Draiks and Angels: Deity

12 - Crocodile & Ram

Sobek's temple was on the banks of the river. The trio used the spy tunnels the next day to get as close as possible, but they still had to walk half an hour to reach the water and ten minutes more to get to the temple entrance. The temple was almost more a collection of pillars coming out of the water for half of the building, as though it had been flooded, but Satiya figured it had to have been intentional. The other half was more typical, with carvings of water and crocodiles on the walls.

"There will be crocodiles in the water," Khait assured them.

"Makes sense, since Sobek is the God of Crocodiles," Amisi agreed.

As they stood looking at the water, a pair of eyes rose from the depths. Satiya gasped.

"Get back!" Khait waved his arm.

They backed up quickly as a large crocodile trundled out of the water and up the bank, mouth open. It hissed at them, but didn't come any farther.

After a couple minutes, Khait said, "I think we need to subdue it."

"What?!" Amisi cried.

"How?!" Satiya turned to Khait.

"I know how to wrestle crocodiles. If one of you can distract it so I can get behind it, I can get its mouth shut and you can tie it shut. They have strong bite force, but can't open their mouth with the same strength, so it won't take much to keep it closed."

Satiya nodded. Amisi took a few steps back. Khait gave Satiya a long reed he found on the ground to use for distracting and positioned himself slightly to the side. Satiya started calling to the crocodile, and poking it's nose with the reed. It twitched and swung its head toward the reed, hissing the whole time. Khait sidled along the back wall of the room, around and behind the beast. When he was just to the right and behind the creature, he jumped, landing full-bodied on the crocodile. The reptile wiggled under the weight of the human, but kept its mouth open, threatening. Khait inched his hands forward along the sides of the crocodile's head, pinching the dangerous jaws together. Eventually, he had the mouth all the way closed, and Satiya cast a spell to bind it tight.

As expected, a doorway appeared on the back wall and the three went inside. There was a single altar with a gold amulet on it. Khait studied the amulet without touching it. It was engraved with the image of Sobek.

"It looks like a protective amulet," he mused.

"I bet someone has to put it on for the test," Amisi reasoned.

"Since he wrestled the crocodile, it should be Khait-"

Khait crossed his arms in front of his neck and shook his head.

"-but seeing as how he just did Wadjet, it's between you and me," Satiya said, turning to Amisi.

"I'll do it," Amisi said, eventually.

She picked up the amulet and slid it over her head. Her breathing quickened as the magic pressed on her, but after a minute it stopped. Worried, Amisi tried to take the amulet off, but it came easily. She breathed a sigh of relief. She turned to the altar to put it back and found a stone box in its place. She looked from the box to the amulet, and finally set the necklace down next to the box, opened the container, and took out the key. She passed it to Satiya, who put it in her pocket.

They left the smaller room and headed out of the temple. On the way out, Satiya removed the magical band from the crocodile's mouth. It hissed at them, then whipped around and dashed back into the water.

They headed back toward the tunnel entrance closest to the temple, where they had emerged from earlier that morning. They had only walked about ten minutes when they heard cars coming toward them. They stepped politely to the side of the road to let them pass. Five black vans drove up, some went off the road, spitting dirt, and they surrounded the trio. Men jumped out brandishing handguns at them.