Curse of Sekhmet, page 1
part #3 of Casters of Syndrial Series
Curse of Sekhmet
Casters of Syndrial Book 3
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Rain Oxford
This is a work of fiction. Similarities to real people, places, or events are entirely coincidental.
CURSE OF SEKHMET
First edition. May 1, 2018.
Copyright © 2018 Rain Oxford.
Written by Rain Oxford
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright Page
Previously, in Casters of Syndrial...
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Table of Terms
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About the Author
Previously, in Casters of Syndrial...
I was a completely normal guy. I worked at a used bookstore while getting a degree in literature. In my free time, I mastered escape rooms, played strategy games, read, wrote crime fiction, and enjoyed a healthy coffee addiction. I was also cursed; everyone I cared about got hurt.
My brother, Luca, was my best friend and a huge pain in the ass. He was brilliant, loved everything about ancient history, and stuck by me when everyone else was scared off by my curse. We could solve any problem together.
Then, on my twenty-fourth birthday, we fell through a portal and landed on a world called Syndrial. Syndrial was full of magic and monsters, ruled by multiple gods. Ancient Egypt originated from the culture of this world. People who did magic were called casters and everyone knew about the gods. Most people lived in cities, and each city had a temple filled with priests and a pyramid that the temple wrapped around.
Every child on Syndrial was tested for magic on their birthdays between five and ten. Boys found with strong enough magic were admitted to the temple to be trained. Girls with magic were exiled to the desert. When an apprentice was ready, he went through a series of trials that tested his mind and magic. The purpose of these trials was to win over one of the gods, who would then give him a special ability in exchange for loyalty. The boy would become a priest and be called by his title, which was based on his ability.
Since Luca and I appeared in the middle of one of the cities, we were taken to the priests and tested. I had magic, while Luca didn’t. Their first response was to kill Luca, which I wasn’t okay with. Thus, they decided to kill us both, but before they could, the goddess Isis appeared and told us she and the other gods needed our help. I was skeptical.
Isis wrote down the true names of every person and god of Syndrial. On Syndrial, names were power, and even a lousy caster could kill someone with that person’s name. A powerful one could control the gods. Thus, Syndrial natives were all given false names when they were born and their true names were kept secret.
It turns out I was born on Syndrial, but I was sent away on the day I was born and so my name wasn’t included in the book. That meant the book couldn’t be used against me, and when it was stolen, the gods wanted me to recover it. The one they believe stole it was a demigod called the Painter.
I reluctantly agreed to help to get myself and Luca home alive. I started studying magic, and along the way, I met some strange people, including Keira, who I later learned was the cat goddess, Bast. She helped me a few times in her feline form, which was a large black jaguar. Unlike the other gods who took vessels, she created her own body. With it, she could shapeshift, but she couldn’t live with the other gods in their realm.
Every temple surrounded a pyramid. Each temple worshiped one particular god, except for the High Temple (where the apprentices were trained). Excluding Bast, every god had a mortal vessel. These vessels were Syndrial natives who lived alone in the pyramids, only ever seeing the one priest who took care of them. When the gods wanted to visit Syndrial, they possessed their vessel. The High Temple and High Pyramid were neutral ground. The vessels were kept completely pure, never allowed to leave their pyramids without the gods inside them.
Luca and I accidentally rescued a trapped wizard from another world, who offered me a magic ring and a magic book in gratitude. The ring could transport me to the last world and time I was on as long as I was wearing it. The book could hide or change my spells in it in case someone else ever got their hands on it.
With Luca’s help, I discovered my mother had been the vessel of Isis. I also learned that several of the priests were killing children for their power rather than exiling them. I met the Painter and he wasn’t particularly vicious, so when one of the renegade priests took Luca, I immediately went to Painter for help in defeating them.
His advice was to take the trials, which I did. In fact, I impressed enough gods in my trials that I had a choice in who I wanted. I chose Thoth, and the ability I was given was writing. Anything that I wrote would come true, as long as I was strong enough and determined enough. I became the Writer.
Painter and I banished the murderous priests to Kradga— Syndrial’s version of Hell. It wasn’t actually that hard since we worked great together. The Painter also had a magic ring that made him immortal and magic art supplies that made his magic ridiculously efficient. Immediately afterward, Painter’s disguise fell and I learned that he was my identical twin brother. I was understandably freaked, but he explained everything that led up to his psycho-killer tendencies.
Set had impregnated our mother to produce an heir who could get the Book of Names, which Isis had entrusted to her vessel. Our mother sent us away to different worlds to protect us from Witness, the priest who attacked her immediately after our birth. The Painter knew this because he was there... twice.
He had been abused by everyone who was supposed to take care of him and love him, including our father. When Set sent him back in time to be trained by the priests, Painter was a prodigy. Set was proud and as soon as Painter passed his trials, Set welcomed him. Then Painter was supposed to get the book from our mother, but he ended up saving her and us instead. Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to stop Witness from stabbing our mother in the chest and pushing her through the portal.
After hearing this story, we attacked Witness and took the Book of Names, which he had stolen. Witness was the priest in charge of taking care of her. We were so angry that we had Isis take him away to be dealt with later.
Then I learned that the Painter’s lies were much deeper than I had feared. I remembered growing up with Luca, but all those memories had been fabricated by the Painter, who became Luca whenever he put on the amulet he got from our mother. That wasn’t the worst of it, though. He had only been with me for a short time. When he was Luca, he was powerless and had all the memories and weaknesses that he gave himself.
I could have forgiven all of that. I could have accepted and loved my brother. I could have healed the emotional wounds inflicted on him by everyone else. But he had also killed my adoptive parents and my first girlfriend. He was the curse that hurt everyone I cared about.
I trapped him in a book. It was like a fantasy world where he could do anything he could want, except it wouldn’t affect anyone in the real world. I swore to myself that I would become powerful enough to save him from himself before I released him from the book.
When the gods came to me, wanting Painter and me to recover a magical sword from another god, I refused to work with Painter. Anubis agreed to trap Painter in the form of Luca, blocking his magic and murderous nature. It worked, and Luca thanked me, saying he was happy that way.
The Sword of Draskara was a powerful sword created to kill a god. It was drawn by combining a special magic ring and dagger. Every time it was drawn, it had to kill someone, or it would kill the person who drew it. Furthermore, when it did kill someone, it transferred their power to the wielder.
We went after Maori and learned that he didn’t have the sword... and that our mother was still alive. In fact, she had been living on Earth with her wizard husband. Knowing that Luca and I had the Book of Names, Maori captured our mother to trade.
However, in saving her, Luca got captured, because he didn’t have any magic. Once I got my mother to safety, I tried to save Luca. I failed, but realized that whether he was Painter or Luca, he was my brother. I loved him. Thus, I broke Anubis’s spell and released Luca’s power. Painter and I overthrew Maori easily, and Painter stabbed Maori with the sword. Painter absorbed Maori’s abilities, but not the inherent knowledge of how to use them.
We also got a lot of help from Painter’s former mentor, Langril. He wasn’t a good guy by any means, but he was powerful.
As soon as we got the Sword of Draskara, it was stolen by Witness. Witness had the ability to be unseen, and with the sword, he could steal any number of abilities. Since I wasn’t confident in my ability to fight with magic, I convinced Langril to train me in magic. All I owed him was a “favor.”
While we were waiting for Witness to screw up and reveal his locatio n, Painter decided that Kradga needed a ruler and it was his responsibility. Also, he could work off his aggression.
Prologue
Keeper was preparing for his nightly prayers when Scribe threw open the courtyard door, startling the old man. Keeper restrained himself, though, because the new priest was clearly in a state of panic.
“The high council! You have to see the council!”
“What’s wrong?”
Scribe shook his head, too frantic to relay the message.
Keeper stood, his feeble knees protesting the strain. He ignored Scribe’s abject fear and made his way to the council chamber with dignity.
In the corner of two hallways, he pressed two of the blocks on the wall. The floor split in a straight line and a ten-foot-wide section sunk into steps. He made his way down the steps into the lower room.
It was round, twenty feet in diameter, and well-lit. Five torches surrounded three lavish, plush thrones made of royal blue fabric and gold. Each of the thrones was occupied by a woman with long, white blond hair, light blue eyes, and silver robes. They wore silver jewelry around their necks, in their hair, and on their robes. The seer of the past was in her fifties, the seer of the present was in her mid-twenties, and the seer of the future was in her mid-teens.
“I was told you have made a prophecy,” Keeper said.
“The end is near,” all three women said simultaneously.
“The death that swept across our world and devastated our lands...” Past started.
“Is returning to take what is left,” Future finished.
“Syndrial growls already, burning with fury,” Present said.
“What can we do to stop it?” Keeper asked.
“Nothing,” the women all said at once.
“There is only one caster who can save us,” Present said.
“But he does not live here,” Past said.
“We cannot find him,” Future said.
“What’s his name?” Keeper asked.
“We do not know.”
“I’ll find him and bring him here to save us,” Keeper promised. He left without asking anything else. The seers were not known for their reliability. They couldn’t even tell twins apart. Of course, Painter and Writer were the only twins born to Syndrial since... Keeper forced the thought away. He was loyal to his world and his gods above his grandsons.
When the priests discovered he had a daughter and took her from him, he didn’t fight them. They made her a vessel, which they said was an honor. He visited his daughter in secret, but he didn’t help her escape. He didn’t even object when they decided to kill her to stop her son from being born.
Only it wasn’t a single child, but a set of twins that she brought into this world. Although he was proud of her, he couldn’t save her. Fortunately, he kept her secrets, so he knew that they had failed to kill her.
Keeper was also almost certain that Nathan was the savior his world needed.
The close sound of metal clinking startled him. He quickly looked down both ends of the hallway, but he saw no one else. Then a blade scraped against the stone wall beside him.
Chapter 1
The killer waited outside the open window until he was certain his victim was asleep. Then he silently entered. The killer’s night vision was impeccable. He hesitated, because the cluttered, colorful room was a little disorienting. After a moment, he spotted his sleeping victim and advanced on him like a hunting cat.
––––––––
When I couldn’t move my pen, I blinked and looked up, forcefully dragging my attention back to the real world. Keira was sitting next to me. Although she was ancient, she looked my age with long, straight, raven-black hair and emerald-green eyes. Her aura was equally sweet, innocent, and exotic. I was used to her amused expression. She let go of my hand. “We’re going to be late.”
I glanced at the window in front of us. The whale shark was swimming near the glass. We were at Kaiyukan aquarium in Osaka, Japan. It wasn’t a special holiday or a honeymoon; it was a casual date. Over the two months since Witness got the Sword of Draskara and we were under constant threat, Keira and I experimented with ways to relax.
Luca and I were gamers and puzzle-solvers. Keira, being a goddess and jaguar shifter, wasn’t interested in “virtual” adventure. Thus, we thought it would be appropriate to explore what Earth had to offer. Whether it was morning coffee in Italy, an afternoon lunch at a temple in Japan, or a fancy dinner in France, we decided we weren’t going to waste a day. Keira usually transported us to our destination based on pictures from the internet, and then I would transport us home using my transportation ring. This was valuable practice.
I put my notebook in my pocket and stood, only to stumble a step. She quickly stood and put her hands around me to stable me. “Sorry,” I said, trying to shake the numbness out of my legs.
She laughed. “You’ve been sitting motionless for hours. I’m not surprised you’re sore.”
“I bet you could get all the kinks out of my muscles.”
“If only we had a little time.”
“Are you sure you don’t want my help?” I asked.
She kissed my cheek. She wasn’t big on public displays of affection. “All of the cats on Syndrial have disappeared. Whatever the reason, I can handle it. You shouldn’t miss work. You’re the one funding our excursions.”
I loved her teasing. I wrapped my arms around her shoulders, and she rested her face in the crook of my neck. “Come home safe.”
“I always will.” Her warm breath tickled my sensitive skin.
* * *
Throughout my shift at the bookstore, I considered causes for the cats of Syndrial to disappear. I really hoped my girlfriend wasn’t getting involved in something dangerous. She was powerful, but I worried about her nonetheless.
It was a quiet work night, as usual. I never minded with Luca to keep me company, but with him gone, it was a depressing reminder that our lives were very different. Although I was proud of my brother for taking responsibility, I missed him. I hadn’t seen him once since he took over Kradga.
I didn’t know if he was suffering or if he was enjoying his life without me. Either way, I didn’t want to know.
* * *
I dropped by my favorite coffee shop before heading home. I was only a couple of blocks from the apartments when I heard a distinctive click. I couldn’t think of a more dangerous sound at that moment. I froze before my attacker ordered, “Don’t move.” The barrel of the gun pressed against my spine between my shoulder blades. “Back up, slowly, and step into the alley.”
I did as he ordered without arguing. I was a crime-fiction writer; I had spent numerous hours researching crimes like this. The easiest way for the criminal to get away with it was to shoot me.
“Give me your wallet.” I started to reach for my wallet when he dug the gun into my back. “Slowly!”
“Okay,” I said, keeping my tone submissive and calm. If I showed fear or arrogance, it would only make him nervous and more likely to shoot. I was reaching for my wallet, but what I touched first gave me an idea. I slipped the ring on my finger and ducked in the same motion.
“What the fuck?” the mugger shrieked. To him, I vanished. Unfortunately, it spooked him into pulling the trigger. The bullet struck my arm, but it was the least of my problems at the moment.
I hit the ground, smearing blood everywhere, and rolled onto my back. The mugger was wearing a leather jacket with a hood up, but I got a glimpse of his face as his eyes searched for me. “Megyar,” I said, unleashing my power on him.
He screamed and dropped to the ground, writhing in pain. I wouldn’t hold the spell for long because it was strenuous and unnecessary; he wasn’t getting up any time soon. I struggled to my feet, cradling my wound with my right hand. He curled into a fetal position, his shouting changing into soft whimpers. I pulled the ring off and put it back in my pocket. Before I could leave, he reached out and aimed the gun at me. I kicked it away, but I didn’t bother taking it.
