Shadows of a Life

Chapter 19: Never Challenge a Scarab to a Duel

I stared at the scarab, it's dark blue shell reflecting in the fading sunlight from the dirty window. "So who's this thing?" I asked narrowing my eyes at the bug.

"This is Khepri," Kana told me in his barely audible voice. "One of Ra's most trusted generals. He stays in scarab form on Ra's necklace for protection and warmth." I was tempted to poke the bug's shiny shell but I resisted the urge. The scarab opened its wings and buzzed then causing me to jump a bit in alarm. Kana gave me a weird look "What? The stupid bug startled me...". The beetle took flight obviously not impressed with me as it flew at my face. I took a step back trying to avoid it landing on me. Instead it landed on Kana's head still facing me though. I ignored the retarded bug, not understanding how a beetle could be a general, and turned back to look at Ra who was still sleeping. I knelt down next to him putting my hand on his arm wanting him to wake up so I could tell him how sorry I was for causing him so much grief. "Do not lay a finger on him shadow," A voice echoed through my head. I stood up confused looking around trying to think of who was talking to me in such a manner. I stared at the scarab again. Was this bug talking to me? "Step away from him," The voice commanded. I raised my eyebrows. "Do not underestimate something so small,"

"Yea, ok and I'm supposed to be scared of a dung beetle?" I picked him up by the antenna smirking.

"SCARAB!" The so called Khepri screeched flailing and buzzing its wings in rage.

I snickered, "Same thing," I told him before flinging him away in a random direction. I waited for him to fall to the ground and die but instead he opened his wings and hovered in mid air. "You're all the same," He didn't sound impressed at all, "Stupid and not good at looking at detail." The bug let himself fall to the floor landing with a flash of bright light. When the light receded the scarab was gone and instead in his place stood a man about my height with curly black hair. He had dark blue armor covering most of his body with little barbs coming out of the arm plates. Two long antenna shot up from his head. A golden ankh, the Egyptian symbol of life, was on his chest. I summoned my katana's out of habit, tensing up ready to fight or run away. "I am Khepri, Sunrise and Rebirth," I stared at him lifting my katana up in front of me. Khepri unsheathed two curved swords, Egyptian khopesh pointing one at me. "I accept your challenge to a duel,"

"Duel? No I was just-" I started yelling confused only to get cut off by Khepri who flew at me with white wings that made him look like a retarded angel. I ducked and his khopesh just missed my head. By this point I started freaking out. I had a humanized bug with bird wings thinking I wanted to have a duel with him. Khepri flew at me again but this time I blocked it and swung my second katana at his face hoping to at least freak him out a bit. He blocked the blow and instead kneed me in the stomach. I fell to the ground on my knees hacking and coughing from the blow. Khepri kicked me in the side forcing me to roll over. He raised his sword ready to strike on final blow. I layed there shaking worse than a fucking leaf in a wind storm. I watched him bring the blade down to my face. It was like watching something move in slow motion. "Stop!"  A voice rang through the air and Khepri stopped trying to kill me instantly, leaving his blade still hovering over my face. I rolled to my side and coughed again still trying to get over the blow to the stomach I took.

"Sheath your weapon and with drawl Khepri," The voice was Ra's. I considered crawling over to him and being all pathetic so he would burn Khepri to a crisp but I was too busy coughing. Khepri backed off as Ra tried to stand and nearly fell over. His antennae were slowly tilting backwards as his posture shrank. "What caused you to attack her in suck a manner?" Ra looked furious.

"I thought she attacked you," Khepri was trying to avoid making eye contact.

"Well you were wrong!" Ra's voice was gradually getting louder with each word spoken, "You call yourself a guard but you run around attacking people with stupid accusations." Khepri stared at his feet as I would do whenever I decide to be shy. "You will do as I say, I want Dark to meet a certain man. I need a healing spell but the problem is she's the only one who can make him appear. Find a book called Summoning the Shadow. It's probably hidden well but it will show itself to the right people."

Khepri tilted his head "Dark?" He sounded to so confused. I glared at his feet since I was too lazy to lift my head and full out death stare him.

"Yes," Ra growled. I snickered. Watching someone getting in trouble could be pretty funny. Especially when that person just tried to stab your head. "This way," Khepri walked by me not waiting for me to get up or anything. I scrambled to my feet to catch up.

"Khepri," Ra's tone of voice deepened yet again, "If you dare hurt her you will cease to exist. Watch her for me."  Khepri turned away his body was visibly shaking.

"Sorry..." He muttered in an undertone. I stayed silent thinking weather I should be nice to him or be an absolute bitch because he couldn't do anything even if he wanted. I started thinking about how much trouble he got in and almost instantly started laughing.

"What," Khepri looked at me slightly concerned.

"You got in so much trouble with Ra. I mean you honestly should have known I was his girlfriend considering you've been on his necklace the whole time."

Khepri just glared at me not bothering to respond. We walked a little further until we hit a familiar corridor. Khepri pushed open the door to my favorite library.

"If we were going here you just could have told me. I could have walked through walls instead of walking next to you," I looked around. Nothing had changed except there was a little bit more of dust. I looked outside one of the huge floor to ceiling glass windows at the setting sun.

"Well, what are you waiting for find the book so we can go," Khepri said rolling his eyes.

"I'll have it in five minutes or less. Time me if you want," I told him over my shoulder walking to the nearest bookshelf.