In a World without God

Chapter 33

Growling, Kadesh glared at Taharka. Drool dripped from his elongated teeth, and his face showed no sign of humanity.

"Just wait a little longer, child," Taharka said. His voice was low and gentle. He looked like a grandfather caressing his grandchild's hair.

"I wish to forget my name, I wish to forget my existence, I wish to cross the fence that separates homes, I wish to cross the sea that divides islands, and I wish to give you what I have."

Then a white glowing crest appeared on Taharka's body and enveloped his entire body.

"Great Abramelin. Forgive my defiance in the pursuit of providence.."

A glowing crest also appeared on Kadesh's face where it touched Taharka's hand, and it too extended to his entire body as if a vine was growing out of his body.

"Uh... how is this...."

Kurzina muttered. Hathor looked frozen as well. He understood what Taharka was doing now.

Kadesh howled as he twisted and turned, in each twist, black sand from his body came crashing to the ground. With each spillage of sand, the cries changed from an animal cry to a human voice. Kadesh's twisted body began to return to normal. His forelimbs became hands, his knees detached from his hips, and his fangs became shorter. Soon, Kadeshi was standing upright on two legs.

"Bosha!"

Taharka shouted. The scattered ashes on the floor gathered and turned into a butterfly. At the same time, Taharka shouted, Edulis's sword clashed with a brick, creating a spark that lit up the dark crypt. The sword, covered in white magick, sliced the butterfly's body in two.

It was finished. With that, all the butterflies that had emerged from the black orb were gone.

"Ka... Kadesh?"

"You're not dead, are you?"

The children cautiously approached Kadesh. Kadesh was lying on the ground with a calm face.

"He's alive! His heart is beating!"

One of the children shouted, and Kurzina turned to Hathor.

"Father, how could you do this? Kidnapping is a felony! This is so far outside of Lutea's will, and you must be held accountable."

"Zina... I had no choice as the head of the household. Can't you at least understand?"

"How many more times are you going to disappoint me?"

By then, Edulis was glaring into Taharka's face. Taharka looked at Kadesh and muttered softly.

"Thank goodness."

***

"Take off your robes, Taharka."

Only Edulis and Taharka remained in the main office. Kurzina had left to confer with the adults of the household about the kidnapped children, Hathor's situation, and the repair of the building, which had been stripped of its floors.

"Are you going to laugh at my ugly molten bones?"

"Cut the crap."

"Well, I have nothing to hide..."

Taharka removed his robe, revealing a blackened half-body. The one-armed, one-eyed Taharka had been poisoned with the witch's poison. Only the threads of Uthu's robe prevented the poison from spreading...

"I see."

A line creased Edulis's smooth forehead. Taharka's condition was worse than before. Like the spread of mold in the rainy season, the black spots were eating away at Taharka's body beyond the area that Uthu had sealed with thread.