To say Alexandra had mixed feelings about Hamunaptra would be like saying Jonathon only had an inclination towards good liqueur.
While most of her certainly wanted to leave, to get away as fast as she could from the cloying darkness that permeated the very sand under their feet, there was that little fragment inside that pulled her further in, like a compass needle pointing north.
Scarlet seemed more resigned than anything, fur bristling in waves every few minutes once within the crumbling perimeter, though Tip was hardly any better, tense as a spring and prowling in circles around the group as if keeping watch for an unseen enemy.
Even Isis, who had been so excited only hours ago, seemed to rely on Evelyn's enthusiasm for her own flagging spirts more and more as the day passed.
It was clear all of the Pokemon were extremely uneasy about the City of the Dead, though perhaps not to the same extent.
Sitting on a piece of stone wall, Alexandra watched the group of diggers start excavating under Doctor Chamberlain's orders, his Beheeyem twitching as the lights of his fingers flashed in frantic patterns.
"That's the statue of Anubis." Evelyn informed them, cleaning off sand from the ancient mirror she had found. "Its legs go deep underground. According to Bembridge scholars, that's where we'll find a secret compartment containing the golden Book of Amun-Ra."
Turning her attention back as a rope was thrown down into the deep crevice by said statue's base, Alexandra blinked at the sudden jolt that title caused in her heart.
"That's for catching the sunlight, not checking your teeth." She told Jonathon, who sheepishly wiped the mirror down and readjusted the angle again as Basil clung to his back with all four hands.
Chuffing softly, Tip stepped up a slight incline to nudge Isis' shoulder, tail low as the humanoid Psychic/Fairy-type managed a smile and pat his cheek in reassurance.
"So, uh, what are these old mirrors for?" Rick wondered, clearly out of his element.
"Ancient mirrors." Evelyn corrected, hardly seeming to notice. "It's an ancient Egyptian trick. You'll see."
Nodding along, he fumbled for a leather pouch in his pocket, and Alexandra zeroed in on the awkwardness immediately.
"Uh, here. This is, uh, for you."
The Englishwoman paused as she accepted the bundle, confused, and Rick stumbled on.
"Go ahead. It's something I borrowed off our American brethren. I thought you might like it-You might need it, for when you're, uh…"
He mimicked excavation, or tried to, while already retreating.
"Uh, yeah."
Turning to find Alexandra's smiling face, Rick was immediately on the defensive.
"What?"
The brunette only shrugged, though Scarlet's own smile was answer enough in the face of Tip's bared fangs.
"Nothing."
Grumbling darkly, knowing she was not-and would never be-afraid of him, Rick whirled on the unsuspecting warden instead.
"What are you looking at?"
Giggling as the man raised both hands in surrender, Sabra retreating into the sand, Alexandra turned back to the time-worn statue of the jackal-headed god, pulling up short.
Like a gargoyle on the broken column, an Absol blinked light green eyes back at her, red fur tinting his long fur pink as light gleamed off the Dark-type's signature blade.
The sight made her stomach drop like a stone.
You never wanted to be in a place where an Absol showed up.
A stray sunbeam blinded her, and in the moment Alexandra blinked, the Disaster Pokemon was gone.
"Alex?"
Looking towards her brother, poised over the crevice that would take their group underneath the statue, she managed to cover up with a smile as Scarlet's sharp gaze swept to the left.
"What, Ricky? Scared of the dark?"
Scoffing sparks, Tip leapt down ahead of his human without hesitation, though Rick took an extra few moments to study her face before dropping down after, rope in hand.
Waving off the Carnahan siblings' concern, Alexandra passed a hand over her Lucario's head as the others surrounded the crevice.
Scarlet hummed, fur smoothing out under her touch as Auras brushed reassuringly against each other.
"Come on, then." She muttered, following. "Might as well see what the fuss is about."
Grabbing up the rope and tugging once to make sure the line was still secure, she paused for the Lucario to jump onto her back before dropping into the black, pushing off the sandy rock in a steady descent until ground appeared underfoot.
Tip lit up a torch in the scant sunlight that filtered through from above, and Scarlet hopped down with hardly a sound, scanning the empty room for threats as Evelyn followed on their heels with Isis.
"You alright?" Rick questioned, carefully looking everywhere but in her direction.
"I'm fine." Alexandra assured quietly, gaze flicking up towards the Englishwoman and her Kirlia. "I just…I don't feel like we should be here."
"Tell me about it." He muttered, clapping a hand on her shoulder. "Just don't touch anything."
"Yeah, that'll save us…" The young woman grumbled, moving to help Evelyn land on her feet as Isis spun out onto the cool sand, staring around in wonder.
"Do you realize we're standing inside a room that no one has entered in over three thousand years?" The librarian breathed out in amazement as Jonathon flailed down the rope with Basil.
"Whew!" He grunted, nose wrinkling in disgust. "What is that god-awful stench?"
Then the warden was right there, and that answered all of the questions.
Brushing cobwebs off an ancient mirror, Alexandra checked the angle of light, like she had done so hundreds of times before, and tilted it just so-
Everyone gaped as the room lit up, mirrors shining, and she stared around with blank eyes, frowning.
It hadn't looked like this…
"That is a neat trick." Rick admitted, dropping a hand onto Tip's head as the Houndoom chuffed.
"Oh my God. It's a sah-netjer." Evelyn realized, stepping past them with Isis tiptoeing at her side.
"Huh?"
"A preparation room."
All eyes turned to Alexandra, who blinked back innocently, mirages fading from her vision.
"Preparation for what?" Rick wondered, concern growing.
"For entering the afterlife." Evelyn answered, clearly reevaluating the youngest O'Connell as she directed the group towards a passageway.
"Mummies, my good son." Jonathon elaborated, brushing himself off as Basil chattered nervously. "This is where they made the mummies."
The halls were still dark, light unable to angle all the way through, but Alexandra did not hesitate for a single moment, leading them further along the rough-hewn corridor without the aid of Rick's torch.
Tugging on the American's pants leg, Isis peered up at him with big red eyes, projecting concerncuriosityunease as Evelyn brushed a hand through the Psychic/Fairy-type's soft hair.
"Is she alright?" The woman whispered, some of the Emotion Pokemon's disquiet filtering through her academic haze.
"Alex? She's fine." Rick rushed to assure, the look in his eyes contradicting the forced nonchalance.
"I don't know, old boy." Jonathon agreed, reaching back to rub Basil's head as the Ambipom pushed aside cobwebs. "She does seem a little preoccupied now, doesn't she?"
"Really, Alex is just-"
A horrible chittering sound echoed around them, like thousands of exoskeletons rushing over each other, and Scarlet bared her fangs, Aura pulsing jagged with aggression as the brunette dropped into a crouch, gaze sweeping over the walls and sand.
As the sound faded, leaving only the crackle of fire and breathing, she slowly straightened.
"What was that?" Jonathon questioned, bewildered, as Basil trembled.
"Sounds like…bugs." Rick answered, Tip snarling sparks as Isis shuddered, clinging to Evelyn's leg.
"Scarabs." Alexandra muttered, green eyes on the lookout for shiny carapaces and skittering shadows.
"He said bugs." Evelyn reported down the line, already following as the O'Connell siblings continued onward.
"What do you mean bugs? I hate bugs!" Warden Hassan complained, whipping his torch around as Sabra tiptoed in fright.
A sharp turn appeared ahead, and Alexandra signaled as such to her brother, fingers tapping on her thigh while she peeked around.
Ears twitching, Scarlet nodded, and the group soon entered another dark, cobweb-infested room where a pair of stone legs took pride of place.
"The legs of Anubis." Evelyn confirmed, Isis passing a hand over the stone before shuddering and snatching the limb back.
Stepping between the smaller Pokemon and the dark stone, Scarlet stared at the sand hard as Tip snorted smoke and Basil squeaked, hiding as best he could behind Jonathon.
Alexandra's gaze was locked below the statue, eyes unfocused as Scarlet's Aura-sight overlaid her own.
The darkness was so thick, the very heart of it, pulsing and writhing and screaming-
Rick shoved her shoulder, and she jerked out of the trance, on high-alert as foreign Auras blazed into her awareness.
Both hands fell to the knives on her thighs, the blades long and wickedly sharp, as Rick pulled out a second revolver and inched around the statue's base.
Indistinct voices came into range next, echoing eerily off the old walls, and drove the other two men to draw their own guns.
Leaping out of cover, they were faced with the Americans and their own extensive group of diggers, guns pointing both ways.
"You scared the bejesus out of us, O'Connell." Henderson voiced as everyone lowered their weapons, his Darla grumbling.
"Likewise."
"Hey." Burns started, his Farfetch'd hopping forward. "That's my tool kit."
"No, I don't think so."
Weapons were raised in record time, and the man backed away, Mitch yelping as Tip snapped in warning.
"Okay…Perhaps I was mistaken…"
"Well, have a nice day, gentlemen." Evelyn interceded, Isis vibrated at her side. "We have a lot of work to be getting along with."
"Push off!" Doctor Chamberlain retorted, his Nenet flashing a warning. "This is our dig site."
"We got here first." The Englishwoman stated firmly, some of the nearby rocks trembling in their own warning as Isis fixed the Beheeyem with a glare as weapons were leveled once more.
"This here's our statue, friend." Daniels insisted, Greg shifting threateningly.
"I don't see your name written on it, pal." Rick countered, Tip's growl slowly growing into a deep, frightening snarl.
"Yes, well, there's only four of you, and fifteen of me." Beni pointed out, Ammon gnashing his teeth. "Your odds are not so great, O'Connell."
"Really, boys."
The Americans gulped at Alexandra's smile, all teeth and predatory sharpness, Scarlet thrumming with restrained violence.
"Do you think you're going to even slow us down?"
Even Mitch retreated a step, and all of their guns were soon trained on the tiny brunette, whose smile only widened.
"Oh, look. For goodness' sake, let's be nice, children." Evelyn scolded lightly, stepping between the expeditions and putting a hand on Rick's arm. "If we're going to play together, we must learn to share."
She shared a meaningful look with the eldest O'Connell.
"There are other places to dig."
After a moment, Rick nodded to his sister while holstering both guns, and she sighed in disappointment.
It would have been such a good challenge, too…