approach.Nait warned him, but Nabu sensed that there was no danger from the old man. And he was right. The pathetic figure crouched there in the dark corner could not harm anyone. The man was wearing tattered clothes and was trembling. He looked pathetic. Now Nait dared to take a few steps forward. "I ... am Nabu, and this is my friend Nait.", Introduced the young prince. There was no answer. "The way he looks, he must have been here a long time.", Nait assumed. Nabu nodded. "Then it is high time he got out of here, and so did we.", Nabu said, deciding. Nait didn't know how his friend was going to do it. Nabu seemed angry at the suffering inflicted on the man. He strutted to the bars and yelled out into the corridor. "Hey you! Can you hear me? I order you to set us free!" Despite his title as prince, he had hardly given orders in Babylon. Although he had the authority to do so, he never really dared tell adults what to do. The old man's powers now seemed to have rekindled. He jumped up, grabbed Nabu and pressed his hand over his mouth. "Fool! Do you want them to come over here?" He snapped at him. His voice was weak and pleading. Nait wanted to drag him away, but this took care of itself. As quickly as the man regained his strength, so quickly did he lose it again. He groaned and went down. "Who are you? And where are we here?" Demanded Nabu. The man was silent again, which the prince couldn't stand. He kept shouting down the hallway until he heard voices. The old man gave a startled cry and staggered back to his corner. Nait also felt uncomfortable. Was it really wise to summon their guards? What kind of people were they? Lights became visible in the distance. As they got closer they were recognized as torches. Heavy footsteps followed them and there was no doubt that their destination was the cell. Nait huddled against the wall and the old man raised his arms protectively in front of his face. Only Nabu stood quietly in front of the bars. Nait admired him for his courage, but Nabu wished he wouldn't. It was more the time pressure that drove him. Marduk had given him a mission. Not a soldier, but him! He wanted to send Nabu's uncle on the trip, but he couldn't do it anymore. Nabu and Nait had to save the city they grew up in and their families themselves. They weren't allowed to waste their time in a cell. The fire of the torches reflected the faces of the newcomers. They weren't monsters or dangerous beasts, they were normal people. Their faces seem rigid and indifferent. There was no longer any doubt that they were the guards of this prison. Nabu clenched his fists and heard his heart beat faster. Only now did his courage run dry. So far he knew that everyone had respect for him because he was the prince.He immediately saw from the guards' expressions that they didn't care. They probably didn't even know that the Prince of Babylon was in their cell. Nabu examined her more closely. Her clothes struck him as strange. He had never seen her before and could not assign her to any other people in Babylonia. Where had she taken Marduk? They wore white frocks that came down to their knees and were partly fitted with feathers. They wore gold necklaces around their necks. Nabu thought of Egyptians but wasn't sure. He counted a total of five guards. Too many for two boys and an unstable old man. "Get off the bars!" One of them ordered. When Nabu did not feel it immediately, the guard drew a kind of stick and pointed it at the prince. Nabu realized in time that it was a spear. He backed away in panic. Someone grabbed his shoulder and squeezed. Nabu turned and saw a trembling Nait. "You won't do anything to us ..." he wanted to reassure him. Nait didn't seem to be reassured by this. "The guy attacked the prince with a spear!" He shook him awake. The gate was opened and two guards entered. "Who took the children prisoner?" Asked someone from the back. He either got a head shake or no reaction at all. "That ... is a mistake!", Nait hurried to say. "We got here through a portal!" He said. The guards gave him a slanted look. They didn't believe a word he said. They probably didn't even know what he meant by portal. Now Nabu tried his luck. "I am Nabu! Prince of Babylon!" He told the guards. They didn’t move a face. "Prince? You would like that. And what is this Babylon supposed to be?" Asked one expectantly. Nabu paused. Didn't these guys really know the capital? "Take her with you!" The old man suddenly shouted. The guards didn't even look at him. "Your lucky day.", Finally giggled the leader of the guards. "Take her with you," he ordered. The other guards stormed into the cell and tried to grab the boys, who backed away fearfully. But the only escape route was blocked by five strong warriors. The boys decided not to fight when they were grabbed by the arms and dragged out. The old man grinned triumphantly. The boys had added maybe another week to his life.

Nabu and Nait formed the middle link of the chain. Three of the warriors marched in front of them and two behind them. It would still be best to escape to the rear, but was there another exit from this building? Or would they just run back to their cell? Nait pointed out something to his friend. Nabu craned his head and looked toward the wall. "Characters." He marveled. "I don't know them," added Nait. Nabu had to admit that he couldn't read them either.Perhaps Adad had mentioned these signs once, but Nabu had simply forgotten. Most of the characters consisted of pictures, but still appeared to be legible. Were they still in Babylonia at all? Had they been transported to another country? Or maybe even to another world? Nabu and Nait recognized the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel. The exit was getting closer and with it the possibility of escape. Either the guards really didn't know Nabu, or they were enemies of Babylon and thought the prince was important. "Can you really not decipher that? What are you studying all these papyrus rolls for?" This punished him with an angry, but also fearful look. The boys and their companions had now reached the exit and stepped out into the fresh air. Even with his first step, Nabu felt a change. He looked at the ground and looked at something green. Was that grass? And up there ... trees! He saw Nait's confusion and knew that his friend must never have seen a real tree. His uncle had once taken him to an oasis outside Babylon. In spite of the scorching sun, such places could arise. "I think ... we are really not in Babylonia anymore.", Nait spoke softly. Nabu knew what his friend meant. The oasis they were in had to be huge. Trees and bushes stretched forward for meters. Nait looked back and saw that her prison had been in a cave. However, they did not find time to deliberate. The guards urged them on again and the boys could admire even more of the idyllic surroundings. However, your amazement should first reach its climax. The group came to a ledge where a staircase carved into the stone led down into the valley. What could be seen in this valley took the boy's breath away. At first it looked like a huge, jagged mountain. Finally the boys recognized a pyramid. "Egypt! We are in Egypt!" Said Nait. Nabu thought that thought was nonsense. I have never been to Egypt before, but I know that there is certainly no such environment there. ", he said. Nait had to agree with him. In the many documents that he had read night after night there was nothing of such a paradise. But Nait noticed something." The pictures ... of the pyramids that I have seen so far looked completely different. ", he remembered. The boys didn't understand anything anymore. The chief of the guards had overheard their conversation." Who are you? And who put you in prison? ", he finally wanted to know. When Nabu started from the portal again, the guard choked him off." No more your fairy tales. You think you know exactly where you are here, but I want to be gracious. "You have entered the realm of Huracan, the god of the storm.", He explained to the astonished boy.They looked at each other but came to the same conclusion. They had never heard the name of this god before. "I ... have never seen a structure like this. Not even the palace of Babylon is so impressive. In ... what country are we? Who are you?", Nabu dared to ask. The guard swung his head to the right, signaling his allies. Nabu and Nait were forced to walk again. However, the leader of the guards was generous and answered the questions during the march. "Our people call themselves Mayans. As I said, this territory is controlled by Huracan. Our village worships and is protected by him. I have never heard of your 'Babylon', however," he confessed. Nabu and Nait were flabbergasted for a moment. Then an idea entered Nabu's head. Didn't they really want to come here? They were looking for a god to assist Marduk in the fight against Nergal. These warriors, who called themselves Mayans, wanted to bring them to their god Huracan. Granted, they had never heard of this god and it was now clear that they were in another country. According to the area ... maybe even on another continent? Maybe Huracan would listen to them and take them back to Babylon. Nabu knew she was a very naive view, but the attempt had to be made. Nait's thoughts were now more about escape. But he too knew what depended on him and Nabu. They had reached the end of the stairs and were now standing in the valley in which the Mayan village lay. Only now could they see how high the pyramid really stretched. "Unbelievable.", Nait marveled. "It is different to see such things in real life," he said. Nabu could only share half his enthusiasm. "It would be more incredible if we weren't prisoners," he aped. But Nait was right. The pyramid was really a sight and the guards stopped so that the boys could marvel at it. She seemed to be her pride and joy. Compared to her, the other buildings, which were probably intended for living, pale.