Isaac tossed uncomfortably in the depth of his sleep. It was heavy, as though he was being pushed into the bed by some unseen force, pressing his heart to release the emotions of the life he was dreaming of.
The memories too were weighty, painful when he finally awoke.
That seemed to be some way away as he continued to see the ancient world play out before him, looking out from a body he knew but was not in control of. Not anyone, he was simply an observer, watching a replay and unable to change what had already passed.
The dogs' coats shimmered as he combed them, rewarded by happy wags of their crinkled tails and the occasional excitable lick of their satin tongues.
Ishaq chuckled, batting them away as he tried to brush their ears, feeling they were trying their best to distract him from his duty rather than show any thanks.
"I might prefer this to biting," he laughed, pushing the hounds head back gently a
If Ishaq was curious about his master's seemingly lenient nature towards him then Am-Heh was more so. The God who was feared by nearly all of Egypt, not to mention some of the other deities also. Ruthless and hard hearted when it came to ridding the living world of those who displeased him and condemning those in need of long-lasting punishment in the afterlife, it was almost obscene that he would show compassion towards a lowly human.He had little time to think of it though, his irritation over the next evening's proceeding grating his nerves and the news of a temple whose priests had insulted his existence.This was not the first time they had offended his ears and he had frankly informed Atum that this was the final slur. The creator knew there was little point in arguing. He could only hope his anger didn't spread like a dark cloud over the entirety of Egypt.Devotions to the Gods varied from temple to temple. His own following w
A sultry heat permeated the air in the room. The evening breeze was sparse but encouraged by the open doors. Not one remained closed, the warmth made more obvious by the gold surroundings that glowed like another burning sun.In the shady corner two musicians played the lyre and the shepherd's pipe, providing a lively tune for the scantily clad dancer who weaved herself skilfully into erotic and sensual positions. The heady scent of incense surrounded her. With the rhythm of her menit-necklace and the sistra it was an evocative display.The musicians also watched her, as if hypnotised or playing their music to suit her moves. They had no concept of musical notation. The tunes were passed down from one generation to the next and adapted along the way.The older servants, a motley looking crew of varying ages and appearance, watched her leeringly or with a half appreciation of the movement, focusing on the sweet, red wine
The crow flew brazenly over the decrepit scenery, occasionally offering a mocking cry if it spotted movement. A piece of paper, a feral cat, nothing more.The wing of the Falcon brings to the king, the wing if the crow brings him to the cemetery.Through its eyes, Am-Heh was watching the shambling forms of his resurrected servants, unimpressed at their progress and already considering replacing them with some of the living. A taxing project but one that would yield far more stable results.Their pace was unsteady and their limbs weak. Decay set in so easily in the damper ground, even with the protection of the wooden surround. In the sands of Egypt, the body became like leather, hardier.Quietly he surveyed the ground, still allowing the overhead images to remain in mind, quite a skill and one that could be highly disorienting the first few times.The rain and lack of care had made so
The cave of the bull of the baboons reeked of death and was sweltering in the darkness of death. The freezing chill of the underworld and the heat of hellish torments rolling together in macabre copulation.Souls to be judged, or those already damned, would smell the sulphur of blazing lakes and shiver as the crevices all seemed to have eyes. What beasts could be concealed? Waiting for them to falter, for the judgement to lean to their favour and their claw would rend apart the last visage of humanity, casting the aura in smithereens until some pity might repair them.Only one resided within those echoing chambers.The first born of Osiris and member of the Duat, Babi was worthy of the fear and awe given him. Aggressive, omnivorous and bloodthirsty, the hunched deity delighted in devouring the souls of those who had been deemed sinful after the Maat had weighed them.The tingling and piquant flavour was mouth-wate
Kyle remained silent as his legs moved without thought, impelled on by the whim and will of the God, hidden from sight amongst the shadow.'The blind following the blind.'His mother would have said. Refusing to use the comparison to lemmings, saying it was an insult to a creature who she thought were rather intelligent,Doubts and irritations circled his mind like dust in a coalmine and the fight to keep them away was intense. The beast could most likely decipher any slander against him or sense those qualms that could lead to betrayal. He already dreaded what they would return to.Babi had given his ordered in shrill dictation, leaving no room to argue or suggest any alternative. Kyle was to follow in the footsteps of the dead ones and Aiden was to find some way of sending word to the thugs who fed his habit.He had grinned at the pair as they unconsciously shared an uneasy look.
Isaac, although half expecting the arrival of the God, jolted at the flash and sudden appearance. Immediately and instinctively, he bowed his head, cursing himself after he did.Am-Heh raised an eyebrow but didn't comment on it, unaware of the potion and the memories it had opened. That door had closed and had been sealed long ago as far as he was concerned, the key rusted and defunct. It was hardly fool proof, they still leaked and those spectres still haunted him. No door, no wall could keep them at bay."Achieve what you wanted?" Isaac dared as the God moved back to his books."For now.""This city wasn't the one that slighted you," Isaac said bitterly as he looked away. "It's just where you woke. I don't see your reason for messing up a place that had nothing against you." He gave a snort and shrugged. "No one even knew your name here until less than a hundred years ago. Most still don't."
Babi gave a wide grin as he dodged the mingling embers and ice, twirling amongst them almost gracefully, a rare feat for such a cumbersome creature."I sense human misery!" He crowed, clapping his hands to catch and crush the embers "oh, such joy to sense that again! I remember the fear and woe of those damned souls, how they wept and pleaded! The trembling of the slaves was almost as blissful as they cowered in my shadow!""Yeah, but what's the plan?" Kyle interjected, the sight making him feel sick "I mean, I cansmellthose things, even with all this and I still can't understand why we're heading to them. From all the movies I've seen, zombies aren't very useful unless you want to get your innards ripped out.""Quite so," Babi replied "but they would not dare touch me!Youthey might be interested in but you'll be safe enough if you don't stray. And they are of no interest, the hu
Aiden gratefully stepped into the room. Immune to the unholy smell of weed and unwashed bodies. To him, it was as homely as the scent of flowers and laundry, it meant he was amongst his own people again, even with the knowledge that none of the men saw him as anything more than an insect to be crushed."It's a long story, but the guy, if you can call it that, who sent me was the one who did this," he gestured to his leg. "I'd say he sent me as he wants your help but I don't think he needs any. Regardless of that, he wants to strong ones in this city." His voice began to slur, his body weakened from exertion and blood loss. "Not one to tamper with."Harrison gave a nod, and the two men grabbed hold of Aiden in their beefy hands, hauling him onto hard wooden chair, the legs screaming with the sudden weight."I-I honestly don't know how the describe things in a way that doesn't make me sound as if I'm on sort of loony acid