When A-in's sight at last began to steady, though still blurred at the edges, he perceived the shape of something immense before him.
The brilliant sunlight vanished from his view as the colossal figure of a serpent loomed above. Carved from ancient stone, the creature towered high, its scales etched with such precision that even the cracks between them remained visible. Its head rose high in majesty, its unblinking gaze fixed forward as though all who stood beneath it were unworthy of its regard. Its jaws gaped wide, as if to warn that any who dared defy it would meet a swift and dreadful fate.
A monument of a serpent… here, in the midst of a desert?
Behind the statue stood a structure which A-in assumed to be a temple dedicated to the creature. It was neither grand nor noble like the temples of Heliopolis or Memphis, rather, it appeared worn, forsaken, and half claimed by the shifting sands. Yet A-in sensed that many had once gathered here, though perhaps not often, nor openly for there were footprints in the sand, weathered offerings, and worn stone steps. That such a shrine should rise in a desolate wilderness, hidden from the knowledge of most, stirred unease within him.
The serpent… he had heard its tale before.
His late father, a devout worshipper of the gods, used to recount stories handed down from ancestors long forgotten. Among them was the tale of the sun god Ra, who shone at the height of his power. So brilliant was he that the primordial void, Isfet, grew threatened, his ancient title overshadowed by the mere radiance of a god. Longing to drown the world once more in darkness, he forged a serpent of immeasurable size to hunt the sun across the heavens. He named the creature Apophis.
Apophis was the eternal enemy of the gods. Then why are there people who worshipped to it?
As they neared the temple's entrance, one of the men loosened the rope binding A-in's feet and forced him to walk. Exhausted, A-in no longer resisted, he allowed himself to be pushed onward like a lifeless burden.
Before them rose four stone steps. People sat upon them idly, as though the entrance of this sacred place were no more than a resting spot. A-in wondered how worshippers could so casually defile a temple, though perhaps this was no god deserving reverence.
As the group ascended, the seated figures lifted their gazes. Their eyes, dark and sunken with sleeplessness, followed each of the captives with strange intensity. Upon recognizing the men who had brought them, a gleam, cold and eager, flickered in their eyes. Their lips twitched upward, unable to entirely conceal their excitement. Some did not even attempt to hide it, their faces openly shone with cruel delight.
A-in's brows knit deeply.
What is the meaning of those expressions?
Before he could dwell further, they were thrust inside the temple.
"Abasi!" A man called, addressing what seemed to be the leader of the group that had seized A-in. "Are these the ones you have gathered for tonight's offering?"
At once, the captives turned toward the speaker. Horror dawned upon their faces. They understood, as A-in did, the identity of the monstrous statue standing outside.
The man called Abasi returned the greeting with a grin that matched the other's wickedness.
"You speak rightly."
"You've brought more than the usual number of offerings. Our lord Apophis will be well pleased!" The man's laughter rang throughout the hall. It was sharp, wild, and merciless. It sent a chill crawling down the spine of every captive.
A-in felt his eyes widen, his thoughts scattering. The voices of the men blurred into a distant hum. All he understood was that, after their vile exchange, Abasi and his followers dragged them down into the temple's depths.
They descended into chambers below ground, where rows of empty cells awaited. Though vacant, the dungeons bore the marks of suffering. Smears of dried blood upon the walls, scraps of torn garments strewn across the stone floors, remnants of those who had once pleaded for mercy that never came.
A-in swallowed hard.
Is this truly the end for me?