Dan looked over at the two that were with him, Apate was still clinging to his neck, her head was resting on his shoulders, but she was fast asleep, her lamp discarded on the floor as she slept peacefully, to his right was Abyzou, who had curled up into a tight coil, and was resting on top of that. He felt his eyes closing, growing heavier, darker, and a sudden fear ran through his body.

If he closed his eyes now, he would never open them again.

As his eyes closed he grasped the blade of his khopesh hard with his left hand, and clamping the blade tightly he ran his hand down its length with a great force and weight applied. The sharp pain and the smell of blood ran through his body and his eyes opened wide as his body registered the damage, it mattered not to his brain that he was the one that had caused the damage to his hand, it simply mattered that he was in pain that caused his brain to kick into overdrive.

His eyes sprung open, a divine golden glow resonating within his eyes, and a rage burning in his heart he looked up into the dead cold eyes of Alû. He could almost register the look of surprise in the demon’s eyes.

Your response to my attack is interesting

The voice bounced around and echoed in his head, like a malicious thought of his own, one that whispered seductively sweet nothing about giving up, he had tried so hard and he was tired, so damned tired. He felt his eyes growing heavy again as the creature spoke, shaking the fatigue out of his head he pushed the khopesh into the ground, using it as a handhold to push himself up from this kneeling position. As he did so Apate slipped from her perch and fell to the floor, still completely and wholly asleep. He stepped forward, each step feeling like he was walking in a world with exponentially increasing gravity. Each step was torture to his muscles, but he had to reach that monster, had to reach that demon, if not for him then for the two that he felt the need to protect.

He had to win, it was not just his life at risk here, it was also the future of Abyzou, and the freedom of Apate.

Very well, I shall show you why I am Alû, why I am fear.

[City of the Lamia]

It had been an hour since the two of them had fallen into the trance, and Amani had spent the time staring intently at the magical construct they were in. it was a purple runic design, something she had never seen before, and being a creature of magic she had an innate ability to look at and read almost all types of magic. This spell however seemed to be beyond her admittedly vast knowledge. It curved and twisted, running along the ground in a snake like pattern, crossing over itself and knotting in intricate patterns in some places, and in strange non patterns in others.

Each scale of the spell was covered in a different letter of the akkadian script, she was able to see this, but was unable to see the pattern of reading them. Off each of these scales extended a beam of purple hazy light that formed a cage around the two of them, Abyzou curled around Dan.

She looked at the two of them, Abyzou was wrapped around the kneeing Dan, her entire lower body forming an enclosing wall of scaly golden protection, his hands were resting on top of her, almost like he was going to try and embrace her, but had fallen asleep first. Both looked strangely grey, almost like they were slowly turning to stone.

That thought brought back to many unpleasant memories and emotions, that was one of the few times she had felt despair, true honest to the heavens despair, the soul crushing and mind warping feelings of nothingness and loss that threatened to take her sanity away.

A world without Dan was…

It was not even worth thinking of, with a shake of her head she focused once again on investigating the gilded magic cage the two of them were in.

“So tell me, what could cause a greater god like you Bastet to become nothing more than a concubine for such a petty and weak a creature?” Lilith asked. Bastet looked up, her black hair still covered in the egyptian style gold and turquoise beadwork and in the long tight braids popular of her people’s culture, she narrowed her eyes and looked directly into the demonesses eyes.

“Since he is not here to hear this I will say,” she said with a slight cocky smile, “He is a very caring individual, willing to sacrifice everything for others,” she made a gesture around the hall to prove her point. “Time and time again he helps, and loves.” she smiled and looked at the sitting man with a tender look on her face. “I have been with man and god and many creatures in between, all of them have their own prejudices, Dan however just loves wholly and purely.” she looked up at Lilith. “I don't expect you to understand, you have never had a relationship like that, you simply are a creature of lust and greed, it is like expecting a fish to know what it feels like to soar in the sky.” she laughed at the the angry looking face of Lilith.”Is it really so strange that I would gravitate to a man like that? I am after all a goddess of cats, protection, joy, dance, music, and family, joy and family being the key in those. ” she looked at her sisters, they were here for her, her for Dan, this was her family, no matter what she said, this was hers and she would protect it with all of her might. “Not that Id ever tell him that, no, that would go right to his head, he really is a prideful creature, no doubt I would never hear the end of that, it is also fun to see that expectant longing look in his eyes as he waits for me to tell him how I feel.” she laughed and licked her lips. “I fear he will be waiting a long time for that.”

Sara and Amani joined in on her laughing, there was no doubt in anyone’s mind that Bastet loved him, no matter what she said, not even Dan doubted that. “You’ll never make it easy for him will you?” Sara asked with a laugh.

“Never, it's good for him, he needs something other than the lovey dovey all the rest of you give him.” Bastet said laughing as she wiped a tear out of her eye.

Lilith’s face twisted in disgust, “It is to bad he will never come back home to you.” Lilith said. She glanced at the demigod who had inspired such emotions in so many women with disgust, that turned to satisfaction as she watched a wound slowly open up on the palm of his hand and blood spill out, covering Abyzou’s golden scales crimson with its vital dye. “See he is already bleeding, and not even in the third trial.”

“You know,” Bastet spoke up, the cheeriness of just a second ago was gone, leaving only a stern goddess. “The last person that underestimated Dan ended up with his entire soul wiped from existence, you walk on thin ice.” her eyes narrowed and she hissed, her ears placed back on her head. Lilith narrowed her eyes back at her. “Don't repeat that mistake.”

[Second trial]

You show a remarkable resolve, if it is a fight you wish then so be it.

The voice bounced around in his head, but Dan almost didn't hear it, he was to filled with the determination to get to this demon, it was only about twenty feet, but for the effort he was putting in it might as well have been 20 miles. Each step sent waves of pain through his body, like his muscles were spent and had reached their limits long ago. The hideous demon stepped around the monolithic stone tablet revealing the rest of its twisted form.

Gods the thing was ugly, four gangly limbs of a putrid grey, and two sets of legs, it looked like it was conjoined with another but the other had never developed a head, and had simply left its body attached to this creature to be drug along on the ground. It spread both of its sets of arms, and spread the finger son all four hands, and from the tip of each finger a black light that was almost like a thread of darkness cascaded out, falling to the ground still attached to the fingers.

And with more grace than a creature of those looks should ever possess it started to wave its arms, and move its fingers in an intricate pattern, causing each strand to sing through the air like it was a banshee in the night. Taking another step forward with effort Dan felt the first of the strands lay into him. It was across his cheek, and he felt the sharp hot burn of a cut, and the sticky warmth of blood as it flowed down his face.

And then they all fell on him, like a death by a thousand cuts they all bit into his flesh, shredding his clothes and scoring his body. Innumerious welts and cuts opened up in his skin, as the demon continued his inordinate dance.

The pain, it was…

Not such thoughts were of no use, images flashed through his mind, Abyzou alone, childless, Apate wondering isolated in her realm, Bastet wandering without purpose, Sara, growing old alone.

Amani at his grave.

Those, those were thoughts that needing thinking of, those were thoughts that filled his mind,he growled and bared his teeth, his eyes burning with a bright gold and his anger causing the demon to faulter in his attack, it didn't matter either way, Dan could no longer feel the pain.

He coiled his body, and sprung forward with more force than his body thought it could ever possibly possess, launching himself into the demon. The two of them tumbled backwards, Dan pinning the massive creature down by force of sheer will, and with one hand on its grey neck he brought the blade of the khopesh down with a vengeful growl, straight across the creature's face. Its head split open like a melon that was to ripe was struck, covering him in a sickly smelling reddish grey blood. And just like that, underneath him the creature shimmered slightly, and vanished into fog, returning to the forest around them.

Such determination, such resolve, very well, you may pass, remember you will need such things in the trials to come, your resolve will be the difference between life and death, loss or victory.

The world around them changed, turning into a white nothingness, and with a slight smile Dan finally closed his eyes. Falling into a deep sleep like his body had so desperately wanted earlier.