Shadow of Darkness

Disclaimer: See chapter 1

Chapter 2 – Awake and Depart

"Hey. Wake up."

Amunet moaned softly and cracked open her eyes, raising a hand to shield them from the glaring sun. Wait...the sun? She sat up sharply.

"I'm alive?!"

A girl glared at her. "Yes, idiot! The Gods sent us back here to watch over the Pharaoh and the King of Thieves, remember?"

Amunet's eyes widened as it all came flooding back. She was to watch over Pharaoh Atem...which meant the girl was Niut, the spirit so damned even hell could not contain her. Amunet shuddered and looked her over.

Niut had sky-blue hair that hung past her shoulders, so pale it was near white, and deep startling dark blue eyes. Her neko ears were pointed and twitched every so often, a silver ring hanging from the left one. Bangs covered where her human ears should be, making Amunet wonder if she even possessed them. Niut wore a short ragged dress that had once been white but was now dusty and dirty. It had two straps (one of which fell down off her shoulder) and hugged her very full figure. She wore brown leather boots up to her mid-shins, and her neko tail swung down from under the dress, a ragged piece of material tied in a sort-of bow at the end. Both the tail and ears matched her hair colour. Her skin was smoothed and tanned dark.

Amunet glanced around, blinking when she saw a market place not too far away. Niut stretched and began walking the other way, into the endless desert. Amunet ran after her, only to be pushed back the other way.

"Our charges are enemies, remember? We're not likely to stumble upon them together and then be able to follow them separate ways." Her tone was firm, but oddly kind. She sounded very different from the rebellious brat who'd spoken back to the Gods.

Amunet nodded, then held out her hand and smiled. "I'm Amunet! Pleased to meet you!"

Niut seemed taken aback, but shook her hand anyway. "Niut." She hesitated. "Perhaps we should decide on a few rules before we go our separate ways."

Amunet nodded. "Okay."

--

They managed to find shade behind one of the market stalls, and sat there to talk. As Amunet was fussing around buying something to eat, Niut studied her.

She had dark pink hair that was close to crimson and fell to her mid-back. Her eyes were pale pink in contrast, and her skin was less tanned than Niut's and just as smooth. She wore a creamy knee-length skirt and a matching halter-neck top that showed her navel and accented her reasonably curvy figure. The straps of her brown criss-crossed up her legs to under her skirt. Gold bands were clasped round her wrists and upper arms, and her skin was smooth and tanned, although not as darkly as Niut's.

Niut smirked as Amunet came trotting back with two loaves of bread. She looked very innocent and young, although Niut knew better. She had heard many rumours in Hell of the misdeeds that she had done, and was intrigued of what Amunet's true nature was.

They sat down and began to eat.

"So," Niut began, "How're you gonna find the Pharaoh and gain his trust?"

Amunet chewed thoughtfully and swallowed. "Well, I'm gonna go to the palace and try and tell him I was sent by the Gods. Think he'll believe me?"



Niut eyed her critically. "Not with that attitude." She said at last. At Amunet's questioning look she continued, "You're too happy-go-lucky. They'll never believe the Gods sent you. You'll be thrown out quicker than you can say 'Sphinx'."

Amunet nodded slowly. "Okay...So what should I do?"

Niut frowned. "Wait for a day and ask the Gods if you can become a spirit or something. That way he'll have to listen to you, and it'll be easier to convince him."

Amunet's face lit up happily. "You're right!" she beamed at Niut. "What about you? Will you ask to become a spirit too?"

Niut pulled a face and shook her head fiercely. "Nu-uh! I'm enjoying my time as a human while I can! Besides, if I'm a spirit he probably won't trust me, especially if I tell him that the Gods sent me. Nah, I'll just find out where he is, conveniently bump into him, pretend I'm a thief as well and follow him around 'til he trusts me."

Amunet blinked. "Will that really work?"

Niut made a slurred 'idunno' sound and shrugged. "It's a rough plan. I can change it if I need to." She stood up and stretched. "I'm gonna start searching. You better go to the nearest temple and start praying."

Amunet nodded and watched as the neko got up and started sauntering out into the desert. "Good luck!" she called.

Niut waved a hand in reply, not bothering to look back.

"See ya, Girly!"

--

After Niut left her, Amunet fled. With nowhere else to go she went to the nearby Temple of Isis and prayed for a miracle, for mercy from her masters.

Each sunrise and sunset she would pray faithfully, in hope that either within the rising day or the next day her wish would be granted. In the day between prayer times, she used her remaining money to buy bread for the poor, handing it out at temple with the priestess. When asked why she did such good deeds, she only replied "My life is now truly in the hands of the Gods. In the meantime, this must be what they want me to do."

For eleven days she repeated this ritual, then on the twelfth day she did different.

She rose before dawn to wash herself with what water the temple could offer her, then dressed in a plain white dress and prayed as the sun rose above the horizon. Then she went out deep into the desert, walked until the sun began to set, and then began to pray again.

And as the sun sank out of sight, leaving Amunet to the darkness in a stupor of hunger and fatigue, her eyes closed for the last time on that earth.

Amunet's dead...ooooooh...chapter 3 will be up as well D