Snakes and Demons
The Medji filled into the abandoned tomb, flanking pharaoh and priests.
The wafting smell of rotting meat and the fresher tang of blood filled the air. The aftertaste of magic's. This did not bode well.
One man jumped. The body of the thief, Afkia, appeared, slumped against a pillar at his feet. The guard gave the cursed one a kick for good measure, but held back his spit. Too vengeful a man, too petty an insult.
They moved deeper, sorting through the corpses of the acolytes and the possessed.
A cry went up. The priest Akunadin, uncle of the Pharaoh, lay in their midst.
And in the recesses a shape lurched.
Spears and blades snapped up.
A hoarse whisper, barely there, yet thunderously loud.
"Snakes."
Awkwardly seated: legs had simply failed. Bloody.
"Yuugi?" The old visor.
The boy lifted his head, slowly. Listing to the side. Glassy eyes did not see his grandfather. Hands pulled a notched blade from listless fingers. Lifted the prince, unconscious, from safety behind him.
"It was snakes."
The priest of Set took hold of him. Cold eyes seemingly searing through the limp flesh of his body to the suspicious grime in his wounds: "He's been poisoned."
"Is there anything-"
"False ones, false snakes. All in the light. Ha! Sekhmet can't see."
"I don't know."
"See? One is the other, other like one, what to do what to do?"
"What is he going on about? There's no sense to it..."
"But he saw a way. The brother left the light. Came back. The not-brother came back."
"Ramblings only – he's not himself."
"I'm not so sure."
"The not-bother gave the not-snakes shadows. Gave them shaadoows.. And the sky ate them alllll. Heehee. Chased them to the water."
"My Lord?"
"The false ones..."
"Trade not-snakes for not-shadows. Shadows like snakes. Shadows want the snake's sky. Sky in the water."
"Are gone. Your father saw to that."
"But the sky is gone. Gone Gone GONE."
"They left their gate."
"Made it go. Had to. Not safe. The sky will drown us. Eat us up and spit them out."
"Then... it is possible..."
"He is the gate keeper."
"The sky is gone. Empty. Buried. I killed it. The sky is gone..."
They cringed at the sound of laughter, raucous and loud.
Then silence.
AN. Your thoughts?