Highlander: Osiris
Homecoming
Chapter 10
DDThat night, I dreamed once more. The dream went on and on... I could see the sand... I could feel the quickening.
DDI saw Anubis and Shesmu... I saw myself and Pierre...
DDI saw River... and another woman...
DDAnother woman...
DDMy eyes snapped open to see River in front of me, looking at me.
DD"Bad dreams?", she asked.
DD"I don't know. I can't remember."
DDShe leaned over and kissed me. As I put my arms around her, I could feel my fear draining away. River... and another woman...
DD"You knew her." I said, when our lips finally came apart.
DD"Hmm?"
DD"Pierre's mentor. You knew her."
DDShe looked down for a moment, then her eyes found mine once more. "Yes. She was my aunt."
DD"How old was she?"
DD"I don't know. But somehow she and uncle Forrest fell in love. She was here with him. She met my uncle through Pierre."
DDI was wrong. Pierre hadn't been in love with her... Pierre had simply lover her as he would his mother.
DD"How long were the two of them together?", I asked.
DDShe shrugged. "I don't know. I grew up calling her my aunt. When he started to show his age, and she still looked twenty five, I finally asked the big question. That's how I found out about immortals."
DD"Was she strong?"
DD"Physically? I don't know. I never saw her fight. But I know what she was like. She was definately a fighter. She wouldn't give up until it was over."
DD"Most immortals develope that attitude over their first hundred years or so."
DD"Why haven't you?"
DDThat caught me off guard. I always assumed that my overcautious attitude was what kept me alive for so long. So many other immortals are too willing to fight... and therefore end up losing their head that much sooner. Even the strongest immortal has to weigh chance into the equation every time he or she fights. Since I rarely fight, chance has less of a hold on my life.
DD"I don't know."
DDThe next two days, Forrest and Pierre did their normal duties. Pierre was still nursing the ugly wound I gave him in practice, so we thought it best to hold off any more practice until it healed. River and I had free reign of the museum and the digsite.
DDWhen no one else was in earshot, I told River many things about the museum displays that archaeologists didn't know. I was pleasantly surprised, however, to find out exactly how much River knew about ancient Egypt. In some ways she knew more than I did.
DDOne thing that I found particularly annoying was that she understood a pidgen of heiroglyphics.
DDI can't even read heiroglyphics.
DDAs we walked, we came to a display on mummification. I stared uneasily at another life-sized statue of Anubis when a sudden flash came to me.
DDAnubis might not be as old as we thought he was. According to the manuscripts from the digsite, he was thought to be at least five thousand years old, probably much older.
DDBut what's to say that Anubis hadn't been killed a thousand years ago... and the one who killed him, like me, had been a young immortal, and simply lucky enough to deliver a killing blow.
DDAn immortal's first kill is usually the worst. It is disorienting... often painful. And it adds a small whisper of that immortal, and all of that immortal's victims, into your head.
DDA young immortal could have killed Anubis thousands of years ago... then simply become him.
DDThis could work to our advantage. He won't be as powerful as a five thousand year old immortal would be. He won't be as fast, or as strong, or as sensitive as a five thousand year old immortal would be.
DDIn fact, he had to have died several times. There is no way an immortal can live through five thousands years of regular conflict. The odds against that kind of survival are astronomical.
DDFor the first time since I arrived in Egypt, my outside mask of bravery finally matched my inner emotion.
DDWhen we were in private, I told River my theory. Although she probably wouldn't be able to help any when the fight came, I wanted her to know what was going on. Besides, Pierre would probably be able to pick up on her mood, and therefore his would be bolstered as well.
DDShe lit up, of course. "That's good, then isn't it. He's not that powerful."
DDI smiled back at her. "Now, don't jump to conclusions. He is very powerful. But he just isn't as powerful as a five thousand year old immortal would be, that's all."
DDShe smiled right back at me. "But it's something."
DDWe walked in silence for a bit while she chewed on this piece of new information. At the time, we were outside the museum, walking around the block, just looking. We were fairly bored.
DD"Do you still feel your first kill?"
DDOnce again, she managed to catch my by surprise. "No. I'm more than two thousand years old."
DD"But I still remember him."
DDI didn't take a single head during my entire first two lifespans. My first, in Egypt, of course, I knew nothing about my immortality. My second, in persia with Asharu, I lived in relative peace. She and I lived together... she grew old...
DDWhen she died I ran away. From her. From myself. From Egypt.
DDFrom death.
DDIn my wake I left a path of self-destruction. Everyone remember the young man who screamed and fought everyone who crossed his path.
DDI'm sure I killed people. I was mad. Mad for the loss of my love. Mad for the neverending life that would not let me go.
DDAnother immortal followed the tale of the crazy young fair-haired man. He finally found me, and we fought.
DDHe was not 'good' as most would think of a hero as 'good'. Nor was he evil.
DDHe was simply an immortal, looking for an immortal that he could kill with impunity. No one cared about me. He could take my head and feel no regret.
DDBut I took his.
DDThe quickening threw sand around me. The lightning flashed. The sky caved in, and the stars themselves bathed me in cold fire.
DDThen it was over. The madness was gone. I kept travelling east, away from death. I was still afraid. I was still angry.
DDBut I was sane.
DDA psychiatrist would have a field day trying to examine me.
DDI didn't tell River all of the story. I just told her the basics. I could not tell her of my madness... of my anger.
DDThat was another lifetime. That was a hundred lifetimes ago.
DDThat wasn't the same man she cared for. Now I was the one fighting for good... for justice. Fighting the demons that had slain a hundred innocent.
DDAs I had fought the demon inside me... the demon who had slain a dozen innocent.
DDWhy was I willing to fight alongside these people? I owed them nothing. They showed me the same friendship I had shown them... but normally at the first sign of danger, I will run. It's only logical, isn't it?
DDWas it friendship that kept me with them? Love? Or perhaps the simple need for closure.
DDAnubis had to die.
See this story and others on my homepage, http://tirade.tripod.com/fanfic/highlander.html
Homecoming
Chapter 10
DDThat night, I dreamed once more. The dream went on and on... I could see the sand... I could feel the quickening.
DDI saw Anubis and Shesmu... I saw myself and Pierre...
DDI saw River... and another woman...
DDAnother woman...
DDMy eyes snapped open to see River in front of me, looking at me.
DD"Bad dreams?", she asked.
DD"I don't know. I can't remember."
DDShe leaned over and kissed me. As I put my arms around her, I could feel my fear draining away. River... and another woman...
DD"You knew her." I said, when our lips finally came apart.
DD"Hmm?"
DD"Pierre's mentor. You knew her."
DDShe looked down for a moment, then her eyes found mine once more. "Yes. She was my aunt."
DD"How old was she?"
DD"I don't know. But somehow she and uncle Forrest fell in love. She was here with him. She met my uncle through Pierre."
DDI was wrong. Pierre hadn't been in love with her... Pierre had simply lover her as he would his mother.
DD"How long were the two of them together?", I asked.
DDShe shrugged. "I don't know. I grew up calling her my aunt. When he started to show his age, and she still looked twenty five, I finally asked the big question. That's how I found out about immortals."
DD"Was she strong?"
DD"Physically? I don't know. I never saw her fight. But I know what she was like. She was definately a fighter. She wouldn't give up until it was over."
DD"Most immortals develope that attitude over their first hundred years or so."
DD"Why haven't you?"
DDThat caught me off guard. I always assumed that my overcautious attitude was what kept me alive for so long. So many other immortals are too willing to fight... and therefore end up losing their head that much sooner. Even the strongest immortal has to weigh chance into the equation every time he or she fights. Since I rarely fight, chance has less of a hold on my life.
DD"I don't know."
DDThe next two days, Forrest and Pierre did their normal duties. Pierre was still nursing the ugly wound I gave him in practice, so we thought it best to hold off any more practice until it healed. River and I had free reign of the museum and the digsite.
DDWhen no one else was in earshot, I told River many things about the museum displays that archaeologists didn't know. I was pleasantly surprised, however, to find out exactly how much River knew about ancient Egypt. In some ways she knew more than I did.
DDOne thing that I found particularly annoying was that she understood a pidgen of heiroglyphics.
DDI can't even read heiroglyphics.
DDAs we walked, we came to a display on mummification. I stared uneasily at another life-sized statue of Anubis when a sudden flash came to me.
DDAnubis might not be as old as we thought he was. According to the manuscripts from the digsite, he was thought to be at least five thousand years old, probably much older.
DDBut what's to say that Anubis hadn't been killed a thousand years ago... and the one who killed him, like me, had been a young immortal, and simply lucky enough to deliver a killing blow.
DDAn immortal's first kill is usually the worst. It is disorienting... often painful. And it adds a small whisper of that immortal, and all of that immortal's victims, into your head.
DDA young immortal could have killed Anubis thousands of years ago... then simply become him.
DDThis could work to our advantage. He won't be as powerful as a five thousand year old immortal would be. He won't be as fast, or as strong, or as sensitive as a five thousand year old immortal would be.
DDIn fact, he had to have died several times. There is no way an immortal can live through five thousands years of regular conflict. The odds against that kind of survival are astronomical.
DDFor the first time since I arrived in Egypt, my outside mask of bravery finally matched my inner emotion.
DDWhen we were in private, I told River my theory. Although she probably wouldn't be able to help any when the fight came, I wanted her to know what was going on. Besides, Pierre would probably be able to pick up on her mood, and therefore his would be bolstered as well.
DDShe lit up, of course. "That's good, then isn't it. He's not that powerful."
DDI smiled back at her. "Now, don't jump to conclusions. He is very powerful. But he just isn't as powerful as a five thousand year old immortal would be, that's all."
DDShe smiled right back at me. "But it's something."
DDWe walked in silence for a bit while she chewed on this piece of new information. At the time, we were outside the museum, walking around the block, just looking. We were fairly bored.
DD"Do you still feel your first kill?"
DDOnce again, she managed to catch my by surprise. "No. I'm more than two thousand years old."
DD"But I still remember him."
DDI didn't take a single head during my entire first two lifespans. My first, in Egypt, of course, I knew nothing about my immortality. My second, in persia with Asharu, I lived in relative peace. She and I lived together... she grew old...
DDWhen she died I ran away. From her. From myself. From Egypt.
DDFrom death.
DDIn my wake I left a path of self-destruction. Everyone remember the young man who screamed and fought everyone who crossed his path.
DDI'm sure I killed people. I was mad. Mad for the loss of my love. Mad for the neverending life that would not let me go.
DDAnother immortal followed the tale of the crazy young fair-haired man. He finally found me, and we fought.
DDHe was not 'good' as most would think of a hero as 'good'. Nor was he evil.
DDHe was simply an immortal, looking for an immortal that he could kill with impunity. No one cared about me. He could take my head and feel no regret.
DDBut I took his.
DDThe quickening threw sand around me. The lightning flashed. The sky caved in, and the stars themselves bathed me in cold fire.
DDThen it was over. The madness was gone. I kept travelling east, away from death. I was still afraid. I was still angry.
DDBut I was sane.
DDA psychiatrist would have a field day trying to examine me.
DDI didn't tell River all of the story. I just told her the basics. I could not tell her of my madness... of my anger.
DDThat was another lifetime. That was a hundred lifetimes ago.
DDThat wasn't the same man she cared for. Now I was the one fighting for good... for justice. Fighting the demons that had slain a hundred innocent.
DDAs I had fought the demon inside me... the demon who had slain a dozen innocent.
DDWhy was I willing to fight alongside these people? I owed them nothing. They showed me the same friendship I had shown them... but normally at the first sign of danger, I will run. It's only logical, isn't it?
DDWas it friendship that kept me with them? Love? Or perhaps the simple need for closure.
DDAnubis had to die.
See this story and others on my homepage, http://tirade.tripod.com/fanfic/highlander.html
