Chapter Eighteen
The sun rose in the sky and Anubis, Sahure and Jennifer were already moving away from the Blue Nile. The Medji were also heading toward the place where the Golden Pyramid and the Oasis of Amh-Shre had once been; they didn't take the same route as Anubis did, however, to avoid being caught.
Rick, Evelyn and Alex were also awake when the first last rose in the sky. Rick had kept watch all night, keeping his family safe and also watching Jennifer. From where the O'Connells hid he could easily see the outlines that the three made but couldn't see faces or things like that.
By the time the sun was fully in the sky, the Blue Nile was behind the three groups. Now, however, there was nowhere to hide.
Once the three groups had passed the Blue Nile, Ardeth-Bay called a halt to think about their next move. He was not startled to see the O'Connells there. He was, however, startled to see that they were not prisoners, anymore. Rick also saw Ardeth-Bay; the O'Connells joined up with their old friend.
Rick explained how they escaped, leaving out many of the details about Jennifer. "But, who does Anubis have as a prisoner. And who does this bird belong to?" Ardeth-Bay asked, since Rick had told him that Horus did not belong to any of them.
"Anubis has Jennifer prisoner, the bird also belongs to her. Jennifer, you see, is my sister." Evelyn answered.
Despite being surprised, Ardeth-Bay knew that now was not the time to ask questions. "We must stop Anubis and rescue your sister." He said and explained to the Medji that Anubis had a prisoner that needed to be rescued.
Alex took Horus from Ardeth-Bay and held the bird on his shoulder like Jennifer had showed him. Evelyn saw how close her son was to her sister, how worried he was about her. "Don't worry, Alex, she'll be all right." Evelyn comforted. She, however, might have been comforting herself more then her son.
Anubis and Sahure pushed Jennifer along; most of the binds on her legs had been removed so she could walk but it was still a difficult thing. Unaware that the O'Connells and the Medji were making a plan to rescue and a stop Anubis, Jennifer continued praying that the O'Connells had not fallen into Anubis's trap. When the three got farther into the desert (indeed the pyramid and oasis were gone but that didn't seem to worry Anubis) Anubis pushed Jennifer to the ground.
"Whether or not the other prisoners come or not, you will die." Anubis said.
Jennifer stared up at Anubis. Anubis saw that there was no fear in the girl's eyes; he hated that. Jennifer no longer cared whether she lived or died as long as Alex, Evelyn and Rick survived and managed to stop Anubis.
Sahure handed Anubis the long-necked gun. He planned to kill her right here and now; that surprised Jennifer, it maybe even scared her but she didn't let it show.
From where they sat, Ardeth-Bay and the others could see Anubis load and cock the gun. Evelyn's eyes grew wide with fear and her heart began to race; there seemed to be nothing anyone could do. Horus began to screech and threatened to blow their cover. The bird took flight and flew straight toward Anubis. As the jackal aimed the gun at Jennifer, Horus struck. He caught Anubis off guard in the face; the gun went off as Anubis dropped it. The O'Connells and the Medji saw Jennifer fall to the ground but they weren't sure if she was hit or if she was ducking for cover. Evelyn prayed that her sister was ducking and had not been hit. Anubis swatted at Horus but the bird kept screeching at every chance he got, dug his talons into the jackal's flesh.
Jennifer had seen Horus flying toward Anubis, coming to rescue her. As soon as the girl had heard the gun go off she hit the ground, an immediate reaction. Now, however, looked up at Anubis and Horus; Horus was still attacking the God. Behind her, Jennifer was aware that something had happened to Sahure because she could hear the woman moaning in pain. Jennifer turned around to see that Sahure had been shot, in the shoulder, when the gun had gone off.
Jennifer struggled to stand up and began attempting to twist out of her binds. A few of the ropes that were bound around her legs began to loosen, that was good enough. "Horus!" She called her bird as she took off running toward where the others were watching. Horus pulled away from Anubis and followed his master; Anubis growled as he watched them escape. No problem now, he would raise his army and they would have nowhere to run.
Jennifer joined the O'Connells and the Medji; Evelyn embraced her sister, to happy that she was unharmed. Both Alex and Rick also hugged Jennifer, happy that she was unhurt. Ardeth-Bay used his sword to cut Jennifer's binds; short introductions were made. Then, everyone's attention turned to Anubis. Anubis didn't seem to care very much about Sahure, who was still clutching her shoulder wound and sitting on the ground.
The O'Connells and the Medjis' attention, however, was not on Sahure either. All of their eyes were focused on Anubis; the jackal stood up right, his arms were fanned out to his sides, palms up right. His claws were pointing upward to the sky as well; they gleamed in the sun like daggers. He began chanting in a language that Jennifer had never heard before, nonetheless understand.
Evelyn, however, seemed to recognize the language. "The language of the dead." She muttered.
After Evelyn said that, it was clear to the watchers what Anubis was doing. He was raising his army.
Anubis continued chanting and making motions with his hands. The wind began to pick up and blow sand around; Jennifer raised one hand to shield her eyes but still made it so she could still watch Anubis. Anubis began to slur his words, a mix between 'the language of the dead' and English came out of his jowls.
"Awake!" He cried, now in prefect English. "Awake! Awake!"
The sand began to rise and take forms; the forms began to develop fully into forms almost mirrorable to Anubis. These jackal-men looked more ghastly, more wicked, more straight-out-of-Hell then Anubis did. These new jackals carried with them weapons of all kinds: rapiers, scabbards, scimitars, daggers, scythes, double-headed axes and regular straight-bladed swords. More then five thousand of these Hell-beasts formed from the sand; they all growled and roared, pledging their loyalty to Anubis.
The O'Connells and Jennifer stared at the thousands of beasts; Jennifer was sure she was wide eyed and was very aware that she was shaking with fear. The O'Connells as well were afraid of the battle that awaited them. The battle that was inevitable.
The sun rose in the sky and Anubis, Sahure and Jennifer were already moving away from the Blue Nile. The Medji were also heading toward the place where the Golden Pyramid and the Oasis of Amh-Shre had once been; they didn't take the same route as Anubis did, however, to avoid being caught.
Rick, Evelyn and Alex were also awake when the first last rose in the sky. Rick had kept watch all night, keeping his family safe and also watching Jennifer. From where the O'Connells hid he could easily see the outlines that the three made but couldn't see faces or things like that.
By the time the sun was fully in the sky, the Blue Nile was behind the three groups. Now, however, there was nowhere to hide.
Once the three groups had passed the Blue Nile, Ardeth-Bay called a halt to think about their next move. He was not startled to see the O'Connells there. He was, however, startled to see that they were not prisoners, anymore. Rick also saw Ardeth-Bay; the O'Connells joined up with their old friend.
Rick explained how they escaped, leaving out many of the details about Jennifer. "But, who does Anubis have as a prisoner. And who does this bird belong to?" Ardeth-Bay asked, since Rick had told him that Horus did not belong to any of them.
"Anubis has Jennifer prisoner, the bird also belongs to her. Jennifer, you see, is my sister." Evelyn answered.
Despite being surprised, Ardeth-Bay knew that now was not the time to ask questions. "We must stop Anubis and rescue your sister." He said and explained to the Medji that Anubis had a prisoner that needed to be rescued.
Alex took Horus from Ardeth-Bay and held the bird on his shoulder like Jennifer had showed him. Evelyn saw how close her son was to her sister, how worried he was about her. "Don't worry, Alex, she'll be all right." Evelyn comforted. She, however, might have been comforting herself more then her son.
Anubis and Sahure pushed Jennifer along; most of the binds on her legs had been removed so she could walk but it was still a difficult thing. Unaware that the O'Connells and the Medji were making a plan to rescue and a stop Anubis, Jennifer continued praying that the O'Connells had not fallen into Anubis's trap. When the three got farther into the desert (indeed the pyramid and oasis were gone but that didn't seem to worry Anubis) Anubis pushed Jennifer to the ground.
"Whether or not the other prisoners come or not, you will die." Anubis said.
Jennifer stared up at Anubis. Anubis saw that there was no fear in the girl's eyes; he hated that. Jennifer no longer cared whether she lived or died as long as Alex, Evelyn and Rick survived and managed to stop Anubis.
Sahure handed Anubis the long-necked gun. He planned to kill her right here and now; that surprised Jennifer, it maybe even scared her but she didn't let it show.
From where they sat, Ardeth-Bay and the others could see Anubis load and cock the gun. Evelyn's eyes grew wide with fear and her heart began to race; there seemed to be nothing anyone could do. Horus began to screech and threatened to blow their cover. The bird took flight and flew straight toward Anubis. As the jackal aimed the gun at Jennifer, Horus struck. He caught Anubis off guard in the face; the gun went off as Anubis dropped it. The O'Connells and the Medji saw Jennifer fall to the ground but they weren't sure if she was hit or if she was ducking for cover. Evelyn prayed that her sister was ducking and had not been hit. Anubis swatted at Horus but the bird kept screeching at every chance he got, dug his talons into the jackal's flesh.
Jennifer had seen Horus flying toward Anubis, coming to rescue her. As soon as the girl had heard the gun go off she hit the ground, an immediate reaction. Now, however, looked up at Anubis and Horus; Horus was still attacking the God. Behind her, Jennifer was aware that something had happened to Sahure because she could hear the woman moaning in pain. Jennifer turned around to see that Sahure had been shot, in the shoulder, when the gun had gone off.
Jennifer struggled to stand up and began attempting to twist out of her binds. A few of the ropes that were bound around her legs began to loosen, that was good enough. "Horus!" She called her bird as she took off running toward where the others were watching. Horus pulled away from Anubis and followed his master; Anubis growled as he watched them escape. No problem now, he would raise his army and they would have nowhere to run.
Jennifer joined the O'Connells and the Medji; Evelyn embraced her sister, to happy that she was unharmed. Both Alex and Rick also hugged Jennifer, happy that she was unhurt. Ardeth-Bay used his sword to cut Jennifer's binds; short introductions were made. Then, everyone's attention turned to Anubis. Anubis didn't seem to care very much about Sahure, who was still clutching her shoulder wound and sitting on the ground.
The O'Connells and the Medjis' attention, however, was not on Sahure either. All of their eyes were focused on Anubis; the jackal stood up right, his arms were fanned out to his sides, palms up right. His claws were pointing upward to the sky as well; they gleamed in the sun like daggers. He began chanting in a language that Jennifer had never heard before, nonetheless understand.
Evelyn, however, seemed to recognize the language. "The language of the dead." She muttered.
After Evelyn said that, it was clear to the watchers what Anubis was doing. He was raising his army.
Anubis continued chanting and making motions with his hands. The wind began to pick up and blow sand around; Jennifer raised one hand to shield her eyes but still made it so she could still watch Anubis. Anubis began to slur his words, a mix between 'the language of the dead' and English came out of his jowls.
"Awake!" He cried, now in prefect English. "Awake! Awake!"
The sand began to rise and take forms; the forms began to develop fully into forms almost mirrorable to Anubis. These jackal-men looked more ghastly, more wicked, more straight-out-of-Hell then Anubis did. These new jackals carried with them weapons of all kinds: rapiers, scabbards, scimitars, daggers, scythes, double-headed axes and regular straight-bladed swords. More then five thousand of these Hell-beasts formed from the sand; they all growled and roared, pledging their loyalty to Anubis.
The O'Connells and Jennifer stared at the thousands of beasts; Jennifer was sure she was wide eyed and was very aware that she was shaking with fear. The O'Connells as well were afraid of the battle that awaited them. The battle that was inevitable.