Part 3: Best Forgotten

 

  

Anubis, Astarte, Jack, and Trace walked up to the house.  Astarte was pulling several almost-tree-size logs on a huge tarp while the others had laid their smaller logs across two wheelbarrows to move them.  Astarte had bulked up her muscles for the task.  She was amused at the shocked looks on the faces of the others.  She left the logs in the yard and walked over to the tray of sandwiches, taking the last one.  She watched their expressions from the corner of her eye.  “I wish I’d had a bigger tarp.  I could’ve brought back several more trees.  Maybe I should have also carried a few.”  She casually brushed past everyone, taking Mia’s arm and guiding her into the kitchen.  “I will help you make more food.”  She heard Sage’s incredulous exclamation behind her.

 

“No way!  No way could she have carried more!”

 

Gilgamesh put on his most serious face.  “Never underestimate Astarte.  She can make the impossible seem easy.”

 

Once in the kitchen, Astarte laughed out loud.  “Pulling those logs just about killed me!  I’m not as strong as I used to be.  But don’t tell them that.  It would ruin my reputation.  As we speak, Gilgamesh is probably telling them some outlandish story of my youth.”

 

Mia chuckled, shaking her head.  “You guys are terrible.”  Then she sat down at the table with a sigh.

 

“What’s wrong, Mia?”

 

“I’m worried about Sekhmet.  I think he’s preparing for battle.”

 

Anubis walked into the kitchen.  “Am I interrupting anything?”

 

“No.  Just chatting.”

 

Anubis looked confused.  “Am I mistaken or did I see Sekhmet leaving as we came out of the woods?  I only caught a glimpse before he disappeared.”

 

“He was here.”

 

“How odd.  He didn’t stay long then?”

 

“Only for a few minutes.  It was strange.  He wanted to talk to Kayura.  They went around the building and I saw a flash of light.  She used the Staff.  What for, I don’t know--she blocked me from sensing anything.  Then he just left as abruptly as he came.”  Mia got a faraway look in her eyes.  “Something bad is coming.  No…it’s already here.  He knows what it is.  He wants to stop it.”  She blinked and looked around.  “That’s all I can sense for now.  There are too many variables in the air right now.  As time passes, more will become clear.”

 

“And what does Kayura say about it?”

 

“She’s obviously worried, but she says Sekhmet wanted privacy.  She didn’t probe too deeply.”

 

Anubis walked out of the house, heading in the direction he’d seen Sekhmet go.

 

Astarte turned to Mia.  “Something else is bothering you.”

 

“Yes.  It’s about Uli.”

 

“You are upset he was unable to come this weekend?”

“Not really.  There’ll be other weekends and he needs to spend more time with his parents.  His dad’s been at an archeological dig in western Asia for several weeks now.  Uli and his mom went there to be with him this week.  Uli seemed so excited about seeing his dad and spending time looking at some ancient artifacts they’ve unearthed.  But there’s something wrong.  I can feel it!  I just don’t know what it is.  I hate this power I have sometimes—sensing snippets of things and not knowing what they mean.  They might get in a plane wreck!  Or for all I know, it could be something as stupid as them all catching the flu.  And since I don’t really know what it is…there’s nothing I can do but wait.”

 

“Then I shall wait and worry with you.”  Astarte put the bread and meat on the table so the two of them could make sandwiches and talk.

 

**********

 

Sekhmet fell to his knees by the lake and threw up in the grass.  He retched several times before the queasiness left him.  He crawled over to the water to take a sip, his rippled reflection staring back at him.  Who was he anymore?  He had been the first person Talpa took to be one of his Dark Warlords.  Sekhmet had served him for so long that he often couldn’t remember his life before.  It was like some strange dream.  But the increased activity of his father’s cursed people had begun to trigger scattered, insubstantial memories.  With the Staff’s help, they had become clearer and more real.  Now he wished he could forget them again.  Sekhmet took off his cloak and shirt and stepped into the lake.  He furiously splashed water onto himself as if he could somehow wash away the images in his mind.  He looked down at his chest, tracing the strange symbols and words cut and burned into his skin.  For a moment he could almost smell his flesh burning.

 

“Sekhmet!  Are you alright?”

 

Sekhmet turned to see Anubis walking towards him.  He quickly went back to the shore and threw his shirt on.  “I’m fine.”

 

“Whatever is troubling you, let us help.  We will fight by your side.”

 

“This is something I must do alone.  I cannot ask the others.  It is too personal.  Leave it at that.”  Sekhmet picked up his cloak and walked away. 

 

Just before Sekhmet had put on his shirt, Anubis thought he’d seen…What had he seen?