Draiks and Angels: Deity

13 - Shield

Satiya could see something. It was shiny. It was gold. It rotated in her view until she saw it looked like cross where the top post was a loop. "Ankh" she knew somehow. It descended until it landed in a golden box. The box was engraved with geometric designs. The image of the box wavered. Satiya panicked. No! Bring it back! It got strong again. There were shadows around the box. The box got smaller, as if it was moving away. A door closed in her sight, hiding the box from view, the door got smaller, moving away from her. No, she was moving away from it. Her sight turned and she saw a hallway. She continued to move backward through the hallways, taking turn after turn, until she was facing an image of a red pot.

Satiya opened her eyes, fully awake. "That was strange," she thought.

A moment later, Amisi's phone alarm went off, waking her and Khait.

"What's for breakfast?" Khait asked with a yawn.

"Bread and jam," Amisi replied. "It's always bread and jam."

Khait grinned and trundled over to start cutting the loaf.

They made their plans and headed for the tunnels once again. This time they were going back to the Temple of Ra to get the Shield of Ra. Amisi made sure to bring the Blade of Ra, which she had been leaving in the safehouse while they got the other keys.

Once again, there were a fair number of people milling around the temple, even in the early morning. It took a long time for the main room to be empty of people long enough for the trio to sneak through the hidden door and into the chamber below.

Khait handed Satiya the key from the temple of Khnum and she pulled the other two from her pockets. Once again she lined up the golden inlay until the keys and box made the image of an eye. She nodded to Amisi, who unsheathed the dagger and inserted the blade into the slot in the top of the box.

As with the first box, the lid lifted about an inch, and Khait picked it up and off the main body. Amisi took the dagger back out of the lid so it wouldn't get damaged. Now that the lid was removed, it shouldn't matter if it stayed in the slot. This box was lined with silver as well. Inside was a small golden shield, engraved with a flying scarab. The wings of the scarab were inlaid with blue and red stones. There was a slot in the middle.

"Khait," Satiya said softly.

Coming to his senses, Khait reached in and picked up the shield.

Looking at Satiya, he asked, "Now what do we do?"

She looked at him confused.

"This is too big to tuck into my shirt or jeans. How are we going to get this out of here?"

"We need a backpack, or a satchel, or something," Amisi suggested.

"I think I saw an old backpack just outside the temple. I'll go get it," Satiya volunteered, halfway up the steps already.

She walked around the temple perimeter, muttering, "Now where was that?" when she heard a soft pop and a sharp pain bloomed in her neck. She whipped around, looking for the source, but with the dart so close to her vein, she was already losing the ability to move or to speak.

"Nice shot."

Satiya fell to her hands and knees, trying not to pass out. Khait! Amisi! But she knew she wasn't calling out loud. She collapsed and the last thing she saw was four men surrounding her.

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Satiya's jaw hurt. She slowly opened her eyes and saw she was in a cell, presumably in the society's compound again. There was a gag stuffed in her mouth and buckled behind her head. That was what was making her jaw hurt. Her wings had bands on them keeping them folded, and her hands were cuffed behind her back, on top of her wings. Her ankles were cuffed as well and someone had removed her sandals. Looking out of the cage, she could see other cells, though the one across from her was empty.