Cursed Times - Only Yesterday! Sequel to Wattys 2015 winner!

Chapter 48: Metjen - A Beautiful Mind

He heard a soft padding, sensed paws on his shoulder followed by the rest of Mish-Mish, who then proceeded to drape himself round Metjen's neck. He was still purring. And still tickling. Metjen distinctly remembered having closed the door to his apartment. He had even locked his bedroom door. The little monster must have come in via the balcony...

I'll kill that cat, Iseret raged.

You do that and I'll...banish you, or something. Now help me back across. Otherwise the old bugger thinks he has had the last word.

Metjen focussed on the strands of his sunflow that reached out to that other world so far away. Iseret added her energy, helping him to block out his furry visitor and materialise again in the stone-lined passageway.

Imhotep had emerged from the safety of his wall or whatever it was he had been seeking and was pacing the corridor. The agitation showed that Metjen's words had hit home, as he whisked around and hissed at Metjen's apparition. 'You truly have no idea. In a situation that requires careful scheming and thorough consideration your rashness will foil our plans.'

Thanks for sharing, Metjen projected. The circle needs to stop acting like a bunch of kindergarten kids and face reality. And that also applies to all your fancy plans. No matter whether we build pyramids or hunt for magical objects, all we do is respond to these buggers. We need to anticipate their moves and we need to act faster!

Unlike Metjen, Imhotep was not fighting a monumental headache, was not panting to maintain a tenuous link based on an ever-dwindling supply of sun-flow. He rose nonchalantly into the air. 'I agree with you insofar as the circle should be above such petty notions as blaming you for what is happening. I will ensure they see the errors of their ways. '

How magnanimous of him, grumbled Iseret into Metjen's stressed brainpan.

Her intervention reminded Metjen of the other person present. He briefly shifted his attention to Seisi, who was leaning against the wall, arms crossed. He stood like a statue, had his eyes not given him away. Tiny specks of fury were circling in his iris, like fireflies trapped under a crust of ice....

Mish-Mish shifted position on Metjen's shoulders, sticking investigative whiskers into his ear. Metjen swore, his attention bouncing back to Maadi, like a rubber ball on a string. He shuddered, forced his screaming muscles and tormented brain into one last effort. Something warm trickled down his cheek. His eyes were bleeding the tears of defeat. He would not last much longer. Metjen catapulted back out into the raging tumult that was Beyond—and ran into the wavering green of Seisi's aura. How had he managed to find—

—I called for him. You have very little time! Iseret mind-bellowed at him. Do what is to be done, and then go.

Leaning on Seisi's wavering glimmer Metjen once more found his ancestor. Imhotep was observing Metjen's feeble projection with calm detachment. It would have been easy for the old man to help him but he had always believed in the 'sink or swim' approach to learning. The one with sharks in it.

'As Seisi will be unable to speak now that you are drawing on him, I shall repeat what he said to me while you were gone.' Imhotep placed his feet back on the ground and crossed his arms in front of his chest. 'I believe it to be sound advice. Your concern should be to get Trueth towards safety. Seisi thinks she will jump and might get lost. I do not agree. She does not have the willpower to confront her fears. So she will not take the plunge. A shame, that young woman has great potential. Anyway, find her and ensure she can live a good life in the demon world. As to you and your family, I will smoothen the path for your return. Seisi will stay with me.'

The purring returned, but the red-hot anger rolling through Metjen washed away the sound. 'It's Seisi's choice where he wants to be, I dare say. With you...or with me. As to Trueth—I believe you might underestimate her. As you seem to underestimate me.'

Imhotep shook his head. 'I do not think so. You all have great potential, but...' He dropped his hands and left the sentence hanging. Almost dreamily he added. 'She is so unlike Una—her ancestor. A formidable woman who supported me in all my plans. Trueth is vulnerable. The demons have already found her. Too much risk. We cannot have that. We need certainty. Get her to safety, for Una's sake.'

A cold, wet nose pressed itself into Metjen's ankle. Blondie had arrived.

Calling on all his remaining powers, Metjen mind-shrieked, Seisi?

Be...with you, the words, strained and blurred, blew into nothing.

Metjen latched on to his friend and together they shot through Beyond another elastic band made of sheer magic pulling them back. His mind gave out—and restarted with a jolt as cold water washed over his face. Metjen spluttered and tried to rise from the floor; he must have fallen off the sofa at one point. His floppy limps refused cooperation, with a groan he sagged back onto the wooden floor.

'Khy!' Rani-Ra shouted. 'I said to rub his brow, not drown the bugger. Here, let me do it.' Metjen welcomed the cold cloth on his forehead even if it did nothing for his pains. Her hands did though, a soothing balm flowed into his brain, taking the edge off the torture. It appeared his little sister had taken her lessons in the temple of Selket a lot more seriously than he had thought.

With an effort, Metjen lifted onto one elbow. 'Where's Seisi?'

Rani-Ra scowled at him. 'Out cold on the sofa. What in the name of the Devourer have you guys been up to? Where did you find him? And where's True?'

The upside-down but pimple-free face of Pharaoh bending over him floated into Metjen's vision. Khy was observing him as if he was an exotic insect hiding a stinger somewhere under its gaudy exterior. 'We did not mean to cause offense.'

Metjen waved him off. 'It's ok.' He scrambled onto all fours, remained in this awkward position for an instant until he dragged himself into the vertical.

'At least the dried blood has washed off,' Rani-Ra said 'I did not like the look of you one bit. Sorry about the door by the way. I heard you screaming, and Khy very kindly kicked it in for me.'

'Much obliged,' said Metjen as he observed the splintered wreckage that had previously been a solid wooden door.

Khy bowed, with his hands stapled in front of his chest. On the sofa, Seisi sneezed once, then sprung up as if pursued by demons. His blind eyes wildly roamed the room until he beheld the other three.

'Trueth! I implore you, help her.'

Metjen sighed and helped his friend clamber down from the sofa. 'It's allright mate. I'll make sure she's safe. We are not aligned with the portals, remember? We still have a bit of time. I couldn't save a kitten right now.'

'Mrrrp?' said Mish-Mish.

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This chapter is dedicated to amandajoseph6 Thank you very much for reading and voting on my story!

Image is taken from DeviantArt, copyright scarletmalen