When Kane Meets Jackson

19- My Friend Is Actually A Guy

Dylan Ψ

I groaned as I squinted through the early morning sun. Every inch of my body creaked and ached as I rolled out of bed.

Images of yesterday still haven't processed with me. It almost seemed like the battle was unreal.

I threw on a shirt and jeans and stumbled down the rickety wooden stairs.

I turned down a long hallway and entered a small white circular room. The glass ceiling met in a dome.

Carin laid on a cot, arms folded across her chest facing the ceiling. Her slick black hair trickled down the side of the bed.

She was an immovable object, a statue completely at peace. I watched her chest gently float up and down at such a regular pace it seemed almost unreal that just twelve ours earlier she was fighting three giants.

"Dylan?" Carin croaked.

"I'm here," I responded, walking to her side.

"What happened?" She asked. Her voice was as rough as sandpaper.

"You saved everyone, took out two giants," I began. "Leo said you summoned some kind of power. There was a huge fist and it crushed the giants and-"

"I did good right?" Carin asked. Something about her voice had such a soft end. She seemed the exact opposite of who she was fighting the giants. Her voice also sounded almost pleading, like she was a little girl just waiting for approval.

"Yes," I said calmly.

I let out a heavy sigh. Carin stared monotonously at me.

"You told me, when you were all loopy, that you had this friend named Ra. You also said you were a host for something," I mentioned.

"Oh yes," Carin said, turning her gaze to the the circular ceiling of widows. "I said a lot of weird things, that amount of magic really drained me. I've never experienced that before-"

"What do you mean?"

Carin glanced back up at me. Her brown eyes were dull, as if she hadn't recovered enough to show emotion.

"Let's start from the beginning," Carin responded. "I'm an Egyptian Magician and a descendant of a Pharaoh. I use magic spells like how you control water-"

"Like a wizard?" I asked.

I glanced down at Carin, her eyes flashed a cold, dark stare. That was the first time I saw feeling in them since her episode.

"No."

"Okay, geez sorry," I said, throwing my hands up in defense.

Carin focused at the ceiling once again and continued, in a slightly more serious tone.

"Some Egyptain Magicians have the ability to host gods. Gods can't roam the earth without a host. They hold their power in an amulet-"

She held her small scarab beetle necklace in her palm.

"However, it is dangerous to host a god. They can burn you up in seconds if your body can't handle it. Sometimes the gods possess you and can use you until you literally turn to ashes. Yesterday, that almost happened."

"So you have a god living inside of you?"

Carin nodded. "Yeah. Ra, King of the gods. He used to host my mom."

"Did she burn up?"

Carin shook her head. "No, but she nearly did. In a battle with the god of chaos."

So much new information cluttered my brain. Knowledge is powerful, I guess.

"What's his name?" I asked curiously.

"Names have power. That is one name I refuse to mention."

"Well-"

I had so many questions, but at the same time, I had none.

"Well, what is Ra like? You have a god living inside of you, how does that feel?"

Carin shrugged. "I mean, he's male-"

"What?!" I yelled.

Then again, I thought of how awkward it must have been for Carin's dad to find out her mom was hosting a male god too. Or maybe it was totally normal for them.

"Yeah," Carin said. "I don't really like to point it out. It's kind of weird."

"Oh...um," my voice cracked. "That's not weird."

Carin let out a small laugh.

"You know, that near death experience drained my body heat. I feel...cold."

I stood up. "I'll get you a blanket."

Carin reached out and grabbed my arm. "No, stay."

I sat down once again. "Um...what do you want me to do."

"Nothing I guess. I kind of like your presence. You're a good friend to have because, I need to find my parents. They went to the first nome, which is in Egypt."

There is that word again, nome.

"Something is happening over there and it's probably a trap," Carin said.

"Well who would want to trap them?"

"I don't know yet, but not many people like my family. Magicians tend to hold lots of grudges."

I decided to not ask her. Maybe another time. But it all seemed like a big coincidence. Both of our parents go on some big rescue mission and then we meet. Someone or something had to of planned this. But what could two kids do?

"Listen Carin, my parents left to go help Camp Half-Blood. Maybe that is also a trap."

Carin sat up. "I'm not sure," then she cracked a wicked grin. "Maybe it's worth checking out."

Knock, knock! I saw Calypso, standing at the door holding a bowl of soup.

"Oh I'm sorry, am I interrupting something?"

I shook my head and quickly stood up. "No, no, I'll go now."

I ran out of the room, and didn't stop until I reached the kitchen. I saw Leo, cooking something in the oven.

"Hey Dylan," he said, eyebrows furrowed. "I need to talk to you."

He wrapped his arm around me and we walked outside to a old wooden bench. Trees with bright green leaves loomed over head.

"Sit down," he said. I did. He squeezed right next to me. "I have a mission to discuss with you."