Welcome, angelic13demon! Chapter 2 is here!
Lancelot sprang at the statue as it emerged, revealing more heads attached to a single body. Tossing a knife to Nick, the two battled the creature as Larry dodged heads, swinging his flashlight and attempting to block the heads from reaching his friends. Behind him, Ahk attempted to stand, but the magic of the tablet was still waning, and he could not quite find the energy. He glanced at the others, frozen or cowering (in the case of Attila). Wincing at the movement, he looked up at the snake charmer as she gazed down at him, confused and worried at the state of her new companions.
"Please..." Ahk forced his lips to move, "help them..."
She stared down at him some more, still silent. Then she set his head down gently and nodded. Standing and drawing a knife from her garb, the charmer moved away from the young pharaoh before launching at the statue, latching on to one of the heads. Digging the knife into the soft bronze, the charmer pulled out her flute and attempted to send the creature into a trance. It seemed to work at first, and Larry let out a sigh of relief. Perhaps they would not need to fight any longer.
Suddenly, another head whipped out from nowhere, unaffected by the flute, and launched the charmer from the other head into the railing surrounding the exhibit. Dazed, she narrowly dodged a second attack.
Larry jumped out of the way of a third head, looking around frantically for some way to stop the creature. Spotting a defibrillator behind Lancelot and Nick, he rushed over to retrieve it, nodding at the charmer as she took his place defending the immobile members behind her.
The charmer frantically blocked each head as it darted towards them, kicking out at others that tried to catch her off guard. Glancing to the side, she witnessed in awe as Larry flew into the center of the creature, shocking it with some sort of electric device and rendering it completely unconscious.
"It's out!" Larry glanced down at the now-useless defibrillator. "These things really do save lives."
The snake charmer moved to help Ahkmenrah stand as the others returned to normal. He smiled at her as he rose, Putting a hand to her shoulder in gratitude. "Thank you for aiding my friends, my lady."
The charmer shrugged, looking to the side at the others in obvious relief. Ahk took in her expression. "You have done so much for us, despite how strange I know this night must be for you. I..." He paused, and she looked up at him once again.
Ahk looked sheepish. "I do not even know your name."
The woman smiled and seemed to laugh, and a tinkling sound of bells filled the air as she picked up her snake, who had dutifully stayed with the young pharaoh when she went to fight. Stroking its head, she looked meaningfully at Ahk. A thoughtful look came over him as he puzzled over the clue, when suddenly he realized. "Wadjet?"
The charmer, Wadjet, smiled, glad he had figured it out.
"Of course! The Egyptian goddess of the snake! How could I have not realized!" Ahkmenrah laughed, and squeezed her shoulder. "It is a fitting name for such a goddess as yourself. Thank you for saving us."
Wadjet blushed, and turned as Larry stooped down to pick up his now broken phone. As he contemplated the fates of their two small companions, Teddy approached from behind. "Lawrence? I fear we've turned a corner. I'm becoming wax again, son."
The president's had was frozen at an awkward angle, immobile and useless. Larry's eyes darkened, and the others looked somber. After a pause, Larry spoke again.
"All right. We'll look for them later. We've got to get to Egypt now."
Nick looked to his father. "Wait, shouldn't we keep looking for Jed and Octavius?"
Lancelot stepped in to support the teen. "Nick is right. A true knight never shirks his duties."
Larry looked sadly at each of them. "If we don't get to Egypt soon, we're not going to save anybody."
He motioned at Wadjet to lead the way, and the charmer silently moved to enter the next room, the others following behind. Ahkmenrah paused and stared after them, remembering another title the goddess Wadjet held: protector of kings.
After going through several different sections of the museum, the group finally reached the exhibit housing Ahk's parents. Larry looked up at the inscriptions. "This is it."
As the others said their goodbyes to Lancelot, Wadjet glanced to the young pharaoh. He gazed longingly in the direction of the tombs. "It has been so long since I have seen them..."
The charmer put her hand on his shoulder as he had done earlier, squeezing it encouragingly. He smiled down at her, but looked up when the knight approached them.
"I bid you farewell, Egyptian." Lancelot then turned his attention to the snake charmer, pulling her hand into his own as she shrunk back.
"And goodbye to you, my fair lady. Should you ever find yourself away from this strange place, you would surely be welcome in Camelot."
Wadjet smiled awkwardly as the knight kissed her hand, and Ahk looked as though he wished to knock the knight out of his armor. Pushing past him, the pharaoh entered the exhibit, looking around at the symbols and glyphs decorating the room. "I haven't seen these walls for many a moon."
From behind the back pillars, a regal-looking woman emerged, dressed in gold. She looked to the intruders before her gaze settled of Ahkmenrah, who froze.
"Ahkmen?"
Ahk moved forward, heart filled with joy as his friends smiled behind him. As he embraced his mother, another person emerged, dressed just as royally. His father.
"Mother. Father."
The older pharaoh stepped forward. "Welcome home, my son."
Ahkmenrah gestured behind him, and the others stepped closer. Wadjet, however, remained at the back, head bent in reverent submission.
"I want you to meet my friends."
Ahk's father raised her head. "I am Merenkahre...Pharaoh of the Nile and Father to the Son of the Sun."
"And I am Shepseheret...the Glittering Jewel of the Nine Kingdoms." His mother added, stepping forward as well.
Larry looked awkwardly at the royalty before him, before answering.
"And... I am Larry."
"Guardian of Brooklyn." Ahk added.
"I actually live in Manhattan now."
"I know, but it doesn't sound as cool."
As Larry spoke with his parents, Ahkmenrah moved to stand next to Wadjet, who studied the floor intently.
"You need not remain behind."
The charmer glanced up at him.
Ahk smiled. "You are one of us, now. We go on this quest together."
The two Egyptians stood side by side in companionable silence as Larry spoke to Merenkahre, until Ahk felt the need to step forward. The stubbornness of his father would not harm his friends.
"Father, why do you insist on keeping this to yourself?"
Merenkahre stared down at his son. "The secret was to be passed down to you at the proper time."
Ahkmenrah shrugged. "Well, it has been 4,000 years. Now seems like a good time."
Hearing that, the older pharaoh sighed. He knew his son was right. As the others gathered around, he told them the story of the tablet.
"You were born at midnight. I was Pharaoh...and I had seen wonders most men only dream of. But when I first gazed upon you...you were instantly more precious to me...than all the wonders of the ancient world. I knew I could never bear to say goodbye. I commanded the High Priest to create a gift to you, my son...using all we had learned of the mysteries of the afterlife. Forged in the temple of Khonsu, god of the moon...and watcher over nighttime travelers...the Tablet of Ahkmenrah. Our tomb was designed to channel Khonsu's rays down to the tablet...rejuvenating its powers every night. The moon god bestow his power upon the tablet... so that, as long as it bathed in his light...our family could be together forever, and not even death could part us. "
Merenkahre looked at them gravely. "It's been away from Khonsu's light too long."
As he said this, the tablet's corruption grew suddenly, and Ahkmenrah staggered.
Shepseheret supported him, crying out. "My son! What is happening to you?"
"It needs moonlight...otherwise we shall all be dead by sunrise," Merenkahre shouted as he sent them running towards a skylight, the only place letting moonlight through. "Hurry! If the tablet dies...nothing can bring it back!"
-NTM