The Guardian Returns
Two feathers, one white and one black looped around each other in the wind, flying off to the ends of the earth. Two feathers singing the same tune. Nothing can beat a duet…
Whispers… whispers of the Guardian's return… there were many of them. She was said to be coming over the mountains in a cloak, her wings hidden from sight and her staff blade wrapped in leather. A Falcon traveled with her. It was a strange falcon… it was small, small but larger than most falcons. Its short fast wings allowed it to fly quickly, scouting ahead of the mystic woman. Its proud beak was sharp and threatening. The feathers of its head were black then molding into a deep steely grey then smoothly back to pitch black, speckled with rust, its tail feathers were a deep crusted blood color. Its talons were long and sharp, a steely grey color like its beak. The falcon's eyes were also a deep steely grey color. It made particular sounds, unlike any bird of prey that those who saw her or heard it had ever heard. It made clicking and shrieking sounds but it also had a soft purring coo and a gentle song it sang, it was the Coventry Carol… it was beautiful, the song sounded as if some one were actually humming it… many voices were actually humming it with the falcon. All of its noises sounded as if hundreds of others were making that same exact noise with it. Its piercing shriek could be heard from miles away and the appearance of the falcon was always the precursor to the woman's arrival. She went through the towns healing those still pursued by the plagues. She was magic they say she could control birds…
"Talrim, what do you see?" Iato asked her friend softly.
'I see nothing… it is a foggy day, muggy… too damp to fly.' The falcon shook its wings, ridding it of the wet drops of dew.
"I understand." Iato replied. She pulled off her hood and allowed he face to feel the elements once more. She had been traveling for months now but seemed to be getting no where. Her face was young and beautiful but at the same time her brilliant sapphire eyes showed wisdom beyond her years. She pulled off her cloak and put it in a bag by her side. She was sitting on the side of the road, next to a large rock; she was still high in the mountains she could tell. It was swampy and muddy where she was but it didn't matter to her. She was wearing a loose dress that was designed with the sign of the Guardian. The skirt was slit up the sides to her thighs and around her waist a leather bag was beaded with the sign that was sprawled across her forehead it looked some what like a bird, spreading its wings. Her top was square cut and was held up on her shoulders by ties. The sides were loose and open but underneath that top she had on a wrapped white cloth around her. Her long brown hair was pulled up in a pony tail, spilling out of a tie made of leather. On her right hand was a leather glove. Its fingers had been cut off and it was tight, almost as if it were a part of her. It was brown sturdy leather that covered up to her elbow. This was for her falcon. So it could land on her arm without tearing her skin with its talons At her hips were two blades, they, like the blade on her staff were made of diamond, the hardest object known to man. The handles were made of folded steel. Around the hilt was wrapped leather and straps on them allowed her to easily swing them around her hands to attack faster. One of the blades was beak shaped like her staff's blade but one was longer than the other, the longer one was said to be a sword that was given to her by the god Ra himself. It was made from diamond but inlaid inside the blade were streams of gold. The handle was larger but she could handle it. Her left hand was wrapped in the same shimmering cloth as her upper body was. This allowed her a smoother swing as well because it slid easily on the leather. She un-tied the ties on her top allowing the shirt to fall to the ground, her skirt was separate from her top so she could easily slip in and out. Her feet were covered with feet covers. Her toes were un covered, the bell of the 'shoes' was loose around her ankles. From her back two huge wings spread out to a full 20 foot wing span. They were pure white and on each separate feather small flecks of diamond made her wings shine brilliantly in the light.
"Hup, haw, shia!" She went through her movements with her swords slowly remembering the attacks. "Hitae no shitomae!" She cried and rammed the swords into the rock, breaking it into little pieces, she swung the blades around her hands and put them back.
'Still haven't lost your touch Iato.' Talrim landed on a piece of the broken rock.
"Thank you…" She said and lifted up into the air, hovering a few feet off the ground. "Hurry Talrim…" She whispered and pulled on her shirt again, threw her cloak over her shoulders and held out her arms for the bird to land on. She grabbed her staff and hid behind another rock, breathing hard, she had almost been discovered.
"Look at this my lord… looks like work of the Bird Woman." She heard a man's voice.
"The who?" She heard a deep, gravelly voice say. It was a voice she had heard once before. She looked around the rock slowly and saw the Pharaoh standing there. He had his arms crossed and he was looking a little upset that his convoy had been stopped. He was tall, tanned and muscled, his muscles rippled under his skin as he walked forward. He had muscles like a tiger, long and lean but stronger than they look. His chest and stomach were carved with muscle and as she looked she saw that in fact he really did have crimson eyes. His eyes were a piercing blood red color but his left eye was hidden at times from sight by his golden lightning bolt bangs. His spiky hair then changed to pitch, darker than the fiery pits of hell black then to such a brilliant scarlet that it seemed as if it were alive. He was wearing a beautiful Nehkbet collar, it was in the shape of a vulture, and its wings outstretched wrapping around his shoulders. It was a sign of protection for the Pharaoh. On his arms were golden bands, around his waist, ankles, wrists and upper arms. A couple even hugged his neck. From his shoulders were small golden wings that were attached to the collar. They were almost like webbed wings but attached to that was his red cape. His kilt was actually more like pants, the back was pulled up front and held up at his waist by a blue sash which hung down in front and wrapped around his waist almost like a belt. His ears were adorned with earrings that hung down and up behind the back of his ears, bat-like pieces were holding his right bangs out of his face but his left just fell over the wing. On his forehead was a golden crown. Upon it was the golden eye of Horus or the millennium eye. She touched the crystal around her neck. It had come from Ra to her. In her hair was a brilliant red feather, how it stayed there… no one knew.
"The Guardian Iato, didn't anyone ever tell you the stories? A woman seen with the Iato Falcon has been traveling only a few hours ahead of us on this very road… she is said to be looking for you my lord." She heard the other man say and she looked back down and a few pebbles fell into the rocky ravine below her that she hadn't noticed. The sound attracted the Pharaoh's attention.
"What was that?" Atem growled looking around.
"What was what my lord?" The other man asked. Iato held her breath, Talrim sat completely still on her master's arm then decided to do something very risky.
"Look at that." Atem said as Talrim hopped onto the boulder that Iato was hiding behind. She cawed at them then swooped forward and dove down barely clearing Atem's head.
"Catch it… it's a rare bird… catch it!" The man who was talking to the Pharaoh called and Talrim dove into the abyss. The men climbed over the rock Iato was hiding under and she pulled off her cloak. She dove into the nothingness with Talrim. Atem saw but didn't believe it.
"Did you see that?" He asked the man and he nodded.
"A great bloody bird just jumped in after that little thing." The man said.
"No… it was a woman." Atem shook his head. He looked down and saw that Iato's cloak was still there and decided to leave it. But they were going to have to set camp there for the night while they cleaned the road.
Later than night Atem was sitting on the boulder overlooking the ravine and saw the falcon again. He grabbed it and held it. He looked it over. It was really a beautiful bird. Talrim looked around at him but didn't hurt him, for some reason she sensed that he, unlike all other humans other than her master, was not going to hurt her. Atem petted the bird's head and Talrim perched on the metal collar. She looked at him, he had a pipe in his mouth so she could tell he had money but what kind of a rich person was he? He heard the noise of flapping wings and saw as the smoke over the ledge suddenly clear as Iato flew up, she was turned the other way.
"Talrim?" She asked looking around smiling. "Where are you silly bird?" She laughed and turned around. There she saw the Pharaoh and Talrim was sitting on his shoulder. Talrim flew across and landed on Iato's outstretched forearm.
"Who are you?" Atem asked her softly as she leaned forward to pick up her cloak.
"I'm not going to tell you that, humans hate me." Iato replied. Her staff was in her left hand but it was un wrapped and her loose top was down on a ledge. Her hair was down and around her shoulders. At the ends of each lock was a ringlet curl. Her hair was totally straight except for about three inches at the bottom which were curled like that. Almost like little springs.
"Why?" Atem asked her softly, taking the pipe out of his mouth.
"I help them but… we were not meant to exist in harmony, I exist only to protect… and to belong in harmony with my friends." Iato told him and flew back down to the ledge. Atem grabbed one of the long feathers that had come loose when she had flapped. It was the side of his forearm and pure white. He noticed that it seemed as though small diamond particles were scattered across the entire feather so it sparkled. He took it and in exchange he dropped a small golden scarab down onto her ledge. She picked it up curiously. It was beautifully carved and hung on a chain. She tied it to her staff and wrapped the staff's top back up again.
"Why did you do that?" Iato asked Talrim.
'I sensed that he wouldn't hurt us… he's just curious.' The falcon hopped from one leg to the other.
"You sensed he wouldn't hurt us… how many times have I heard that?" Iato asked. She closed her eyes and began to sing a soft sad lullaby.
"Lullay thou little tiny child,
bye bye lully lullay,
Lullay thou little tiny child,
bye bye lully lullay.
Oh sisters too how may we do… for to preserve this day?
This poor youngling
For whom we sing
Bye bye lully lullay.
Herod the king in his raging
Charged he hath this day.
His men of might
In his own sight
All children young to slay." She sang softly and Talrim's soft voice sang the tune.
"Oh woe is me
Poor child for thee
And ever mourn and say.
For thy parting nor say nor sing
Bye bye lully lullay.
Bye Bye lully… lullay." She sang, her last note ending the song in a minor note. Atem found himself in love with that voice, he wanted to hear her sing again it was enchanting. He slowly drifted into a deep sleep where he was.