Underground Temple Throne Room
City of Diya
Cave
Kamchatka Wilderness
Soviet Union
1960
Indy cautiously reached up to the back of Emily's neck and brushed a few of the maggots away.
The throne guardian devourer worm rose above them.
The smaller worms at their feet sensed the movement, pulling away from Indy and Emily. They watched the mob of maggots crawl over each other and away, leaving a slime trail.
Emily swallowed. "Do they always do that?"
Indy nodded. "They crawl too fast to burn them out... Are you all right?"
"I... don't know....? I can't tell if the things crawling on me are real or jitters." She looked toward the throne guardian. "It got taller. And closer."
He glanced toward the throne guardian and shuddered. "Sure as hell looks like a snake."
The throne guardian devourer worm snapped forward, raising itself higher... and it started to make a spiral pattern, like a snake ready to strike.
"Dad...?" Emily whispered. "We've seen that spiral pattern before... it's the symbol on the outside of the temple. The mark of the Watchers.... The apkallu."
Indy stared at it, unwilling or unable to move. "I don't like the looks of that. It looks like one of the fire breathing apkallu serpents we saw on the outside of the temple. And that movement... reminds me of the cobra I met in the Well of the Souls when I went after the Ark." He paused. "Can it see us?"
"Dad - it's a worm - they don't need eyes. They hunt underground, all the time." Emily coughed wincing.
She checked her hand for infesting worms. Then just stared at it. Her fingers started trembling. "Devourer worms... inside and outside..."
Indy folded her tighter into his arms. "Aw hon, you're not ok. Keep being brave, Littlest Artifact. We'll get outta here. Don't know how but -"
She grinned at him, taking out her compact mirror. "We're makin' this up as we go."
The ground rumbled, giving a sudden horrific snap.
The floor shifted, jerking upward, stones flying off from the impact and pressure of the volcano underneath them. Lava exploded, in a fiery blast, revealing the layout of the room.
"Stairs!" Emily yelled pointing.
The worm struck forward.
"RUN!" Indy shouted.
Emily angled the mirror upward, sending a reflective light across the top of the worm's head.
The apkallu's throne guardian devourer worm gave a shrieking noise, lunging after them as they ran from the collapsing throne room. The throne guardian followed them - screeching after its sacrificial prey.
YOU ARE READING
The Seven Swords of Diya: An Indiana Jones Fan Fiction - Part 2
ФанфикPart 2: Indiana Jones and his daughter Emily Ravenwood Jones continue their adventure in the frozen Soviet peninsula of Kamchatka, searching for seven mystical swords. With them is Indy's bodyguard from 1935 India - Short Round, grown up! And his re...
