Official RP Thread: The Evolutionist's Stone (9)

[Celadon's Penultimate]

==Setting==
Cairo

==Dramatis Personæ==

[Celadon's Penultimate]

==Cairo, Egypt==

Collin and friends, however, would have a different problem than their counterparts in Canada, as far as warmth was concerned. Whereas Duke’s crew couldn’t get enough, Collin’s gang had too much of the stuff. It was nearly night, and so the sun didn’t beam directly on them, but every building was an insulator for residual heat. The air conditioners were for paying customers only, and the humidity of the streets made even the occasional breeze seem dreadful.

Johnny sighed and took his shirt off. Jeremy wiped sweat from his brow, and pulled out a water bottle from Travis’ backpack. Collin inhaled and exhaled patiently; his botanical physiology would take in the heat, but the humidity bothered his still-human constitutions. Travis panted like a dog and fumbled through his backpack for water. Philip held his nose to shield it from the stink of everyone sweating. Only Devon spoke.

“Where is this hotel, anyway?” came his complaint.

“Not far. In fact”, Philip looked ahead, eyes brightening, “We’re here. The Oasis Hotel.”

The others looked at Philip with accusation in their eyes. Hopefully the place was not a misnomer.

Fortunately, it turned out not to be. It was a sandy-colored place, tiled with smooth tan marble, and lively with full-looking plant life, real and plastic. Various indigenous stone types were carved to make authentic-looking Egyptian reliefs, colored to make decorative hieroglyphs. There was a bluish-greenish pool filled with lovely exotic fish, which extended into a thin river that ran out to the pool area. Collin paid for their rooms, and the group headed upstairs to get unpacked. Johnny headed into the bathroom first for a shower, and Philip turned on the TV. It was on an American news station.

“Hello, from Cairo, Egypt. I’m Rowena Singleton, and we are airing live at the estate of the new Egyptian Overlady. She calls herself Ufar the Undaunted, and in no uncertain terms, she has lived up to her title. She took the throne considerably faster than even the late American Overlord Caleb Trelaine, and is turning things around at a rate that can only be explained as…amazing. The first superhuman to be seen in Egypt since her predecessor ordered their systematic extermination, she seems to have taken to her place on the throne like a duck to water. Oh! Here come some of her agents to speak on her behalf.”

Two normals (one Arab, one African; each well-built) stepped forward to the podium that had been set up at the bottom of the stairway to the Overlady’s estate. The two were clothed…like Ancient Egyptians. Headdresses, golden collars crossing their shoulders and chests, golden manacles, white-linen tunics and sandals were all they wore, and the African carried with him two scrolls.

“Are these guys for real?” Devon chuckled. Philip shushed him as the first scroll was unrolled. The African began to read.

“To all the people of the world, salutations from our beloved Pharaoh, Ufar the Undaunted, crown jewel of the universe, perfect avatar of divinity, immaculate princess of the ancient ways and unrivaled incarnation of Set, the desolate one. We have word from our Mistress, to brighten the hearts of her loving subjects, and to terrify all who oppose her.”

“Her humility is so becoming.” Philip scoffed.

“Wait, did he say that she was the incarn—?”

Philip shushed Collin as the African closed his scroll, and the Arab opened his, “Our Lady has received word from her seers, and signs from her sorcerers. Soon she expects others like her to arrive in Egypt. She expects other powerful beings, with capabilities miraculous as hers. Others divinely reincarnated as she. Who, she does not know by a face, or by a voice, but when she perceives their divine nature, she will know them, and take them in as her brothers.”

Devon turned the broadcast off, as the newswoman resumed her report, so he and his teammates could let it all sink in. It seemed almost divine providence. Aside from Ufar herself, who claimed to be a deity incarnate, they were among the only supers in all of Egypt. Her sorcerers and seers were, likely, the only other supers she knew, if they really WERE supers, and not just skilled diviners. It was too perfect.

Philip grinned, “Are you guys thinking what I’m thinking?”

“I don’t know…” Jeremy chuckled, “You thinking how awesome I’d look masquerading as an Egyptian god incarnate?”

Johnny came out of the bathroom in a towel, mostly dry, and had absolutely no idea why his teammates were grinning.

[Celadon's Penultimate]

==Cairo==

Ufar the Undaunted sat regally upon her Pharaoh-style throne, as two handsome male subjects fanned her with large feathery fans, and two female servants knelt at either side of her throne, awaiting her any wish. A golden goddess in her demeanor, she was perfectly comfortable in her surroundings. No amount of discomfort or shyness in her. She was convinced that this life was meant for her. She mentally mused to herself, when a black Mau cat, one of many she allowed to roam freely about the palace, jumped onto her lap, and she smiled, with pleasant surprise.

It was an omen. From her sorcerer's signs, the next time a cat jumped onto her lap would signify the day her divine guests were to arrive. She petted the cat affectionately, and smiled to herself. At last her plans were coming together, she thought. At this rate, the world would be hers in no time. She wondered what these other divinities would look like. She wondered which of the pantheon had even been reincarnated. These things kept her entertained in a pleasant suspense.

Her pleasant suspense, however, would be interrupted. A young scribe, an Arab boy of about 15, tripped over his own feet two or three times as he ambled up to the Egyptian Queen's side.

"Mistress Ufar!" He cried out, eyes wide, trying his best to still maintain composure, "The divine ones! They've arrived! They-they've arrived!"

Ufar leaned forward in her throne with a smile. That was fast. With a smile still on her face, she returned to a calmer demeanor, and motioned for them to enter. They were preceded by two African women in Egyptian garb.

"Presenting", the first began, "the divine ones. Shining masters of the universe, the last remnants of the perfect race that begat Ufar the Undaunted in all her divinity."

The second one began, and the arrivals entered in the order they were announced, "First, one born as an American. He began a mortal life as Jeremy Hart, but is realized now as Sobek, the master of the waters."

Into the room stepped Jeremy, styled out entirely in Egyptian garb. His face was fallen from his normal jovial demeanor, into a handsome seriousness.

"And next", the announcer continued, "his friend, whose mortal life had him named as Philip Xaver. Now, he is known to be the venerable god of wisdom and knowledge, Thoth. With him, his companion, Travis Lawler; he is now the fearful Ammut, the Devourer of Souls..."

The Egyptians marveled at Philip's stately manner he strode into the room. At his side, Travis, on all fours, on a leash like Vicious, and lashing his tongue about like the fearsome monster he was supposed to be. As the two took their place beside Jeremy, the three of them did not take their eyes off of Ufar, who remained...undaunted.

"And now", the announcer took her eyes off of the two, "comes a young man formerly known as Devon Lee; now, we shall know him as...Sekhmet, frightful master of war."

The Egyptians grew uneased; Sekhmet's reputation preceded him. They looked at one another in awe as fifty perfect copies of Devon filed in, faces militarily cold, warlike.

"After him, my Queen", the announcer stammered, "is the lord of mummification, embalming, and the afterlife, Anubis. As a mortal, he was Johnny Long."

Johnny made his way down the aisle at a deliberate and stoic stride, looking to either side of him with grim menace. He phased through the crowd of Devons to take his place beside Jeremy, Philip, and Lick.

"And lastly", the announcers began to speak together, "The venerable lord of the sky, whose might is rivaled only by her majesty Ufar...his name in mortality was Collin Fieldman. He is now Horus."

At last, the Egyptians could hold themselves upright no more. They fell to their knees like they did to Ufar as he walked past them, and glorified him like their ancestors did in the times of old. Having seen them all finally, Ufar took this chance to make herself acquainted. She stood from her throne, and her attendants dared not look up from the ground as she descended the steps from her seat, and approached Jeremy, who took his place at the head of his friends.

She smiled faintly now, at the Americans decked out in total Egyptian garb, gleaming as she in the evening light. They certainly didn't LOOK American. They gave no hint of being afraid of her, and yet betrayed no disrespect. They were stone-faced, except for the wild-eyed Travis, still lashing his tongue about, and darting his eyes side to side voraciously.

She came face to face at last with Collin, who she would know as Horus. She looked him over, and he returned the favor, with a mischievous grin tugging at the corners of his mouth. The two were nearly nose to nose, and the court waited in suspense...

She spoke, "I feel as though I have known you all my days. Tell me, Horus, do you feel the same about me?"

Collin looked at her, and put his arm around her, pulling her face close to his; he let his plant pheromones work for him, and answered with a calm, seductive, minty-sweet breath, "I feel so much for you, Set...I remember you faintly, but I know it is there...our bond is no weaker now than it was centuries ago."

She inhaled deeply, savoring Collin's jasmine-rose aroma, and turned to the others, hot under the collar, "And these...they wish to reign with us?"

Collin pulled her yet closer, like a long lost lover, and smelled the sweet femininity that perfumed her neck, "If you will have us, we will reign alongside you. But only if you want me..."

"I do want you..." Ufar gasped sharply, enjoying Collin's artful acting thoroughly, "I want you...to reign with me. These, my brothers...and you, my lover. Rule with me."

[Celadon's Penultimate]

==Cairo==

Noon, the day after their arrival, found the leader of the supers, Collin, in a sandy pit, fighting stance at the ready, bracing to take on Ufar the Undaunted. The pit, a circular forty-foot-by-forty-foot depression dug ten-feet-deep into the courtyard, was surrounded by the uproar of Ufar's servants, some of whom leaned against the rails to get as close as possible to the action. Collin's teammates would recline imperially, at a reasonable distance, trying to contain their excitement as spectators to the coming event.

Set (Ufar) would take on her eternal rival Horus (Collin) for no true reason other than Ufar being bored, and no true prize could be won from the event, aside from satisfying Ufar's competitive nature. And so, when the sun had reached the middle of the sky, they would begin. The two circled the pit, not taking their eyes off of one another. To the onlookers, it was a battle; but between the two of them, it was a dance, an erotic dance. Nothing made a warrior hotter than finding a mate who can hold their own. And so, naturally, Ufar would await her sparring partner to make the first move.

Collin's power made it an easy task. Coursing through his body, since the dawn had arrived, was the raw power of the sun. Solar energy, photosynthesized expertly through cells which mimicked the functions of plant chloroplasts, was converted into physical strength on his part. In fact, all of his physical capabilities had increased. And so, with that in mind, he leaped ten feet into the air, and came down with a powerful double fist pounds, just missing Ufar.

As she dodged the blow, a pillar of sand arose from the floor of the pit, and lashed out to grab Collin. It condensed until it was stronger than a hand, and yanked him up like a ragdoll. The crowd was a mix of cheers and boos as Collin went hurtling into the wall of the pit. As he pulled himself up from the indent he left in the wall, he looked around for something to use, anything. Just one sprig of weeds would do. Otherwise his powers would require close contact to affect Ufar, and he didn't see him getting close enough to land a blow anytime soon.

Collin just barely dodged as another pillar of sand crashed to the floor from across the arena. His mind put out an APB, calling out to any plant that would hear him. But Ufar would not cease her assault. She was determined to win. And so, as Collin probed the pit for some sprout of life, some patch of vegetation to warp into a weed-whacking nightmare, he would have to dodge her sandy advances.

A tendril of sand caught him by the leg, and he wrenched himself free, quickly recovering damage, thanks to the sun's empowering him, but still, if all he could do was recover from Ufar's blows, this battle would do him no good.

Ufar's face curled into a feline grin, "What is the matter, Har-Wer? Have you grown tired of our old games?"

Collin blinked a second, but then remembered, with a smirk, the mythology he'd been studying since they'd arrived; Ufar was enjoying the rivalry they had supposedly shared for centuries, "Set, you forget...I always won."

Ufar scoffed, pulling up a tide of sand to propel herself toward Collin. Just in time, Collin discovered a lovely shoot of some species he'd forgotten the name of. This would have to do. Ufar surfed in on the wave, to bury him in desert sand, only to have her assault abruptly interrupted by a volley of thorns launched from a naturally thorn-less weed. The Egyptian Overlady backflipped out of the way of the barrage, and the sand she was riding broke her fall, turning now into a slide, for her to descent back into the fray. NOW things were getting interesting.

She stuck her landing, and the sand planted her firmly into the ground, before she resumed the assault. With expert movements, the sands formed into a thick, spiraling tendril. Rearing up like a cobra at first, she quickly sent it out to grab Collin. With renewed confidence, he decided now would be the time to put his ingenuity to work. The young shoot of vegetation grew yet larger, from one long, hateful vine, to a large tangle of vines, braiding themselves together at Collin's inclination to make for a much more sinister attack.

By the time Ufar had built up enough sand for another wave, it would be too late for her to do any more damage. Every sandy attack she sent at him now would be easily riposted by a long green arm. Even if she formed the sand into glass to cut the impending volleys, the vines that were cut would simply land and begin to ingrain themselves and grow as well. The main plant had grown so large, it was nearly a tree trunk of itself, covered in thorns and thick roots.

At last, Ufar looked about in annoyance, to see that Collin had covered three-fourths of the pit with weeds, of varying size and species. Some wriggled about, while others slithered along the sands like snakes. And still others avoided her notice, digging through the sands along a route guided subliminally by Collin's thoughts...

Ufar reached her hand forth to direct another attack at Collin, only to have her wrist grabbed by a powerful green vine, thick as a rope. Others would pop up, soon after that, grabbing her other wrist, and both her ankles. The four simultaneously snatched her up, twenty feet into the air, and she looked down to see that the centerpiece of Collin's vegetative fortress, was a gigantic plant...with jaws!

In horror, the Egyptian Overlady gasped, and her servants felt her same dismay. Would she be sacrificed to this horrid aberration of nature to show the world that her rival was superior? As though reading her thoughts, her servants rushed down into the pit, weapons at the ready, as Ufar tossed helplessly in the grasp of the vines.

Though, their fears would quickly be put to rest. The humongous Venus' Flytrap shut its jaws at Collin's beckoning, and soon its composition began to shift, until it changed yet again, from a Venus' Flytrap into a huge lotus. The vines lowered, weakening their grip, until the Overlady was close enough to set gently down on the ground. When she got her bearings, she turned around, only to be greeted by the sight of Collin smiling, his arms akimbo.

Collin's teammates made their way down into the pit, and when they had come to his side, he crossed his arms, satisfied. What's more, his scent was now that of catnip, so the palace cats couldn't resist rubbing up against him and purring. Surrounded by the cats, who had once granted her that same favor, Ufar was gobsmacked, at a loss for words...

"Good game." Collin said, picking up a dark gray Mau with a smile, "We should do it again some time."

[Celadon's Penultimate]

==Cairo==

Ufar looked out of her room, onto the rest of Egypt. It was a lovely sight. The sands, the oases, the dusky cities. The cats. And now a handsome white Egyptian reclining, nearly naked, on a satin couch across from her. Horus always was a beautiful being to look upon.

Collin returned Ufar's lustful gaze, eying every inch of her from head to toe. Despite her being an oppressor to every living being in Egypt since the time she took the throne, and overall a delusional nutcase, she was still sexy as hell. Her skin golden bronze, her hair perfect, her face curled into a mischievous feline grin, and curves in all the right places.

What's more, their plan to overthrow her DID include gaining her trust. And how better to get her trust than...getting to know her? Surely that applied to the Biblical sense of the word, as well...He waved away the lovely maidens that fanned him and hand-fed him. He clapped to the doormen, and gestured them to leave. Ufar sat up, still smiling faintly, but not quite knowing what to do yet. She patted the bed, and a cat jumped up beside her.

"Horus...what is on your mind? I can see a look on your face, and it tells me you are up to something." Ufar stroked the cat slowly, and it purred. Collin chuckled; it reminded him of what he had in mind...

Collin began took off his sandals, and the golden manacles, and the gold collar.

He walked up to just in front of the bed where Ufar lay, with only his diaphanous tunic to cover his otherwise-naked behind, and looked at Ufar a second more. It was surreal; almost like he and his teammates had been thrust back in time, and he was about to make love to Cleopatra herself. What's more, he only had to show it to her with that mischievous look in his eye, and Ufar would be all over him...how many guys could say that?

With that thought in mind, he put forth his hand without a word. Ufar took it, still smiling, and stepped off the bed. Collin embraced her deeply, his scent changed to the musk of a pine tree, and kissed her affectionately, putting his hands on her ample behind. The Overlady gasped at the gesture, but found it pleasurable, and put her hands around his broad shoulders.

He was so powerful, she thought; could feel the very passionate heat of the sunlight in his skin...his kiss was sweet as lotus. His hair was soft as she ran her hands through it. His muscles were so well-defined...everywhere. Even the sweat that made his divine body glisten in the light of the setting sun had a heady scent she couldn't get enough of.

He deeply inhaled her feminine perfume, kissing her neck and shoulders, with the occasional playful nibble. The two fell on the bed together like long-lost lovers, scaring the poor cat out of the room, and kissed passionately. The breeze of the Egyptian night was cool against their skin, but that did nothing to decrease the heat between the sovereign and the American pretender.

Collin turned, and got on top of Ufar, but with a smile, she flipped him on his back, and mounted his lap. She didn't know how they did things in America, but this was HER palace. None of that ego-stroking stuff here; she was on top until further notice.

And in a few seconds, Collin would be perfectly okay with that...

[Celadon's Penultimate]

==Cairo==

The team had been given their own rooms in the Overlady's palace, but they spent a good deal of their time in the common room she had set aside for them.

"Am I the only one enjoying the fact that we can have baklava and anything else we like for breakfast?" Johnny chuckled, stuffing his face with kebabs, "Tell me I'm not the only one enjoying this..."

"Certainly not." Travis grinned, lashing out his tongue to snatch a kebab off of Johnny's plate. Devon snatched another while Johnny reached to grab Lick's tongue, and Johnny menaced him playfully.

Jeremy levitated a cup of juice to his hand, and sipped, "Screw that. Living with Ufar, we're DIVINE. She thinks we're gods, and the population thinks we're gods. And anybody who tries to say we're not is an automatic enemy to the throne. This is gonna make our job that much easier."

"And all's we gotta do is fake English accents." Collin chuckled, relieved to get back to his Alabama slang, "Oh. And keep our voices down when we talk normal."

His teammates raised their cups. Amen to that.

"Then again..." Philip smiled, "I suppose it's all worth it for you...Horus. What with being Ufar's personal male concubine and all."

Collin chuckled, a glint of pride in his eye, and Johnny piped up, "Yeah, I've been waiting for her to call ME into her room at three-something in the morning for some sexy time..."

"Must not be into Asian guys." Devon scoffed, "I see the way she looks at Jeremy, Collin and Philip--even Travis, with that damn freaky tongue--but she hasn't given me that look even once."

"Yeah, that must be it. Can't be anything to do with your immaturity, lack of etiquette and manners, and assorted other weird mannerisms." Phil jokingly supposed.

"Meh...details, details." Devon chuckled.

And with that, they would spend the rest of their time, before Ufar beckoned to him yet again, talking about the resistance back in Chicago, and the friends and fun times they had made there. And their plans for how to get rid of Ufar. And their plans for after she was gone.

At the door, her most trusted priest, Aziz, would listen at her door, in horror, for the entire discussion.

[Celadon's Penultimate]

==Cairo==

When they had finished their private discussion of affairs in Egypt, Collin and his comrades went to their separate rooms for their servants to bathe, clothe and feed them. Nothing felt better on their skin than Egyptian cotton...

Then they would meet Ufar in the courtyard; she had promised a lovely surprise for them, and knowing her, it could be anything. She had already lavished on them numerous servants, various assorted gifts and presents, and promises of much better things to come...And so when they arrived in the company of the courtyard attendants, they were all puzzled to see that their surprise would at least start with a team of chariots.

The others admired the beautiful steeds, and their powerful drivers. It all looked so...regal. Only Philip was unimpressed. His senses were far too acute for the outside.

Philip grimaced, muttering under his breath, "Mother of hell, the smell of horses is unbearable. And the sun shining off of the gold and brass and bronze everything is torture on my eyes!"

Travis waved Philip off nonchalantly, "Whatever, killjoy, I call dibs on the fastest one."

Jeremy turned away, with a smile, from some female servants admiring him and Johnny, "Say, um...Ufar, where is the race track, anyhow? I wanted to take this one out for a drive."

Ufar let her servants finish suiting her up before she spoke again, "Oh, you may ride in whichever chariot you choose. But...we're not going to any race."

Devon backed a half-step away from the horse of his choosing, "Really? That's too bad. But, well...what did you want to bring us out here for?"

Ufar smirked; Sekhmet's wit had obviously faded with the passing of the ages, she thought as she walked up to the divine impostor, putting a hand sweetly on his cheek, "My dear Sekhmet. We are going to see the progress of our legacy on the Mortal Plane."

The supers raised curious eyebrows simultaneously. Ufar continued with a cheerful smile.

"I want to see the progress of the slaves on our pyramids."

[Celadon's Penultimate]

==Cairo==

Returning to the palace common room was a greater relief today that any other day previous. Today had been taxing on them for reasons beyond explanation. One could only have seen it in person to know the depth of what they felt.

Philip caught the scent of it first, while the others were still trying only to IMAGINE the horrors they would find. The Pyramids being built in their honor were populated with numerous races, genders, sizes, shapes, creeds and nationalities. The stench of sweat and dirt and blood drawn from backs by whips permeated deeply into the air. The shrieks of beaten slaves, the sadistic joy of taskmasters serving their gods through their violence, the awful crack of the whip would all undoubtedly ring in the deepest, saddest corners of his mind forever. They had been taken for numerous reasons. And the cruel irony was that he would have to watch it all, under the mocking guise of Thoth, god of wisdom and intellect, the husband of Ma'at, a deity of justice, truth and fairness.

And Devon couldn't in good conscience, allow the slaves to work with only mistreatment to look forward to. So, he ducked away when no one was looking, replicated, and had his dupes slather mud and river water on themselves. For as long as he could muster, he would help out, with his dupes posing as slaves. When one fell, they pretended to be a stronger, healthier slave coming along to help their old mother or aunt or brother or grandfather back up. When one was thirsty, he would take their place, allowing them to sneak off for a drink. When something was too heavy, he would lend a few of himself to help lighten the load. It was sobering work.

Though, as Ammut, Travis would have a worse time of things. He was called up to the bodies of those who had died or been killed in the course of their work. The taskmasters and their charges would be honored to bear witness as Travis would give a judgment about the life that awaited after this. Would they be among the blessed or the damned? Lick wanted to be realistic in his depiction, hard and uncaring...but how could he even PRETEND he would think to banish them to some hellish netherworld, after seeing them end out their days in the hands of these monsters? When asked why every of those judged had been allowed entrance into blessedness, he responded sourly, "Do not question me! The Devourer is feeling lenient today..."

Fortunately for Johnny, his services as Anubis would not be required. No, instead, he would employ himself helping the slaves as he could. No one of the supers DARED oppose the treatment of the people outright, but it didn't mean he couldn't push along with the slaves, if he so chose. He would turn them and their block intangible without their knowing, and then bid them push the block a little further, until it and they were inside the unfinished pyramid. When inside, before they even got the chance to marvel, or wonder how it happened, they were standing outside of the place where their stone needed to be placed. Phase Teleportation had saved them a good thirty minutes.

And as Sobek, Jeremy adamantly demanded that the slaves be given water. When some taskmasters protested, he got all pompous and angry that somebody dared defy him and question his judgment. How dare they deliver to him stinking and tired and unhappy slaves? Had they no sense of good decorum? He would do well to smack them into the Nile with the crocodiles and see how THEY liked being mistreated by a more powerful being. And so, little by little, groups would be ordered to stop working for fifteen minutes every few hours, to drink, to have water hydrokinetically showered on them by Jeremy, who was more than happy to see at least some relief for them throughout the day. And when he left, they were to be watered that way from then on.

But, indeed, of all of the supers, Collin, who was Horus, had the worst time. He tried, for a few hours, to help some of the slaves, with his sun-enhanced strength. But when Ufar caught sight of him, just before his fourth hour, she was outraged. She stopped the menservants that carried her aloft on their shoulders, on a mobile bed, and pointed down to the servants like the condescending goddess she believed herself to be. She rebuked them with such malice, for their laziness, and their daring to ask one of the crown sovereigns of existence to abase himself to working alongside them, that she was almost visibly shaking in her rage. The servants tried to explain, as did Collin, but she would hear nothing of it.

There was no way to punish them severely enough, other than to have them killed. Whipped to death. Production had ceased for all to bear witness to the event. For everyone to know these 'insolent vermin'. And to know the one who would stand by silent, as they were swiftly, unrelentingly exterminated. The one who was the very reason their fate had befallen them. For his kindness, they would meet a most cruel end.

No, the bath the supers would take tonight would not be NEARLY enough to wash away the events of the day. The stench of the slaves' oppression, the taskmasters' pride in their apparent superiority and the smug austerity of the one who commanded them...it simply wouldn't wash away. Not until Ufar, and her regime, was gone, for good.

And after today? It would be so much easier now...

[Celadon's Penultimate]

==Cairo==

The next morning couldn't come soon enough. The night previous had been filled with nightmares of the modern day thrust into ancient times. Being mummified alive and sealed in a sarcophagus, being trampled by chariots, being among those enslaved to build their own monuments. Sphinxes and various other statues come to life, mummies risen from the dead to terrorize the masses, sandstorms raving hatefully about, and they, the gods, helpless to do anything about it. So many terrible visions, so many hateful sights, not a one of them got more than two or three hours of sleep.

And when Johnny finally awoke from his sleep with a shout, they finally accepted that trying to get back to sleep would be futile.

"AAAAAAUUGGGHH!!!" he cried out, snapping the others wide awake in shared terror; Collin fell out of bed in a heap.

"What the hell's goin' on?!" Collin looked around frantically, barely able to orient himself from sleep, "What's happenin'?!"

He and the others looked around in a panic, only to realize that Johnny was the one who had awoken them. But none could blame him. He had been horrified right out of sleep, and the others shared his sentiments. With that, they quickly got together their bearings. Today would be the day they began their plan.

"Oh, Aziz?" Philip called out to Ufar's most trusted high priest, causing him to jump; he hated being caught spying.

"Er, um, yes, Lord Thoth?" The weasly priest tried to answer as calmly as he could.

"Aziz?" Philip grinned deviously, "May we have a word with you?"

[Celadon's Penultimate]

==Cairo==

The talk with Aziz had been most productive. He was asked about his past, his history with Ufar, how he had advised her, how he planned to advise each of them. And slowly, they worked their way from the petty details of his childhood, adolescence and early adulthood to what he had planned for the future of Egypt itself.

The craggy middle-aged Aziz cracked the knuckles of his gnarled fingers with a growing insidious smile. He stroked his gray-streaked black beard, which had been tied up ancient-style, and proceeded with barely-repressed delight.

"Oh, it shall be glorious." He began, in a voice that reminded the supers of Scar from The Lion King, "Ufar has been suppressing the people of this land for a while. They attempt, in small bursts, to defy her, but she has done rather well to keep them in check. However, she is not at her peak. In order to reach her true potential, she must taste firsthand the sweet savor of victory. And I have the perfect target for the goddess's first assault."

Devon was almost afraid to ask.

"Um...where did you have in mind?" He tried to hide the waver in his voice, and only barely succeeded.

[Celadon's Penultimate]

Aziz grinned, "Libya, O Leonine Lord of War. It is prime targeting. You see, there is held a colony of Christians and Jews allowed to live there, by that arrogant ignoramus Mustafa. He dares call himself an Overlord--above Sekhmet, Thoth, Ammut, Anubis, Sobek and HORUS!-- and he thinks Our Lady Set to be mad, but we will show him who is the fool. And in the process, we will show him the power of the true gods. Not to mention, you will show the Mistress your allegiance, and your place in this dynasty will be sealed for all time."

This conversation went on another ten minutes with scattered questions and commentary, ideas and feedback, until Aziz had given them all they had needed to hear. With that, he gave departing words of encouragement,wishing the best to his highnesses. They returned his well-wishes and, shortly, he was gone.

That settled it. If they were going to take  down this Overlady...they would have to take him down first... And Collin had the perfect plan.

[Celadon's Penultimate]

==Cairo==

Collin sighed deeply, and sat back on the Common Room bed, with Philip and Lick at either side of him.

"So, have you decided how to do it yet?" Jeremy asked, from the adjacent table.

"I'm thinkin'." Collin answered, "This ain't gonna be easy, if we wanna do it right. We can't just outright do it; she's got too many followers. Not to mention, there's all the rulers in the surroundin' lands. For sure, they don't think we're gods, and they'll try to muscle in on Egypt."

"Yeah", Philip, "And Fitz did recommend we choose the next ruler for ourselves. Use our best judgment, he said."

Jeremy nodded in agreement. But, with that little detail decided, there arose another problem. Johnny gladly pointed it out.

"So...we need info on the surrounding territories, and any other place potentially interested in this land?"

Collin sighed again, "Um...yeah, pretty much. And from what I seen around here, we won't be gettin' our intel from no internet. Much as I hate to say it, we're gonna have to do some travelin'."

[Celadon's Penultimate]

==Cairo==

Since no electronics were allowed in Ufar's palace, Philip made absolutely certain he slept near an open window the night previous; as soon as the sun had fully risen the next morning, the rays hit his super-sensitive eyes and jolted him out of his sleep, just as good as any alarm clock. He went to wake the others, and they hurried to clean up and dress for the day. There was absolutely no time to spare.

It would not be long before the great wooden litters had been prepared. The heavy, ornately-adorned contraptions would normally be borne on the backs of the servants, for the rulers to be carted about for as long as they pleased. But the supers' destination called for great endurance, stamina that ordinary men could not provide (and unfortunately, ordinary men were the only men they had to work with). Beasts of burden would undoubtedly be more favorable.

Shortly after the transports were set up, and travel itinerary preparations were underway, Ufar was disturbed from her sleep, and had made her way out into the front palace courtyard. Held aloft on her personal carrying chair by an Ethiopian, an Egyptian and two Kenyans, she looked down at the travel preparations being made, and was more than a little confused.

"Brothers?" She blinked, "What are you up to? I thought that the assault on Libya was not due for a while. That is what Aziz told me."

The supers turned away from their transports, and Collin looked to Jeremy, who had thus far proven himself to be the best at lying to Ufar with a straight face.

"Set", Jeremy began, "Certainly, you don't think we'll just stride in and deal a fatal blow to these people. Not all of the gods are present, and our powers can only extend so far."

Ufar began to rebut, but Jeremy put up a hand thoughtfully, "Think about it."

And she did. They were gods, she knew that much; but even the gods had been dismembered before. Granted, it was she who had done the dismembering in the past, but who was to say that the same could not be done to her? If a god could be reincarnated with no memory of his past divine glory, and live for years, thinking himself to be a lowly mortal, then certainly anything was possible.

She sighed, and her voice relented from suspicious demanding to reluctant compliance, "Alright, then, brother. What have you got in mind?"

"We shall go ahead as emissary parties, to Libya, Israel and Sudan", Jeremy answered, "We shall soothe them with our words, until they believe that we have come as allies. They will lend us their trust and their full support. And finally, when we have gained the complete and total trust of the foolish despot in power, we will strike like cobras, to put an end to an unjust reign."

Ufar's eyes lit up, and she smiled with wicked glee, "Absolutely excellent... And all I have to do is remain here on the throne? You don't need me to come along?"

"NO!" Devon blurted, causing the others to look back at him with that "Shut up" look on their faces.

"No need", Jeremy insisted, "We'll have all the surrounding lands covered."

Ufar mulled it over suspiciously, and then looked back to Philip, "And, Thoth...you agree with this decision?"

"I insist on it, sister." Philip assured. And that was good enough for Ufar. The god of intelligence and wisdom had spoken.

"...All right, then", Ufar sighed, "I...I trust your judgment, brother. And...I wish you all well."

The supers acknowledged her pleasantly, and then mounted their transports. Before long, they were off the palace estate, down the road, and on their way, with their retinues in tow. And when they were out of her sight range, Ufar retreated back inside her palace, none the wiser about just what foolish despot Jeremy was really talking about deposing.

[Celadon's Penultimate]

==Cairo==

After Horus and his band had departed from Set's presence, the Egyptian Overlady made her way back inside. She stepped down from the carrying chair, when she reached the inside of her palace, and headed down the hall, with two female attendants behind her. These and the other servants were silent as she made her way down the corridor, almost ceremonial, like a bride down the isle.

She reached the door to the inner sanctuary, and acknowledged the handsome servants at either door. One was Egyptian, the other from Ethiopia.

"You will speak to the gods?" the Egyptian asked, his face humble.

"I will speak to what gods have yet to appear in the Material world."

"Yes, Mistress." The Ethiopian nodded.

And the two servants reached for the doors, pulling them open for Set to see. Entering this place gave Set great delight. The room glinted on all sides with the sparkle of golden worth. There were cat statues of varying sizes, made of gold, ivory and ebony; piles of gold coins, necklaces, bracelets, plates, plaques, and many other items and artifacts. Hieroglyphs were etched into the sandstone walls, depicting Egyptian myths, conveniently interchanging Set's name with Ufar's.

It was the only place Ufar knew she could speak to her divine brethren. She loosened her robes, and they fell to her ankles, revealing golden bindings only across her breasts and her pelvis. She approached the center of the room, and crouched down, kneeling on hand and knee, before the wall that had inscribed all the names and pictures of the gods.

"Brothers? Sisters?" Ufar called out, "Hear my call! I come before the last of you, to seek out the remainder of my army! Answer me! I beckon to you! Answer me!"

There was silence. Ufar grew discouraged, and then saddened, and then angry. She spoke again to the wall's inscriptions.

"Speak to me! Answer me now, or you will have no place when my new kingdom is established! I will reign only with those who assist in the task! None will be given my charity! Answer Set, or find yourself in my contempt, which blazes like the desert sun!"

Silence again. No response came from the lifeless, uninspired material possessions. No Ra touched the gold, no Osiris spoke through the idols, no Isis gave life to those lifeless things. Ufar found herself more distraught than ever. Nearly frantic. She was nearly to tears, and felt a new rage building inside her, when...finally. A voice.

And not just any voice. They were some of the voices she had so long awaited hearing.

I hear you, my sister. It called, beckoned to her from the lifeless stone, and Ufar was dumbstruck. I sense you, perceive you, know you...as I have known you all my days.

[Celadon's Penultimate]

"Sister!"

Indeed. The voice replied from the wall, vaguely feline. I am your kin, and the daughter of Horus. It is I, Bast, the sister of Sekhmet.

And I am called Isis, sister.  Proclaimed a beautiful voice from the wall. Come to rule at your side.

And I am Osiris, sister. Called a stately male voice from the wall. I humbly await your word.

And I am Nephthys. Came still another voice.

And I am Hathor.

And I am Nephthys.

And I am Khepri.

And I am Heqet.

Ufar simply couldn't fathom such depths of joy as that which she felt right now. Her tears of anger turned into tears of laughter and amazement. She had finally done it! Made contact with the other side; something that ridiculous Overlord of Libya had scoffed at her for trying to do! Yes, they had called her mad, said she was insane; but she knew better! She knew better than to give up on the power of deities!

No silly mortal could understand this feeling, she was sure; no human could know this ecstasy, this rapture! No, they were far beneath her, she knew it for a fact, now. They would never know this sort of joy, and never know this sort of strength, and never know this sort of victory, and never know this sort of perfection!

This rush of voices, of Apophis and Nefertem, and Min and Aker and so many other, their voices were powerful beyond measure. Their wisdom, beyond mortal years. Their beauty, revealed only to her worthy eyes, surpassing all earthly beauty! Even Ptah the master of Creation, and Meskhenet the mistress of birth and the soul, and Nut and Geb, the respective female Sky and male Earth, each clad in radiant, transcendent beauty! And when finally she heard the booming, rushing voice of Nu, the primordial one, who the Greeks had named Chaos, she could stand no more.

There came a loud, blood-curdling cry from the sanctuary, and the guards rushed in to see what was the matter. They would only see a limp Ufar, slumped on the floor, writhing around in some strange spiritual and sexual rapture. She caressed her body, moaned and sighed, tingled all over with sourceless pleasure. The two helped her to her feet, and she took to fondling them lustfully.

"I...I simply don't know what to do...." She managed a smile through her self-intoxicated daze, as she pulled the Egyptian's face to hers, and kissed him deeply, "This...this feeling...do you know what it is like to feel the caress of a god? Of many gods?"

The Egyptian pulled himself away, wary of what whim the Overlady's state might bring, "N-n-no, Mistress..."

"Then come to bed with me. The both of you. Even invite other guards in your ranks. I shall show you what knowledge my kin have given me. And then, the two of you will be much wiser, and I will be able to sleep..."

[Celadon's Penultimate]

==Cairo==

With their early start, Collin and the rest of his team were making good time on their trip to Libya. Even better, the weather was cooperating rather nicely; there wasn't a cloud in the sky, except enough to cool the sun down when it started getting too hot.

"Is this great or what?" Collin called over to Jeremy with a grin, as he reclined on his carrying chair with his hands behind his head, "Looks like everything's goin' way better'n we planned!"

"It definitely is!" Jeremy laughed, "The enemy will never see it comin'!"

"I can't wait to get my hands on the ruler..." Johnny pounded his fist into his hand, his face serious.

The others looked at him, and muttered their grudging agreement; though they would not voice is aloud in front of her servants, for fear of blowing their covers, they were still unable to quite shake the memory of what they saw at the Pyramids. Though, in a short instant, another thought would arise to temporarily distract from the hope for Ufar's demise.

Philip perked up suddenly, "Hey, driver, I can hear a rumbling in the distance. It sounds way too constant to be thunder, and way too large for a stampede, even of a big creature like a hippo. What do you think it could be?"

The driver turned back, to see what his master spoke of and was horrified by the accuracy of his master's senses. Sure enough, there was a haboob--a sandstorm arising on the horizon. And it would be a bad one. Perhaps some poor servant had angered Ufar? Either way, their travel would have to be cut short for the time being. These things were unpredictable in their occurrence, but also in the time they lasted.

[Celadon's Penultimate]

==Cairo==

Collin's team tried their best to look dignified while, deep-down, being utterly bored out of their minds. This sandstorm, this...haboob, as the natives called it, had sent them into hiding, like the insignificant vermin of the desert. And the whipping winds, the harsh sand tossed by the gales, wouldn't subside, probably for a couple hours. Libya would have to wait.

"This is ridiculous..." Devon groaned, holding his head in his hands, "Feels like we've been here forever..."

Johnny chuckled, "Seriously, Dev...it can't have been more than ten minutes..."

"Ten minutes lost. Seriously, if Ufar is behind this--"

"Can you not interfere with her power?" One of the servants spoke up, "Can you not commune with her, across this distance, and tell her to cease, or ask her the meaning of this delay?"

The supers fell quiet. They exchanged disconcerted glances. Perhaps their choices of words could have been better. They began to fumble for words, but Philip took it as his cue that now was the time for Thoth to speak.

"We cannot interfere with her whims." He spoke, posturing himself regally, "Would you attempt to dissuade the Desolate One from what she sees as justified?"

The rest of the supers were silent, and then took his hint, and followed his lead by shooting the servants imperious, accusing gazes. Naturally, they were struck with horror at the implication. They stumbled and fumbled for words to voice the depths of apologies, but Philip put up a hand.

"There is no need to apologize." Philip assured, "Humans are not expected to easily discern the inner workings of the divine. Simply bear it in mind; don't question what you don't understand. The divine can work out the things of its own..."

The servants and the supers marveled in silence. That was deep. Perhaps the wait for the haboob to pass wouldn't be such a torture, after all...

[Celadon's Penultimate]

==Cairo==

It would take close to four hours before finally the sandstorm subsided, but when Philip sensed that it had, Devon burst out of the door like a man fresh out of prison. He would have kissed the ground, but decided not to, on account of the sand. He would settle for eagerly hopping into his carrying chair, and waiting for the servants to gather their bearings to start the journey up again.

When their travels did resume, granted, it was devoid of any true interest, but it was good to be back on the road again. Better to watch the boring old scenic route, a desert like out of a magazine, than to watch the same set of walls, unmoving like patients in a stuffy old hospital waiting room.

"Whoo!" Devon exclaimed, leaning almost dangerously far off of the carrying chair, "About d**n time we got back on the road! Man, it feels good!"

Philip scoffed, "Yeah, sure...that hot desert wind is a real breath of fresh air..."

"It is..." Collin smiled to himself, his eyes closed as he enjoyed photosynthesizing on his open-roof carrying chair, "You can put the top back on this carrier in a little bit, you guys. For now, though, I think I'll just bask..."

Jeremy chuckled at the sight of Collin enjoying what would otherwise would have seemed an unforgiving sun, "Yeah, and I'll keep on my guard for any water that might be around here. Don't want you to start wilting..."

"Shut up..." Collin laughed, "And speaking of wilting...Johnny! Lick! You two all good back there? Ain't heard a word out of ya since we set back out!"

They were fine, the two insisted. Except for the fact that Lick was panting like a homeless dog wandering in Death Valley, and Johnny was fanning himself futilely, they insisted that they were doing quite swimmingly.

[Celadon's Penultimate]

==Alexandria==

The journey from Cairo to Alexandria was thankfully not a long one, as Ufar's palace was located only a few hours away from Cairo's border. The sun dipping into the dunes was a welcome sight, as the caravan pulled into another outpost. And the welcome they received made things even more pleasant.

The outpost viziers menaced them at first, fancying them servants or prisoners, but Philip put up a hand, and gestured to Johnny, who promptly phased through the bottom of his carrier, into the ground. He would reemerge from the ground twenty feet away, right behind one of the outpost viziers.

"So..." The man volunteered wide-eyed, "The-these are the gods of whom we've heard? The ones allied to our lady, Set?"

"They are." Said one of the servants.

"We are." Collin crossed his arms with a smirk, "And you'll be surprised to know that there is another among you, who is also to be venerated as sovereign."

There came a shocked silence over the servants and the viziers, and then they began to murmur among themselves. Another divine one in their midst? Who could it be, so cleverly disguised as to pass for a lowly mortal like them? Jeremy cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted.

"Aker!" came the name, "Master of distance that lies beyond the horizon, make yourself known, for the power you possess is required to serve your sister, Set! Come forth!"

[Celadon's Penultimate]

==Alexandria==

The servants exchanged glances before another foreign figure stepped out from in between them. His skin was brown like theirs, and he dressed in their garb, but his features seemed distinctly different. He grinned wide, like the one they heard to be called Sekhmet; he walked with a quick and confident pace, like he had places to go and people to see; he was hairier.

"Hey, guys...", came the gruff voice, above a whisper, when he made his way into the middle of Collin's group, "Hope my entrance wasn't too human..."

But the group looked to the normals, and they still seemed transfixed.

"...Actually", Philip whispered, "I think we're good. They still look pretty convinced, by Johnny's little stunt."

And they were. They asked no more questions, other than what the sovereign ones desired to make their journey easy and pleasant. Nothing would be required of the servants, the supers assured, except that they depart from this place as quick as possible, when the gods left. This journey they could not make with mortals, and so they would be better off simply telling Ufar that they would handle Libya themselves from that point on.

The servants were silent, and ready to obey.

With that, the supers gathered around the man that the servants and viziers knew now as Aker, but who had been introduced to the supers simply as Torres. No warning came, but instead an impressive rush of air into the space that had emptied itself of their presence. Ufar would surely be most glad to hear that her brothers were off to such an excellent start.