Zeni, sensing the urgency in Neith's voice, jumped to her feet and followed her gaze to the open window. As she peered out, she saw a group of monstrous creatures rampaging through the village streets, wreaking havoc and being generally rude. They were some strange mixture of bird and big cat, with short wings and claws and roughly the size of a large dog.

“Those are freaky looking!” Zeni said.

"They are minor sphinxes," Neith explained, her voice tense. "They must have come down from the nearby hills.”

She gave Zeni a concerning look.

“Huh? Why did they suddenly show up? You guys got a minor sphinx spa here or something?” She winced at the scene. “I mean, they’re really wrecking the joint.”

“Most likely, these were driven by hunger and desperation. They do not often come this close to settlements unless their situation is particularly dire. It’s been this way ever since the Underpharaoh’s men began ranging further out in search of— "

Whatever she had been about to say was interrupted as the monsters began to act. Zeni watched in horror as the minor sphinxes had begun attacking the villagers, their powerful claws and razor-sharp teeth tearing through the air with deadly precision. She couldn't just stand by and do nothing.

“Hold that thought, Neith!” She shouted. She raced out into the street, her heart thundering.

As she approached the chaotic scene, Zeni noticed that some of the villagers were fighting back against the creatures using…unconventional methods. One man, dressed in the garb of a baker, wielded a rolling pin like a club, while a woman, who appeared to be a seamstress, waved her hand and a shower of sparks sputtered into life, startling the monster in front of her into backtracking. It was clear that these villagers were not combatants by trade, but rather ordinary people with classes focused on more mundane pursuits.

“Well this is a whole mess,” Zeni said. Then she remembered that she’d run out of the house without a weapon or anything to defend herself with and felt a little bashful for her thoughts.

“Ooh, but wait!” She exclaimed to herself as the chaos continued erupting around her. “I have magic, I think!”

Then, realizing she had no idea how to use her own abilities, she tried to think on her feet. One of the sphinxes saw her, and charged.

“Shit!” Zeni shouted.

As the monster lunged at her, she sidestepped and spun at the last moment, causing the beast to crash into a nearby wall. The impact left it momentarily stunned, but Zeni knew she couldn't rely on her dazzling tenth-grade show choir moves alone to survive this encounter.

"Access your Ka, Zeni!" Neith called out from a safe distance.

“My what?!” Zeni called back, dodging out of the way once more as another monster took a swipe at her with deadly claws.

“Your Ka—from your class!” Neith called.

Zeni tumbled backward onto the ground and crab-walked behind an overturned wheelbarrow full of grain.

“Well she’s awfully opinionated for someone safe inside their doorway,” she grumbled.

Neith shouted to be heard above the roar of the pandemonium.

“Tap into the source!” She urged cryptically. “That’s the only way to—uagh!”

Neith slammed the door of her home closed just in time to avoid being barreled into by one of the minor sphinxes. It bit at the wood, causing it to cave in one section under the force of the creature’s terrifying jaws.

Taking a deep breath, Zeni focused. She saw the emblem in her mind of her abilities and chose one at random: Elemental Invocations.

There was definitely more to the whole concept of this energy within her, but without properly understanding what she could or couldn’t do, she had to just go on instinct. It was as though there was a fleeting itch beneath the surface of her skin as she concentrated on her ability, though she wasn’t sure exactly what that meant. After a very swift moment of chasing the sensation around in her mind, she locked on to a small portion of it and pressed on it mentally, as though pushing out a wrinkle trapped beneath a stubborn rug. The power was there, and it was bubbling beneath her consciousness, full of life and power. She pressed further, and suddenly, there was a wonderful sense of accessing a section of her body that was previously closed off to her.

She had a few options that were absorbed into her mind in an instant:

Elemental Invocations:

Ignition of Ra:

Inspired by the sun god, Ra, who brings light and warmth to the world, this invocation summons a small, floating ball of fire that hovers gently above your hand. Perfect for illuminating dark corners of ancient tombs or giving you a little extra light.

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

Breath of Shu:

Drawing upon the essence of Shu, the god of air, this invocation sends forth a burst of wind from your fingertips. Use it to cool yourself on a hot desert day, blow away dust from ancient relics, or give your adversaries a rather unexpected and mildly annoying gust to the face.

Waters of Hapi:

Channeling the benevolent river god, Hapi, this invocation allows you to create a small spout of water that can be directed at your whim. Whether you need to extinguish a tiny fire, water a thirsty plant, or just splash an unsuspecting friend for a laugh, the Waters of Hapi are at your beck and call.

Sands of Geb:

Inspired by Geb, the god of the earth, this invocation grants you the ability to sift through soil and sand with ease. With a simple hand gesture, watch as the very ground parts before you, revealing hidden treasures or buried relics.

Feeling energy surge through her veins, she unleashed Breath of Shu. A weak gust of wind burst forth from her fingertips, striking one of the sphinxes and causing it to stumble back a few steps wrinkling its nose. The spell was far from powerful, but it was a start.

“Yes!” Zeni shouted, but quickly regretted the outburst as several sets of eyes found her and began advancing.

“Ah, hell!” She roared and dove out from behind the wheelbarrow just as one of the monster’s lunged for her. It crashed into the implement, filling the area with a cloud of shattered wood and displaced grain. Zeni scrambled on her hands and knees before finally getting to her feet, already out of breath, but afraid to slow down lest she end up eaten or maimed by these beasts. She noticed that a few of the villagers, apparently finding their odds supremely uneven, had stolen away back to their homes and shuttered their doors and windows tightly. This left Zeni mostly alone to face the minor sphinxes - a realization that she was not exactly pleased by.

For the next several minutes, Zeni ran through the chaos, dodging the monstrous creatures and casting her fledgling spells as best as she could. However, after such a long time of exhaustive activity, her muscles had begun to fail her. She was attempting a roll behind a stack of crates when she got a terrible cramp that spread all the way up her leg and forced her entire body to buckle under the pain, sending her crashing into the dirt.

However, despite her inexperience and the pain in her leg, she somehow managed to get back on her feet. She knew she couldn't keep relying on her rudimentary elemental invocations to fend off the minor sphinxes. But with a deep breath, she decided to try another tactic.

During her fall, she’d spotted something. So, knowing it was a risk, she tried to improvise. She ran towards the nearest crate and grabbed a loose plank, wielding it like a makeshift weapon. As one of the minor sphinxes lunged at her, she swung the plank with all her strength, connecting with the side of the creature's head. The sphinx stumbled and fell to the ground, dazed but not defeated. Taking advantage of the creature's confusion, Zeni struck it again, this time with a well-aimed kick, sending the sphinx sprawling.

Unfortunately, her success only attracted more attention. Two more minor sphinxes, their eyes fixed on Zeni, charged at her. She held her ground, ready to fight, but quickly realized she was outmatched. The first sphinx dove at her with its claws, slicing through the air just inches from her face. Zeni narrowly dodged the attack, her heart pounding in her chest as she stumbled backward.

The second sphinx leaped at her, but Zeni, thinking quickly, cast her Ignition of Ra invocation. She aimed what turned out to be a small plume of flame right at the eyes of the monster and released. A tiny, marble sized flame floated directly into its cornea and it roared in pain suddenly, partially blinded and crashing into the wall in its haste to relieve itself of its agony.

The first sphinx recovered quickly, snarling as it prepared to attack Zeni once more. She raised her makeshift weapon, ready to defend herself, but she knew she was running on borrowed time. She couldn't keep fighting these creatures alone, and her elemental invocations were proving to be only marginally effective.

Just as the sphinx leaped at her, another villager—a big, burly man with a big beard—rushed in, brandishing a red-hot piece of metal. With a mighty swing, he struck the sphinx, sending it crashing to the ground, incapacitated. He gave Zeni a nod and turned his attention to the other minor sphinxes.

Emboldened by the intervention, Zeni rejoined the fray. Seeing how well her fire had worked, she cast her Waters of Hapi invocation at a charging sphinx, aiming for its eyes. The creature yowled in pain as the water blinded it, giving Zeni an opening to strike it down with her plank. As more villagers rallied around her, they fought back against the minor sphinxes as best they could, using whatever makeshift weapons and magic they possessed.

Despite their valiant efforts, however, the villagers were still struggling. The minor sphinxes were relentless, and for every one they managed to subdue, it seemed as if two more appeared to take its place. Zeni's arms ached from swinging her plank, and her elemental invocations were growing weaker with each casting as she seemed to be losing whatever this world had decided magical spells ran off of.

As the battle raged on, it became clear that the villagers were fighting a losing battle. They needed help—and soon.

Zeni’s body was screaming, and she fell to the ground again, her leg completely locking up and her back muscles seizing. Somehow, she was able to turn over, blinking back tears of pain, just as two of the monsters reached her. They prowled close, slowly, knowing they had their prey in their sights—an easy meal, Zeni thought. Then, one of them leaped at her, hurdling through the air with its claws outstretched and mouth open to devour her.

It burst into flames.

Zeni blinked, startled, as the fiery remains of the minor sphinx dropped to the dirt in front of her, very much dead. She didn’t have time to react as the second sphinx lept at her. She made to shield her face—but just like before, this sphinx erupted into flames as well. As this one hit the ground, Zeni looked at her own hands.

“D—did…I do that?” She wondered aloud.

There was a loud explosion and a flash of bright light above her. She squinted skyward and watched as a series of fiery meteors rained down from the sky, incinerating several of the monsters in an instant.

“Oh,” she said. “Guess it wasn’t me. …Probably.”

The firestorm continued, as Zeni tried to discern the source of the calamity. Finally, once her eyes adjusted from the intense kaleidoscope of flashes, she was able to make out one large shape. No, that wasn’t just one shape, it was several shapes along with one very large shape.

Zeni saw three figures descending from the heavens on the back of a majestic flying beast. The creature reminded her of a pegasus, or like, a pegasus’ more massively muscular cousin. It was an engorged-seeming horse-like thing, with a soft coppery color to its coat. The main difference between this thing and a pegasus (other than the obvious body-building proclivities) were the wings. As far as Zeni knew, all pegasus had feathery white wings that carried them aloft. This beast, however, had a gigantic pair of leathery bat-like wings, each with crooked barbs where the span of the wings met the fin. It was almost demonic.

However, Zeni didn’t have time to gawk in terror as her eyes fell upon her rescuers.

There was an absolutely gorgeous woman, her beautiful face almost otherworldly beneath a mop of dark hair. She wore (to Zeni) very Egyptian-inspired armor made of interlocking pieces of metal that climbed across her body. It was she who had cast the meteor spell, Zeni could see. She watched as the woman raised…a handle to a crank of some kind, and fired another round of fire down at the remaining sphinxes. The pegasus-ish beast dropped suddenly and landed roughly on the ground not far from where Zeni stood stunned.

The woman dismounted gracefully, her eyes scanning the battlefield with an air of authority. Beside her, a short, boisterous, scar-faced man, a body thick with muscle and wielding a massive sword leapt into action, his wide grin contrasting sharply with the deadly efficiency with which he dispatched the remaining monsters on the ground.

The final member of the trio was a handsome young man with pale hair that was nearly silver. He wore a thin suit of glittering metal armor and a dyed green cape gathered near his neck. He remained astride the flying beast, his keen gaze taking in the unfolding scene.

“Woah,” Zeni thought. “I don’t know who they are, but I think I’m in love with all of them.”

Then, as if to mock her for this very statement, the beautiful woman was suddenly in front of her, the handle-like object pointed directly in Zeni’s face dangerously.

“Who are you?” The woman demanded, her voice brokering a no-nonsense tone.

“Um. Uh…” Zeni stammered, taken aback by this sudden shift in the encounter. “Hello. I’m…Zeni. I’m, uh, new.”