The story of Delilah the matyr, Casimir's pet. Hey look! Cas CAN be civil when he wants to be!

Shait the Watcher

"Remind me again why I'm in the bottom of a dusty old pyramid, Dakin?" Casimir asked the sage walking just ahead of him. Dakin was the closest thing Casimir had to a friend which simply meant he hadn't felt a desire to kill the younger man yet. The sage was rather tolerable most of the time and usually useful for finding information. He didn't talk too much and the things he said were said for a reason. Dakin stopped and turned, holding up a tattered old book as a reminder.

"I know you didn't forget already. There's a particular object I'm looking for and I need you to kill things that might be guarding the place we're going. Besides, Casimir, you owe me."

"Shut up."

The black haired sage chuckled and continued walking. Best not to get on the wizard's bad side. He knew all too well the consequences of that. He wasn't exactly deterred by Casimir's habits and found the man rather interesting. Most people didn't live long enough to see that side of him. Yes, his friend did have serious mental problems but hey, he wasn't all bad.

A few minutes later they reached a heavy stone door. "This has to be it. The burial chamber should be behind this door." He began searching the walls for some way to open it.

Casimir simply rolled his eyes and summoned an earth spike with an upward sweep of his hand, effectively shattering the door. Dakin gave a rather unmanly cry and raised his arms to block the flying debris from his head. "You could be a little more careful," he sighed as he stepped over the rubble. The high wizard just glared at him and followed behind. He summoned a fireball to light the dark, musty tomb. They strode over to the sarcophagus and Dakin began reading the ancient lettering on the lid. A few moments later, he nodded. "This is the right one. The pharaoh Imset lies here."

"So?"

"Imset had a lot of scandals surrounding his death. Later, when he was being put in here, they found out that the rumors were true," the sage explained. Casimir was mildly interested in the story. He did, after all, like history quite a bit. Morrocan history was one that he didn't know much of.

"Tell me the story then."

Dakin shrugged and began the tale.

"I don't know about the dates because they were lost over time. Pharaoh Ismet was the ruler of Morroc at the time. He was married to Nephet, a princess from a nearby kingdom that doesn't exist anymore. She was supposedly very beautiful with dark skin, slender and graceful. The perfect queen everyone said. Ismet had grown ill with something that didn't have a cure in those days and soon, he was completely bed ridden. His wife visited maybe once a week to see if he had died yet but he lingered day after day."

"He is not dead?"

"No, queen Nephet, he lives," the healer answered. He knew that she waited for her husband's death so she could marry his cousin that was next in line for the throne, since Ismet had no children. He bowed and left her alone with the dying king.

Nephet marched over to the bed and scowled at Ismet's sleeping form. Once she was married to Ramey, she could poison him and take the throne. As luck would have it, her husband grew sick without her interference. "Death awaits you. Why won't you die?" She knew she wouldn't receive an answer so she walked out of the room, sinking into a foul mood.

A short time later, another figure slipped in and kneeled next to the pharaoh's bedside. She too was lovely but paled in comparison to her queen. Sleek black hair fell loosely down her back, framing a serene set of hazel eyes, all set against a sun bronzed skin. She laid a hand on Ismet's chest, feeling the shallow rise and fall. It would not be long until his time came. She nearly jumped as his hand moved and covered hers. "Shait…"

"Yes, Pharaoh?" she answered, bowing her head.

"You know…what my wife is…planning, yes?" She nodded. Anyone could see it if they looked past the Queen's false mourning. "You cannot let…it happen. You are also aware that she…cannot be sealed within my tomb…alongside me. She is not…of this land," he explained with great effort. He had to take breaths often in order to finish his thoughts. He had to make Shait agree to his terms. He knew she was more loyal than anyone in his court was, but would she follow him into the afterlife?

He had gradually gained her trust and love during his sickness, though he did not love her. Without his wife and no children to accompany him to the afterlife, he had no one to serve him. This was where he planned to use Shait. This woman was not royalty, so she could not be buried with him, but there was another way. He reached up weakly and put a hand on her cheek. She was extremely intelligent priestess but so naïve. "Come closer." She leaned over with the guide of his hand until her face was inches from his.

"How can I serve you?" she whispered. He drew her in, lips joining hers for a frail kiss. Surely this would seal their fate.

"Will you serve me in the afterlife…?" he murmured against her lips. There was a moment of silence before she nodded in agreement.

"I will."

"Put an end…to my wife…priestess Shait. She deserves…nothing."

She stood and bowed respectfully before backing out of the room. She hurried to Nephet's chamber after acquiring a weapon to complete the pharaoh's request. Night had fallen over Morroc and the only sounds were that of locusts in the garden. She crept into the room and stood over the sleeping queen dagger in hand.

"May the Gods have pity," she hissed as she slashed Nephet's throat in one swift movement. The queen opened her eyes and tried to gasp. It sounded more like a wheezing gurgle. After a minute of struggle, Nephet lay back against her pillow, dead. Bright red stained the pristine white linens around her, framing the dark face of the once beautiful queen.

She stood there, shaking slightly at what she just done. Nephet had it coming to her, she reasoned with herself. She placed the dagger in Nephet's hands and folded her arms in a way appropriate for burial. She made her way back to Ismet's room and kneeled next to his bed once again. "I have done as you asked." She laid her head on the bed, still in slight disbelief at what she had done.

"Good…" was all Ismet said before he too faded into death.

Then, she noticed a large shadow looming over her. "You wish to become the Pharaoh's eternal servant?" a deep voice rumbled above her. She looked up and saw nothing but shadow.

"Yes."

"It is done." Then, the shadow and voice were gone and her body was wracked with immense pain. Her limbs felt disconnected and crushed. She collapsed to the floor, letting out an animalistic, blood-curdling howl. She couldn't think clearly, nor could she remain conscious of what was happening to her.

"Apparently some god changed her into a matyr and she guards the tomb to this very day," Dakin remarked as he finished the story. He hoped they didn't run into her if she did exist. "They later found out that Nephet didn't kill herself but they also never saw Shait again. She became known as Shait the Watcher because everyone that entered this pyramid after the door to the tomb was sealed has died," he added.

Casimir nodded and inspected the undisturbed tomb. All he saw was dust, sand and valuable artifacts. The painting on the walls were well preserved but it meant nothing to him. Dakin was the one that could actually read it, not him. "A shame that she didn't realize he was lying to her all along. She should have killed him along with the queen and left. Naïve little priestess, you should've paid more attention."

"Why, Casimir, that almost sounded like you feel sorry for her. How thoughtful of you. Although, not every situation has to be solved with someone's death." Dakin grinned as he searched the artifacts around them for a particular gem. He really had no interest in all of the other valuables. Money was something he never really needed.

"It's simpler that way. If you kill the problem, it ceases to exist, right? Problem solved."

"True…but you have a seriously warped sense of problem solving. I'm not sure who to bla--ahh!" the sage yelped as a matyr suddenly appeared before him. It stared at the man with blood red eyes. Casimir had not moved, but watched as the matyr ambled toward him, its body turning into a dark mist as it came closer. Then, it stopped and materialized into a much larger form. The form of a woman.

"What do you want?" the high wizard asked in a bland tone. Obviously, she had a problem with him but he could care less. The ghostly figure considered his question for a moment and sighed.

"What he says is true?" she asked, pointing to the sage. "Ismet lied to me?"

"It's true. He confided in the healer before death. Are you...Shait?" Dakin probed curiously. He hated ghosts more than anything and he especially didn't like things jumping out at him. The priestess nodded solemnly and Casimir just laughed. This caused her to turn back to the high wizard with a questioning look.

"He used you, priestess. You were too blind by his so called "love" that you completely missed it."

"Look, Cas, maybe you shouldn't provoke her. You don't know what she's capable of," the sage pleaded. He wasn't about to be killed by some ghost guardian because of Casimir's mistake. He could probably kill her if need be. The only people that had come here before them were petty thieves. He and Casimir were no novices, especially the high wizard. He was dangerous to even be around though. He didn't care if you were caught in the crossfire between him and his target.

"Shut up, Dakin."

"No, you need stop. Don't cause trouble," the sage replied angrily. "All you ever do is cause trou--" He was silenced, suddenly, and pushed against the tomb wall. Blood trickled from his mouth down his chin as he looked down at his midsection in horror. A shard of ice, more than six inches around had impaled him and pinned him to the wall. "You...bastard!" he gasped.

"You should listen. You know me well enough to know what happens when people tell me what to do. I had no intention of killing you until this moment." He turned a steely gaze back to the priestess and crossed his arms, ignoring the strained, weakening curses of Dakin. "What do you want?" he asked again.

"To leave this place. I want Ismet's tomb looted by common thieves and I want his body destroyed. I am his servant no longer," she growled. Until she heard the sage retell her story and truth, she had felt nothing but love and devotion for her pharaoh. She gave up her own life to watch his tomb for eternity and for what? Lies! He toyed with her as if her life meant nothing.

Casimir watched with an amused expression as Shait flew into a rage and began to wreak havoc upon the king's sarcophagus. She tore the lid off with a rather amazing strength and set to work, tearing the mummified body to pieces. She muttered curses in a language he did not understand but her meaning was clear. He waited while until she was done with her destruction before saying anything. He glanced at the limp body of Dakin, seeing that the sage had finally died when he noticed it had gone quiet in the tomb.

Once calm, she stood in front of the wizard, her eyes blazing with a jaded and furious gleam. "I need a purpose. I refuse to stay here."

The wizard considered her words. "Serve me then." Having a companion might be useful to him. She didn't even require much care since she was dead anyway. Besides, there was something about her that he liked. This was something that didn't happen all that often.

"So long as you will not feed me lies." This was her only term. She would not be led astray for anyone's selfish wants.

"I have no reasons to lie, priestess."

"I have one request," she stated. Casimir gestured for her to continue. "Give me a name. I cannot be Shait the Watcher anymore." He laughed but understood. He thought for a moment and came up a relatively random name. He liked the sound of it though.

"Delilah?"

"Delilah it is, Master."

A/N: The rest is history :3