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The Beginning
You cannot escape your past.
From The Harvester's Journal
"RIIICCKKK!!!!!!" Evy screamed helplessly as the plane soared off, leaving her alone on the runway, her heart torn in two. They had her husband. They had Rick. She fell too her knees, exhausted, shattered. Alex came to her and she embraced him, dry-eyed, beyond tears.
"We'll get dad back, won't we Mum?" he asked.
"Mrs. O'Connell?" the woman, Soralis spoke up. When she didn't respond, she switched to ancient Egyptian. "Nefertiri," she said softly, commandingly. Evy looked up, her face a mask of grief and anger.
"You're husband will be more or less alright. They need him alive in order to complete the ritual on the first new moon of the Aztec year."
"The first new moon?" she echoed as she got up. "That's three weeks from now! There's no telling what they'll do to him!"
Soralis laughed softly. "You and I both know what they'll do to him Nefertiri."
Imhotep smiled bitterly as he joined his sister. "They will take him to their city, the seat of Akethros' power."
"Xochilnac," Soralis finished. "It must be Xochilnac."
"Why?" Alex asked.
"That's where it all began more than five hundred years ago." She looked at the cloudy sky. Snow began falling as they piled into the car. "I need to make arrangements for the trip to Tehuantepec." She said. "We'll need supplies as well."
"I take it that Tehuantepec is the closest city to Xochilnac." Evy stated.
"Yes," Soralis replied. "From there, it will take us roughly a week to get to Xochilnac."
"A week," Evy murmured.
***
Tehuantepec Mexico, a week and a half later…
In the hotel, Soralis sketched a rough circle with a piece of chalk on the bare tile floor of their room. The rest of her companions looked on with interest, as she seemed to go into a trance, murmuring unintelligibly.
"What is she doing?" Evelyn asked Imhotep, having come to terms with him some few days before.
"Summoning an air elemental for information. The circle is more to protect it than to protect us from it."
"So this elemental is harmless right?" Ardeth asked.
"Mostly." Imhotep grinned lightly as something coalesced in the circle.
The creature appeared as a bright sapphire blue lizard with an overlarge cranium and bright darting eyes. Its paws were raccoon-like and it shifted nervously. "Ketric na vesu delan mer?" it squeaked.
"Ular navaneh gabeda aiorith." Soralis said soothingly in whatever language it spoke. The creature relaxed and began to answer her questions. When she was finished, she tossed the creature an apple that had been leftover from dinner. The creature snatched the apple greedily and trilled its thanks. A flare of light and a popping of rushing air marked its departure and Soralis brushed the chalk circle away.
"Well?" Evy asked impatiently.
"According to the Jabarrie, Rick's alive. They've already reached the temple and have gathered the twelve sacrifices that will precede his." She replied.
"Why didn't you just send your soul out like you did when those cultists attacked me?" Alex asked.
She smiled down at him. "Because Akethros knows my aura and that city is the seat of his power. If I tried that stunt, he'd have me." She told him.
"Oh," he replied.
"You'd all best get some sleep. We leave tomorrow." She said.
As she went into her own room, Evy blocked her. "What are our chances Soralis?" she asked.
"Not good. But better than nothing." She replied.
"Why are you doing this? Why are you helping me?" Evy queried.
"Because I can," she replied and closed the door to her room. Evy sighed and turned away.
***
Rick slumped against the wall, exhausted; mind numbed by the horrors he had witnessed over the past two weeks. They had not really hurt him physically, but mentally, he was on the edge. That witch, Elise Blackburn had tried time and again to seduce him, to coerce him into bed with her. He had refused.
This had seemed to enrage her, to give her the excuse she needed to break him. He had been chained to the wall and forced to watch all manner of atrocities, atrocities he wished he could forget. He had been given the bare minimum of food and water necessary to live, but only just. He looked up as the cell door opened.
Elise walked in, flanked by two of her soldiers. He knew that these guys could easily break him in half in the condition he was now in. He pushed himself up and leaned against the wall for support.
"What now? More fun and games?" he asked her sarcastically.
Elise smiled broadly. "So I see you still have a sense of humor. What a pity our time together grows short. In four days time, you will belong to Qysethitol, our god of the new moon and your death will let him and his armies into this world."
Rick laughed humorlessly. "Lady, the only thing that's gonna happen is my wife ripping your throat out. She doesn't like to share."
"Nefertiri?" Elise chuckled darkly. "There is nothing she can do here." She leaned towards him, almost as if to kiss him. "I can offer a few nights of pleasure before the ceremony. There, you will endure both humiliation and pain, before your heart is ripped out. Think on it."
He looked at her in disgust. "I'd rather sleep with a rattlesnake." He hissed.
She blinked, her face clouding with anger. "Then perhaps you would like to enjoy the entertainment we have provided for you." She snapped her fingers and the guards closed in on him.
She shook her head as they clamped manacles on his wrists. "Stupid, stupid Med-jai." She whispered as they shoved him out of the cell. He didn't bother to tell her he wasn't a Med-jai. It wouldn't do any good.
***
Alex stood, leaning over the rail of the boat Soralis had somehow acquired for them. He glanced up, seeing that Imhotep had joined him. The former mummy had changed since the last time Alex had encountered him. He was no longer imperious, though he was still very intimidating. "Hey," Alex said noncommittally. "How much longer till we are there?" he asked.
"Soralis told me about a day more." Imhotep replied, not surprised at how fluent the boy was in a language that hadn't been used in over three thousand years. "Are you alright?" he asked.
"I'm worried about my dad." Alex asked. "I mean, we are gonna get there in time, right?"
Imhotep considered lying to the boy, but decided against it. "I don't know. But you must not lose hope." He said.
"It must be pretty hard for you to do this, after all that's happened to you." Alex told him shrewdly.
Imhotep grinned down at the boy. "More than you can guess." He replied.
Evy sat down next to Ardeth and Soralis who were busy cleaning and checking weapons. "So, what can we expect in Xochilnac?" she asked deceptively calm.
"Cultists, sorcerers, priests and maybe an odd demon or two." She sighted the rifle she was holding and began wiping it down with a rag. "If we're really lucky and don't stop the ritual in time, we'll have to deal with Qysethitol and his bunch of happy go-lucky psychopaths."
"My husband's life is at stake!" Evy snapped. "How can you be so jocular about this?" she demanded.
Soralis sighed and placed the rifle beside her. "Evy I'm scared shitless. I know what will happen if we don't fail. If you do this sort of thing for any length of time, you tend to get a real bent sense of humor or you wind up eating a bullet."
She smiled. "With me, that gets kind of tiresome after awhile." Images danced in her mind, images of her husband and son being slaughtered by Qysethitol's cultists; her body being torn apart. She pushed them away.
Evy looked away. "I'm sorry, it's just. I…"
Ardeth looked at her. "We will get there in time Evelyn."
***
Ardeth looked up, sensing something. The boat was being rocked by something underneath it. "Something is wrong," he whispered, nudging Soralis and Imhotep awake.
The two joined him by the rail of the boat, not desiring to wake the other two members of their team. Something surfaced by the boat, a huge something. Both men jumped back, seeing the crocodile. It was easily big enough to capsize their boat. "Ya Allah." Ardeth whispered. "What,"
"It's nothing," Soralis replied. "It's just a river spirit."
"Friendly?" Imhotep asked softly. In his land, crocodiles were anything but friendly.
Laughter filled their minds. If I were unfriendly I would be eating you right now. The crocodile's voice echoed. We cannot directly interfere in your journey Snow Cat. We can only insure that you reach your destination alive.
"I do not expect the jungle spirits to interfere in a private quarrel my lord. Thank you for insuring our safe-keeping." Soralis replied calmly. "Give my regards to your kinfolk,"
I will. We wish we could do more, but our hands are tied in this. Qysethitol has not won any friends among us, we wish you good fortune. The river spirit slowly submerged.
"Damn…" Soralis murmured softly.
"Problems?" Evy asked sleepily as she joined them.
"Oh nothing. We just had a rather strange visit from a river spirit."
"Which means?" she asked.
"They know we're comin," Soralis replied.
Xochilnac ruins, the next day….
The five adventures crouched on a ridge overlooking the ruined city in the valley. Most of the temples, huge structures had been toppled by some unknown calamity, only the main temple looked like it was in any kind of shape. Buildings looked like they had exploded from within and once cobbled streets looked like they had been wrenched apart by a giant's hand.
Soralis' looked upon the city she had destroyed for the first time in more than five hundred years. After the city's destruction, she had turned her back to it and left, vowing never to return. Ardeth squeezed her shoulder. "You did this?" he asked.
"I caused it yes. I turned the spirits of their would be victims against their captors. This entire city was composed of only three casts: slaves, nobles and priests. The slaves were fodder for the sacrifices. I simply gave them the power to fight back in the only way I could." Soralis replied.
"You took their souls and let them loose." Evy translated, shocked and horrified by the revelation.
"They would have died horribly anyway." She shrugged. "At least in my way, they died swiftly, painlessly and managed to revenge themselves on their captors. After that, I let them rest."
"How many did you kill?" Alex asked wide-eyed.
"More than enough," Soralis replied flatly.
"Let's go," Imhotep told them. "We don't have much time." He pointed to the sun. "Ra does not wait for us." They all shouldered their packs and slowly made their way into the city.
***
Rick was stripped naked and forced to lie down on the marble slab. Priests in demonic-looking masks shackled his wrists, legs and neck to the stone slab; making it impossible for him to move. He assumed that the priests were wearing masks, but when one of the things smiled at him, he almost screamed. They were real.
He heard the screams of the children as they were shackled to their own upright stone pillars, arranged in a circle around him. He shrank against the stone as Audric Blackburn strode in, surrounded by human and demonic priests. He was holding the Book Of The Living in his hands. The man's cloak looked like a flayed skin. He shuddered when he realized what that skin was from.
On of the demonic priests in Blackburn's entourage bent over Rick and he closed his eyes, waiting for them to begin. The thing laughed lightly as he twisted Rick's wrist around, exposing the tattoo, almost wrenching his arm out of its socket. "He is a warrior for the Powers That Be." The demon rasped. "His soul bears the mark as does his wrist."
"You have promised us a Med-jai. You promised more for your power," the demon hissed as it turned away from Rick. "You promised us the Harvester."
"The Harvester and her companions are in the city now," Audric moved over, handing the Book Of The Living to his daughter, Elise. "She is drawn to the innocent as they die, she cannot stay away. He is the lure and if you want her, you must find her yourself!" he waved to the open skylight above them, which revealed the setting sun. "If we do not complete the ritual by the setting of the new moon, Akethros will not return to our realm."
The demon growled as it turned towards the exit. Fifty of the remaining soldiers and priests followed him. Elise smiled as she moved over to Rick, placing the Book of Life next to the slab. She traced his jawbone delicately as he glared at her. "Do not worry my friend. You will be the last to die," she whispered as she leaned over and kissed him hard, without any subtlety.
"Bitch!" Rick snarled. Elise only laughed as she picked up the Book of Life and moved over to join her father. He tried to close his eyes and ears to the sounds of screaming children and the chants that weaved in and out of those screams.
You cannot escape your past.
From The Harvester's Journal
"RIIICCKKK!!!!!!" Evy screamed helplessly as the plane soared off, leaving her alone on the runway, her heart torn in two. They had her husband. They had Rick. She fell too her knees, exhausted, shattered. Alex came to her and she embraced him, dry-eyed, beyond tears.
"We'll get dad back, won't we Mum?" he asked.
"Mrs. O'Connell?" the woman, Soralis spoke up. When she didn't respond, she switched to ancient Egyptian. "Nefertiri," she said softly, commandingly. Evy looked up, her face a mask of grief and anger.
"You're husband will be more or less alright. They need him alive in order to complete the ritual on the first new moon of the Aztec year."
"The first new moon?" she echoed as she got up. "That's three weeks from now! There's no telling what they'll do to him!"
Soralis laughed softly. "You and I both know what they'll do to him Nefertiri."
Imhotep smiled bitterly as he joined his sister. "They will take him to their city, the seat of Akethros' power."
"Xochilnac," Soralis finished. "It must be Xochilnac."
"Why?" Alex asked.
"That's where it all began more than five hundred years ago." She looked at the cloudy sky. Snow began falling as they piled into the car. "I need to make arrangements for the trip to Tehuantepec." She said. "We'll need supplies as well."
"I take it that Tehuantepec is the closest city to Xochilnac." Evy stated.
"Yes," Soralis replied. "From there, it will take us roughly a week to get to Xochilnac."
"A week," Evy murmured.
***
Tehuantepec Mexico, a week and a half later…
In the hotel, Soralis sketched a rough circle with a piece of chalk on the bare tile floor of their room. The rest of her companions looked on with interest, as she seemed to go into a trance, murmuring unintelligibly.
"What is she doing?" Evelyn asked Imhotep, having come to terms with him some few days before.
"Summoning an air elemental for information. The circle is more to protect it than to protect us from it."
"So this elemental is harmless right?" Ardeth asked.
"Mostly." Imhotep grinned lightly as something coalesced in the circle.
The creature appeared as a bright sapphire blue lizard with an overlarge cranium and bright darting eyes. Its paws were raccoon-like and it shifted nervously. "Ketric na vesu delan mer?" it squeaked.
"Ular navaneh gabeda aiorith." Soralis said soothingly in whatever language it spoke. The creature relaxed and began to answer her questions. When she was finished, she tossed the creature an apple that had been leftover from dinner. The creature snatched the apple greedily and trilled its thanks. A flare of light and a popping of rushing air marked its departure and Soralis brushed the chalk circle away.
"Well?" Evy asked impatiently.
"According to the Jabarrie, Rick's alive. They've already reached the temple and have gathered the twelve sacrifices that will precede his." She replied.
"Why didn't you just send your soul out like you did when those cultists attacked me?" Alex asked.
She smiled down at him. "Because Akethros knows my aura and that city is the seat of his power. If I tried that stunt, he'd have me." She told him.
"Oh," he replied.
"You'd all best get some sleep. We leave tomorrow." She said.
As she went into her own room, Evy blocked her. "What are our chances Soralis?" she asked.
"Not good. But better than nothing." She replied.
"Why are you doing this? Why are you helping me?" Evy queried.
"Because I can," she replied and closed the door to her room. Evy sighed and turned away.
***
Rick slumped against the wall, exhausted; mind numbed by the horrors he had witnessed over the past two weeks. They had not really hurt him physically, but mentally, he was on the edge. That witch, Elise Blackburn had tried time and again to seduce him, to coerce him into bed with her. He had refused.
This had seemed to enrage her, to give her the excuse she needed to break him. He had been chained to the wall and forced to watch all manner of atrocities, atrocities he wished he could forget. He had been given the bare minimum of food and water necessary to live, but only just. He looked up as the cell door opened.
Elise walked in, flanked by two of her soldiers. He knew that these guys could easily break him in half in the condition he was now in. He pushed himself up and leaned against the wall for support.
"What now? More fun and games?" he asked her sarcastically.
Elise smiled broadly. "So I see you still have a sense of humor. What a pity our time together grows short. In four days time, you will belong to Qysethitol, our god of the new moon and your death will let him and his armies into this world."
Rick laughed humorlessly. "Lady, the only thing that's gonna happen is my wife ripping your throat out. She doesn't like to share."
"Nefertiri?" Elise chuckled darkly. "There is nothing she can do here." She leaned towards him, almost as if to kiss him. "I can offer a few nights of pleasure before the ceremony. There, you will endure both humiliation and pain, before your heart is ripped out. Think on it."
He looked at her in disgust. "I'd rather sleep with a rattlesnake." He hissed.
She blinked, her face clouding with anger. "Then perhaps you would like to enjoy the entertainment we have provided for you." She snapped her fingers and the guards closed in on him.
She shook her head as they clamped manacles on his wrists. "Stupid, stupid Med-jai." She whispered as they shoved him out of the cell. He didn't bother to tell her he wasn't a Med-jai. It wouldn't do any good.
***
Alex stood, leaning over the rail of the boat Soralis had somehow acquired for them. He glanced up, seeing that Imhotep had joined him. The former mummy had changed since the last time Alex had encountered him. He was no longer imperious, though he was still very intimidating. "Hey," Alex said noncommittally. "How much longer till we are there?" he asked.
"Soralis told me about a day more." Imhotep replied, not surprised at how fluent the boy was in a language that hadn't been used in over three thousand years. "Are you alright?" he asked.
"I'm worried about my dad." Alex asked. "I mean, we are gonna get there in time, right?"
Imhotep considered lying to the boy, but decided against it. "I don't know. But you must not lose hope." He said.
"It must be pretty hard for you to do this, after all that's happened to you." Alex told him shrewdly.
Imhotep grinned down at the boy. "More than you can guess." He replied.
Evy sat down next to Ardeth and Soralis who were busy cleaning and checking weapons. "So, what can we expect in Xochilnac?" she asked deceptively calm.
"Cultists, sorcerers, priests and maybe an odd demon or two." She sighted the rifle she was holding and began wiping it down with a rag. "If we're really lucky and don't stop the ritual in time, we'll have to deal with Qysethitol and his bunch of happy go-lucky psychopaths."
"My husband's life is at stake!" Evy snapped. "How can you be so jocular about this?" she demanded.
Soralis sighed and placed the rifle beside her. "Evy I'm scared shitless. I know what will happen if we don't fail. If you do this sort of thing for any length of time, you tend to get a real bent sense of humor or you wind up eating a bullet."
She smiled. "With me, that gets kind of tiresome after awhile." Images danced in her mind, images of her husband and son being slaughtered by Qysethitol's cultists; her body being torn apart. She pushed them away.
Evy looked away. "I'm sorry, it's just. I…"
Ardeth looked at her. "We will get there in time Evelyn."
***
Ardeth looked up, sensing something. The boat was being rocked by something underneath it. "Something is wrong," he whispered, nudging Soralis and Imhotep awake.
The two joined him by the rail of the boat, not desiring to wake the other two members of their team. Something surfaced by the boat, a huge something. Both men jumped back, seeing the crocodile. It was easily big enough to capsize their boat. "Ya Allah." Ardeth whispered. "What,"
"It's nothing," Soralis replied. "It's just a river spirit."
"Friendly?" Imhotep asked softly. In his land, crocodiles were anything but friendly.
Laughter filled their minds. If I were unfriendly I would be eating you right now. The crocodile's voice echoed. We cannot directly interfere in your journey Snow Cat. We can only insure that you reach your destination alive.
"I do not expect the jungle spirits to interfere in a private quarrel my lord. Thank you for insuring our safe-keeping." Soralis replied calmly. "Give my regards to your kinfolk,"
I will. We wish we could do more, but our hands are tied in this. Qysethitol has not won any friends among us, we wish you good fortune. The river spirit slowly submerged.
"Damn…" Soralis murmured softly.
"Problems?" Evy asked sleepily as she joined them.
"Oh nothing. We just had a rather strange visit from a river spirit."
"Which means?" she asked.
"They know we're comin," Soralis replied.
Xochilnac ruins, the next day….
The five adventures crouched on a ridge overlooking the ruined city in the valley. Most of the temples, huge structures had been toppled by some unknown calamity, only the main temple looked like it was in any kind of shape. Buildings looked like they had exploded from within and once cobbled streets looked like they had been wrenched apart by a giant's hand.
Soralis' looked upon the city she had destroyed for the first time in more than five hundred years. After the city's destruction, she had turned her back to it and left, vowing never to return. Ardeth squeezed her shoulder. "You did this?" he asked.
"I caused it yes. I turned the spirits of their would be victims against their captors. This entire city was composed of only three casts: slaves, nobles and priests. The slaves were fodder for the sacrifices. I simply gave them the power to fight back in the only way I could." Soralis replied.
"You took their souls and let them loose." Evy translated, shocked and horrified by the revelation.
"They would have died horribly anyway." She shrugged. "At least in my way, they died swiftly, painlessly and managed to revenge themselves on their captors. After that, I let them rest."
"How many did you kill?" Alex asked wide-eyed.
"More than enough," Soralis replied flatly.
"Let's go," Imhotep told them. "We don't have much time." He pointed to the sun. "Ra does not wait for us." They all shouldered their packs and slowly made their way into the city.
***
Rick was stripped naked and forced to lie down on the marble slab. Priests in demonic-looking masks shackled his wrists, legs and neck to the stone slab; making it impossible for him to move. He assumed that the priests were wearing masks, but when one of the things smiled at him, he almost screamed. They were real.
He heard the screams of the children as they were shackled to their own upright stone pillars, arranged in a circle around him. He shrank against the stone as Audric Blackburn strode in, surrounded by human and demonic priests. He was holding the Book Of The Living in his hands. The man's cloak looked like a flayed skin. He shuddered when he realized what that skin was from.
On of the demonic priests in Blackburn's entourage bent over Rick and he closed his eyes, waiting for them to begin. The thing laughed lightly as he twisted Rick's wrist around, exposing the tattoo, almost wrenching his arm out of its socket. "He is a warrior for the Powers That Be." The demon rasped. "His soul bears the mark as does his wrist."
"You have promised us a Med-jai. You promised more for your power," the demon hissed as it turned away from Rick. "You promised us the Harvester."
"The Harvester and her companions are in the city now," Audric moved over, handing the Book Of The Living to his daughter, Elise. "She is drawn to the innocent as they die, she cannot stay away. He is the lure and if you want her, you must find her yourself!" he waved to the open skylight above them, which revealed the setting sun. "If we do not complete the ritual by the setting of the new moon, Akethros will not return to our realm."
The demon growled as it turned towards the exit. Fifty of the remaining soldiers and priests followed him. Elise smiled as she moved over to Rick, placing the Book of Life next to the slab. She traced his jawbone delicately as he glared at her. "Do not worry my friend. You will be the last to die," she whispered as she leaned over and kissed him hard, without any subtlety.
"Bitch!" Rick snarled. Elise only laughed as she picked up the Book of Life and moved over to join her father. He tried to close his eyes and ears to the sounds of screaming children and the chants that weaved in and out of those screams.
