Tear in the Megaverse WATTPAD VERSION [Inter-Universal Protectors Series: 5]

9 - KEPRAILIA --> DJEW

After discovering this particular Walker knew who Amneris was, Kayla had tried communicating in Lyriumian instead of the Zer language. He could speak it well, though the clunkiness made it clear he hadn't used it for a long time. They were still on the sand bar, watching the sun set over the water. It turned the water from a bright blue to a deep pinky-orange. Kayla always loved this time of day but, this time, her focus was elsewhere.

"How do you and Amneris know each other?"

The boy sat with the creature in his lap, rubbing its mane fondly. "We met when she died five thousand of my world's years ago. I assume you're one of her Courtiers?"

Kayla rubbed the tattoo on her left forearm, the mark of Amneris' Court. "Yes. She made me an immortal a few hundred years ago. I'm Kayla, by the way. What's your name?"

The boy looked to the sunset. "I have many names in the modern world. My most popular names are Anpu and Anubis, though Amneris tends to refer to me as my old name, Yinepu."

Kayla's jaw dropped. "You're that Death God she's friends with! The one with the dog head!"

"Jackal," he muttered. "It's a jackal." The creature on his lap yapped and jumped onto Kayla's tail. "This is Ammit," he said. "Devourer of Souls. She was with me when I, uh, somehow ended up here."

"How did that happen?" Kayla asked, scratching under the creature's chin. She wiggled excitedly and curled up, slipping under Kayla's hand and moving until she stroked her back. Devourer of Souls. Sure.

Yinepu sat back, resting his hands behind him. "It was strange. The Hall shook suddenly. The older Gods didn't know what caused it. I was helping clear things up with other Gods and Demons when the world went all weird. Ammit was with me. Next thing I knew, I was laying here and you were rescuing Ammit." He scratched the back of his head. "Where am I, exactly?"

"Keprailia," she answered. "A very long way from home." Ammit was now dosing on her lap. Kayla smiled down at the creature. "That shaking was actually a shockwave felt all throughout Creation. Some places got a bigger hit than others, but it was felt everywhere."

"That . . . is concerning. Any idea what caused it?"

"We have a working theory that it has something to do with Void Beasts breaking through to Creation, though that's more of an after effect than anything."

Yinepu stared with wide eyes. "There are Void Beasts here?" Kayla nodded with a grimace. He cursed under his breath in what she figured was the Kemetic language. "That is bad."

"You know what they are?" Kayla asked, surprised.

"I have known Amneris since before she became immortal and have a habit of being pulled into her drama. Of course I know what Void Beasts are." He sighed. "I need to find a way to get back home and tell the others what is happening."

Kayla shook her head. "Portals would be a bad idea around now, unless they're done by a Deity – oh, wait." She laughed. "You are a Deity."

"A Deity who has no idea if he's in the right universe to get home . . ."

"Hmm. If you can open a portal to Lyriumia, you could go via there to make sure you end up in the right place." Assuming the portal lets out in the right place. She didn't need to say that last part out loud. "I was going to use my own power but I think you would have more luck."

He nodded. "You want a lift?"

"Sure."

* * * * * * * *

Kayla and Yinepu cried out as they fell from a portal, landing in golden-yellow sand. Kayla spat some out and shook it from her hair. Yinepu merely sighed as though this were a regular occurrence for him. The sound of surprised yapping made him crash-dive to where Ammit was falling. She landed on his stomach and bounced into the sand where she rolled around happily.

Yinepu groaned, grasping his stomach, winded. "Missed."

Kayla bit her lip to stop herself laughing. Dusting herself off, she stood and looked around. "I don't think this is Lyriumia. Unless there is a part of the Desert Region I don't know about."

There was sand as far as the eye could see. They sky was a bright orange, the type of orange only seen during a sunset. Kaya turned around to see what was behind. Her jaw dropped.

There were two mountains standing in the sea of sand. They were a strange dusty yellow colour, not exactly the same as the sand but similar, and tipped with gold. Wait, no. it wasn't two mountains. It was one large mountain with two tall peaks. The sun of wherever they were was high between the two peaks. There were two strange-looking blobs, one at the base of each peak. An animal of some sort? Kayla couldn't tell from this distance.

Yinepu came to stand beside her, Ammit playing in the sand close by. "Djew," he said.

"Pardon?"

He nodded at the mountain. "It's called Djew, the mountain with two peaks that holds up the heavens. The west is Manu and the east is Bakhu."

"You've been here before?" Kayla asked.

"No." He crossed his arms. "Honestly, I always thought the place was a story. Something the Gods gave to our people to appease them. I never thought it was a real place, though that does make sense." Yinepu knelt, drawing in the sand. It was a hieroglyph which matched what they looked at. "Djew is the glyph of Mountain. Words are our most powerful weapon." He shrugged. "It makes sense that it would become literal."

"I see." Kayla looked over to the mountains. "As beautiful as this place is, I'm one of the Zer. We don't do well in places with little water. Can you open another portal?"

Yinepu closed his eyes. The feeling of static filled the air. It was gone as fast as it came. He shook his head. "Perhaps there is another way somewhere over there. As I said, words are power. Being closer may allow me to get a lock on Lyriumia."

Kayla raised a hand to her neck, to where her gills were closed. "I hope you're right."