The Seven Swords of Diya: An Indiana Jones Fan Fiction - Part 2

Chapter 269: Unseen Realm

Unseen Realm

The apkallu looked down at Emily. "You see how I mimic you?"

"Yeah. I see your lying tongue," she retorted. "I'm not impressed. Dad will figure it out."

"I could send one of the others to become you -" it mused. "But that would ruin my claim on you."

Emily laughed. "Listen, bastard spirit, you have no claim on me."

Its gaze continued to appraise her. "You are amazing. As queen - and a beautiful stunning as the stars queen of heaven - I offer you my kingdom."

Emily kept her gaze steady. "Kingdoms fall. Don't you read history?"

"Ours wouldn't." It transformed into a handsome human male. "Is this more appealing to you?"

"I prefer the ugly truth," she answered. "You offer kingdoms to Hitler? Stalin? Tojo? Mao? Edo?"

"They were not as intelligent as you," the apkallu answered, staying in the falsified handsome human form. "And yes, I know history. I was there for most of it. I am an eternal being. I could make you one as well."

Emily swallowed and took a breath. She knew what her body wanted to do, but she had to get the evil creature closer. And she had to fight the pain from the wounds. "You're not eternal. You're created. And you're gonna die."

It blinked. "You have fears about dying... particularly your father... what would you do without him? He's the only person who's consistently been there for you." The apkallu offered its hand. This time it wasn't the monstrous six fingered skeletal claw, but the human hand of a potential lover.

Emily wanted to take it. Her hand moved forward. She wanted the connection of someone who cared about her. She wanted to trust that there was someone to love her. She flexed her hand, placing both of them on the sword handle.

"You need to fear what's gonna happen if you threaten my father, or me." She cracked a grin. "You know there's an ancient legend where a woman's offspring crushes the serpent...? That's why I threw my sword to Dad. I knew I only needed one sword."

It tried to move on with its seduction. While they had threatened Indy at the museum, the apkallu were attempting to seduce Emily. She knew and noticed this. But the motive was still mysterious. And the blood loss and impact of being clawed and thrown across the chamber was taking its toll.

The apkallu sensed her thoughts. "If its not power or riches, or authority... or... oh... knowledge." It smiled. "You love knowledge...."

Emily adjusted her feet slightly. The more she focused on the creature, even in its handsome human male form... the harder it was for her to rebel. She shut her eyes and braced herself. "Your knowledge corrupted humanity, according to the ancient legends. It taught humanity how to destroy themselves faster. It was not utopia - it was our enslavement and damnation. I'm not interested in your manipulative lies and power grabs."

It continued. "We could fix your blinded eye from the tomb cave in. We could cure diseases. We could solve world hunger - Stop war - "

"Shut up." Her voice had dropped into a growl.

The apkallu blinked, fury building. It tried to smooth it with charm. "What? Did you just tell me to shut up?"

Emily gripped the sword. "Damn straight, sucker. I said, 'shut up.' I said, I wasn't interested."

"But you are a woman. Women do have weaknesses. For instance... I am stronger than you. I could take you without a choice."

She snorted. "That's your weakness."

"Strength isn't weakness," the apkallu countered.

"It is if you're a bully. You think you can win. But I know the truth. You're a coward."

It tilted its head and blinked. Its blink was an odd double-lidded side to side blink with two eyelids meeting in the middle, despite its falsified human form. Each pair of eyes seemed to have its own line of sight. "I do have one more offer."

"Not interested."

It was close to her. And it smelled horrible - like decaying flesh. "If you choose me as your husband I will give you power and desire the things you want."

"I want nothing from you." She stood her ground.

The apkallu smiled. It hadn't been this close to a woman since its banishment to the underworld. "Emily Jones, you do want love. I want worship. What is more worshipful than a woman's adoration?" It moved closer.

She didn't back up.

The apkallu continued. "You do want children... a family... and you know... with those scars... your chances are...."

"What?" Emily challenged, pressing her arm against her side. "What are you trying to imply? That I'm ugly? C'mon - that's a playground insult and I've been hearing it my whole life." She paused, her grin getting wider. "You know what my best friend Zev told me about scars? And I'm gonna tell it to you... Everyone has scars. And its perfectly ok. It means we survived. And we should be proud of that survival."

"And my offer of marriage?" It stroked the braid that it wore around its neck. The braid that Emily had had to cut off to save her own life.

Emily flexed her fingers from the sword handle. She knew what she had to do. That braid. That braid was hers. There were legends coursing through her mind. Legends of women... powerful women, and they'd all said 'no' to the odds.

The apkallu was within reach.

"You're not offering marriage." Emily challenged. "Marriage is love and loyalty built on trust. You're offering slavery, through fear and intimidation. That's not love. That's a trauma bond." Emily paused, looking the apkallu up and down with casual indifference. "Why would I worship the thing that wants to enslave and destroy me?" She stabbed the sword into her belt, lunged forward, and grabbed her braid from the monster's neck and twisted it.

The apkallu choked. "I should be able to control you!"

Emily tightened her grip. "No one controls me."

It snarled, transforming putting its skeletal claws on her shoulders. "The last woman died for saying no to me. We trained Lizavet to behave through invading her dreams. Why aren't you afraid?"

Emily grinned. "Because I know the truth. You'll die for trying to take me. I'm not interested in your slavery." She pulled on the braid, using it like a rope to choke the apkallu, swinging her full weight into its chest, her boots slamming it's sternum. The creature buckled against the impact and tried to gain strength and height. It rose upward... as tall as a ship's mast. A giant. A titan.

Emily grinned, let go of her braid with one hand and dropped to the ground, her other hand holding her braid in triumph. With one hand holding her braid, the other hand on her sword - she bolted.

Lizavet held the supernatural door open.

Emily rolled through the doorway from the supernatural unseen realm and back into Kamchatka.

The apkallu hoard shuddered and fled.

"Emily!" Indy gripped his daughter in a hug.

She fell into his arms. "Dad! I love you... I'm gonna pass out."

"Not yet, hon," Indy held her tenderly, all too aware of her wounds. "I got you."

"Perfect, Dad. That's how I know I'm safe."