The House of Light

Once upon a time in ancient Egypt...

Zia walked down the well-worn path that lead down to the river.

The long grass stalks brushed against her legs. Suddenly she heard a rustle in the grass.

She stopped walking. She heard a hiss, and turned around.

A cobra.

The cobra was the most feared snake in all of Egypt. It’s venom could kill a man in minutes.

Zia was too far from her village to call for help. And if she ran, the cobra could easily it could reach  a speed of 12 miles per hour. She heard a slash. Zia turned.

The cobra had its fangs stuck into the sole of her sandal.

It reared back, ready to strike again , and then stopped, and slithered away.

Zia blinked, not quite sure that she was still alive. She looked up to see a man, holding some sort of rattle. " Shukran!" she thanked the stranger. Then a cloud of dust rose up, forcing her to shield her face. when she looked up, the stranger was gone, like he had disappeared with the dust...

“Cheerp!” Zia looked down to see a small quail chick, scurrying around her feet, she bent down to pick it up.

She noticed a small collar around the quail chicks neck. It was black, with a little green pendant in the shape of a reed leaf on it. “Where did you come from?” she wondered. Then, she touched the pendant, and she was sucked into a blinding vortex of light…

“How can you be sure?”

“I just know!”

“We haven’t had a new apprentice in more than 15 years!”

“Look, if she isn't the one, I’ll send her back”

“And if she is?”

“Than we are all in terrible danger!”

Zia opened her eyes to see two young men standing above her. They both had short, cropped black hair. The one closest to Zia had a long scar across his face. She was lying in a bed, in a room that

looked like it was made of pure gold. “Who are you?” she mumbled. The quail chick from before hopped up onto her chest. “It’s you!” she said “Damn right it's me!” the chick said “How did I get here?” “The portal brought you here” she the man with the scar “My name is Ahmed, and I am a senior magician”

“Magician?” She asked, puzzled. “Yes, here at the house of light, all people with magical power are brought here to learn their full power” he answered “ What’s my power?” Zia asked, interested to learn more “well your power seems to be-

“RRRRRRRRRR!” A huge hand reached in through the door. “What's that?!” asked Zia. “that, is a very angry monster”....

Two vultures swooped in and picked up the quail chick “let me go! You filthy birds!You'll be sorry! Just wait until I get my claws on you!!” the chicks screams faded away. A huge mouth appeared. Zia could see a row of huge dagger like teeth.

Then a huge hand picked her up.

Amed's Spell

Zia squirmed desperately. Then Amed said something that sounded like a spell.

A blinding flash of light exploded and Zia lost consciousness.

When Zia regained consciousness, she was in a tunnel somewhere in a place she didn't know.
"Good, you're awake" said a voice from the shadows. "Who are you?" asked Zia.
"Well, that depends, if you cooperate, then you might leave this place alive,"
"And if I don't?"
"Then you won't..."