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

Chapter 321: City of Diya, Cave, Kamchatka Wilderness, Soviet Union, 1960

City of Diya

Cave

Kamchatka Wilderness

Soviet Union

1960

Lava oozed toward Indy and Emily as they stood at the base of the pyramid. It had settled somewhat, but wasn't solidifying... instead it was oozing like searing hot glue between the ancient buildings and the heat was slowly melting the foundations of the structures, hissing and rumbling toward the temple plaza with the ominous sound of humanity's presence being melted away.

"What else did you see while you were climbing the outer wall?" Indy asked, watching the lava crawl toward them destroy the city, while they stood at the base of the pyramid. The walls which had formed the outer edge of the city had already melted collapsing inward with an ominous crackling and hissing sound of humanity's presence being melted away.

"It looks like a city set up on cardinal compass points - like the cities in South America and Mexico," Emily explained. "Didn't get much time to look. Was focused on getting inside. Teotihucan comes to mind - but there's no connection between the cultures except architecture styles and similarities of city design." She swallowed. "That city is thought to be set up in the pattern of the sky with solar and lunar alignments. This enclosure seems to be shaped like a skull. But not a human skull."

Indy glanced at Emily. "Does it look like a snake's head with a human lower half?"

She nodded, eyeing the dragon serpents on the corners of the step pyramid. "I don't like it, Dad. Can't explain why - you're the one who hates snakes."

Indy followed her gaze. "It's not a serpent head, Em. It's an apkallu head."

"Damn," she whispered. "The head was the center of power and authority in many cultures."

"Uh-huh. We found the temple of the apkallu."

Emily stared at the top of the pyramid. "Watchers, Dad. This is the Temple of the Watchers. The spirals were thought were sun symbols are eyes. The apkallu in some ancient texts were called Watchers. This is a ziggurat... like the Tower of Babel." She swallowed. "The top is where sacrifices and sacred marriages were performed between women and the gods."

"Like it offered you?" Indy asked gently.

Emily winced. "Yeah. And it got pissed when I said 'no.' I bet Lizavet and Shorty are inside."

Indy's mind flickered back to the Temple of Doom. "This is gonna get ugly."

"Ready when you are, Dad."

Indy grinned. "What do you see?"

"Lizavet's poultice has mostly worn off, so the light doesn't hurt so much." She shifted her weight.

"Look out!" Indy yelled, leaping forward and shoving her to the side.

From the corner of the ziggurat one of the serpentine statues, pivoted and shot fire from its mouth.