Author's note: Ocecat, any resemblance between some parts of this chapter and your story is pure coincidence, because I had written down these ideas before you posted your story and I couldn't change it completely afterwards, due to some things that are important plot elements. I hope you're not upset.

Episode VII : "Divine remedy "

When she had heard those frightening screams of pain the Prince let, out the woman rushed to see what had happened and when she arrived she saw him lying on the ground.

"Hey! Can you hear me?" she repeatedly asked him while gently slapping him across the face, as she kneeled by his side. "Were you attacked? What happened?"

"It's real …… it's real …… that thing …… it's ……coming after me …… wants …… to kill me …… it wants to kill me …… can't escape …… can't escape …… it's real …… wants to kill me."

The woman watched baffled how the Prince muttered bits of phrases that made no sense to her, while he kept turning his head from one side to the other, like he was having a bad dream. She slapped him again, trying to wake him, but all of a sudden he sprang up screaming, making her lose her balance and fall on her back. Remembering all that had happened, the Prince was amazed to see that the pain was completely gone. He looked at his chest and saw no marks left by the tentacles that had pierced him earlier.

Must have been another dream, though it seemed so real this time, the Prince thought, preparing to get up, when he realized that it wasn't a dream after all.

As soon as he placed one palm against the ground to push himself up, he felt a sharp burning sensation and instinctively broke contact with the ground, bringing his palms before his eyes –they looked as though he had placed them on live coals.

"What happened to your hands?" He heard the woman ask on a concerned tone from behind.

"Nothing," he responded coldly, clutching his fists and getting up without the support of his palms. "Go to sleep, it's late," he ordered her while he approached the bowl of water where he usually washed his hands and face.

"It's almost dawn."

"And you should still be sleeping," he replied irritated by her insistence.

"It's not easy to rest with you screaming about like mad. What happened?"

"Why should you care?" the Prince made another attempt to get rid of her, as he began to carefully wash his wounded hands, when a shudder of pain went through his body like lightning. Forgetting about the burns, he pressed one hand against his left side –the same as before he was attacked–, and with the other one he held onto the table, sensing that his legs would not hold him for too long.

"What is it?" the woman came interfering again and he shoved her off, breathing hard.

"Go away."

Seeing the state he was in, the woman didn't pay attention to what he was telling her and attempted to remove his hand and see what he was trying to hide.

"Let me see."

This time he didn't have the strength to chase her away, and he removed his hand by himself and placed it on the table for more support. The woman looked at the spot where his hand had been pressing and saw behind the armor a linen cloth soaked in blood.

"It's nothing," he muttered, sensing her fingers slowly removing the cloth.

"Nothing? This wound will take months to heal," she informed him, being somehow stunned but also disgusted upon seeing part of his flesh barely hanging onto his body. Indeed, it was not an overly large wound, but it was deep enough to produce such a strong pain that could make one faint at any time. Inevitably, he felt more and more dizzy and he would have collapsed to the ground if the woman had not grabbed him at once. Still, his knees could not sustain him and she made great efforts to prevent him from falling, as he was too heavy for her.

"I know it's hard, but you have to make an effort and stand up. You're too heavy for me to carry."

Being now in some kind of trance due to the pain and the exhaustion, the Prince allowed the woman to guide his every move. Thus, she placed his left hand around her neck and put her right one around his back and in this way she carried him to the bedchamber and sat him down.

"I'll have to take this thing off you, so try to stand still," the woman instructed him as she bent over him to release the straps that held his armor around his body.

As she did this, she felt his head falling forward and resting against her chest. For a few moments she stopped what she was doing and stared down at him, amused at how such an almighty warrior was now leaning helplessly against her like a drunkard against a wall. But she knew he had no control over his body and was not aware of what he was doing, so she didn't push him away and continued detaching his armor.

"What are you doing?" he murmured and attempted to turn his head and look at her, but without raising it from her chest.

"I told you, I have to get this off you."

"The case, bring me the case. It's on the table."

"What case?"

"Just bring it."

"All right, but let me get this off first."

After many efforts, the woman finally managed to get off the Prince's armor, as well as the many belts that went around his waist.

"Lay down," she told him, although she was the one who grabbed him by the shoulders and settled him on the pillows, and afterwards lifted his legs as well, so they would not be hanging over the edge, which would not have been at all a comfortable position for the Prince.

Not knowing what case he was talking about, the woman turned to look at the food table. Seeing nothing there, she went to look for it in the other room. There she found many cases but only one of them held supplies that could be used for mending wounds so she presumed that was the case the Prince had refereed to, and brought it to him.

When she returned to the bedchamber she saw that he had regained his conscious, though not his strength.

"Give it to me," he demanded, stretching out his left hand and she gave him the case.

He opened it and took out from it a needle and some sawing thread, which he combined, with the intention of closing his open wound.

"Isn't there a physician around here?" the woman inquired.

"He's dead."

"Have you done this before?"

"No, but I don't have any other choice, do I?"

The woman remained silent for a few moments, observing the Prince's attempts to sew his wound, while his hands were trembling and he clenched his teeth and frowned his brows in pain every time the needle pierced his skin. Seeing him struggle like that, not really getting anywhere since the pain was too great, she suddenly disappeared into the next room.

"Where are you going?" the Prince stopped his activity and shouted after her when he saw her leave, thinking she was taking advantage of the situation to escape, although he had promised her she would be escorted back to the city.

But after a few minutes she returned, carrying a large tray on which there were some purple candles and all sorts of small pots and bottles.

"What's with all this?" he asked her curious.

"This is to ease your pain," she responded while she arranged the candles on two sides, near the bed, lit them, and then proceeded to combine some of the oils and herbs she had brought.

"Where did you get those?"

"In the other room. It's amazing what one can do with such insignificant things."

"And what is it that you are intending to do?"

"Be quiet," she ordered him as she kneeled down before the bed, between the two sets of candles, crossing her arms over her chest, so that each palm was resting against the opposite shoulder. (The same way in which the figures on the Egyptian sarcophaguses hold their arms.)

Though he was not at all pleased with her tone, he soon forgot about that and watched her intrigued as she whispered something like an incantation, or a prayer, in a language he could not understand.

"Nehes, nehes, nehes, nehes em hotep, nehes em neferu, Nebet hotepet, weben em hotep, weben em neferu, Nutjet en ankh, nefer em pet, pet em hotep, ta em hotep.

A Basti, per em setat, shu asem.

Bast nefer, dy udja, dy seneb, dy ankh, Sesept em kekui, I kua ser-ten uat sesh-tha, ta em hotep.

Nutjert sat Ra, Anekh hrak, kai-imakhu,

Tu a atu, Nebet Bast."

("Awake, awake, awake, awake in peace, awake in beauty, Lady of peace, rise thou in peace, rise thou in beauty, Goddess of life, beautiful in the heavens, the heavens in peace, earth in peace.

Hail Bast, coming forth from the secret place, casting light into the darkness. Beautiful Bast, giving prosperity, giving health, giving life, I have come before you, the path is opened, the earth is at peace.

O Goddess, daughter of Ra, All praise to you, beloved one,

I adore you, Lady Bast.")