The Trial of Three (Omega God excerpt)

The time had come, the reason Skorpius had set out from his home… After five years of training, half a decade of laying waste to hundreds of civilizations, dozens of planets… He was finally gifted with the coordinates to Sekmet-7, the planet that had birthed En-Astennu millennia ago. He had to go, of course. This was a necessary pilgrimage. If he wanted to inherit the power and title of Omega God, Skor needed to visit the tomb of his ancestor. He needed to spiritually connect with the bygone deity; though he shared blood with En-Astennu, the process of ascension could not occur without being deemed worthy.

Skorpius’ mother had planned for this his entire life. Even her conception with a member of the lauded Monkojin warrior race was a calculated move. For Skorpius to survive the trials needed to even be admitted into the tomb, he needed to possess a great amount of strength. Hence him being sent off as an adolescent with the sole purpose of becoming more powerful. The ancient texts foretold of a great warrior rising to receive the blessing of his ancestor, and Skor had no option but to live up to that legacy.

He set out, connecting his scouter’s gps to the autopilot system of a ship he’d sequestered for this specific purpose. He affectionately nicknamed the craft “The Stinger”. The entire trip was spent meditating in the ship’s built-in gravity chamber, set to 250 times normal Earth gravity. As Skor didn’t know much about the world that had been home to countless generations of his lineage, he wanted his body to be acclimated to increased gravitational pressure just in case.

His mother had told him tales, of course, during the teachings and training of his formative years, but that mostly consisted of the legends of their bloodline. Nothing about the planet itself. He was told that he could see for himself when he was worthy of his destiny. She’d left Sekmet-7 to find a qualified suitor, though. for years none had met her standards until she crossed paths with Lariac, Skorpius’ father. As the redhead detached himself from the physical realm and sank into the deep trance of meditation, he couldn’t help but wonder what awaited him.

He would find an answer two days later, as a sharp beep alerted him that he was approaching the surface of his destination. Having not moved an inch since takeoff, Skorpius slowly opened his lids before rising to his feet and stretching his stiff joints. He lowered the entry ramp and stepped out into the blazing night, a blast of hot air meeting him head on before his sandaled soles had even stepped onto the sandy terrain. Parakeet green eyes scanned the area, seeing only an expansive desert for miles on end in all directions.

In the far distance were a pair of gargantuan, monolithic statues, standing like giant sentries watching over the desolate dryness. Further still was the largest mountain Skor had ever seen, topped with what looked to be a temple the size of a large city. A massive beam of blue energy stretched skyward like a pillar from the temple, lighting up the cosmos overhead. That seemed like the best place to begin his journey. He’d leave his ship behind and make the trip on foot; there was only enough fuel for a round trip, and there was no guarantee he’d be able to obtain any more. Before setting out, Skor inhaled deeply, steeling his nerves. This was what his entire life had been building up to; there was no turning back.

Step after step, he trudged toward that glowing pillar emanating from the mountain. It was a slow trek; Skor couldn’t move nearly as swiftly as he normally would due to the unstable sand that formed high dunes and plunging dips. After nearly a mile, he gave up and decided to fly instead. Already, fat beads of sweat rolled down his brow and chest. The heat was simply oppressive, even at night.

Rising from the shifty ground, he rocketed toward the massive landmark as fast as he was able to without completely exhausting himself in the process. His airborne acceleration whipped up powerful backdrafts that sent sand swirling violently around a few stragglers near the gargantuan stone monuments, though Skor took no time to notice. The sooner he made it out of that desert, the better.

The trek took just over six hours, even with him flying at mach speeds. He descended to the ground, opting to climb the massive stone staircase up the mountain on foot. The heat was less oppressive, the sand less choking here, so Skor figured he’d get a light cardio workout by sprinting up the staircase.

Finally reaching the top, the redhead saw the massive temple emanating the beam of blue light that he’d seen from miles away when he landed. As he approached the building, however, he was stopped by a pair of large guards bearing golden axes, which they crossed to block his path.

“No one is allowed to enter unless called for by Lord Thoth. State your name and lineage.”

With an annoyed sigh and a roll of his eyes, the half breed replied.

“My name is Skorpius. As for lineage, uh… My mother is Arantu of the Astennu House. Never met my old man.”

“The Astennu House? Forgive us, you may proceed.”

The guards lifted their weapons, allowing him passage, and bowed slightly. A curious reaction, Skor noted as he stepped into the temple.

After a walk down a long, narrow hall, he came into a large chamber. Before him sat a tall, birdlike being with a slender beak and humanoid anatomy from the neck down, though he was “sitting” on nothing but air, his legs crossed. Clawed fingers flipped through the pages of a book that levitated in front of him, but he never physically touched the pages. He acknowledged Skor’s presence but didn’t bother looking up from his reading even once.

“Welcome, Skorpius. Lady Arantu informed me that you would be arriving in the near future, though I have foreseen your arrival for years now. I am Lord Thoth, keeper of the secrets and Supreme Mystic.”

The teen could feel the spiritual pressure flowing from this being, the reverential regality radiating from them in waves. Skor lowered himself to one knee, unsure as to why he would do such a thing. He’d just felt an overwhelming urge, like it was not only expected of him to do so, but it was also a mandatory custom.

“I know why you’re here,” Thoth continued in his deep, sage tone. “I know what it is you seek. If you wish to continue, you need only follow the door behind me, but it will not be an easy task; you will need to prove yourself worthy.”

Before the redhead could ask how he was supposed to prove himself, his unspoken question was answered.

“You will take part in the Trial of Three. First are the three pyramids, a winding maze meant to test your mental acuity and willpower. This will be the easiest part. Should you find your way to the end, you will face the three tribes, ancient races who for generations upon generations have served to protect the tombs of our fallen deities. This is where most warriors in your position meet their end.”

As if reading Skor’s mind and sensing his incoming question, Thoth added, “There is an entire pantheon of gods on Sekmet-7. En-Astennu was simply the first and most powerful. You are not the only one to face the Trial of Three. Which brings me to the final test, the three beasts. Only one has made it so far in all of our history, and that is where he met his demise. Should you complete the impossible, you will be deemed worthy to inherit all of the wealth and power that is yours to claim. Lady Arantu is fairly confident in your ability to do so.”

It was a lot to take in, particularly the part about his mother. She’d been prepping him for hours entire life, but for her to know what challenges lay ahead of him and still feel confident that he could do what no one else had ever done… it brought a smile to his face.

Rising to his feet, Skor solemnly nodded before his usual confidence returned, a fire burning in his eyes.

“I’m going to take part in the Trial. I’ll see you on the other side, Lord Thoth.”

“Indeed,” the mystic replied, floating to the side so Skor could exit through the rear and begin the first of three arduous tasks meant to fully test his capabilities.

As he strode through the doorway, Skorpius found himself once again standing in the expansive desert. Ahead of him was a great stone wall with a single gap, no doubt the fabled labyrinth Thoth had spoken of. Turning to look behind himself at the door through which he had exited, the redhead saw only more desert, miles of it. The mountain and the temple which stood atop it were nowhere to be seen.

“Okay,” he muttered to himself, “guess there’s no going back.”

As he entered through the stone walls, Skorpius saw that the maze wasn’t what he imagined it to be. Rather than a mass of winding brick walls, he was met with a pyramid, with the only entrance being a set of stairs lowering beneath the sand. Apparently, this was a subterranean labyrinth. Descending the steps, he found himself entering a narrow tunnel lit by mounted torches lining the corridor.

Skorpius wandered through the dimly lit halls for hours, often coming to dead ends and having to retrace his steps. He was slowly becoming claustrophobic and was growing irritated by repeatedly having to brush spiders and scorpions off of himself. Finally, though, his pale green eyes spotted a tiny sliver of light cutting through the darkness up ahead of him. A few minutes later, he was stepping out into the sunlight. Towering in front of him was another pyramid, larger than the first, with another set of stairs inviting the young warrior to try and navigate its tunnels.

For the next three and a half days, Skor explored the cavernous underground labyrinth, as well as the one that came after it. It was apparent that each maze was both larger and more elaborate than the last, and full of stale, dusty air, spiders, scorpions and snakes.

By the time he’d completed the task and stumbled into the small settlement that marked his successful finish, Skorpius needed to eat one of the few healing herbs he’d brought along to make up for the fatigue, dehydration and various bites he’d sustained, since receiving any help other than lodging from the locals seemed to be strictly verboten.

Two days’ rest were all it took for Skor to prepare. His body satisfied and fortified by the herbs, he was ready to once again set out into the oppressing heat of the desert sun, to traverse the endless sands in hopes of conquering… what had Thoth called them? The Three Tribes.

The sand was scorching, even beneath his sturdy sandals; the sun overhead shone down on him with what felt like malicious intent. Still, he pushed forward, wandering aimlessly in a straight line. He was sure that the tribes would find him; after all they were the next trial, the gatekeepers that stood between him and his fated exaltation.

Seconds turned into minutes turned into hours, time melding together as he trudged forward, his face and upper body glistening with beads of perspiration. Eventually, Skor’s weary eyes spotted what looked to be a massive sandstorm in the distance, rapidly drawing closer. The entire area reverberated with the sounds of whirling sand and… clicking?

‘Great,’ the maroon haired heir thought. ‘Just what I need: a fucking sandstorm with no cover.’

At the speed the assumed storm was moving, he just knew the abrasive granules would practically shred the skin from his exposed body. He’d literally be sanded down to a bloody mess. Obviously, he could protect himself with chi, but he didn’t have many healing herbs, and he wanted to preserve his energy for the trio of tribes. It was bad enough that the heat itself was sapping the vitality from him by the minute.

As the “storm” bore down upon him, Skor noticed nearly too late that he’d been mistaken. That was no sandstorm; it was merely the dust kicked up by several dozen massive scorpions racing across the desert, with more scuttling up from beneath the surface. Several of the scorpions bore riders, veiled taskmasters wielding leather bullwhips. Skorpius had stumbled across the Tribe of Serket.

By the time he’d realized his misconception, Skor only had a fraction of a second to avoid a massive, hypodermic needle-like stinger, likely filled to the brim with some lethal venom. He’d attempted to dive to the left, but the sand shifted beneath his sandals, altering his lunge drastically.

Thus, he nearly dove face first into the snapping claws of a second scorpion, saving his own life only by halting all momentum and levitating in place. Quickly, he rolled to the side, just in time to catch a gargantuan stinger between his hands, mere inches from his throat. He could see the toxicity dripping from its deadly sharp point. Rotating his body, he tore the appendage from its owner with a grunt, then completed the action by launching it like a javelin, taking out a pair of riders approaching from the rear.

He was at a severe disadvantage: nearly exhausted simply from exposure, outnumbered, and the enemy had the added perk of increased mobility on the shifty terrain. His only way to counter and overcome these odds was an all-out blitz; he needed to utilize his vastly superior speed, even without the luxury of steady footing.

With slightly shaky moments, he darted around the area as swiftly as the situation would allow, dismembering the monstrous arachnids and using their predatory biology to dispatch of the riders, who cracked their whips at him to mostly no avail.

MOSTLY. A pair of whips had crisscrossed across his back, the pain acute but not debilitating, though sweat and salty sand particles only irritated the wounds further. He’d gotten tagged, unable to move at his true speed, but as he looked around, Skor saw that he had indeed conquered the first tribe. However, as he continued his pilgrimage deeper into the endless desert, the heir of En-Astennu knew that the challenges would only grow more daunting.

Nearly eighteen hours had passed in monotony, one foot moving in front of the other in perpetual motion as the sun bore down on the halfling. Luckily, the genes from his Pharojin side afforded Skorpius moderate protection from the harsh temperatures, but that large, blistering X on his back was still an issue. Each step made it crack and split open again, even as the blood repeatedly coagulated so that it could begin to heal, and the constant mixture of sand and sweat only served to further irritate the wound.

He could have sped the healing process to almost instant completion, but Skor only had a limited amount of healing herbs, and he wasn’t even halfway through the tests yet. Who knew what dangers lied ahead? Certainly not him. He was faced with the conundrum of healing early and being in top shape for the other tribes and whatever may have been waiting after them, or waiting in case he needed to recover from more dire injury down the line; he opted for the latter.

So after eighteen hours of painful, boring trekking through the desert that seemed to cover most of not all of the planet, Skor suddenly froze in his tracks. The ground was shaking. Far away from him, just over the horizon, what looked like an entire army was quickly converging on his location.

Skor knelt, working to control his breathing and prepare for the wave that would soon wash over him. As the mass of beings drew closer, he finally saw just exactly what he was up against: an army of rotting, skeletal beings, hundreds of them, brandishing various weapons. Some rode ghastly skeleton horses, some fired arrows that came uncomfortably close to striking the redhead. But that wasn’t what made his breath catch in his throat. Along with these undead legions were all manner of abominations: half humanoid serpentine warriors, towering living monoliths, flying creatures, what looked to be actual living, breathing people riding what he could best described as giant mutated cobras… and standing in front, what Skor assumed was their leader, a single man, carrying a staff in his right hand. This was the army of the Sons of Anubis.

He instantly knew that if he just waited for this horde to make it to him, he would be a dead man, especially since he was adamantly against using his chi. This was a Pharojin trial that needed to be completed; he wouldn’t invalidate his eventual triumph by relying on the Monkojin half of his heritage. This fight would be won with brains and brawn only. His pride would have it no other way.

With this in mind, Skor took off like a sprinter out of the blocks, surpassing light speed as he darted right into the thick of things. Bypassing the leader completely, he aimed to take out the biggest threats first. Leaping into the air, he caught the foot long fangs of a gargantuan cobra in his fists, ripping them right out of the reptile’s mouth as he came down. The pain caused the monster to writhe and flail wildly, tossing its rider and scattering the ranks as it crashed into the other snakes.

That was all the opening Skor needed, and with his incredible speed, he began stabbing and slashing at everything in sight with the pair of venomous fangs he’d stolen. By the time the teeth were too broken and worn down to use as weapons, half a dozen of the snakes and riders had been eviscerated, showering the redhead in a crimson rain that actually felt quite refreshing after so long spent under the oppressive sun.

Next, he set out to tearing the wings off of the flying pests that slashed at his shoulders and face with their talons, tossing their bleeding bodies aside. He was more than powerful enough to fell the monolithic giants, their bodies falling lifelessly onto the mass of undead warriors, crushing them into the sand under their immense mass. Still, as he looked around and saw the serpentine half-men slithering towards him under the command of their silent leader, Skor realized that he’d only thinned the ranks by about half, and he could feel fatigue setting in again.

The skeletons were light work, crumbling beneath his fists and heels in spades, but as he beat the last one into oblivion, a powerful scaled tail wound around his waist and dragged him across the sand. Gritting his teeth, he snagged a saber from the disembodied hand of a fallen warrior and slashed fiercely at the tail until it released him, eliciting a bone chilling shriek. He quickly rolled to his feet and set about stabbing at each of the snake men, before slowly turning to face the man with the staff.

As the Pharojin hybrid made his slow approach, wincing with every step, the mute simply raised his staff into the air. All around them, broken bodies began pulling themselves back together, even with organs spilling out of open gashes. And suddenly, Skor was back at square one. Majority of the army had risen (or re-risen) from the dead, and Skorpius was surrounded on all sides. The silent man smirked, and Skor understood.

He wasn’t just their leader, he was their master, controlling them with necromancy, and the staff was his tool. Letting out an angry roar, the blood drenched redhead lunged forward. His right fist rocketed out at Mach speeds, but surprisingly, the spellcaster was able to react in time to defend himself. Unfortunately, he’d blocked the strike with his staff, maybe out of instinct, or maybe he thought that it could contain the force of the punch. It could not. Skor’s knuckles first broke the staff in half, then shattered the jaw of the taciturn necromancer. As the man collapsed, unconscious, all of the reanimated beings collapsed as well. Skor didn’t know if it was because he’d shattered the staff out because their master was knocked out, but whatever magic that had given them new life was broken.

Breathing heavily, the heir of En-Astennu decided not to kill the man. After all, he was no longer a threat. Instead, he simply shambled in the direction he’d been following to begin with, continuing on with his journey.

Before long, he came upon a miraculous sight: a desert oasis. A large pond of water, with small brush plants and a couple palm trees around it. He ran for it with all the urgency his tired muscles could muster. Skor couldn’t remember the last time he’d been able to rest and recover. How many days had it been since his stay at the small settlement? It felt like a couple months at least.

Upon reaching the edge of the pond, Skor immediately fell to his knees and cupped his hands together to scoop the water into his thirsty mouth. The water was warm, but it was refreshing. After filling his stomach with as much water as he could gulp down, the redhead crawled into the pond, submerging his body to rinse away the sanguinary remains of his previous skirmish. He could feel his skin and muscles crying out in relief inside of the tepid watering hole.

When he emerged from the water, which was now tinted red, Skor felt almost completely reinvigorated. He rolled into the shade cast by one of the trees near the oasis. As he lounged on the rough desert grass, the redhead couldn’t believe his luck. Right beside him was a large aloe vera plant. He quickly snatched off a couple of leaves and tore them open. He scooped out the thick, soothing gel to rub on his various cuts and sand-beaten skin. Laying against the tree trunk, he closed his eyes and munched on the aloe leaves until he fell into a well deserved slumber.

He awoke hours later, just as the second sun was beginning to set. The air was much cooler, and thanks to the combination of fresh water, aloe vera and resting in the shade had done wonders for the hybrid. He stood up and stretched, feeling his tendons quietly pop. “Ahhhh,” he breathed, thankful that the heat had dried his pants and boots while he slept.

However, that feeling of relief was soon gone, as he felt multiple pairs of eyes on him. Instantly on guard, he scanned the area, seeing six feminine figures striding across the sand dunes towards him. One of them had a… large feline?

After demolishing a whole army of hellish monsters and undead warriors, he didn’t really feel up to killing a handful of women. Instead, he’d try alternative tactics. In a matter of seconds, he was standing in front of the women, a long plume of sand and dust trailing behind him.

“Okay, look-,” he started, before he was cut off.

“We represent the Daughters of Isis,” the frontmost woman spoke. “And you will not go any further. I’m sorry, but your journey ends here, warrior.”

Skorpius noticed that the women were armed; blades of various sizes and designs, a whip, a crossbow, and of course the fucking jaguar… but the one farthest from him, the only one with her face covered, appeared unarmed. How curious.

“Listen,” he said irritably. “You’re all very beautiful, especially you…”

He winked at one of the women, who brushed aside her blonde dreadlocks just to glare daggers at him.

“And I’m sure each of you is a damn good fighter, but I don’t have time for this.”

Moving faster than any of their eyes could track, he darted between the women aiming precise finger strikes at vital nerve clusters. A mere millisecond later, they all fell in unison, paralyzed.

“It’ll wear off in a few minutes,” he told them, “but if you follow me, I’ll punch a hole right in every one of your pretty faces. There’s an oasis nearby. My advice is just go chill there for a while.”

Leaving the women behind, Skor noted to himself that he was now two thirds of the way done with his trials. All that stood in his way now were the trio of beasts.

[THREE DAYS LATER]

After tackling a three headed chimera and a scorpion tailed manticore, Skorpius had used the last of his herbs. As it turned out, these mythical beasts were more than formidable, even with his speed and power. It took every ounce of will inside of him not to fry the monsters with chi attacks, but he was determined to overcome every obstacle the Trials threw at him solely on the merits of his own physical capabilities.

Eventually, he came upon a rocky outcrop overlooking the desert. Standing atop the cliff was a winged creature with the angelic face of a gorgeous woman, but the body of a lioness, the last hurdle for him to leap before he had finally earned the power of En-Astennu and the mantle of Omega God: a Sphinx.

Groaning in pain and exhaustion, he stepped forward, ready to fight, but a calm, cool voice stopped him, ringing clear as a bell in his ears.

“Fret not, traveler. For you have made it to the last step in the Trial of Three, but this is a test of the mind, not the body. You must answer three riddles. Answer them correctly, and I will guide you to the palace of the gods. But if you fail to do so, you will be cursed to wander the sands for all of eternity.”

Skor let out a relieved sigh; the tutors his mother had commissioned for him as a child had always emphasized critical thinking. His tutelage under Shuen and Torno taught him to think outside of the box. If he wasn’t ready for such a mental test now, he would never be.

“Fantastic,” he breathed heavily with a nod. “Let’s hear the first one.”

“Very well,” came the Sphinx’s dulcet tone. “Voiceless it cries, Wingless flutters, Toothless bites, Mouthless mutters. What is it?”

Skor frowned a bit, his face scrunched in thought as a gentle breeze swept across the sand and tossed his spiky maroon peaks. Then it hit him.

“The wind!” He exclaimed.

The Sphinx simply nodded and delivered the next riddle: “If you speak my name, you destroy me. Who am I?”

His response came promptly: “You are silence.” It was an old riddle that he was familiar with from childhood, bless those tutors.

Another nod from the Sphinx. “Very good. Now here is the final riddle. Answer it well, and we may depart for the palace of the gods. But get it wrong, and your previous answers will be for nought.”

“First think of the person who lives in disguise,

Who deals in secrets and tells naught but lies.

Next, tell me what’s always the last thing to mend,

The middle of middle and end of the end?

And finally give me the sound often heard

During the search for a hard-to-find word.

Now string them together, and answer me this,

Which creature would you be unwilling to kiss?”

The hardest riddle thus far, Skor scratched his head, mumbling to himself as he tried to figure it out section by section.

“Lives in disguise… deals in secrets… Okay, that’s a spy, right? And then the last to mend, middle of middle and end of end? What the fu- wait, that’s the letter d. And the last part is a sound? What do you say when you can’t find the right word? Damn it! Let’s see… um, uh, er… And then the last part, put ‘em together, it makes a creature you don’t wanna kiss. Spy, d, um? Spy, d, uh? Spy, d, e-”

It was like a light bulb had gone off in his head.

“Oh, I’m an idiot! Damn sun is baking my brain. The answer is spider!”

The Sphinx gave a faint smile before leaping from her perch and gliding down to him. Fearing that he’d somehow gotten it wrong and now she was attacking him, Skor instinctively jumped into a fighting stance. However, when she landed, the majestic beast tucked her wings to her sides and crouched slightly.

“You have answered all three riddles correctly. As promised, I will be your guide to your destination. Well done, Skorpius of the Astennu House.”

Relieved, he threw himself onto her back, nearly collapsing into the soft fur of her neck.

“Oh, thank the gods.”

With a massive flap of her wings, the Sphinx took to the skies, and within mere hours, she was landing in front of a mountainous stone pyramid.

“Congratulations, you may now enter the temple and accept your reward,” she said as Skor slid off of her back and onto the sand.

Towering before him was the largest structure Skor had ever seen. Stone steps led up to the pyramid, with obelisks and gargantuan stone sentries lining the path on either side.

“Thank you,” he mumbled, but the Sphinx had already begun her flight away, no doubt waiting for another warrior to complete the Trial of Three.

He slowly made his way to the entrance, brimming with pride. The feeling he was experiencing after all the obstacles and tribulations he’d gone through ever since the beginning of his life, it made the run of the mill Monkojin pride feel like nothing more than entitlement.

Waiting for him as he entered through the cavernous doorway were Thoth and Skor’s own mother, Arantu. The Supreme Mystic merely gave a sage nod, but Arantu embraced Skorpius tightly, tears welling in her eyes.

“I am so proud of you, son. You have finally grown into your destiny. All of the hard work you’ve done has finally paid off. Go on. You’ve earned it,” she said, directing him to a closed off corridor.

With a wave of his taloned hand, Thoth unsealed the passage and the tall, now very tanned, redhead stepped into the chamber. Glowing blue runes and hieroglyphs lined the walls and the air had an almost biting chill to it. The door slid closed behind Skor, and he inhaled deeply, wondering what exactly it was that he was supposed to do.

His questions were soon answered, as a spectral form materialized right before his eyes, semi transparent, almost like a sentient afterimage. The form was humanoid, but also beastial in nature, with wild, spiky black hair that glowed white in some parts, a bushy black tail that also glowed at the tip, razor sharp claws at the tips of its fingers and tufts of jet black fur covering parts of its body. The specter wore the traditional garb of the ancient Destroyer Gods, and its skin was deep obsidian in hue, with strange golden markings covering the exposed upper body. It locked onto Skor with eyes of the most fearsome shade of red he’d ever seen, and when it spoke in its deep, booming voice, the halfling warrior could see sharp fangs in its mouth.

“Ah, my heir has finally proven himself worthy of my mantle. But where are your manners? Do you not bow in the presence of Lord En-Astennu?”

As if on autopilot, Skor instantly dropped to a single knee, bowing his head respectfully.

“Very good. Now… Rise, Skorpius, and accept that which is your birthright, that which you have completed the Trial of Three to rightfully claim. Rise and accept the power and title of the Omega God. I trust that you will continue to bear my lineage and designation well.”

Rising to his feet, the rightful heir felt two clawed fingers press lightly against his forehead, somehow simultaneously immaterial and physical, and a surge of energy flooded his mind and body, levitating him from the floor. The markings on the wall appeared to spin at hyper speed, and he had to squeeze his eyes closed to keep from getting nauseous. When he opened his eyes again, his feet were once more on solid ground, both the visage of En-Astennu and the wall markings had vanished, and the door behind him had reopened.

Still in a daze, Skor could feel an immense well of energy within him, the same energy that he’d briefly tapped into on occasion, now it seemed limitless. He walked outside, right past his mother and Thoth, almost in a trance as he made his way out to the steps. He wanted to wield this immeasurable new power as soon as possible, to feel it properly flowing through his body.

After looking over his shoulder to bid his mother farewell, Skor used the Interstellar Flash technique to teleport instantly to the cockpit of his ship. It was time to go home and celebrate by seeing what this hard earned power was capable of.