CHAPTER TWO

RISE OF THE NAMIANS

Rain began to pour as soon as dawn approached. Dark clouds swarmed across the
sky, determined to block any and all rays of light that the sun could provide. The sky
turned a sickly green colour as sunlight mixed with the other-worldly cloud vapour.
Thankfully, Osiris had made a home for himself within the grounds of the White
Palace and though he was willing to accommodate the new arrivals to the world of the
Alliance, he seemed preoccupied beyond the point of distraction.
‘But what of Cato?’ Osiris rasped. ‘What became of him?’
‘Like a said before,’ L96A1 tutted with irritation. ‘We dunno what happened tae him. We
only know what The Dr. told us, and that wasn’t much.’
Osiris smashed his fist into the White Marble walls of his home and growled. His
face contorted as he sucked in a deep breath through his fanged teeth.
‘This is indeed troubling,’ Osiris mused. ‘Clearly events have mirrored themselves across
both worlds. Cato’s fall here was the turning point. The signalling of even darker times
than before.’
‘The Dr. said that in our world, for some reason, all traces of Cato and the … Namians?’
Roxy said unsurely. Osiris nodded sagely, indicating for her to continue. ‘Well, he said
that all the evidence that they ever existed just vanished, and it was like somebody had
just made up history to cover it over.’
Osiris nodded. ‘A trick,’ he said, biting at his thumb. ‘No doubt the collected effort
of the Elders, only they could create such an effect. If this is true, then all that you have
been told by this … Doctor will most likely be fictitious. A fabrication created by the
Namians in the Overworld to hide themselves. To remove the shame of their actions
whilst under Cato’s control. No doubt they still live amongst you in secret, hiding away
like insects scurrying from the light. They have fallen far from glory. If only the same
could be said for the Namians of this world.’
‘What’s different here then?’ Freaka-chu asked as he lounged back on a marble bench.
Osiris’ head snapped up.
‘Everything,’ The Foxnam breathed. ‘In your world, my world … the Overworld, Drahmin
Cato created the Namian race to conquer the globe. When they broke free of his power
the sorcerer was defeated and the army fled into seclusion, attempting to rectify as much
as possible, or so it would appear. I can only guess as much from what you have told me.
Here though …’ Osiris breathed, venturing towards a glassless window. ‘Here, the
Drahmin Cato of this world was a visionary. He saw the humans destroying eachother in
endless, trivial wars and thus created the Namians to bring order. To maintain peace.
And so, when it came to pass that he lost his control over his protectors of utopia … they
tore across the globe, devastating everything in their path. They destroyed the
civilisations that had been built and enslaved humanity … then they turned on
eachother.’
A fleck of lightning rippled across the clouds on the horizon.
‘From what I understand, there is currently a truce, but it will not last. I suspect that
even now, the differing sects are plotting against one another. It was far easier when
there were only the two, it was so much simpler in the Overworld. Not like here.’
‘What do you mean?’ Skelifish inquired.
Osiris sighed deeply and gazed longingly out into the storm.

***

‘The time is approaching … yes … yes … soon … all is ready … everything is falling into
place, just as it was foretold,’ the robed man ran a gnarled hand through his matted hair
and pressed his fingers to his lips. ‘The time is now,’ he nodded thoughtfully.
‘STOP THIS DRAHMIN!’ A shrill voice echoed across the chamber. ‘I BEG OF YOU DO NOT
DO THIS!’
‘SILENCE WOMAN!’ Drahmin Cato bellowed scornfully at his wife as she lay sobbing in a
far corner, a position she had adopted ever since he had announced his true intentions
to her. Simple minded female. How could she possibly understand the true magnitude of
what he was about to do?
‘THEY ARE BUT CHILDREN!’ Alyas cried.
‘AND SOON THEY WILL BE AS GODS!’ Drahmin replied as he padded over to the centre
of the chamber. The black marble around them glistened as the moonlight shone into the
highest tower of the palace. The magical citadel revealed to him in a vision. It would be
here that his destiny would unfurl. It would be from here that he would rule this
accursed globe. Rid it of all those who had opposed him so readily. Cato peered into one
of the seven cauldrons bubbling upon the vast grate in the floor. The formulas were
nearing completion. If he had done as the writings had said … his time was almost at
hand.
The idea was genius. Far superior to any he could have ever thought possible. An
infusion of the mightiest creatures into mere mortal man to create a being of infinite
strength, a creature of such vicious disposition that armies would cower at the sight of it.
Lion, Oxen, Fox, Scorpion, Hawk, Bat and finally, Dragon. Each one a new race of
beings that would answer to his every command. So the book he held said. It had been
correct thus far, he had no reason to doubt its word at this stage. To do so would mean
disaster.
Cato looked over at his subjects. Some of whom had come more willingly than
others. Though all of whom had had to be forcefully restrained once they were informed
of their destiny. Their views would be changed in time.
‘You cannot do this! I shall not allow it!’ Alyas said, rising to her feet, her hands balled at
her sides. ‘You will not feed your poison to our children, nor to the others. If I have to kill
you…’
‘Kill me?’ Drahmin puffed dismissively as he examined the fourth cauldron more
carefully. The bat mixture required another half hour at least, he placed the bellows into
the embers below it to increase the heat. ‘My dear Alyas … if an army of barbarian
heretics could not do away with me, what chance has a mere woman?’
‘Do not test me Drahmin-’
‘Nor should you me,’ Drahmin replied, his voice taking a dangerous note. ‘I have
tolerated your protest Alyas only because I have firm belief that once I fulfil my destiny
and have dominion over the four corners of this world that you shall finally see reason
and accept your place at my side.’
‘I accepted my place at the side of an honest, decent man. A man who loved his sons and
promised that his family would want for nothing … I will not stand at the side of a
madman.’
Drahmin looked up from his book. The book that had brought him everything.
‘You will see in time,’ he replied callously.
‘Then I would be blind!’ Alyas seethed as she grabbed a marble candle-stick from the
large dining table and struck Drahmin about the head with it, sending him crashing to
the floor, dazed.
Momentarily shaken by her actions, Alyas caught sight of her sons, unconscious
on the stone slabs and knew what had to be done. She took hold of the chains holding
the cauldrons up and pulled with strength she never knew she possessed, pouring the
contents into the large drain that encircled the fire. One, two, three, four, five, their
multi-coloured contents flittering away, taking with them her once beloved husbands’
mad hopes and dreams. She grabbed the sixth chain and heaved, the liquid tipping,
gushing into the drain.
‘INSOLENT WENCH!’ Drahmin cried suddenly appearing at Alyas side and striking her to
the ground. ‘WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!’
‘What I should have done moons ago!’ Alyas cried, grabbing a knife from the table. ‘I said
I would not allow this. Stop now Drahmin, no more harm need come to anyone.’
Cato was not listening however; he was too busy re-righting the sixth cauldron.
‘I had the means to make one batch of each concoction,’ he said through gritted teeth. ‘It
has taken me a LIFETIME to collect these ingredients! A LIFETIME!’ He peered into the
sixth cauldron with desperate eyes. ‘There is enough,’ he nodded to himself. ‘Enough for
one … perhaps,’ his eyes fell upon the seventh cauldron, the Dragon cauldron, still full to
the brim. ‘Yes, there … should … be enough for all seven here,’ he scowled, nodding
furiously.
‘YOU WILL NOT!’ Alyas screamed, holding her knife aloft.
‘OH BUT I SHALL!’ Cato shouted, swinging the hefty book into the side of Alyas’ head,
sending her stumbling backwards across the black chamber, blood dripping from her
temple. ‘I will rule this world,’ Cato said, picking up the knife that Alyas had dropped,
standing over her in the moonlight. ‘With or without my Queen …’

***

‘That’s horrific,’ Roxy grimaced, placing a hand to her throat. ‘He killed her.’
‘Oh, if only,’ Osiris shook his head. ‘No, he made her watch as he went about his plan.
My elder brothers were first. Followed by those Cato had kidnapped. At the end, I, his
youngest son was given what remained of the sixth formula. The Fox formula. It was
then and there that my fate was sealed … there wasn’t enough … not nearly enough. My
powers were weak, I was simply a monstrosity to him, unusable … except to test the
validity of his ultimate weapon.’
‘The Alliance,’ Chris frowned.
‘Yes,’ Osiris replied bitterly. ‘I have been trapped here since. Only to find that here, in the
Alliance world, Alyas was more than willing to aid her husband. All seven strains of the
formula saw the light of day here. It is these differing factions, each with their
figureheads, the first who were turned, to lead them.
‘The continents have been divided between them, but it will not last. War is
coming.’ Osiris looked up at the expectant faces before him. ‘Though of course, this is no
concern of yours. You require … an antidote for this … Anubis Virus,’ again, he almost
spat the word “Anubis”, finding it difficult to actually say.
‘Yes,’ Chris said, rising from his seat. ‘How do I reverse the effects?’
Osiris regarded him and stroked his chin.
‘What you speak of is a vile creation by Anubis. The “First Born” Namian, born from the
elders. My eldest brother Ra and the poor girl who would later become his wife, Isis.
Anubis was the first of our kind to be born rather than merely made as we first few were.
In his infinitely clouded wisdom, Anubis attempted to solve the warring problem amongst
our people … by destroying them. He manufactured a disease that would kill the Namian
portions of his enemies, leaving only humans left to do away with. Anubis is mad, he,
like the Drahmin Cato of our world, wants the globe for his own. It is with him that you
will find your cure … if indeed there is one.’
‘So, where do we find this Anubis then?’ Skelifish asked, readying his scythe.
Osiris pointed out of the window. ‘You are indeed fortunate that it is Anubis whom
you seek. He and his elite band … The Dark Gods … rule the Asian continent. Their
Citadel lies only a few miles south of this Palace. I can take you there, but we cannot
travel until the rain stops.’
‘Why’s that?’ Freaka-chu smirked. ‘Don’t you like getting wet?’
Osiris allowed a slight smile. ‘Not when the rain is made of acid.’