A few weeks later, the ship arrived on the same port as to which my sweet Nicole had landed on. I gathered a few provisions and began my journey inland.
"WAIT LADDIE!" a voice cried.
I turn to see James, the ship's captain riding up on an elegant white mare.
"You might want this lad; the desert is a harsh place to pass through, especially on foot."
"How did Miss Phantess travel?" I inquired, curious as to hear my beloved traveled through this same place.
"Why I believe Miss Phantess traveled on foot lad." He replied eyeing me.
"Then I shall do the same." I retort walking away.
"NO LAD! YOU CAN'T! You might as well commit suicide if you go on foot." He cried cutting me off with the mare.
"Then I suppose Phantess is... dead?" I stammered.
"No. No laddie... She's alive. Captain Phantess was to strong, to determined, to be murdered by such a thing as heat and sand..."
I look off into the desert as he dismounts from the mare.
"If you want to find her lad, I advise you to ride. From what I've heard, she is in Cairo, but truth be told, I don't think she's in that city. No... There are too many people and not enough knowledge to be gained..." he began.
"So where do you believe she is?" I inquired, losing my patience.
"Near the pyramids of Giza." He replied.
"Giza?" I inquire, cocking an eye brow.
"Aye, Giza." He smiled.
"Thank you." I replied climbing onto the mare and riding off into the deserts of Egypt.
About an hour into my journey, the heat of the sun became near unbearable. My mare was panting profusely and I knew we had to find shade and water soon. I kept urging my horse on and on till her breaking point and beyond it. She was drained of her strength and yet kept pushing and pushing on. I knew this passion would soon drain so I tried to slow her down to give her time to rest and recuperate a bit of her strength.
But each time I would stop her, she would rear up on her back legs and whiny, facing towards the north, towards the unknown. And without warning she would race off again in that direction. After a few rounds of this, I let her keep going. She acted as if she knew where she was heading. No, she did know where she was going, I could sense it. I could sense that she knew my mission and what needed to be done and she delivered, she saved me.
Before I knew what had been done, we arrived at a crumbling palace, near a rivulet. My mare slowed down as we arrived and trotted to a tower that stood ominously in the center of a garden. Vines hung eerily from the towers windows, giving the whole area an ancient feeling as if it had not been inhabited in centuries.
"Where are we?" I breathed as I dismounted from my guide and savior.
She nickered and walked towards the tower, pausing to check to see if I followed. She led me to the doorway and began to paw at it. I stared into her eyes which seemed to be screaming open this door, go inside!
I slowly reach for the large handle and pulled slightly; it made a squeaking sound and rattled slightly. I pulled much harder this time and the door creaked open; its hinges yowling in rusted agony as they bent to the intensity of my strength.
Light poured inside the hallway that was revealed and a few bats flittered from within and flew outside to land in the trees. I turn back to come face to face with the mare, she was breathing very steadily now and her eyes seemed to be gleaming with memories of this place. I caressed her dainty muzzle and bid my goodbyes before entering obscurity and leaving radiance.
The mare stood outside of the doorway, deterring my escape and yet guarding me from any outside attacks, as if there were to be any. Though my mind kept telling me to return to the light, I pressed on into the darkness.
The mare seemed to know of this place, and from what I have deduced, Nicole would have had to have stopped here and rested, perhaps in this very tower. So through the foreboding darkness, I walked. The cool drafts of air shrieked in the darkness as the past me. Anxiety clawed at my heart, trying to deter my efforts. My throat became dry as I pressed on, feeling my way through the gloom of the ebony air.
After an eternity of this, a dim light appeared in front of me. Dim it may have been, but to my weary eyes, it was as bright as lighting. As I came upon it, I made out its shape; a lantern, an ever-burning redeemer that would guide me through the depression of shadows.
With my new found guide, I found a staircase and soon began to climb it. Feeling along the wall as I neared the top, I came upon a door. I pressed upon it and it screeched open. Its cries echoed throughout the gloomy tower.
I hesitantly peer inside of this room to find a throng of candles burning brightly within. Some burnt down to their last bits of wax and wick while others were freshly lit.
Odd... This place seemed to have been vacant for centuries...
I walk cautiously into the small room, closing the door behind me as quietly as possible. I then began to marvel at the many painting that hung within this room. I took a newly lit candle from its hook and held it up to one of the multitude of paintings and drawings.
I held the candle as close as possible and began to make out the details of this particular painting which had drawn my intrigue. I felt my whole body freeze as the details all flowed together and the painting came to life.
I heard the clang of the candle as it fell to the floor followed by the creaking of the door.
"Hello." A voice cooed.
