Page 108 of Obsidian Dream
The creatures, once they had gained their balance, walked with an unnatural puppet-like movement, as they moved in pairs and trios.He lost sight of them as they reached the wall, blending into Ninhursag’s magic.The sickly-sweet scent of wet cotton candy was becoming intense, but it wasn’t coming from the creatures.Despite their unnatural appearance, they smelled of fresh dirt just after rain.The inner circle of the wayfarers was where the disgusting scent was originating from.There were just a handful of them, but they were different from the ones he’d encountered in Egypt—better trained, more like a paramilitary unit than he had expected.And they clearly took their role seriously.Ever since he’d walked through to their side, Ninhursag continued to be closely guarded by her wayfarers.They stayed just out of touching distance but close enough that no one would get near her.Dressed in an archaic military uniform, their dark camouflaged clothing was out of place, as were the massive blasters strapped to them.
There were five of them—four human and one Atlantean.All the humans looked identical—short, cropped dark hair, muscular, and carrying more weapons than he could count.The Atlantean wore the same uniform, but there was something familiar about him.Maybe it was the wraparound sunglasses he wore, the replica of Kade’s shades.The Atlantean lowered his glasses and flashed violet eyes.Talik shook his head, forcing himself not to get distracted.
“Come,” Ninhursag ordered.
Talik gritted his teeth and walked toward the god.She smiled as she crooked her finger at him.
He knew her type intimately.She basked in the challenge of what he was doing.Not quite subservient and clearly bucking her control, despite his oath, he was an object she could enjoy breaking and trying to piece together.At least until she got bored.He knew enough Atlanteans like her that the rules of this insidious game were second nature to him, and he had learned the hard way what boundaries he could push.
Ninhursag needed an audience, and lucky for the god, she had his rapt attention.The ground beneath him shook, and he looked across the field searching for the origin and stopped.
The gallu were digging, hauling a huge amount of dirt into the air as they began to drill downward with their limbs.Wretched squawks screeched through the air as they increased their pace.Other gallu, who had moved to the opposite side of the garden suddenly came stumbling to the center, searching for their siblings.
Ninhursag hummed, her voice hypnotic as she glided toward her children.
The ground behind her grew darker, revealing more dirt, as if she was stripping it of the nutrients and channeling them directly into the gallu.
Their growing strength would only make Talik’s plan harder to achieve.“Fuck.”
***
TALIK
It had been minutessince the creatures had started digging, and it already looked like a landslide had occurred.The ground had begun to take on an ashen glow as the gallu grew stronger with each passing second.Ninhursag continued to hum, her voice growing louder the deeper they dug, until it echoed throughout the enclosed area, drowning out the sound of the digging.
One of the more humanoid looking gallu hit something hard and let out a howl as it held up a splintered arm to the sky, its mouth grew infinitely large, showcasing row after row of sharp, pointy teeth.Ninhursag flinched as if she had also been injured.Her arm dangled by her side.Her shoulder slightly lower than the other one.
Interesting.
Talik filed the information away as he walked toward Ninhursag.He stopped just shy of her inner circle.The Atlantean wayfarer glared at him, snarling as he showcased sharply filed teeth.
The dirt under his feet began to turn ashen, and he followed the color change until he reached Ninhursag’s feet.She was standing on white soil that had been stripped entirely of its color and nutrients.
Ninhursag’s injury lasted for a few seconds, before her shoulder returned to normal.Just like the fallen creature near her.Ninhursag must be healing them.
Beneath the monsters, deep within the pit, something flickered—a pale-green light.Bright enough that it looked neon in the daylight.
Ninhursag clapped her hands in delight.
“Atlantean,” she ordered.She didn’t bother to turn as she beckoned him.
Talik looked at the other Atlantean, who wore a shit-eating grin and pointed to him.His sharp teeth reminded him of something out of a human horror story.
“Talik,” he offered as he slowly walked toward Ninhursag, flicking the dirt off his shirt.“Is my name.”
She waved him off.Clearly, she had no plans to keep him around for longer than she needed.Before her, the hole in the ground was ten meters wide and five meters across and led down into a dark shaft.“Get me my prize.”
Talik stared at the god.This close, he could see her forked tongue and the reptilian scales that were barely discernible beneath her alabaster skin.Beautiful and ethereal, he could understand why humans and Atlanteans had laid down their lives to touch such exquisite perfection.
“My lady,” Talik said as he took a step back, forcing himself to continue the charade.It was what her wayfarers had called her.He took another step, increasing the distance between them, ever so subtly.
I can give you power—power of the likes that has never been seen before.
Even with one step of distance between them, he seemed to be out of her hypnotic spell, her words easier to ignore.None of the creatures or the wayfarers moved.“You need an Atlantean to remove it.”
“A pretty little trick your queen has played on us,” Ninhursag whispered.She moved closer, her eyes changing to wolf yellow, like Khalida’s, like the god had in his vision.“I need an Atlantean who hasn’t entirely become one of my wayfarers.”She flicked her hair over her shoulders.“I do urge you to be quick.There will be a point shortly when even you will not be able to touch the artifact without, how do I put this...spontaneously combusting.And if that is to occur, our little bargain is no longer valid.”
Talik forced a smile.He reached out, despite his instinct to recoil, and touched her face gently, aware that he was playing with fire.“Of course, my lady.”
