Chapter Eight

"What are you doing now?"

Isaac's voice was cracked from lack of fluid, something he was hoping the God would take notice of.

Am Heh barely looked over. He was not about to answer, the idea of responding to the mortals’ query felt beneath him but the knowledge that Isaac would most likely continue to question him came to the fore.

"Hastening my work," he said evasively, seizing a cloak that had appeared from thin air to throw about his shoulders. "You will remain here."

The streets below were home only to ghosts and shadows now. The people were cowering in whatever safe haven they could find, whether it be the claustrophobic aisles of a department store or the dark back room of an office. Anywhere was better than the bubbling mire outside.

The heat from the burning blood would not affect the deity who once walked in his own volcanic Eden. Nor did it affect the creatures he crafted but it certainly made their way more taxing.

Isaac watched as a soft haze encapsulated the God's body and slowly, he began to fade, glowing translucent and glorious.

His mouth became drier and the fog seemed to seep into his mind. Images of golden and red swirled, touching nerves and his heart. It was a disorienting optical illusion, coupled with disjointed words.

'How can such a beast have such beauty?'

The sound of dripping water punctuated the hushed speech and Isaac could feel his hands touching something smooth and cold.

His vision was askew as if he was trapped between a dream and reality and the feel of cold fluid made his thirst stronger. 

The sudden collision with the marble floor jolted him back to conscious and he sat up in a rather flustered fashion. Breathing heavily, he gazed about in the vain hope that something would offer an explanation for the sudden turmoil.

He was alone. Am Heh had vanished without a trace but, placed on the table nearby, was a clay jug of water. For a moment Isaac contemplated blaming that as the cause but he knew it was a long shot.

"I couldn't reach that far and I know I didn't move," he said aloud, seeking comfort from his own voice. "And the surface I felt wasn't so crude."

Slowly he eased himself to his feet, grabbing hold of the nearest chair to steady himself while his head caught up with him. 

A small feeling of apprehension took over him as he reached for the water, wondering if the God had been callous enough to taint it with something. His thirst overcame any reticence as he saw the crystal-clear fluid and felt the droplets cool his fingertips as he touched the earthenware.

The cold fluid felt like manna from heaven as it soothed the brittle dryness in his throat, several sips missing his lips in his eagerness and trickling down his neck in delightfully chilled rivulets. As he drank, he thought he smelt the sweet scent of fermented grapes, the fruity fresh wine whose purple hue tempted all.

"What on earth is wrong with me?" Isaac set the jug down, clutching his head. "This is like those dreams, they always seemed so real but they were just dreams. I was asleep." He wiped the droplets with his sleeve, trying to think logically. "I'm stressed, I'm just recalling them, that's all."

He wished he felt as certain as he sounded.

----

It had not taken Shu long to find the invisible bubble that concealed the hidden dimension. The God sensed the awesome power that rippled from it, keeping any threat at bay. No doubt if one of those metal contraptions flew by the mechanisms would fail completely. 

Had it not been for the knowledge that people were inside them then he truly wouldn't have minded seeing a few drops. They tainted the wind and created havoc for the beasts that surfed it like he did.

The power emanating made approach hard, risky. Am Heh had gone to great pains to make sure none could gain entry and Shu soon found himself exhausted, his own strength sucked from him as though it was consumed by leeches.

Panting, his brow speckled with a sheen of exertion, he drifted back, perching precariously on the soft edge of a smoky cloud. Looking down he saw the rivers of blood, bubbling like lava and swelling in hungry waves.

The sun was beginning to set and a soft glow of chaste white moonlight seeped through, the combination making the scene even more chilling as the shadows of stranded humans stretched long and twisted as they attempted to move somewhere safer.

He bit his lip. Around the globe similar sights would be beheld.

"If I cannot gain access perhaps one smaller would fare better," he mused quietly. "In bird form Thoth could slip through, if he would see fit to help."

He gazed over at the pulsating air, the view beyond subtly out of focus and dizzying to look at for too long.

"He will," Shu rose and dived gracefully downward, feeling his heart leap with the thrill of the plunge "he is wise and his help would be needed in any event."