Apophasis the Destroyer slithered down the wormholes and tunnels of the Under Dark, with Petra riding his father's back.
"Your jeweled throne is in sight. I see it coming into view as the wormholes give way to your palace," said the fevered Petar.
"I will digest my small meal, and revel in my victory upon my stronghold, upon my citadel. Here are the diamonds, jewels, silver and gold coins, fallen kings and queens crowns and tiaras, and hundreds upon hundreds of treasures that will buy Hathor's favors, and buy our new kingdom in the light of the Upper World. We have waited for this day, and planned this for so long, and now all comes to fruition within the hour. Then we return to the surface, to claim our victory."
Louis and Digger heard all that was said, as each word echoed down the serpent's throat, for they were most fortunate that Apophasis had forgotten to induce venom into them, before he swallowed them whole, a costly mistake.
"Digger is you still with me?"
"Why yes Louis, just a little smelly and slimy as you are, but I am still whole."
"We were most fortunate that he did not bite us, and only gulped us down, otherwise your plan, and mine would have come to a quick ending."
"True Louis, now we must think swiftly, and act quickly before the juices of his stomach begin their...their..."
"Do not speak of it Digger..."
"Can you get your hands free Louis?"
"No Digger I cannot, it is just too tight in here. We need to move down into the lower chamber of his stomach, where I can think more clearly. Can you irritate his stomach, to have him ingest us lower into the main area, above his intestines?"
"Easily done, I do have very large and powerful feet, do not forget."
Digger crawled out of Louis's shirt, sliding down his body, all the while pressing against the inner lining of the stomach wall. Finding a larger opening at the feet of Louis, Digger extended his two furry oversized feet, and began to pound on Apophasis' enormous stomach with great passion.
The mammoth serpent immediately coughed deeply, sending a bottomless groaning sound down his far-reaching throat, which immediately emanated into the stomach, shaking the tender stomach wall with great force.
"Hold on Louis, I think it is working" called out Digger from below.
"What is wrong father?" asked Petar.
"My meal is not cooperating with me...too boney and furry...I guess."
Apophasis rolled over to his left side upon the vast pile of golden coins as he swallowed once more, to wash out his throat.
"That did it Louis...we are free."
Both Louis and the rabbit dropped into a lower anti-chamber, and now could stand up.
"It is too black in here Digger. I cannot see a thing."
"Louis you forget, I am a rabbit, I have unrivaled eyesight. I can see in the dark where you cannot. I told you before that I could see in the Under Dark and would guide you, and I will," said Digger as he tried to clean some of his fur "now how do we get out of here, get Mehan's Golden Heart, the Book of Aka Manah and get back to the surface, to save the world?"
"Well the first part of our plan worked, we found the quickest way down into the Neither World, by hitching a ride inside of this great beast, and we fulfilled the prophesies and writings of the Good Book, which was very important. Now I must think...I must think," said Louis and he started to rub his stomach.
"Well while you are thinking Louis, I have a small gift for you."
"Not now Digger, we have other things more important to think about, like how to get out of this foul belly, before we are digested."
Digger pulled out a large pink diamond shoving it quickly into Louis's lower front pocket of his pants.
"I know we are busy right now, and it is a tight squeeze so to speak. I did not mean to be funny but I have given you a small token of my thanks, for you did forgive me for my horrible behavior earlier. You can thank me later for the gift.
"That is not important now. I will tell you later what it is. Now what's this...?" asked a worried Digger, as a multitude of different fluids, began to pool at his feet.
Digger started to roll to the left and then the right, as the serpent began to fill his stomach with a slimy, foul smelling liquid.
"Well don't forget about that gift now, like I said someday you might need it, but you better think fast Louis, because I think our good fortunes, if you can call them that, are about to run out. He calls in his digestive juices, to hasten the digestion of his meal...us..."
"You're really scaring me Digger..."
"I speak the truth Louis, quickly now..."
Digger rolled back to the left, stabbing his toenails into the stomach lining, which irritated the great snake once again. Apophasis rolled back to the right.
Louis rubbed his stomach once again, as he screamed out in delight.
"Molly...Molly...you're a genius. Always loved you and always will!!"
"What are you screaming about Louis...what is it?"
"This snake needs an attitude adjustment!" blurted out Louis as he once again rubbed his stomach "we need to get it mad at us, and it will rid us from our watery tomb.
Molly once changed my attitude at the watering hole when I was with Chug and Tessie Whitman. Molly punched me so hard in the stomach that I changed my attitude on the spot from sad to mad, now that is what we must do to this disgusting snake. PUNCH HIM IN THE STOMACH!!"
"That sounds good to me Louis!"
Digger looked at Louis then sent a mighty kick into a side stomach wall. Louis tightened up his fist and in turn, punched the serpent as hard as he could. The great snake immediately coiled up his stomach in pain.
"What is it father, more stomach pains?"
The black serpent sat up, opening his enormous mouth. He tightened his stomach muscles then spit up as he rose to his full height, sending Louis and Digger flying outwards and upwards. They both landed at the far side of vast cavern, into the black waters of a nearby stream, right next to a small Bodhi Tree, covered in blueberries.
Shaking off the dark waters, Louis turned to look at a wild-eyed, and cheered up Digger.
"Nice plan Louis" said the wry little rabbit.
"Now where is that evil book and golden heart?" asked Louis.
Apophasis did not realize that he had coughed out the little rabbit, and Louis. He rolled over once again, onto his ill-gotten bounty then, gently closed his eyes to sleep.
Petar was already lost in a world of his own, eyeing the boundless jewels below his feet. He was counting coins, rubbing jewels and adding their perceived value in his head, it was all so overwhelming for the thief and slayer.
Digger looked over the spellbinding blueberries hanging from the thorny tree, his mouth watered, as his mind raced with evil thoughts again.
"Digger you cannot partake of the berries again or we are finished. You will return under the spell of the berries, and the draw of the Under Dark then you will turn me in to your old master again, as before. Be strong Digger."
Digger's resolve and willpower was weakening as he reached for a juicy blueberry. Taking one in his hand, he looked back at Louis. He opened his mouth as his tongue began to quiver.
"The evil powers are calling to me Louis. They are taking my mind...help...me Louis...help...me..."
Louis reared up on one leg, made a fist with his left hand, punching Digger as hard as he could in the stomach. This sent Digger back under the black waters, sending the blueberry flying from his hand.
"Now you as well are mad as heck, it's an attitude adjustment Digger. Now we have much work to do."
Digger sat up in the water, shook his fur dry around the head, flipped his ears back and forth, "Thanks Louis, but did you have to punch me so hard?"
Both smiled as Louis turned to look back at the now sleeping serpent.
"Under that cauldron there lies Meh
an's Golden Heart, the one by his head, to the left there. That one..." pointed out Digger, raising one finger towards the sleeping giant "and the Book of Aka Manah under that large pot over there, where Petar scrounges about inside of his madness".
Louis sat stoically for a moment, thinking about his next move. He reached into his pants pockets, turning them inside out. Out popped his pocketknife, his slingshot, the white flower of the Bodhi Tree (that once held him captive) and a small ball of a smelly substance that Louis did not recognize as first. He raised the black tar ball up to his nose and smelled it.
"Short-Stack...my hero...."
"What is it Louis...?"
"It's some of Short-Stack's heat balm."
"Gosh...that smells terrible Louis..."
"Let's get to the other side of the cave, in front of the serpent's nose. I've got an idea how to get that golden heart and book," said Louis as a bright light went on inside of his head.
Digger and Louis with great stealth made their way around to the other side of the massive cave. Petar growing ever weary from the day's events reclined down next to his father and as well, closed his eyes to sleep for a few moments.
"What are we doing over here Louis? If Apophasis wakes and opens his eyes, we are right in the line of sight, we might spotted. He must believe we are dead, remember he did not see us fall into the black waters of the stream."
"We have no choice now, we only have about a half hour, and we must get to the surface to speak for the last time with Hathor. We need that golden heart to bribe her, and that evil book, to prevent this from happening again. The Neither Word dark lords cannot rise up again without that book. We know this as a fact."
Louis grabbed a small amount of the heat balm, rolling it into a tightly wrapped ball. He placed the little pellet into the leather patch of his slingshot. Digger's eyes widened as Louis shot hit its mark, dead center into the nose of Apophasis the Destroyer. The serpent shook his massive head as the horrible smell of the heat balm permeated his nostrils. Still sleeping, he sneezed loudly then rolled over, away from the golden cauldron, and its prized bounty.
"Nice shot Louis."
"You know how many times I had to shoot Mitch the Bulldog, so he would stop chasing me around the neighborhood? I guess I learned how to use this thing. I knew it would come in handy again someday...and today was that day..."
"Now let this little burglar, ply his trade" said Digger as he bounded skillfully away from Louis down onto the pile of treasure.
Quietly he hopped and scuttled across the piles of gleaming coins and jewels. Removing the heavy golden pot was difficult for the little rabbit. Peering below there it lay, the most prized possession of the Under Dark: Mehan's Golden Heart.
Digger sat for a moment admiring the workmanship of its maker. It was about eight inches in diameter and twelve inches long, encrusted with diamonds and rubies, and as heavy as a small cannon ball. Digger had trouble as he tried to cup it in both hands. It was so awkward and hard to hold. He looked up at Louis who was looking around the large rock that was his hiding place. Digger dropped the golden heart back down onto the pile of golden coins then motioned for Louis to come to his aid.
Without thinking for even a moment, Louis scampered away from the rock, being sure to walk gingerly over the uneven and unsteady coins, and gold below his feet. Digger was quick thinking. He hopped to the other side of the pile of treasure, trying to expose the evil Book of Aka Manah.
He waived again at Louis.
Louis delved into the first pile of coins, moving the pot just enough, then lifted the golden heart out with one hand. He quickly and quietly made for Digger. Reaching into the pile of jewels, he lifted out the evil book.
Both little burglars' eyes met; smiles crossed their faces.
Both turning quickly to go, misfortune struck once more.
Digger accidently kicked a large silver goblet, sending it crashing down the large mound of jewels. The great snake sluggishly opened one searching eye, then another.
"The jig is up Digger!" yelled out Louis as he placed both book and the golden heart under his arms, securing them tightly.
"Are you two ghosts?" coyly asked the serpent as he started to rise up to his full height once again.
"No but we are going to be in matter of seconds" proudly proclaimed Digger "follow me Louis!"
Digger hopped on the back of Apophasis, motioning for Louis to follow, and as the great beast raised higher his head, it crashed into the top of the vast cave's earthen roof. Digger flew off the head feet first, grabbing onto the earthen ceiling with both hands and feet. Moving as quickly as possible Digger began to dig through the roof. As the hole opened in front of digger, Louis sprinted up the scaly back of the great snake. Making an almighty leap as Digger had, Louis landed squarely in the center of the rabbit hole, spreading both feet out against the walls for support.
"Dig, Digger...dig...faster...faster...!!"
Both Louis and Digger quickly disappeared out of the dim light of the Under Dark. Apophasis slammed his massive head into the ceiling again, which sent gravel and dirt showering down upon him.
"Petar, wake up you idiot they have escaped!" shouted out the black serpent "and they have my golden heart and the Book of Aka Manah..."
"Father...it cannot be, you ate them whole...I saw it for myself..."
"Never mind that now, they are tricksters and thieves, and they are heading for the surface, into the daylight, we must stop them..." yelled out the enraged snake.
Peter the Terrible vaulted onto his fathers' back once again as Apophasis, with all his might turned towards, his wormhole that lead to the surface.
"We must beat them to the surface. If Hathor awaits them and we are not there first, they will offer my golden heart and the sacred book along with their other bribes, the blue light will pass, and our demise will be at hand."
Behind two great scales, Petar the Serpent Rider dug in with his feet, as Apophasis shot up the dark tunnel, just as fast as his mammoth body would move.
"Faster Digger, dig straight up...we have done it...we have done it...!"
The earth shook as the black serpent slithered up the worn pathway. He bellowed out loudly at his defeat.