The Demigods

CHAPTER4: Training

The Egyptian pantheon sucks. A lot. I thought as I lay on the cool red mud ground, sore, bruised and battered my  wooden staff lay on the ground beside me, "get up" said Seth his voice was harsh and his golden brown eyes held disdain, I glared at him, as I struggled to get up on my feet, i was soaked in sweat while Seth hadn't even broken into sweat, "cut him some slack he's new" said a girl my age she had coffee colored skin and honey eyes her snow white hair was done In three braids, Seth turned to glare at her, "mind your business" he hissed as he turned back to me, his staff in his hand he twirled it and then lunged for me so fast I barely had time to block his strike, the force of the impact made me stumble, before I could regain my balance he used his staff to sweep me off my feet and I landed on the ground. Again. He brought down his staff aiming for my throat but I sloppy blocked the attack with my own staff, my hands wobbled as I tried to push back his staff, "stop!" Said the same girl as she marched up to us, the rest of the young demigod of the Egyptian pantheon were silent, as Seth and the girl engaged in a death glare match, "are you trying to kill him?" The girl asked "no I'm trying to teach him how to survive, Choine" Seth replied, as Choine glared at home "well your method of survival will get him killed before they kill him" she said "if he does during training then he's weak, and they would've killed him earlier" said Seth, I frowned who were they talking about, Choine glared at him, before she turned to face the other demigods "training is over you can leave" she said. Choine stretched out her hand to help me up, Seth had stormed out, so it was only two of us left "what were you and Seth talking about?" I asked "this haven is protected my a barriers made by sorcerers of every pantheon, the barriers are guarded by the warrior demigods of every pantheon, but then even though the barriers are strong even stronger forces lie beyond that barrier" she began "twenty years ago some demigods discovered through a scroll that there was an orb in an ancient temple an orb that could make them as powerful as a god, when they told the order, the order disagreed but demigods decided to go find the orb" she continued "did they find it?" I asked, Choine shook her head "no they haven't, they're still looking for the map, they say it's been scattered all across Africa" she said "anyways, they've murdered many of our men trying to find it" she said as she led me to the cabins, "agree they powerful?" I asked "very, they broke through our barriers a couple of years ago that's when they murdered most of our warriors, including my father" she said, "I'm so sorry" I said, "it's okay" she said as I opened the door to my cabin, it consisted of a simple bed, a wooden shelf and a bathroom, "so when do I get to go home?" I asked, Choine pursed her lips "I think you should stay here for a while learn a little magic, time slows down here so too much time wouldn't have passed back in your world" she said, as I nodded in agreement.
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After taking a long shower and changing into the clothes laid out for me I joined the other demigods in the greet dining hall, "Demelovo!" Keyshia called as she waved me over, Aaliyah was seated next to her, she gave me a city nod, as I took the seat beside Keyshia "so what are we waiting for?" I asked "the hunters they usually bring back wild meat that the women cook" Amare explained as he sat down beside me. A loud noise piercing hunting horn echoed through the entire hall, "they're back" she said. Thirty minutes later steaming bowls of different African food were placed in front of us, as Fela raced towards our table plopping down beside Amare, he piled his plate with food and started wolfing it down "You're hungry" said Aaliyah "today was tiring" he said through his mouthful of food spraying bits of food on Aaliyah who glared at him unamused "anyways I hear you had staff training today how was it?" Amare asked "terrible, the guy in charge Seth he's a class A douchebag" I replied "told you so" said Keyshia the rest of dinner was finished with light chatter and went to bed.
The next morning at breakfast I met up with the others, Fela still looked sleepy and Keyshia was jumping around as usual, "hey Aaliyah" said an unfamiliar guy as he say down next to her grabbing some cornbread, Aaliyah turned pink "hey Jawara!" Said Keyshia "nice to see you Keyshia and what's up with Fela?" Jawara asked frowning at Fela "he's still sleepy anyways meet Domelvo he's new" said Keyshia, "nice to meet you I'm Jawara descendant of Rock-sens from the pantheon of Gambia" he said as I shook his hand "um, I'm Domelvo from the Egyptian pantheon and I'm a descendant of Isis" I said "that's cool" he said and returned to eating his bread, "so um who's Rock-sens?" I asked "well he's kind of the creator god and God of weather where I'm from" Jawara explained, "people descended from Rock-sens can control weather which is why crops grow anytime in the year" said Aaliyah I frowned did Aaliyah just compliment someone? She was staring at Jawara a dreamy look on her face I frowned "anyways I've got to go I have to take care of some crops then head over for training see you guys later" he said as he got up "bye Jawara" Aaliyah called after him, he smiled at her and she blushed, I frowned "um, Aaliyah" I said "what?" She asked "do you like Jawara?" I asked in a low whisper, she gasped "how'd you know?"she asked "it was pretty obvious" I said "do you think Fela and Keyshia know?" She asked as we glanced at them, Fela and Keyshia were stuffing their faces with cornbread probably having an eating contest "I highly doubt that" I replied "yeah you're right" she said "but please don't tell anyone" she begged "sure"I said.

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Luckily i wasn't having physical Training instead o was seated in a huge library a piece of yellow parched paper in front of me and a quill. Our instructor a woman named Ameera, she handed us huge dusty books that were apparently ancient spell books and a lump of clay which she said we would fashion into Shabti statutes that would carry out simple instructions. I watched as she brought out what looked like a stamp, she called us all up to the front and instructed us to stick out our hands, I watched as she pressed the stamp looking thing on our hands and tongues and yes it looked as painful as it sounded, I stretched out my hand like she instructed and she pressed the stamp thingy on my hand, I hissed as it burned my skin leaving behind and engraved image of a woman with a throne one her head cown horns, with wings on her back, I opened my mouth and stuck out my tongue letting her do the same for it, I took a mental note to not eat hot food today. After she finished placing the seals on us, she began the lesson, "Egyptian magic is done using hierogliphics, to Egyptians actions don't  necessarily speak louder than words in fact they are one in the same" she began, "hierogliphics are actions and words, words have power hence we shall be sticking to simple spells for now" she said, as she placed another quill In from of us, she showed us how to draw the hierogliphics for 'break' and the Egyptian word for break, "now as you draw the hierogliphics and say the words imagine the quill in front of you breaking," she said, I muttered the word under my breath as I drew the hierogliphics I imagined the quill breaking and it did that and every other quill available in the library, which meant the ones in the drawers where  Ameera had gotten out quills from and some demigods quill at least the ones who hadn't broken theirs yet Ameera stared at me and I squirmed in my seat this was going to be a long day.