As soon as he asked the last question, a horde of skeletons grabbed me from nowhere with a shout.
In a panic, I burst into flames, yelling, "Leave me alone!"
Some did, and some skeletons that were too close got roasted to ash. But some held on, muttering threats in thick Caribbean accents.
"Now, now, boys," Anubis rose, and the skeletons released me, "No need to scare our...," he gave a mock bow and smiled at me, "Guest."
He smiled wider, almost cynically, as he took a few steps closer to me.
Mustering up whatever little courage I had, I summoned my sword. Thankfully, it appeared this time.
"L-le...leave me a-" I was stuttering so bad it was a miracle my sword didn't fall out of my hands. The skeletons seemed wary of my sword, though, so that gave me some hope. "Leave me alone!"
Anubis stepped closer.
"Why?" He asked, casually moving away my sword with two clawed fingers as he stepped even closer."We've barely even touched you."
I took a step back, jabbing the sword at him, "Stay back!"
He didn't even look at the sword. His eyes stayed on me as he held the blade of my sword between two fingers and said, "I asked a question, Jones Fate."
Even as he said my name, I felt a chill run down my spine.
The god gritted his teeth as he suddenly yanked the sword out of my hands with two fingers and tossed it in the air yelling, "WHERE IS MY ANKH?!"
Before the sword could even fall, he looked up and roared at it, and a column of green fire flew from his mouth into the air, enveloping my sword. By the time he stopped roaring, the sword was gone.
The skeletons cheered.
My heart seemed to shrink as the god looked back down at me and said, "Hold the boy."
The skeletons rushed at me once more, and, despite my yells and the fact that I burst into flames again, they held me up until I was almost at eye level with the god.
"Well?" Anubis leaned towards me. Being so close to him, it felt like his eyes radiated a scorching heat. His breath smelled acidic, like rotten eggs dumped in a car accident. "Where is it?"
"I-I-I don't know, I swear," I stuttered, "I don't even- I don't even know what it looks like!"
A moment passed.
"I see," Anubis leaned away, disappointed. "I should've known..."
The god turned and started to slowly walk away.
"Sire!" A skeleton called, his husky voice definitely sounding like a pirate's, "What'll you have us do with the boy?"
Anubis paused, then casually looked over his shoulder. "Make him walk the plank."
The skeletons cheered one more time, and I cried in panic. They hassled me over to the side of the ship and hoisted a wooden plank onto the starboard. I screamed and threw fire on their faces, but several of them managed to throw me overboard anyway.
I almost fell off, but I grabbed the plank and held on to it for dear life. The stormy sea below looked grave and unforgiving, like it was ready to swallow me into nothingness.
I looked up and begged, "Please! I swear I didn't steal anything! Please!!!"
The skeletons laughed, and Anubis casually strolled over.
"Anubis!" I cried out to the god, "Please!! You gotta believe me! I- I don't even know what an Ankh looks like! Please, I'm begging you!! Please!!"
Anubis raised a hand, and the skeleton pirates fell silent. I didn't even notice I was crying until I heard myself sniffing.
"Seth is known for sending very good liars to do his bidding," the god raised a finger, and a green flame danced on his claw, "I'm willing to find out how badly you're willing to lie."
The god placed the claw on the plank, and the green flame slowly spread.
The skeletons cheered again.
The wind started to smell like a mixture of burnt wood and hot acid. The plank was burning, and it was only a matter of seconds before it broke.
"No!" I cried out, "No, please!"
The skeletons were chattering. Anubis' eyes were as unforgiving as the sea.
"Please!!!" I cried.
The god smiled, almost sadly, at me. "I hear you can't swim," he looked out to the surrounding sea, "That is good. Your patron god cannot protect you from dying in your sleep."
"No, please!" I cried again. The wood creaked as the fire slowly burned, threatening to snap. "Anubis, please!!"
The god smiled and lifted his claw. "I'll see you in hell."
Then he turned away, "Jones Fate."
The plank snapped.
Screaming, I fell into the sea.
Well, almost.
At the last second, I felt something grab me from behind. When I turned, I saw... Well, I think I saw Hannah. Her image was obscured like she was made of mist.
"It's OK," That was definitely her voice. She hovered upwards, holding me, and the pirates on the ship roared in outrage.
Anubis, however, watched us interestingly.
"Hannah. Nathan," the god's lips barely moved, but I could hear him like he was right in front of me. "Funny. You owe me a visit."
"What?" Hannah muttered, then grunted. She gasped, then whispered, "I- I can't move..."
Anubis spread his arms, "Why the rush, Nathan?! After all, you've stolen time before!" The god smiled again, "You used it to cheat me by, what, fifty years? Seventy?"
Hannah didn't respond. I had a feeling she knew what he was talking about.
"Hannah," I whispered, "What...what's he talking about?"
Anubis brought his hands down. "Of course you didn't tell him," he shook his head sadly.
"Your secrets will find you, Nathan," his expression turned serious, and I felt Hannah shiver, "Soon enough, you'll run out of time to steal."
"And when you do," the god smiled again.
All of a sudden we were on the ship again. Hannah wasn't made of mist anymore.
"I'll be there."
Anubis' snout was right next to our ears.
We both stumbled, as Hannah had somehow lost her hovering ability, and Anubis rose and laughed.
The god took a few steps back as his pirates cried out and surrounded us, swords drawn.
Hannah and I found ourselves standing back to back against the ship's crew and Death itself.
"Um, Hannah," I said over my shoulder, "Now would be a good time to summon Thoth."
"I've been trying ever since this dream started," she muttered, "Anubis must've intercepted your dream from memory with this one. His presence is so powerful here I can barely even wake us up anymore."
"What?!" I panicked, and Anubis laughed.
"Fear," the god strolled around his pirates leisurely, "Panic. Terror. Pain." He moved aside a sword and turned to us, "I can hear your hearts beat fast, your pupils dilate, your breathing falter."
He closed his eyes and smiled, "Sounds like music to my ears."
The god started to walk towards us, and we faced him squarely. More ghostly green mist started to spew out of his mouth again, and as he smiled wider, I saw green flames dance on his tongue.
Hannah's eyes widened, and the colour drained out of her face, "Hellfire."
"Oh," the god raised a claw, and a green flame danced on it, "This little thing?"
He waved it off. "Yes, I suppose my fire was drawn from the bowels of hell, a fitting source of power to scourge even the essence of gods" he mused, "But don't worry. It won't hurt a bit."
He stepped right in front of us, smiling maniacally, as he roared, "It'll hurt like HELL!!!"
At the sound of the last word his jaw unhinged, and green hell-fire sprung from his mouth at us. Hannah and I didn't even have the time to defend ourselves before the flames flew at us.
"ANUBIS!"
The second we heard that voice, an invisible force held back the flames from consuming us.
I looked up to see the goddess Isis in white royal regalia and a violet tiara, seated on a marble throne.
Suddenly we were in a large room made almost entirely of marble, with marble floors and marble pillars. Two servants dressed in white were fanning the Queen-Mother of the gods as she looked upon Anubis with a look of authority and disdain. I could almost literally feel the power in her purple eyes.
Anubis stopped roaring and re-hinged his jaw as he looked up at her, and I noticed that the pirates were gone, too. Good riddance.
"Aunt Isis," Anubis regarded the goddess, "Why do you defend these fiends? You invaded my territory; MY dreamscape-"
"To order you to cease and desist," Isis replied, her tone stoic. "None is guilty until proven guilty, Anubis. You have no evidence to presume the Son of Fate stole the Ankh."
"I saw the boy with my own eyes, Isis" Anubis defended, "He is the only one alive to wield firepower of that magnitude!"
"Assumption is not evidence, Anubis," the Queen narrowed her eyes at him, "You've borne the scales of Ma 'at. You of all gods should know this."
"What other evidence is needed?!"Anubis growled in reply. "I saw the flames of one chosen by Amun-Ra, and the boy is the only one chosen by him!"
Anubis turned to me, and I felt his eyes staring down my soul with murderous intent, "The boy will confess."
He started to walk towards me, and I felt too scared to move once more, "The boy will pay!"
"This is my dreamscape now, Anubis," the goddess waved a hand," Be gone."
The god roared in defiance and lunged for me.
...................................................
Here's that chapter I promised you!
It's a bit of work, but with all the plotting and editing, I think I'll be uploading on a two-day schedule for at least a week.
That said, I'm in the final stages of editing the next chapter, so keep your eyes peeled!
Make sure to vote and comment, and I'll see you on Saturday!