another strange story

even more! :)




“you know the Egyptian mythology? Well, it’s true. Anubis says most mythology is. This place … its called the Twenty-First Nome. Here magicians train. We also keep an eye on the magic in the area. We’re probably descended of the gods, you and me. When that happens its called ‘blood of pharaohs’. Anubis can tell you more. He’s-oh, there he is.” I heard the distant opening of a door. If Inu hadn’t pointed it out or stopped talking I probably wouldn’t’ve noticed it. Inu got up and we headed downstairs. When I reached the bottom of the stair I walked right into Inu-I hadn’t realized she’d stopped, I was so busy staring at the boy by the desk. It was Michel. I don’t mean this guy looked like Michel-I have a photographic memory [Percy says my memory isn’t actually photographic, its like a painted portrait but I don’t care] and this guy was Michel. Same face, complexion, everything.
“HOLY CHEESE PUFFS!” [Percy also says I make up the oddest swears. I suppose he’s right.]
Immediately a small triangular stuffy thing raced down the stairs, ran up to me and... Hit me on the forehead with its curled antenna? It jumped up, squealed, and nodded its head, hitting me on the forehead gently. I bent over and picked it up.
The creature was bright pink and triangular in shape. It had stubby little arms, a bunny tail, short legs, freckles and huge eyes. It also had an antenna twice as long as its body, not counting the curled bit at the end. Its eyes were enormous and round and it had a wide little mouth that somehow made it even more adorable [Percy says its ridiculous looking, I’m such a girl] it squealed in a friendly sort of way, folded its antenna into my hands and snuggled up against it chirping “its so cute!” I said beaming.
“She is a spirit of randomness. Her name is Prunella. If you say something random, she hits you on the forehead with her antenna. Quite similar to the spirits of Chaos, though randomness is less … focused on war. Randomness is more about hilarity.”
I looked up at Anubis? Michel? “Are you … are you Michel or Anubis?”
A flicker of a smile passed across his lips. “Both I suppose. Did Inu explain about the gods’ hosts?” very confused, I shook my head. “Ah. Well, the gods cannot exist on the earth without an anchor, something to keep them from going into the Duat, as magicians use magic to keep them connected with the earth. You could call it possessing; however it is not true possession. In true possession, the possessed gets no benefits. It’s more of a symbiotic relationship, where the human gives the god creativity as the god gives the mortal power and experience. Usually the mortal or god takes over almost completely; however there have been, on rare occasions times when god and mortal see eye and eye, a perfect union.
“The Egyptians believed their kings were gods. Archeologists think this was mere propaganda, but in fact many times it was actually true-the pharaohs often hosted Horus or Isis.”
“You mean the gods are actually real?” I was skeptical at first-of course I was. “Are the other gods real to? Or just Egyptian?”
Anubis gestured at the patio. “Let’s sit down,” He suggested.
When we were all seated (except Inu, who went back to reading in the entrance room) Anubis said, “Now, you’re wondering a few things.” he didn’t pose it as a question. He knew it was true.
“Yes.” I responded.
“The Twelve Olympians are real to. They however do not need hosts. Only the Fates know why. Perhaps because they also have their Roman forms, where as Egyptians are rather stubborn and refuse to change.”
“Inu said she and I are probably descended from the gods.”
“Osiris happened to be the first pharaoh of Egypt. All the dynasties of Egypt are related to the gods some how. That’s one claim we have that the Greeks don’t.” he added smugly. I heard a splash in the pool, and looked over to see a white thing on the surface of the water.
“What ..?”
“Oh don’t worry. Phillip is quite harmless.” He said this with a completely straight face.
“You have a white crocodile named Phillip?”
“Phillip of Macedonia, yes.” I stared at him. “Anyway, that is not the point. You have more questions, yes?”
“What about magicians? Are they blood of pharaohs to?”
Anubis smiled and tipped his hand from side to side. “Sometimes. We are a bit rebellious here at the Twenty-First Nome. Desjardins despises the both the gods and their descendents. Most of the magicians who are blood of pharaohs are descended from younger sons sent off to become priests, so they’re very rare as most siblings of pharaohs became advisers.”
“Ok .. Thoth said something about me not being who I appear to be.”
Anubis sat back. “I hate prophecies.” He said.
I looked at him confused. “What do you mean ‘I hate prophecies’?”
Anubis sighed. “You know Seth, god of destruction?”-I nodded-“well, he’s never been happy with his corner of the world. Last year he made a bid for the throne. Isis and Horus stopped him, but something worse is stirring-the Serpent. Ages ago, there was a prophecy that-well, I’ll tell it to you.
‘When three nations of gods come together,
Seth will rise as Apophis stirs,
The iron dagger chaos shall bring;
And gladiator’s sword be found.’ ”
“What does that have to do with me?” I was even more confused now than I was before. [Shut up Percy, I know my virtual buds constantly refer to me as the confused type.] I mean, what does this have to do with the new girl in a school in Brooklyn? But Anubis explained.
“We haven’t had much luck recruiting blood of pharaohs. Inu and two siblings, Sarah and Kane are all the Twenty-First Nome has so far. Sarah and Kane are in Egypt, searching for an initiate of the First Nome, Rivka David. Apollo says the next three magicians the twenty-first nome takes in will be different. Special.” He pronounced ‘david’ the Israeli way, which is ‘duh-veed’.
“How did you know where to find me? And what about the djed?” I asked.
“We keep tabs on those who we think might be blood of pharaohs. Nut is an, ah, good friend of Zeus. He allowed us to use one of his Satyrs to keep and eye on you.” I remembered a friend of mine, back in DC, Piper, who nibbled on soda cans, had think, dark, curly hair and knew a ton about Greek mythology. I frowned. “I thought Nut was forbidden from seeing those she, um, liked. Like her husband, Geb.” I was puzzled. Nut was the goddess of the sky who’d been punished by Rah, who said she couldn’t have any kids. Too late, her husband, Geb had already gotten her pregnant. Thoth made five more days that he added to the end of the year out of moonlight (which is why the moon waxes and wanes) on which she gave birth to Nepthys, Isis, Osiris, Seth and one other who I always forget. Anyway, so as her punishment for giving birth Rah separated her from her husband.
Anubis smiled. “What Rah doesn’t know since he’s retreated to the heavens won’t hurt him. Besides, I hear Nut has come up with a way of not getting pregnant. The djed was a kind of gift from Sarah and Kane. You have read Rick Riordon’s book the Red Pyramid?”
I nodded. “That’s the book about those siblings Sadie and Carter, right?”
“Correct. Their names were changed, however. Another favor Zeus granted us. Rick Riordon is the scribe at Camp Half-Blood.”
“but,-now don’t get me wrong here, Piper’s awesome-you cant afford to send a satyr after every blood of pharaohs there is out there, right?”
Anubis sat forward. “Ah. Yes, you are right. This is the reason we chose you to have a satyr. You are not just any blood of pharaohs. Your father was descended from Yosef, an adviser in pharaoh __’s court. Your mother on the other hand... She was a goddess.”
What? That made no sense. First he says the gods are real, and then he says G-d is real, and then he goes back to the gods again?! “Wait a minute,” I said pointing at him. “First you say the gods are real, and now you’re telling me G-d is real? Pick one, mister. I don’t know about you, but where I come from, people pick a religion and stick to it.” I put some edge into my voice. A little more than I meant to.
Anubis held up his hands. “I’m sorry. I did not mean to confuse you. We don’t know for sure that G-d is real, however there is considerably proof that the gods exist. We really mustn’t deal with the metasophical. That is for Djahuti and Athena to discuss. It is true; however that Yosef was an adviser of the pharaoh. Whether or not he interpreted dreams from G-d is up for debate.
“Ziva, your mother is Layla, Oquazinian goddess of Pearls and the Night.”














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“How old are ya cupcake?”
I didn’t know what to say. So I didn’t answer.
“Gladiator I asked you a question. You would do well to answer me.” Brutus growled. His whip hand twitched, threateningly and his voice rose.
“I-I don’t know sir.” I managed to stammer. I glanced behind me, but Octavius was gone. Coward.
“Another amnesiac, eh? Just what do you think you’re looking at boy?” Brutus prowled around me like a leopard, so I couldn’t keep and eye on his whip all the time. “Your little protectors gone now. You’re the hands of the gods now.” He grinned crookedly revealing gapping teeth. “And mine. You look to be early thirteen, maybe fourteen. Too bad, that. Good thing we’re in California. Nobody investigates a summer camp out in the mountains, huh? Never suspect we might be runnin’ an illegal fighting force for teens. If you’re an amnesiac then you certainly don’t remember your name. I’ll call you Theseus-maybe the name will give you some courage.” There was the loud sound of laughing and I realized the other kids were watching us.
“Now cupcakes! Let’s get back to work! Jordan get Theseus a sword.”
Jordan nodded nervously and ran to get a wooden sword from a shelf at the back. He ran back to Brutus, shaking. Brutus looked at the sword for a moment then said, “How do you expect this boy to get any blows on his enemy with a sword like that? He could barely lift it! Get him something his size!” this went on and on until Jordan finally managed to please Brutus. Almost immediately he made me partner up with a large, dark boy for the swordfighting. “High! Mid! Low! High! Mid! Low!” the cries resumed and I learned there was a rhythm. The dark boy would hit, depending on the cry, and I would try to block it. If I failed-guess what! I got a whack on the head from a wooden sword.
It felt like days but I was sure it was really only an hour or so later Brutus led us inside for “dinner.”
As I sat on the bench I stared at what they called food in front of me-barley porridge and corn bread. The cornbread was stale and the porridge course and lumpy.
“Eat up boys!” cried Brutus. “You get ash for dessert!” I stared at him. “You’re kidding.” I said flatly.
He gave that crooked grin again. “You’re not.” I corrected myself at the look on his face. “You won’t get much else to eat gladiator.” He growled.
I gulped and ate the stuff. It tasted as disgusting as it looked. The ash afterward cought in my throat and nearly choked me. Then we went back to training, this time with staffs.
And so it went. On and on, every day. We practiced with staffs, gladii, or straight swords, scilii or curved swords, sword and shield, trident. We practiced in armor and out of armor. Eventually came the day when I chose what kind of gladiator I would train as from now on. There was Thracian, who fought with sword and shield-but they wore a lot of padding on their legs. I couild become a Retarius, and fight with a net and trident. Brutus had the armor and wooden weapons out for us to look at, figure out what we wanted to train as. Secutor? No. they could barely see with the helmet they wore. An Andabatus? Then I could fight on horseback. But, no. I’d rather have to clean out the stables of firebreathing horses without anything to keep me from roasting than charge blindly. Essedarius? I didn’t think I could control a horse drawn chariot while trying to kill. A Samnite? The crest on the helm would prove a huge disadvantage in a fight. Not a Velitus. I wasn’t going to charge into battle without any armor and armed only with a spear. Certainly not a Dimachaerious. I couldn’t fight with two swords. It would be like giving my opponent a free weapon.
And then I saw it. Its helmet allowed clear vision but still protected my head sufficiently. I would be carrying two of my best weapons: a short one-handed sword and a medium sized shield.
I would become a Myrmillio.