Bab 80: Belly Of The Beast

"Did I miscalculate?" Bast wondered as she slid through the creatures intestine.

Bast had reasoned that due to the lack of mana, this challenge had to be one that did not require magic, this wasn't a test of her magical power at all! But of her ability to adapt in a terrifying situation, thus she reasoned that the answer lay inside the creature, the proverbial elephant in the room. By allowing herself to be consumed by it she would be feeding her own desire to locate the wand.

But she had been navigating the creatures digestive system for four minutes and had yet to find anything resembling a wand.

On she fell, having chosen her path she would see it through, if it ended in death, then so be it. But she was confident in her deduction.

Bast spent many hours sliding through the creature's body, eventually landing unceremoniously in a foul-smelling region of its body, it was dark, and she could not see 2 inches past her nose, but she was able to discern a faint glow being emitted not far from her position. She took a step forward and her foot sank, a thick goopy substance filled her shoe as she searched for solid purchase, she eventually found something to stand on, her leg completely submerged up to her thigh, tentatively, she lowered her other leg into the goop, and half-submerged in it the fumes assaulted her nostrils. Ignoring this, Bast took slow awkward steps in the resistant goop, as she made her way toward the soft glow. 1 hour, 2 hours, 3...Basts' hand closed tightly around the smooth shining handle, she felt a sharp jerk in her stomach and her surroundings changed once again.

"You figured it out," the woman said pleasantly and she smiled as she approached Bast, "Truly worthy of being My, Taliesin's successor," Bast took an involuntary step back, "Taliesin?" she whispered, The woman smiled and nodded, "I am indeed Taliesin," she whispered back as she stepped forward and cupped Basts' face in her hands.

She cast a glance at the now still water of the pond, "A hundred thousand years ago I encountered this same pond, and while the creature was not as large it was definitely not small, and I a child at the time, you can imagine how I must have felt," she giggled, returning her gaze to Bast who nodded seriously. I was so afraid I could not perform even the most basic of spells, in the end I had no choice but to allow the creature to swallow me. And swallow it did, for weeks I endured the creatures slow digestive process before finally I reached its stomach, it was there I found a wand, no, not this one, Dear," Taliesin laughed as Bast glanced at the wand in her hands, "No, it was a rather unremarkable stick, and yet it allowed me to focus my power, channel my magic and finally escape." she grinned, and her smile was radiant.

"Then, the challenge?" Bast began,

Taliesin nodded, "The challenge was to understand that death is inevitable, you cannot run from it, but you can face it head on, if there is a way to survive, find it, but do not cling to life in such a way that it restricts you from living it." Taliesin said sagely, and Bast looked at this woman who looked so young and yet was wise. But thinking further on it, she was after all over a hundred thousand years old.

Bast glanced at the beautifully crafted wand in her hands, she extended it to Taliesin who refused, Taliesin closed her fingers over Basts', "It is yours now," she said sweetly, "Use it well..." her voice faded as she disappeared.

A shock like lightning tore through Basts' soul, the soft glow of the wand was no more, its power was berserk and extremely erratic.

Bast shrieked in pain even as she fought for control over the wand as it attempted to establish its dominion, A torrent of wind was whipped up with Bast at its center, seemingly coming from her. Bast battled with the wand for a full day before it finally came under her control.

It thrummed with power, "You have proven yourself worthy," Bast was shocked again as the wand spoke, "Of the 9, I am the named weapon, Elliesin. You now wield my celestial might, do not disappoint me." The voice faded.

"Elliesin," Bast whispered reverently, and she clutched the wand a bit tighter.

She felt her excitement grow, "Celestial might!"

She was transported once again out of the catacombs, she found herself at the entrance, a mild wave of dizziness washed over her, she might have considered it to have been a dream if not for the explosive power emanating from the glowing silver stick in her hand.

She began walking toward the agreed upon meeting place she had arranged with Xiara, still shaken from her experience and awestruck by the power she felt welling up inside her, "I wonder," she thought to herself as she walked, "is this how Ra feels all the time? As if he could destroy the ground by stepping on it?"

"Bast!" Ra shouted looking panic stricken, his face flooded with relief when he saw her, and without another word he had crossed the distance that separated them and gathered her up in a tight hug that threatened to squeeze the life from her.

Bast sighed happily, and let him, "It's a good way to die," she mumbled.

Taliesin's words still fresh in her mind.