Chapter 11: Land of Unseen Creatures
Teo just behind, Horus bounded through the swaying grasses of the island's center toward the cluster of date palms a short way off. It was the first time he'd led an expedition, and it was with difficulty that he contained his excitement. And yet, on the edge of his awareness, something troubled him. He'd had another bad dream the night before. Perhaps that explained his unease. It was a lingering remnant of his nightmare.
Teo dropped the woven-reed sacks he held and wrapped his hands around the trunk of the largest tree.
Yes, just as honey was Horus' favorite food, dates were Teo's. Chuckling, Horus slung a sack's strap over his shoulder and stepped back, trying to figure out how to reach the fruit.
"Did you know your eyes change when you concentrate?"
"Really? To what?"
Teo pointed to a patch of light blue sky.
Horus shrugged against the feeling of disappointment he didn't understand. "What are they usually?"
"The shade shifts, but they're always some shade of blue. Blue-blue. Amazing. Somehow deep and light at the same time, and they shimmer, like moonlight on water. Sometimes they become brilliant, like the sky during sunrise. They're like nothing I've ever seen, mesmerizing, and they seem—" Teo stopped, cleared his throat, and looked away. "We don't have all day. Are you going to get dates or not?"
Horus studied Teo a moment then bounced on the balls of his feet, crouched, and sprang. Grasping a set of fronds, he swung to a foothold. Dates hung in huge clusters all around just beneath him. He stretched down, keeping one hand locked around a break in the tree, and began to twist them off, one grouping at a time, till the sack bulged.
Teo cheered.
Horus gazed down at the earth. After dropping the sack into Teo's waiting hands, Horus pushed off. The palm's thick fronds smacked against him. "Ouch," he yelped. Quickly reconsidering his decision to jump, he transformed into falcon and glided down, returning to his form just before landing. After all, why jump when he could fly?
Teo, sitting cross-legged, devoured another handful of dates. "Well done, Horus." He flopped onto his back.
Horus grinned. "You're just saying that 'cause I got them for you. Anyway, I'm in charge today, and I'm not finished exploring. Are you coming with me, or are you going to stay here basking in the sun like a fatted..." realizing he didn't have a good comparison, as birds, crocodiles, and scorpions were the only wildlife with which he was particularly familiar, he trailed off.
"Like a sated lion," Teo finished for him and stood. "Where next?"
Horus pointed straight ahead, and they strolled through a stretch of high, variegated grasses and down an easy slope toward a collection of tamarisk trees. Horus listened, but none spoke. Oh, well. Maybe only acacia could.
Nearing a circle of golden grasses, a few tall trees spaced along its border, several dense groupings of dark green shrubs within, Horus stopped. "I don't remember seeing this when I looked around from the top of the palm. Should we go through or around?"
"Your decision."
"Hm. I like this. We go through."
They entered the circle. A smell, sweet and mysteriously familiar, and a sound, higher than the sound of the river but lower than the sound of rain hitting the hut, seemed to suddenly surround them.
Teo's brows twitched. "I smell flowers, but there aren't any here." He inhaled again. "There are other scents, but I don't know—" he stopped, his body tensing. He dropped his sacks and drew his knife from its sheath.
What was happening? Was this circle subject to a spell? If so, was the spell Isis' or Nephthys'? Horus said quietly, "I think it's time for you to take over."
Crouching low, Teo shook his head. "Think fast and decide. Do we go forward or back?"
Maybe this was why Horus had earlier felt uneasy. He'd had a premonition of this place, this moment. He chewed his lip. "We need more information." Bending low, imitating Teo's stance, he led the way, from cover to cover, till they reached the circle's center. The scent of blooms rose stronger. "I don't understand. It's as though we're closed in on all sides by flowers. But where are they?"
Teo held forward his knife, knuckles pale.
"And it's as if whatever's making that noise is right here," Horus continued, whispering, and waved his hand toward a spot of bare earth. Water splashed up, fell across his feet, and disappeared.
Teo jerked Horus back. "Are you alright?"
Horus angled to gaze at the empty space where the splash had materialized. If he waved his hand again, could he make the water reappear?
"Horus." Teo shook him hard. "Your hand, your feet—are you alright?"
"I'm okay. Stop jostling me." Horus gazed at his hand. Though it appeared dry, it felt covered with clinging beads of moisture. He lifted his hand to his nose and sniffed. No scent. So the water wouldn't taste like salt or dirt. What would it taste like? Sweet like from the waterfall? Turning the back of his hand to his mouth, he stuck out his tongue.
Teo grabbed Horus' wrist.
"Hey." Giving Teo a sharp stare, Horus lowered his arm, and Teo let go. "I was only going to taste it."
"Do you think it's a good idea to try to taste water you can't see? Think, Horus."
He straightened in response to Teo's tone. "Well, it wouldn't be for you," he retorted sharply. Surprised at himself, he sucked in his lips. "Sorry. I didn't mean it the way it sounded."
"I know what you meant, and you're right. Now's not the time to discuss it. Assess the situation and place then give me my orders."
Flowers and water. If the scent disguised a poison, they'd have felt its effects. If the water were meant as a weapon, surely it would have burned. There remained only a few spots where someone could hide. Surely an enemy would have already attacked. "Though this place is strange, I think it's safe here. So, um," Horus said, hedging, "we have a look around?"
Jaw clenched, muscles tight, Teo moved off.
If Teo disagreed with the plan, he should have said. Frowning, doubting his decision, Horus went left. Among the grass were several other patches of bare earth. What had caused them? Figuring Teo would instruct him to go around them, he cautiously did. Still, what if they contained a clue to the mystery of the invisible water and flowers?
He hesitated and then stooped to examine a bare patch. Rubbing the golden-flecked black soil between his fingers, he sniffed. Smelled like normal dirt. But what had created its strange coloring?
A rustling sounded through the grasses behind him, shifting his focus. He turned, searching. "Teo?"
"I'm over here," Teo answered, his voice drifting to Horus from ahead and to the right.
Horus leaned but still couldn't see him. "Where?"
The rustling grew louder, and there came to Horus a scent unknown to him.
He and Teo weren't alone.
The scent of flowers, the sound of bubbling water, had they been misdirections, meant to mask other scents and sounds? If so, that would mean someone had laid a trap.
Horus scanned, searching for something to use as a weapon, but he found neither stick nor stone. "Hello?" he called, balancing his weight over his knees.
A parting appeared in the grasses.
No breeze. Horus' breath came hard and shallow, his pulse quickening. He strained his eyes, trying to discern what was moving toward him, closing in fast, but could find nothing. The water and flowers were invisible. What else could be enchanted? A being? Or was this another trick, meant to drive him deeper into the trap?
The scent grew stronger, confirming the grasses' parting was was no illusion. Something was coming. And it was nearly upon him.
Suddenly, the parting halted and held an arm's length away. Was the being sizing him up?
He felt the warmth of a body. Turning out his hands, palms facing forward, he tried to sense something more.
The grasses flattened in an oblong pattern as if some creature had droppe
d to a crouch.
Horus clenched his jaw, pushing away his desire to run. He wouldn't leave Teo alone, and he wouldn't lead the creature to him. No, he had to find a way to keep the creature's attention while he sought the means to overcome this challenge. But what if there was more than one creature? What if another was stalking Teo?
Suddenly, Horus' fears dissolved.
But why? His brows knitted. Was he, like this hidden circle, now under a spell?
He attempted to extend his perceptions, as Nalia had taught. From the being, he sensed not malice but curiosity and excitement. "Huh," he murmured.
Maybe his mother had placed guardians on the island. In the waterfall's recess, he'd encountered a Watcher.
He nodded, satisfied the creature was no threat to him. Could he speak to it, as he had the Watcher? He cleared his mind and tried to connect.
Something the size of Horus' calf inched forward from the form, and he bent his knees, bringing down his weight, to keep from leaping back.
Something warm—sharp at the front, soft and tickling on the sides, rough in the center—touched and rested on his foot. Whatever it was twitched and withdrew. The oblong shape narrowed, the grasses behind it switching back and forth. The grasses nearest him flattened forward.
"Can you understand me? I'm Horus. Who are you?"
Something nearly the size of his hand, wet and rough, scratched across his foot.
Was that a tongue? Was it licking him?
"Horus," Teo called, voice filled with delight. "You have to see this."
Horus backed away from the form. "Bye." He turned his head and called, "I'm coming, Teo."
He sidestepped, and the grass sprang up, the form approaching him.
Something large butted his stomach.
"Oof." He was still a moment before trying again. Sliding his left foot over, he let his body follow and paused. The grass remained still, indicating the creature hadn't moved.
Horus glanced ahead. He told the being, "I'm no threat to you. Stay there." Hoping whatever it was understood, he began walking toward the middle of the circle, the direction from which Teo's voice had come. He looked around. "Teo?"
"Over here." Teo's voice was coming from the center of the circle. But he wasn't there.
Was Teo invisible now, too? Horus ran forward.
The grasses' parting followed beside him.
Was the being chasing him?
The being darted across, crashing into him, flipping forward Horus' body.
He landed hard on his back, the air knocked from him. He gasped a breath. If the creature was some sort of guard, why had it tackled him?
The being lay down and sidled over, its warm, panting form low beside Horus' shoulders, raising up over his chest, and continuing down to his calves. Something as big around as his wrist touched and rested across his feet.
A tail?
Rough-wet scratched across his face.
The creature was licking him again. Was that good or bad?
"Horus? Where are you?"
Teo sounded nearer, but still Horus couldn't see him. "Here, in the land of unseen creatures that may or may not be planning on eating me," he murmured. He took another breath and yelled, "Stay there. I'll come to you."
Teo materialized, running full speed, only a body-length away. His foot slammed into Horus' side. He landed heavily, calves across Horus' chest, abdomen hovering, face pressed against the ground.
Whatever was beside Horus leapt up, and Teo's body fell.
"There was something there," Teo insisted, caught Horus' shoulders, and, eyes wild, dragged him up. "Where'd it go?"
Horus pointed to the flattened grasses a few paces off.
"I can't see it." Teo dropped his weight, centering. "What is it?"
"Not sure. But whatever it is, it has a tail and a tongue."
"You can't see it?"
"Nope. What kind of animal do you think it is?"
"I don't know, but whatever it is, it's big."
"Yeah. I think this place belongs to it. I think we should back away and go." Horus tugged Teo's elbow.
Teo pulled it free. "We can't see it, so it could creep around anywhere. We don't know what it is or what it intends." He tipped up the end of his knife.
"Kill it?" Horus' brows drew down. His chest began to ache. "No."
"It could be one of Seht's company, transfigured. It could be anything."
Horus squared his jaw. "I said no. Now, come on." He took a step back.
"I'm sorry, but I can't take any chances." Teo stepped forward, knife poised.
An image of Teo being torn apart flashed in Horus' mind. "No!" He sprang forward, wresting the knife from Teo's hand.
Teo shoved him, trying to regain possession.
"If you threaten it, it'll destroy you," Horus shouted, knocking him back. He lowered his voice, "I saw it. So stop. Listen, as long as we don't attack it, it's no danger to us. Now, come on. Let's just go."
Feet planted, Teo clenched his teeth. He held out his hand. "Give me the knife."
"No. It's my call. And you need to back away."
"Give me the knife!"
"Back away!" Horus allowed his eyes to flash.
Teo took a step back.
"Right." Horus took a breath. "Now," he said and then took his voice down to its lowest register, "we're going to back off, and you're going to show me what you found."
Together they moved backward. Horus counted ten paces then motioned Teo to turn, and they walked forward. He handed back Teo's knife.
Teo sheathed it. "Over there," he said quietly and pointed to a cone-shaped, silvery-green shrub at the edge of the circle. He led Horus to it, knelt, and stole a glance behind.
A breeze stirred, lifting the shrub's thin branches, and light sifted through to its base. Horus bent forward, peering around the sides of the little trunk. Ring-size orange-red stones, carnelians, formed a perfect circle around it. Surely that wasn't natural. He fingered one up and immediately felt a stinging. He dropped the stone. It lay glinting and out of place. "That's odd. It felt like—"
The stone began to vibrate. It shuddered, tilted up onto its end, and spun, moving side to side, backward and forward. It stopped, dropping flat. The two stones on either side of it jumped up on end, and the one Horus had displaced slid forward across the ground as if pushed by an unseen hand. Reaching its previous spot, it rotated slightly and was still. The two upended stones lowered to lay flat beside it.
Horus turned his querying gaze to Teo.
"Wait."
A burst of light shot up from the center of the shrub and raced around the stones, glowing brighter and brighter till Horus had to avert his eyes. The light dissipated in a flash.
"Wow. I want to see that again." Horus gave Teo a grin and displaced another stone.
Isis' voice, holding annoyance, scratched in Horus' ear, "It's not a game."
Horus ducked his head and sat back. "Right. Fine. Sorry," he answered silently. Irritably, he said to Teo, "I think this belongs to Mother. In any case, she's not happy with me for playing with it." No, she didn't seem happy with him about anything anymore. What did she want from him?
Teo tore his gaze from the grasses behind them and paled.
Horus eyed him. "Why're you scared? It's only Mother."
Trembling, Teo stood. "The fault is mine, O Isis."
"'O Isis'?" Horus rolled his eyes.
Ignoring him, Teo continued, "If there's to be a punishment, let it fall on me."
Horus swatted at Teo's leg. "Sit down. She's not going to punish us."
Isis' voice seemed far off yet near, "Foolishness."
Horus stood. "Stop it, Teo. You're making it worse."
"Let me handle this. Sit down and be quiet," Teo said.
"You sit down," Horus countered and gave Teo a shove.
Their legs were knocked from beneath them.
&n
bsp; Rubbing the fleshy part on which he'd landed, Horus looked at Teo and shook his head. "Told you."
Teo's teeth were clattering together. He clenched them, took a breath, and opened his mouth to speak.
Horus clapped his hand over it. "Quiet, Teo. Anyway, Mother, we didn't know. We'll leave it alone."
"Listen to me," Isis said. "It's not a game."
"It has a purpose?"
"Yes, finally. You should have realized on your own."
Horus crossed his arms. "Like I'm supposed to realize everything else, according to you?"
"You're becoming unpleasant. Are you going to ask me how to use it?"
"Should I bother?" Horus asked aloud.
"I thought you were ready. It seems you're not."
Horus lifted his chin. "Tell me what to do, and I'll do it."
"Ask me."
"Right. How do I—"
"In a more pleasant tone of voice."
Horus tapped his foot against the ground and stopped. "Sorry. Please tell me."
"Say my name."
"Isis," he quickly said aloud and then waited. Nothing happened. "O Isis?" He raised his eyebrows. "O Mighty Isis. O Majestic Isis."
Teo slapped at Horus' arm.
"O Great and Glorious Isis."
"You are a maddening child."
"You said to—oh. There's more to it." He bowed his head. "I'm sorry, Mother."
"Yes, I thought you would be. It seems you have a great deal more to learn concerning the core of Nalia's lessons. But we will confine ourselves for the moment to the matter at hand. Say my name over the stones, breathe it into their circle, then command they open it."
"'It'?"
"Use your abilities and determine the rest."
Determined to prove himself, Horus displaced a stone.
The stone danced a moment and returned to its place, the stones on either side moving to settle next to it. The light returned, again starting as a glow and building as it moved through the carnelians, following their circle. When the light became a brilliant, bright white, Horus fell forward on his hands and intoned, "Isis."
The light became stationary, the whole circle illuminated.
"I, Horus, Son of Isis and Osiris, command you, stones of carnelian my mother has placed, to open...."
The light was twinkling, white, gold, purple, blue.
"To open what?" Horus whispered to Teo.
"No idea," Teo whispered back, gaze fixed to the pulsing, transfigured light.
Horus nudged him. "Come on. What do I say?"
"Maybe instead of 'to open' something just 'to open'."
Something inside Horus agreed. Again he leaned in. Raising the volume but lowering the pitch of his voice, he said, "In the name of my mother, Isis, I command you to open."
* * * * *