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

Chapter 59: Trueth - Guardienne of the Gateway

End of last chapter:

'Then we must all go together,' Khy said. 'If you leave the holy scholar and myself behind, we shall be demon fodder. So we might as well join you.' He squared his narrow shoulders in a gesture that was truly heartbreaking. He is too young; Trueth thought, he should not be facing his end. But then he truly was a king.

The seconds passed by, and the humming coming from the hall had turned into a sinister tattoo. Finally, Metjen stirred. 'Let's do it then.'

***

Trueth slipped on a rock and froze. It was just a tiny crunch, but the wild mob of incoherent thoughts shooting through her brain turned it into an explosion. Nothing happened, so she continued, Metjen at her side, Seisi and Khy following behind. Protected by Metjen's magical bubble, they were making their way towards the broken tank. The bubble was deflating slowly, but despite her muddled reckoning Trueth could see them reach their destination before their cover faded away.

Be grateful for small mercies.

The shield he had  built of residual magic helped to conserve his powers; Metjen had explained. Every spark of sun-flow would count. And presumably any droplet of Trueth's healing force. Somehow.

We must be nuts! Trueth felt a surge of frustration shooting up inside. Maybe the situation was not Imhotep's fault, but he had calculated himself into a corner. And they would be paying the price.

Another crunch and a crackle, as a stone rolled away from Khy's trainers. It faded into the noise coming from the wall covered in the heaving, bubbling demonic sludge. The persistent throbbing had reached fever pitch. And there was another sound, a new one. Like the hissing of a steam engine. Followed by a crack that lashed through the ancient hall. Malevolent howling was next. More hissing. Glittery blue particles drifted their way dragging along a rotten stench.

Metjen whisked around, his eyes wide. 'The mirror is breaking!'

'You must reach the circle; they need you!' Khy yelled.

'Open the ways,' Seisi screamed from behind. 'Trueth... . '

A voice surfaced from the mad swirl of her thoughts, the voice of Una, the message she left behind at the old stone circle.  Whatever you are, you are only human. Follow your heart and you will do the right thing.

The right thing? It did not exist. She could only do her thing.

This is so stupid. Trueth shoved Khy into their midst, grabbed Seisi's hand and shot her healing power towards his sun-flow. He doubled up, eyes bulging,  but did not yield a single atom of precious energy; he was exhausted.

Here it comes. She took a deep breath, saw Metjen reaching for her, his face pale and sweating, his eyes lit up like a city on fire. Their fingers intertwined—excruciating pain lanced her body, and then the world ripped apart with a flare.

Literally.

A golden chasm, outlined in spring-green, blinked, opened its maw and swallowed them. She heard screaming and barely recognised her voice as she swore to the heavens. Fighting to keep their hold on each other, a screaming Pharaoh in their midst, they spiralled into the dark, pressure building, a storm roaring over their head, the hissing following behind, blackness mingling into the gold until it became all too much and she had to let go.

Another flash and a thunderclap. The metallic smell of Kemet magic. The moldy dampness of the Earth.

The roaring faded away. 

Next she knew, she was alone.

For quite a while, nothing happened. That was okay. Alone was actually quite comfy. No noises, no pain. Just a fresh, leafy smell, a breeze—and that damn scrabbling of far too many tiny feet, antennae and other disgusting things.