp Jupiter? If you're Faeries, does that mean you've been to Alfea? Oh! Does this also mean that--"

Arthur shook his head as Aurora continued talking. "Now you've done it," he said, walking faster to keep up with Hathor and Horus. "Space Girl is a fucking nerd. She won't shut up for hours now."

"Speaking of shutting up," Lydia said worriedly, looking around. "Can anyone else hear that noise?"

The group stopped and quieted. A rustling noise was surrounding them on all sides, but there was nothing but dead grass around them. There was nowhere for anything to hide and ambush except . . . 

"Scatter!" Horus yelled.

The group split. The ground where they'd been standing burst upward in an explosion of dirt and rock. The vines from underground pushed themselves up as though they were arms, and this time they weren't alone. All the brown vines joined together, clustering into a body with a single eye on what must have been a face. 

Aurora grimaced. "That . . . is disturbing."

"Looks like something out of that anime you like," Arthur said, holing Lydia behind him.

"Which one?"

"What do you mean which - Oh, very funny."

She smiled. "So, run or fight?"

"Run," Lydia whispered, grasping Arthur's shoulder from behind as she hid. "Definitely run."

* * * * * * * *

Hathor shook dirt from her hair as she stood. "Ow . . ."

"You can worry about your pain later," Horus said. "We have Humans to guard!" He switched his blaster's mode from stun to kill and, with a battle cry, ran toward the creature, firing madly. 

Hathor found herself staring after her brother. She shook her head fondly. "Okay, seeing the family relation now." Deciding her bow wasn't up to the job, Hathor pulled her mameluke--a gift from her mother on her one-hundredth birthday--from its sheath attached to her belt and charged.

Aurora, Arthur and Lydia watched on in awe as the two Lyriumians fought. Horus provided cover, shooting at ever vine that came near his sister with high energy blasts, creating a safe passage from her. Hathor surged forward, holding a silver, slightly-bent sword as she ran through the covered of dead vines. Vines whipped at her form, trying to grab at her but Horus took each one down with ease. Hathor reached the creature's eye and slammed the blade of her sword into it. She pulled back and jumped away, dragging Horus out of the way as the creature fell to the ground with a thud.

Hathor pulled a cloth from her pocket and wiped her sword down. She looked on the verge of vomiting as she held up the now-dripping cloth. "That is just disgusting." The cloth was set on fire.

Horus returned his blaster to its holster. "Still not as bad as the sludge monster." Hathor rolled her eyes.

Aurora, Arthur and Lydia joined them. "You guys do this often, then?" Arthur asked.

Hathor sheathed her sword. "This is a normal Tuesday."

"This is relatively calm for me," Horus said. He looked around. "We should probably wait for the others to catch up in case of another ambush."

"Don't think we can handle it?" Hathor asked, bracing her hands on her hips.

Horus looked away from his sister with a slight blush. "No but, uh, well, it helps having two Core Guardians in your corner, you know."