Chapter One hundred and thirty one: At the Riverside
When Kiya reached the river she saw that the inkanyamba had arrived. Its many heads rose above the quayside, where Huy and his men confronted it.
The monster was trying to get on land. A huge flipper rested on the quay and Kiya could see that its body was elongated like that of an eel. Most of it was still under water, but it looked as long and thick as the snake that had terrorised Thebes.
As she watched, a soldier crept towards it, keeping to the edge of the river so he was unnoticed by the heads. When he was near enough he stabbed into its body with his spear, burying the shaft up to the hilt in the soft flesh.
The monster screamed and, as the soldier struggled to retrieve his spear, a head turned and swooped down upon him. With one crunch the soldier was crushed in the inkanyamba’s jaws. The monster did not pause to eat its victim. The mangled remains were spat out and the head turned to confront the soldiers who were attempting to stop it getting onto the land.
Huy took advantage of the animal’s momentary distraction to leap forwards and hack at one of the necks. The star-metal sword he had been given by the Cretans was sharp enough to slice through muscle and bone in a single stroke. The severed head fell to the ground trailing a cubit of neck, so it looked like a gigantic tadpole as it wriggled on the quayside.
Huy sprang back as more heads lunged at him. Other soldiers distracted the inkanyamba by shouting and waving their weapons. The creature reared up, its many necks spreading like a fan. With a multiple roar of frustration it stepped back from the quay, its flipper splashing down into the water.
Kiya watched the severed head gnash its jaws and squirm towards Huy as if seeking revenge.
“Watch out Huy!” she yelled, but she need not have worried. A soldier with a long oar swiped at the head and sent it rolling across the ground. He batted again and again until he managed to sink it into a pit.
Kiya glanced into the pit. It was two cubits deep and a hand span of water had seeped into the bottom. Six heads were lashing about in the water. Cruel eyes looked up at Kiya and mouths snarled showing wicked teeth. How terrible it would be to fall into such a pit, she thought.
Six heads had been severed, but there were many more. Kiya looked at the monster and saw that the decapitated necks were already growing new heads. The ends, which so recently had been oozing blood, were now swelling as swiftly as a bullfrog’s chest. Embryonic eyes and mouths were etched into the bulbous growths and Kiya knew that that the inkanyamba would soon regain its full potential.
Huy stepped back to join her. “How can you defeat such a creature?” she asked.
“We cannot,” he said. “All we can do is stop it emerging from the Nile. As long as it stays within the river it cannot attack the city.”
“Nakht is busy tackling a giant lizard,” said Kiya. “I doubt if it is possible to send you reinforcements.”
Huy grinned. “Don’t look so anxious, Kiya. We will manage.”
Kiya felt a wave of gratitude. “If you are sure you are all right, I must go to the palace and check upon Dennu.”
“Go, Kiya, your place is at his side protecting Meri and the King.”
As she ran through the streets of Akhetaten towards the palace Kiya saw the destruction wrought by the rain. Houses were crumbling and, despite danger from the attacking monsters, people were emerging onto the streets.
Many eyes were turned to the sky where Seth’s thunderclouds churned menacingly. Bolts of lightning and the flaming breath of flying serpents lit the blackened sky. The terrified populace wailed and moaned at the sight.
“What is happening? I am soaking wet.”
“The gods are angry that their temples have been closed.”
“The gates of the underworld have opened. We are all going to die!”
Kiya had to swerve into the centre of the street to avoid a collapsing house. High above her she sensed a sharpening of attention. She looked up and saw a dragon’s eyes upon her. He was as huge as a flaming snake and with the same leathery wings, but he had legs and as he flew between the thunderclouds, she saw that they were equipped with sharp, curved claws.
She did not pause to check on the inhabitants of the house, nor to try to calm the frightened people. She ran on, keeping within the shadows of the crumbling buildings. It was better to risk being trapped by their collapse than to expose herself to the attention of the dragon.
She paused when she reached the processional route that led to the temple and looked to the left and to the right. Both the temple and the sanctuary appeared to be undamaged. Rain had no effect upon their stone walls and they showed no sign of having been attacked. Between them the road stretched wide and empty.
Dennu and his soldiers stood at the entrance to the temple, their shields up and their spears at the ready.
Kiya looked up and saw no sign of the dragon. She left the shelter of the side road and ran towards the temple.
Dennu hurried towards her, but had only gone a few paces when he stopped and looked upwards. “Watch out,” he screamed.
Kiya looked over her shoulder and saw the dragon swooping down to attack her. She ran as fast as she could and Dennu rushed forwards, his shield held high to defend her. Kiya dived towards the protective shield and felt a blast of flame seer her legs. She crashed to the ground, crying out in agony. Dennu was standing over her.
“No,” she moaned, wanting him to get back to the safety of his men.
Then he was gone. She rolled over onto her back and saw that he had been captured by the dragon. With slow beats of its leathery wings it flew away, clasping Dennu in its claws.
Dennu was still holding his sword and Kiya saw him struggle to turn and stab at the dragon. He must have succeeded for, as the beast flew over the palace, it gave a shriek and dropped its intended prey. Kiya saw Dennu plummet downwards from a great height and feared that no man could survive such a fall.