Tale 12. Scrolls of Anubis: part I
"Get more beer over here now!" Horesus shouted.
Crash! A bowl smashed on the floor scattering beef bones everywhere.
"More meat! Get more meat!" I ordered.
"Nahkti! I need more drink!"
"More water over here!"
"Buy a drink for me?"
"Maadrath, why are you still flirting with random men? We're married!"
"Because I can rip money off weak minded fools."
"Nahkti! This is the most boisterous wedding I've ever seen!" Karia exclaimed.
"Yrv brn trrr ohurs (you've been to others) ?" I asked, my mouth full of meat.
After Beneseth and Maadrath had declared their love for each other. I decided it was only proper to have a celebration afterwards. We went to the tavern where I had first met Maadrath and splurged like we were madmen.
"A toast to Maadrath and Beneseth! To the queen and the captain!" I shouted and the other thieves raised their mugs in reply!
"I'm the king of thieves and I can steal anything!" I randomly declared, half drunk.
"Yeah?" Asked some random other guy who was drunk as well, "Bet you couldn't steal the scrolls of Anubis!"
"Whatever the heck!" I stumbled around and fell over.
Just then, the tavern owner recognized Maadrath. "Hey! You, aren't you that dancing girl who attacked that customer?"
"Uh, oh," said Maadrath. She shot out the door. The rest of us followed, close after.
"Man! What a crazy wedding!" Maadrath said, when she woke up the next morning. She gave Beneseth a quick kiss and walked over to me. "So, what's up? You've been thinking haven't you?"
"Yeah, about those scrolls.'
"What scrolls?"
"The scrolls of Anubis. The ones that guy at the tavern dared me to steal."
"Oh, those scrolls. Forget them. You two were drunk anyway. Besides, I'm not even sure such things exist."
"But if they did! Ahh! That would give me a lot of power. Maybe enough to defeat everyone in my way!"
"Nahkti, are you sure it's smart to be chasing phantoms again?"
"Are you questioning my judgment again, Maadrath?"
"Whatever, Nahkti."
I stared at Maadath's back. She didn't argue with me. She had been a bit more laid back since she had married Beneseth. I wasn't sure whether to be thankful or jealous of him. I was glad Maadrath didn't get so mad at me so often (although I wasn't sure how long that was going to last), but honestly, I'd always wanted Maadrath for myself but she seemed like unreachable goal so I didn't think too much about it. I didn't think anyone else would ever reach her either, though. Now, Beneseth had. What did he have that I didn't? Okay… so he was nice, and talented (but I was talented too!), and considerate, and had never slept with another woman… or boy… or cow… or stone pillar (LOL my sister and I were RPing and Nahkti went crazy and started doing the thing to everything and then Monkey D. Luffy ate those things… and then Nahkti learned the pain of trying to do it to a stone pillar…). Sigh… maybe I should just give up. Maadrath never did like me much anyway. In fact, she almost looked down on me. Urrrggg! Devour take Maadrath and eat her soul! Man! Sheesh!
A few day later I gained some information that Karia and Sashi had gleaned I started to form a plan to steal the Scrolls.
"Okay!" I said to the gang, holding the notes that Sashi had written, "We are going to look for the Scrolls of Anubis. They are in the so-and-so temple of Anubis in the so-and-so place in the desert."
"… the so-and-so?" Beneseth asked skeptically.
"Okay! Okay! So it's not the so-and-so but I can't pronounce it! (or the author was too lazy to think of a name O.o)"
Sashi slapped his forehead. "Can you even read, leader?"
"I… I…" I had never been to school… "I can too, fool!"
"Whatever you say."
"After some more planning. We are going there. Rumor has it that it is guarded by a fierce priestess who has control of some pretty strong magic… but we can take anything they've got to throw at us, right!" I shouted
"Yeah!" they all shouted back at me. We were ready.
A couple days later, we packed some supplies on camels and got ready to go.
"Nahkti-sama, is the temple far?" Ryoo asked.
"Yes… I think so… it's…"
"You don't know do you?" Sashi asked, "Well… it's gives extremely specific distance"
"Huuuuuhhhhh?" All of the other thieves asked.
"Ghn… never mind it…" Sashi replied.
The first two days passed well. There was no trouble and we made good time.
On the third day, though, we had our first encounter with the magic. We were walking along, when suddenly, there was a sandstorm. This was no ordinary sandstorm, because out of the cloud of tawny dust, came jackals with glowing red eyes. Their bodies were completely made of sand.
"Go back!" Came a voice out of the cloud. "You will not have the powers!"
"Feh… that priestess…" I muttered. "I am on a mission of vengeance and nothing will stand in my way," I smirked.
"What do you want us to do?" Karia asked me.
The cloud died down, leaving only the fiendish jackals. They gave insane, inhuman laughs.
"We can get through this, Karia," I said. Then I grinned. "A battle, is that what you want, priestess?" I shouted at the sky where the sand-cloud had been before. "Then let's see what you've got! Those insubstantial dogs don't look very tough."
I punched one of the sand jackals. It yelped and backed away, a fist-shaped dent in it, but when I pulled my fist up to my face, I saw that it was bleeding. I realized then that the jackals bodies were made up of quickly moving sand that had instantly worn away at my fist. The jackal that I had punched was now howling and smiling at me.
The sand stirred a bit around me. "Still think you're a match for me," the feminine voice whispered, "thief?"
I licked the blood off of my fist, ignoring the sand grinding at my teeth. "Even more so…" I whispered back.
All of my thieves gave a battle cry and we rushed at the jackals.
3rd person POV
Maarath drew her dagger and slashed at one of the jackals. The wound hardly did anything to the sand-sprite which regenerated itself from the sand around it.
"What should we do?" Ryoo asked Karia.
"I don't know," she replied, "But they're dogs right?" Karia pulled off a bracelet. "Here doggy, here doggy!" She said and threw the bracelet. "Fetch!"
The jackal sat down and stared quizzically at her. Then it bared his fangs and attacked. Ryoo slammed it with his body to try and protect Karia. He stepped back, his shirt ripped and angry red marks on his left side and arm. The dog tried to attack him again but Karia got in the way. She screamed as the sand-jackal sunk his teeth into her arm and began to take the moister out of it.
"Karia-chan!" Maadrath shouted. She dodged a sand jackal. "Karia!" another went for her but Beneseth blocked it.
"Go help Karia!" he said, "I hold them off of you for now!"
"Thank you!" Maadrath yelled as she headed towards Karia with a skin of water. She knocked the jackal off of Karia, the strips of cloth tied to Maadrath's arm tore into shreds and were gone. Maadrath poured water on Karia's semi-dehydrated arm. "Are you okay?" she asked.
"I think so," Karia replied, "But I don't think I can fight anymore."
Just then another leapt at Maadrath. She punched it. Surprisingly, her fist wasn't hurt.
"Huh?" She looked at her hand. It had been covered in water when she was helping Karia. That was it! The water made the sand solid just long enough to punch a sand-jackal. She poured the rest of the water in the skin on the jackal, eliminating it.
"What are you doing Maadrath?" Beneseth asked, dropping his spear which had been worn away by the sand.
"Everyone! I think I know how to beat them! I was helping Karia and got water on my hand. If you put water on these things, it kills them!"
The thieves set about trying to put water on all of the jackals but as soon as they were destroyed, more formed themselves out of the sand.
Nahkti Normal POV
"Darn it! We're going to run out of water!" Beneseth said, "There's got to be a better way!"
I punched another one, drying up the last bit of water on my fist. I swore under my breath, but Beneseth was right, if you used up any more water, we'd have none to drink during our traveling.
In the background Ryoo gave a little cry as a jackal knocked him over. Vicious priestess, always going for the weakest ones. First Karia and now him. I walked over and booted the thing off of Ryoo. His shirt was completely torn up and he was bleeding.
I pulled him up off of the ground. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah! I won't die!" He said. I put him down next to Karia. I mumbled random profanities.
We went back to fighting the old way and it took it's toll. Water was precious, though and we would certainly have died without it. Finally, when we thought we'd certainly loose the battle, the jackals all dissipated. I dropped to one knee.
"Had enough?" the voice asked.
"Set take you, shut up!" I yelled.
"Well, I have. All this playing has made me tired. I'm going to take a nap. But you will certainly not obtain the scrolls."
I sighed. We set up camp there.
After a couple more days, we were all tired. While we set up camp, I watched Maadrath and Beneseth. I was jealous. Why couldn't it be me?
When we went to bed, I saw Maadrath lean over him and kiss him as she pulled the blanket over them. I wanted that. I wanted Maadrath to want me. But how could I get them apart? And was that really fair to Beneseth?
Egyptian nights were cold and tonight was especially. Ryoo and I huddled under my red cloak. I pulled his shivering, injured body closer to my warmer, stronger one.
"Na-Nahkti-sama," I heard him whisper through chattering teeth and tears, "I… I want to go home. I'm tired of this. Please…"
"Shh… Shh… don't cry," I comforted him. "We will be at the temple soon. When I have the scrolls, everything will be okay."
His whimpering quieted a little. "Nahkti-sama."
"Aye, Ryoo-chan?"
"When we get the scrolls and defeat the Pharaoh, will you hurt Yugi-kun?"
"Nay, nay, Ryoo. I will definitely not hurt Yugi. I will take him with us and you may have him and anyone else you want as your friend. Besides, I owe Yugi a little something…" I thought about the time he had been kind to me when I had been captured.
"Bah," I said to Ryoo, "don't think too much about it."
Ryoo and I talked deep into the night until finally sleep overtook us.
"Oi! Sleepy heads, get up!" Maadrath said, kicking me in the ribs."
"Stop it!" I muttered, getting up. "Sheesh, what a rude awakening!" I shook Ryoo to get him up. Ryoo moaned a bit and sat up. After a light breakfast, we were off again. Everyone was gloomy. The prospects looked dim but I was determined to get those scrolls. If we could, I would have an advantage over the Pharaoh.
Finally, we reached the temple. It looked odd just sitting there in the middle of the desert. Beautiful and luxurious in a barren wasteland. I smiled. The trip had been worth it.
"So, you survived my sand-jackals?" The priestess voice said. It was louder this time. Now, let's see if this'll deter you."
Suddenly, a hole opened up in the ground near me. Beneseth fell in one.
"Beneseth!" Maadrath screamed. Despite my anger at the priestess for taking my second-in-command, I smirked. Maybe now I could get Maadrath to like me.
Then another hole opened up under me. I shouted and jumped out of the way just in time, but Ryoo wasn't quick enough. "Ryoo-chan!" I gritted my teeth, "Ra curse you, you she-wolf!" I growled. "What have you done with them."
"Why should I tell you, eta?" She asked. "Turn back and I will return your companions safe and sound. Enter, and face the consequences."
"I choose to enter," I said, pushing open the door. "Beneseth is strong, and even Ryoo is stronger than he may appear."
We walked down a beautiful hall and got to a large room. In the center was a fountain.
"Water!" exclaimed Karia, "Lots of it!" she went over and drank some, and then dipped her am in it.
"That's good, I said," sitting down. Suddenly, someone slapped me. I looked up. "What! Maadrath!"
"You are a jerk!"
"What the heck! Maadrath, what are you talking about!"
"Why didn't you save him! And now, stopping for a nice drink? What's wrong with you?"
"Who!" I punched her. What was with Maadrath?
"Beneseth! He was right next you to you! You could have just grabbed him! And then… you smiled." She started crying.
Smiled… had I really? But… Maadrath should have been mine. I was the leader…not that inexperienced pup. "Shut up! I have no idea what you're talking about." I want you.
She growled. "Well, let's get moving at least. You are worried about Ryoo. I know that much, at least."
Just then, a trap door opened right under Maadrath and me.
"What's going on?"
"Now, you are alone." Said the Priestess's voice. We were in another room. With two doors.
"What do you want now?"
"You know very well what I want. I want you to leave but you are oh-so-very persistent. One door leads to your companions. The other leads to the scrolls. Chose."
Ryoo… darn it! I had to get the scrolls. Once I had them, any damage could be fixed. "Let's go get the scrolls!" I said.
"Don't you care about Ryoo and Beneseth? We have to save them first, we may not get another chance!"
"Forget about those two pretty-boys, if we get the scrolls then we can save them. But we might loose the scrolls if we don't get them now!"
"What's gotten into you? You've acted weird ever since I married Beneseth!"
"That's just it!"
"What is?… you're not jealous… are you?"
"Ra curse it! What if I am?" I pinned her against the wall with by her right arm. "Maadrath, do you know what it did to me when you devoted yourself to him! I wanted you! And I always thought it'd be me or no man! But now, Beneseth's not here to save you! I'll take you now when I can."
Maadrath POV
I reached for my dagger with my left hand but Nahkti caught it before I could.
"Nahkti! Control yourself!" I said. But he held me down with sheer weight. If I had been prepared I could escape but in muscle, Nahkti had the advantage.
"I… I want you."
"Stop it!"
He crushed his lips against mine. But he was not in love with me. He had never loved me that way. It was only lust. I was disgusted.
"Get off of me!" I screamed into his mouth.
"Do you know… Do you know that when I first met you, how much I wanted you. I respected you, but I wanted you too."
I was angry. I felt violated like the day that those men tried to force themselves on me. I understood, that men had a problem, especially Nahkti. They wanted me but I would never let one get close to me. Until Beneseth. Nahkti had had many women (and it didn't even just stop there). I was beautiful but now I belonged to someone. And I wasn't Nahkti's to use. I couldn't stop him though. I had to reason with him.
"Nahkti… stop, I know that you are the leader but I truly love Beneseth. You don't love me."
"But I want you! Isn't that the same thing? How come I'm not good enough for you?"
"Nahkti, you've known love. Don't you remember? Little Lotus? Do you remember the way you felt about her. You said it was different. Different than the way you felt about me. Different from the way you felt about any other woman. That's how Beneseth feels about me and that's also how I feel about him. Will you deny us that? Will you defile our paradise?"
Nahkti sat up.
Nahkti Normal POV
I covered my face. Why did she have to bring her up? Why? Because, she was the way into my heart. I never realized that Beneseth had loved her in that way. I mean, I knew but it had never understood. I thought that he "loved" her the way all other men felt towards Maadrath. I stood up.
"I… I'm sorry. I didn't realize you two loved each other that way." I would have killed anyone who had tried to even kiss Little Lotus. I loved her in every way possible, like a friend, like a lover, like anything you could think of. If that was the way Maadrath felt about Beneseth, what sort of friend would get between them.
Maadrath put a hand on my shoulder. "You are the leader," she said, "I respect that. That is why I followed you and did not kill you. I saw that fire and determination in your eyes. Your desire for a place where no one would be killed again. You wanted to let the souls of the people of Kuru Eruna rest. You are one of the most amazing people I have ever met… but… Beneseth, I loved, loved with all my heart hand he with his. But to show my respect for you. You, choose the door."
Maadrath was right. Our friends were the most important. Where would we be now without our loyalty to each other? "Let's go save Ryoo and Beneseth."
