M-Sama: New chappie, new chappie, aren't you happy there's a neeeew chaaapie….yeah, sorry about that. I wish I had more time to write…Well, no rambles, on with it all…sure hope I've still got an audience…
Chapter 15: Blood Duty
"Each of the seven items has it's own guardian," the pharaoh explained, leading his two friends into the depths of the pyramid. His deep voice reverberated off the stone- walls in the deep dark, drowning out the shriek of the monsters outside. Jono had claw marks on his arm, a token from the scuffle with some of the beasts. He'd been lucky…they'd lost the three servants who'd accompanied them, the poor brave souls. Tèana knew now was not the time to mourn them, but couldn't stop the few tears from falling on her linen wrap.
"When Narmer sealed the magic for the first time," said the Pharaoh, "Seven of his counselors, the ones he trusted most in all the world, placed themselves in various temples around the kingdom of Egypt. They sealed themselves into special tombs which had been prepared for them, and died."
Jono's warm brown eyes widened. "Whatcha sayin'? They killed themselves?"
The king nodded. He continued staring straight ahead. "They all died. In different manners and at different times, depending on which treasure, but the overall concept is correct." He paused. "They died so that their souls might guard that item forever, inhabit it and prevent all evil things from touching it."
He continued. "As the thousands of years went by, some of the spirits got lost. Not all of them made it into this era."
Jono cocked his head. "Man, how does a spirit get lost?"
"I am sure I do not know," said the deep voice of the king. "All I know is what is written."
"So, what happens to an item if the spirit walks?" asked Jono.
"It remains vacant. A new keeper is found in the physical world." The king placed his hand on the golden puzzle around his neck. "This treasure was entrusted to the royal family when its spirit disappeared. It has been in the care of every king since Mentuhotep."
"Any news on the others?" asked Jono.
"We will find out." The king stopped, holding up the torch. They were in front of large door. The king held up his millennium puzzle. It glowed with an eerie light. The door hummed in response, the Eye of the Thousand Years illuminating on its surface. The door opened on a huge circular room, covered in ancient Hieroglyphs.
"Doc, I don't get it," complained Alex. "What is that king working towards?"
Sarah was too tired to do more then stare numbly at her two companions.
"Mon garcon, if I knew I would not be troubling to read all this," replied the professor a bit testily. "I suppose we can skim some…"
The texts went on to describe the spell the king worked in the room to summon the spirit guardians.
"How could he do magic when all the monsters were free and stuff?" asked Alex.
"He was a scion, I suppose. It says he used "connection" to the dark world-"
"Connection?" Sarah started out of her stupor. Hieroglyphs were her particular interest. She peered at the symbol. "Looks kind of like the symbol for 'flow,' doesn't it? As in river?" She mused. "Flowing with the river of darkness…"
"Looks like a boat to me," said Alex, who was no expert on symbols.
The professor had moved on. "Here, estudiants. Look at this panel here…"
The panel showed the King, arms spread, his two friends in the background. Before him were six figures, people in a strange kind of clerical garb. They were each shown with a Thousand Year Treasure hovering between their hands.
The professor rubbed his brown sideburns and gave a satisfied smile. "Aha, a list of the guardians." He read it off. "Shadah of the Ankh, who beheld all within a man's heart. Seito of the Rod, a warrior who sealed the forces of evil. Madaho of the Ring, a mighty magician and seeker. Aknadean of the Eye, who could see and lure a man's soul right from his body. Karimu of the Scales, who judged and weighed a man's heart. Isis…eh, this is odd."
"Isis was the goddess of magic, hearth, a whole bunch of other stuff like that!" exclaimed Alex. "What's she doing here?"
"Must be a different Isis," said Sarah. "See? The way her name is written; it is Isis, but that little circle on top…I don't think this is the goddess, I think this is like a representitive of the goddess, or something. It says…" she peered closer and read off, slowly. " 'A wise mistress of knowing and foreknowing…'"
"Tre bein, Sarah," remarked the professor. "You would be wise to listen to mademoiselle, Alex. She is much keener then you, or, perhaps, has just read more." He grinned.
Alex grumbled something and shuffled his foot in the dust. "So, did all these guys come when the king called them?"
The professor studied the wall. "No…Four of them did. Isis, Shadah, Karimu, Aknadean appeared, renewing their pledge to always serve the Pharaoh for the good of the Two Lands. The king inquired where the other two were, Madaho and Seito. Shadah stepped forward to answer. 'Eighteen times has the Nile raised and lowered its banks and the peasants plowed the earth, yet our comrade Seito remains missing.'
"Now Isis is speaking: 'He lives still, but he no swims with us through the dark rivers that are his place. Seito was ambitious, and took to dreaming of light and power again. He swam from us and were he is we know not.'"
Alex squinted at the picture of Seito the lost swimmer, his brown eyes straining in the dim light. "You know, it's sorta hard to tell cause he's wearing that funky hat, but this dude looks a lot like him!" He pointed at the life-size portrait of Seto on the opposite wall.
"Bravo Alex," said Sarah in a near-perfect imitation of the professor. Then she considered. "Maybe Seto is the lost Guardian spirit who got himself reincarnated…would explain why he has all that magic power without being a scion, wouldn't it?"
"Estuduiants, you amaze me," said the professor, looking away from the wall for a second to smile at his protégés. Then back to the panel.
"Madaho of the Ring," said the keeper of the Eye, stepping forward beside his two kindred spirits, "will not come. His item is empty pharaoh. He forsook it to become a dueling monster."
This was news to the king! "Truthfully? Which monster?"
"He was impatient. He wanted a more active role as pharaonic protector and was not content to stand idle until called upon. He was present at your coronation. The Black Magician."
"Whoa…" said Jono, who had seen that monster in action.
Tèana moved a step closer to her king and asked a tentative question. "Your Majesty? Were…were all these spirits-" she gestured at the glowing apparitions, "where they human once?"
"We were indeed, young lady," said the keeper of the Ankh, making Tèana jump. "But no more. We gave up our human lives for a greater destiny."
In that moment, Tèana thought she saw a deep scar on Shadah's head, almost completely hidden by his robe's hood. It was hard to tell but it seemed to be an upside-down ankh…there was dried blood in its deep grooves…the girl shuddered and looked away, feeling a bit ill.
Shadah's hand went to the hem of his hood. He said nothing.
The Pharaoh, who had been standing with his arms crossed and head down for a few minutes, opened his eyes. Instantly all eyes were on him. It was eerie the way he could command attention so easily without saying a word. His voice was quiet and calm, but every word was as strong and coolly hard as if it had been carved from marble.
"Spirits, sworn to protect the millennium items, I called you here to help me. The land of Egypt is in great peril. A vision of my father came to me with instructions about a ritual that will seal away the magic and restore peace to my land. This you know, because you saw it. I entreat you each your assistance." He closed those powerful violet eyes, and placed one golden-clad hand over his heart. "Please help me."
The spirits were silent for a second. Then, as one, they knelt onto their glowing knees, a constellation of distant stars in the fathomless deeps of the earth. As one, they chanted: "We shall ever serve the king of Egypt, in this life and the next. We shall ever aid him, for that is our duty. When the day is in danger, and the dark river threatens to flood the entire world, he shall call us. We shall come. We shall be ready. For this truth we die." As one they stood. The king watched them for a long moment.
"Very well," he said. "And so it begins."
"Pharaoh and master," said Isis of the Necklace, her clear voice low with meaning. "This I see. It shall be doom for you."
"What will be will be," said the king. His eyes betrayed no emotion. He raised his voice. "Begin!"
The spirits lowered their heads. There was a great rushing sound as space and time bent around them, changing, moving through reality, hushing to their final destination.
"What of the two lost ones?" someone asked, it was impossible to tell whom in this whirling storm-without-a-storm.
"They will be there," answered a deep voice. "The call is too strong. They will come."
Silence.