|
"Everlasting" (Judas) ---------------------------- Tomb of Amenti, Scorched Lands November 18 - Evening - ---------------------------- The ceiling of Amenti's vast funerary chamber was one smooth piece of limestone, engraved with enchantments, and the story of the king who rested beneath. Most of it was lost in shadows even his enchanted torches could not penetrate, but Judas's eyes could still follow the intricate engravings, and read their secrets, inlaid with lapis so they would glow like stars in the night sky. His tribe had been faithful to the old teachings out of habit, and he was fluent in the ancient tongue, if unpracticed. He never imagined the knowledge would ever be useful, until now. The story engraved above was the chronicle of the resurrection of the Pharoah, promised by his most powerful advisors. Judas knew the legend, though only in passing: Jannes and Jambres, court magicians, had ascended to the great heavens to prove their capabilities. The stories of their journey were varied and unbelievable when subjected to logic. The spells cast on Akhetamen's tomb, however, proved that they were at least partly based in reality. But how much? Enough that he, using their methods, could accomplish a feat almost as great? If the scrolls in the library were true, Jannes was the first sorcerer to 'break' the runes of the north and integrate them into Egyptian magic. Jambres would have been the first to successfully cast a spell of the mixed components. It might be possible. If one combined the power of /two/ sources, the resultant energy would be immense, maybe comparable to the gods. Ascension to Heaven would be a simple thing, walking the Astral plane mere child's play. Reviving a long-dead pharoah... easy. Judas bent back down to his work, blowing dust from the marks he'd chiseled into the pale floor around the sarcophagus, and starting on the next set of runes. The size of the dais had forced him to make the circle a bit bigger than he planned - usually he applauded the arrogance and opulance of the tombs, but now it was only frustrating. One day of work had become three. He would likely be forced to return home for a time, before finishing his task. The vial of blood he had brought was useless, and his reserve of energy was wearing down with every day he worked. He could feel the sun, even though he could not see it through the tomb walls, as if being a vampire had attuned him to its cycle. The ring he usually carried to protect him from that draining power was useless while he was building the spell. Its magic would interfere, and render everything useless. If the inner circle was left unfinished, perhaps it would be safe to leave for awhile. It wasn't as if the roaming dead were a threat to his interests. Most of them were weak, and lacking physical bodies with which to interfere. The enchantments around the perimeter of the tomb safeguarded it from anyone else. Though he'd like to /see/ a human who could make it this far. None of them would be able to make sense of it anyway. Even he didn't understand everything. Judas paused again. Maybe it /would/ be better to wait. He had not eaten properly in over two weeks. If he expected to survive this resurrection, that was unacceptable. He brushed the dust away from the hieroglyph he'd been etching, and murmured a spell that would set it permanently into the stone. It was as perfect as his ability would allow, but his hand trembled as he set the chisel to begin another letter, and he set the tool aside grudgingly. If he got much weaker, the rest of the circle would suffer. It would be just his luck if the spell blew up in his face, after so much time and effort. So it was decided. Judas rose to his feet and stretched, muscles burning from the unexpected exertion. His knees felt as if he'd driven wedges into the bone - most of the last three days had been spent kneeling on the unforgiving stone. Walking wouldn't be much fun; starving wouldn't be any better. He concluded that, with a moderately powerful Binding ward and a few moments of rest, he could make it home in a little under a week, as long as there were no major sandstorms on the way. It only took a few minutes to pack his tools away and set the Binding charm. Judas took up his staff and his small pack, and trudged away from the burial chamber, confident that his spell would keep out all but the most powerful spirits who wanted to enter. Most probably wouldn't care. The dead trapped in Amenti's ruins were bound to their king, and would not oppose someone trying to bring about his resurrection. Intruders would simply be repelled by the spell. It took the better part of the day to journey through the maze, defusing and resetting traps, walking softly to avoid awakening the tomb's more aggresive denizens. He ran his hands along the walls to feel the grooves of the hieroglyphs. More than once, during his first visit, he had almost been killed by traps, because he was so focused on the stories they told. How little his tribe had truly known, how diluted their traditions. If they were alive, they would have marveled at the knowledge he could unveil. But the tomb had lost its ability to dazzle him - now, he walked through with hardly a second glance. The stories were memorized, the spells were broken and remade, so he could walk safely back and forth, as he liked. Even his mistress couldn't have found fault with his work, had she been there. Though if she ever dared to trespass... Judas clenched his fist around his staff. No, that wouldn't happen. She might as well be a specter, with how tightly she had bound herself to Lorien. Things were better that way. What she didn't know wouldn't hurt her. The night sky greeted Judas when he emerged from the catacombs, dark and glittering like the markings in the funerary chamber. The howling wind seemed emptier tonight. The moon was hidden, and her absence cast the shifting sands in velvety darkness. He could feel it on the wind, and it made the heat more uncomfortable than usual. He would not make it far, tonight. It was too dark, and his power was weaker with the waning of the moon. The ring he carried would protect him from the sun come morning, but his strength would still flag eventually. He would have to curb his impatience and take shelter. It was not made to preserve his kind like that, not for long. Judas sighed into the wind, still staring up into the sky, and started walking. (Summary: Desperate for energy, Judas leaves the Tombs of Amenti to return home.) ------------------------------------ "Everlasting" (Judas) By Amber Michelle ------------------------------------ |