Chapter 15 (The ancient of days)

“Zeya, enjoy the art of our ancestors!”

As he had said, U Agga pressed a button. Suddenly, the metallic walls beyond the electromagnetic cages opened by sliding sideways just like the curtains on an opera set. U Agga was a proud playwright.

Upon the wall’s opening, a scorching heat appeared. Along with the heat, there came hot-blown sand. Everything was yellow. Heatwaves were visible. They were in the middle of a desert. Amidst the desert, there stood three pyramids similar to those Zeya had seen at Orion-C-1, yet smaller. There were small habitation under the shade of pyramids. Yet upon seeing the Ship of U Agga, all were terrified. (Egypt was ruled by the Mamluk sultanate at that time)

“I will free thee for now. Consider not escaping, for the fate of those cripples lay on my hand,”

U Agga said while pointing to the machine-implanted youths. Calmly, Zeya had to agree. It was then they were released. The trio were taken near a great sphinx statue, guarded by cyborgs. There, U Agga pressed a stone slab. A secret passage accompanied by a row of ladders appeared. He ordered Zeya, Saw Nan Mon, and Shin Ye Htut to enter. He, himself, and Nagasena, along with cyborgs, also entered the passage.

U Agga never released his grip upon the remote that could explode the hostages. While following him, Zeya thought of controlling the remote with his powers. But, as the mutant was under U Agga’s authority, he could have sensed if Zeya used his power.

After walking several meters, they reached a hall where sand covered up to their knees. It spent almost a thousand meters in both breadth and width. Its height was more than 12 meters. They could not see where it ended. Upon their entrance, the quartz chandeliers from the ceilings were automatically activated, lighting the whole area. On the wall, there were several other doors and strange murals. These murals included all sorts of things from living to non-living. Without the knee-sinking sands, it would be a magnificent sight to observe. Little Shin Ye Htut was left aghast by the views with his mouth wide open.

“See, the mastery of my ancestor,” U Agga said in his proud tone. But it failed to impress Zeya as he knew it was the human who built it.

“By combining with thy power, only progression will come,’

Meanwhile,

“Chun!”

Saw Nan Mon immediately pulled her sword from the air and dashed towards Zeya. But light emitted from his Ankh figure and kept him unharmed. Saw Nan Mon was pushed backward by the force of the Ankh. Zeya was speechless.

“You… You shall not combine your power with Zeya’s,” she said, pulling another sword. But Nagasena blocked her, broke her sword, and kicked her.

“Zeya… Don’t let him combine…” She yelled at him.

Saw Nan Mon had had this plan since she talked to Zeya in the cage. Without Zeya and his power, U Agga could not use the power of his ancestor. But she hesitated. Why? For reasons she didn’t understand. She was a witch who never thought twice to kill a person. But killing Zeya was a whole different task. She hesitated as if her heart had been blocking her from doing so. Her plan hadn’t been accomplished. It was U Agga’s speech about combing powers that recalled her task.

“Haven’t I said? The witch will interfere,”

U Agga stood before Zeya and upon saying that, his body levitated. Zeya, too, was lifted upward by an unknown force.

“Miserable for them, now Zeya doesn’t matter anyway. Since we stepped into this hall, the combination has started,”

Even when he was saying, golden rings appeared around both him and Zeya. Light rays emitted from the Ankh figure on Zeya’s chest. A white aura appeared around U Agga. The two lights combined in between. U Agga was chanting some ancient mysteries. The murals on the wall also lightened up.

“I am Kava Lamine, the liberator of all Arunians from slavery,”

All lights on the wall shone upon U Agga. His appearance also changed. From an old ascetic monk in his seventies, he changed into a vigorous 30-year-old man. His white hair, beard, and mustache blackened. His saffron robe turned into golden Egyptian wear. A golden chest plate covered him. A helmet of seven jewels crowned him. A trouser of meteorite armored him. Above all this protection, he wore the mutant around his neck as his cape.

The sand from the hall also rose to a grown-up’s height. They transformed into robots holding swords, lances, and axes. They wore masks and armor covering their whole body. There were spikes on their armors. A surge of electricity surrounded their body. In a while, they covered the whole hall.

U Agga used his new power to restrain Zeya from moving. Zeya was immovable as if he were buried in cement or grounded by walls. He felt a choking sense of frustration.

“Zeya, look at those thee pity,” U Agga said while grabbing the remote. But his expression changed.

“Wait, wait. It would be unfair for them just to get exploded,” he said and pointed towards Nagasena.

“Hey, Nagasena, I’m up to my word,”

A golden robe appeared around Lady Nagasena. A horn protruded on her head. Wings sprung forth from her back. It was a painful yet worthy moment. Nagasena looked just like an Egyptian goddess.

“Nagasena, now thou have become the witch queen, the mightiest among all mystics. Do Saw Nan Mon and those cripples as ye wish. Leave Shin Ye Htut for me,”

Nagasena bowed toward her emperor and expressed her regard. Then she turned to Saw Nan Mon and stretched her hands. Witch’s strings appeared in her palm. At the end of the strings, there appeared puppets. Those puppets stood as twice as ordinary men and resembled ogres. The puppets started attacking Saw Nan Mon and she had to move constantly.

At the same time, the robots in the hall began walking.

Zeya was both frustrated and confused. He was immovable yet raging inside. Meanwhile,

“Oh, I don’t need thee now,”

U Agga shot a wave of electricity towards Zeya. It was a torturous pain yet Zeya could not yell. His heart rushed, and his veins appeared. Yet, not a single cry escaped from his mouth for it was sealed shut.

Suddenly, all his pain disappeared. His surrounding was not the hall but the space accompanied by stars and galaxies. He had been to this before. He had teleported when he got the power first, a year before. Just like in the past, there was an old man, wearing a white robe, carrying a brass staff,”

“Boy, haven’t I told you that a long journey awaits?”