Rune Magic

9: The Snake and I

.^^ the new Bone Wand/Sword ^^

— James —

I woke up to a massive headache, like my skull had been cracked open and the contents stirred with an immersion blender.

A cool hand pressed my forehead, and the feeling lessened until it was bearable. A firm, feminine voice I didn't recognize spoke in modern Egyptian Arabic. "Lie still, Elf-Boy... you should not even be alive, so you should do as I say until you are in no more danger."

I chuckled softly, and sat up with just my stomach muscles. "I appreciate you helping me, but I will be fine. Where am I?"

The woman, who I could now see was in her Middle Ages, with deep charcoal eyes and beautiful Teak Skin, smiled. "I see you are Alright, then... you must have Fire in your blood. I thought you had a fever!"

I smiled at her, and pulled out my map, then opened it, asking it the same question.

"Where, oh where, did the God of Power send you?
Who would know, but the Eye Of Horus?"

"You're still angry that I forced coordinates out of you, aren't you?" I asked dryly.

"And who would know, The mind of a God?
That which has mourned the passing of Oceans within the Sands of Time?"

"Yeah yeah, don't be pissy, I was in a hurry. Now where am I?" I sighed, poking the map.

"The Edge Of Nowhere is your destination,
On this path to Desolation."

I blinked, surprised, and looked around. We were now on a boat of some kind, like the one from my vision, complete with the river of fire. "Oh... fuck me."

"Language, child." The Woman purred, and took a step towards me, her skin darkening to the color of ink, while her eyes turned golden.

"Ahh, hello, Lady Bast. Did you enjoy my and Ptah's gift?" I smiled.

She laughed softly. "I did... most thoughtful, child. Your Clan is now my Children, all of them... it is a wonderful feeling, to have children again!" She giggled and hugged me to her chest, then hummed. "But the power that Ptah pushed through you separated your Spirit from your Body... I am trying to return you to your body, but it is not easy."

I blinked, and grinned. "Why didn't you say so? I know how." I focused on making a portal, using her blood (carefully and respectfully extracted,) to draw the Runes. My body fell through the portal, with Athenos and Mum on top of it.

They looked at me, then Bast, and hummed in unison. Athenos spoke first. "Lady Bast, May I ask Where you are taking my son's Spirit? He isn't dead, is he?"

Bast smiled, showing white teeth. "Not at all. He is simply on a Journey with me. His body was to await him in the Mortal Realm, but he summoned it... ah well. He is a Demigod, now, as are you. You can survive the Dead Realm."

I gripped my body (weird thought,) and almost slithered into it, like a snake working itself back into its old Skin, or a Hermit Crab making its way into an old shell.

My spirit was too big for the body, but I crammed myself in, anyway, and found it unbearably uncomfortable, until I let my spirit expand slightly, like an Aura around my mortal form.

Bast smiled. "Very well done, my child! Now send your parents home, so we may continue our adventure."

Athenos raised an eyebrow, and mum placed her hands on her hips. "Now See Here, Bast! You were my father's friend, and so I don't want to be too rude, but I don't like my son being sent off on dangerous adventures without even a By-Your-Leave from me! What field trip is taken without the parent's permission?"