The Tekhen Of Anuket Part 7

The old man continued with a sigh, unheeding. "I should have known better than to ask his High Priest for information on the Phoenix bird, even if he is the Proconsul's advisor. You see, Set is also the G.o.d of the desert and storms and," he stared off into s.p.a.ce, looking bemused, "foreigners, for some strange reason. Anyway, that makes him the ant.i.thesis of both Anuket and the Phoenix. I really should have known better."

Brynn slapped his forehead with his hand. "The illusion spell. Jade didn't put one on us after Asgard."

Phoenix groaned as all the dots were connected. Now he understood how the priests of Set had known to find them. Zhudai was friends with Loki and Loki was, more than likely, just another name for Set or his friend, anyway. Once Zhudai had fa.r.s.een their location it had to be a simple matter to get Set's minions onto them.

"And" he said aloud, "if Set is the G.o.d of desert storms that explains that sudden sandstorm. It kept us pinned down long enough for his priest to track us down. Man, how dumb can we be? We walked right into their arms. Jade was right, each choice does have consequences."

"Who are these people?" Heron asked, looking at Phoenix. "Is Loki your name perhaps?"

"What? No, no. I'm Ph.....Drake," Phoenix amended, hoping Brynn would catch on. The boy didn't bat an eye, introduced himself with his own name and never forgot to call Phoenix, 'Drake'. Phoenix sent him a grateful smile. He wasn't sure what had prompted him to go under his middle name. He just didn't want Heron blurting out his name to all and sundry with that legend so fresh in his mind. There was enough pressure on him as it was. If the Nile flooded after they released Anuket, that was great, but he didn't need the hopes of an entire nation riding on him as well.

Phoenix was lost in thought, ignoring Heron's rambling conversations with Brynn. He prowled around the cell for awhile, checking the door and window just in case someone had accidentally left a key in the lock or something. No luck. In the back of his mind was the knowledge that they were on a deadline to release Anuket before the death of the moon - but they still didn't know when that was.

After pacing awhile longer, he decided sleep was his only option. After all, there wasn't much they could do until Marcus and Jade caught up with them a.s.suming they'd been somewhere around when the Romans were bringing them out of the temple.

If Jade and Marcus didn't turn up before dawn, he'd think about escaping. He laid his head on his arm and closed his eyes, hoping Heron would stop talking soon. Unconsciously, he reached for Blodbal's hilt, feeling its absence like a sharp ache in his chest. He had to get that sword back. Without it he just wasn't good enough or strong enough to get through the rest of this game.

Heron rubbed his face and lay down. "Unfortunately, when I get back and tell him the news, Proconsul Priscus will be most unhappy. This is such a bad time to make him mad. I daresay I'll just be thrown into jail again."

Almost hating to ask, Phoenix prompted him without opening his eyes. "So why is this a bad time to give the Proconsul bad news?"

"You have been a long way from Egypt, haven't you, my boy?" their fellow prisoner chuckled. "Emperor t.i.tus wishes to open the Flavian Amphitheatre in Rome with a hundred days of Games. Poor Priscus is tasked with providing enough wild animals, slaves and trained gladiators for the Games. With the countryside here so starved and half the animals and people dead in from the anthrax plague that swept through the Empire earlier this year, he's having trouble filling the quota."

"So he's not going to want to hear that the Phoenix isn't coming to help the Nile flood?" Brynn guessed.

"No indeed," Heron confirmed, "and if you two don't get out of here, you can be quite sure you'll end up as slaves or gladiators in the Games."

"OK," Phoenix sat up, no longer sleepy, "I think it's time to leave."

"And you'll take me with you?" Heron begged.

Phoenix nodded, thinking hard. Something nagged at him. He remembered. "If you're not an expert in Egyptian G.o.ds," he said, "how did you know so much about Anuket?"

Heron blinked at him. "Well, there's one of those obelisk things devoted to her right outside my house in Alexandria."

Phoenix grinned and stuck out his hand. "Of course we'll take you with us. In fact, we'll deliver you home ourselves. I don't suppose you know when the 'death of the moon' is?"

Heron shook Phoenix's hand, looking grateful, but slightly bemused. "My dear boy, I don't even know what day it is. I suppose the death of the moon, if you consider it by Egyptian standards, would be any day now - the first night of the last quarter."

"Thought it might be. d.a.m.n," Phoenix frowned. "We need to get out of here. Now."

"This is it," Jade whispered, pointing at the vast building ahead. She and Marcus were crouched in the shadows of an archway, observing the Temple of Set from across a moonlit square.

Earlier, they had crept into Memphis and found a quiet inn. There Jade fed and watered the horses and managed to wash the worst of the sand and grit from her face and hair. Marcus bartered for some less conspicuous clothing. Now both wore loose, dark-dyed long linen tunics. Jade wound a dark cloth around her bright hair and pointed ears. Using rags from the inn kitchen, they m.u.f.fled the hooves of the horses. Dirt from the stables darkened the hide of the white pony. It was difficult to sneak while leading five horses around, but they couldn't afford to leave them behind if a quick getaway was necessary.

Then they slipped out of the inn without telling the innkeeper and found a sheltered place for Jade to perform her finna spell. The new strength she had found served her well. It took only moments for the spell to draw her in the right direction through the twisted back streets of Memphis.

Past enormous stone temples, silent statues of sphinxes and strange G.o.ds; past fragrant gardens and ancient palaces; past new Greek and Roman temples and the sunbaked, mudbrick houses of the Egyptian people; deep into the city they moved.

There, in the centre of the most squalid, poorest section of the old town, they found the imposing Temple of Set. Across the front, flaming torches sat in sconces on each smooth column, lighting the entrance in an unforgiving glare. Four robed, hooded figures guarded the doorway. Sickle-shaped knives gleamed as they moved. There was no hope of entering that way.

After a whispered conference, Marcus and Jade wound their way through the maze-like slums surrounding the temple. Twice Marcus had to draw his sword to fend off would-be pickpockets, lurking in the shadows. Once Jade was obliged to use her quarterstaff to discourage a thief who leapt at her. It took over an hour, but eventually they found their way into an alley than ran beside the temple. The moon rose, so they doused their torches and picked their way their way along the stinking, garbage-strewn street, toward the back of the building.

Jade held up her hand and their little caravan stopped. Closing her eyes, she pressed the palm of her left hand to her forehead and whispered finna, concentrating hard on Phoenix. A sharp picture swam into her head. He was very close, but somewhere almost-dark and quite silent. A prison, most likely. There was a faint light moonlight perhaps. A window? Opening her eyes, Jade looked hard at the high, stone wall of the temple. There. Just above ground level was a narrow window. Phoenix and Brynn were behind it.

Making sure no-one was coming, she handed her reins to Marcus and crouched beside the window, peering into the gloom.

"Phoenix!" she hissed. "Brynn!" It was too dark inside to see anything. Misgivings seized her. What if she was wrong and this was the bedroom of the high priest or something? She was about to draw back when a scuffling noise caught her ear. Brynn's sharp little features appeared in the gap. He grinned at her shocked gasp.

"Hey. What took you so long?" he demanded.

"Brynn! Are you alright? Where's Phoenix?" She was so relieved she didn't even bother to get annoyed at his pert comment.

"Here!" came a grunt from somewhere below Brynn. The boy pointed straight down.

"He's holding me up. So, got a plan for getting us out of here?"

"It depends on how much of the temple you saw as you were brought in," Jade countered.

Brynn grimaced. "None. They had our heads covered."

"OK," she bit her lip. "In that case, no, I don't have a plan. But we'll think of something."

"Better be soon," he warned. "It'll be dawn in a few hours and we're supposed to go before the Proconsul's advisor then. Heron thinks we'll be made slaves or gladiators for the Games in Rome."

"Who's Heron?" she asked, distracted.

He jerked a thumb over his shoulder. "Cell-mate. We're taking him with us."

"What? Why?"

"Long story. Whoa!" He looked alarmed and swayed back and forward. Glaring down, he hissed at Phoenix, who growled something at him, "Hold still! Alright, alright, I'll tell her. Phoenix says to call him 'Drake', to tell you he's not leaving without Blodbal; Heron thinks the 'death of the moon' is any night now...oh... and that the High Priest has the ability to bring his dead monk-soldiers back to life." Brynn repeated dutifully.

"Oh my..." Jade breathed in horror. Shaking her head, she refocussed her thoughts. Eyeing the window, she dismissed it as an escape route far too narrow, even for Brynn's skinny, ten year old body. "Give us a few minutes to think of something. Tell Phoenix..er...Drake.. and your friend to be ready to take advantage of any opportunity to get out. Use the old 'sick prisoner' routine or something."

Standing, she brought Marcus up to speed. "We have to think of something," she whispered. "There has to be a way to get inside, find them and Phoenix's stupid sword and get out. We've been around the whole building and I've only seen one entrance the front door."

Marcus frowned. "Perhaps if you could distract the guards, I can slip past. Then I can find my way to their cell while you find the High Priest and wait for us to join you. The High Priest is most likely to have charge of a magical weapon especially if he's a sorcerer as you said. We'll probably have to kill him to get Blodbal," he finished grimly.

"How am I supposed to distract the guards and find the High Priest?" Jade demanded.

He tilted his head and looked at her, narrow-eyed. "Take off your clothes."

"What!?" She yelled in a whisper.

Marcus shook his head. "You can wear my tunic. With a belt and some of the jewellery Brynn stole, you'll look like a concubine or slave. No man on earth will ignore you, believe me," he said with wry humour.

Jade flushed, hoping he couldn't see the colour in the pale moonlight. When this whole adventure had started, she had been determined that her avatar would be as beautiful as her real self was plain in the real world. A lucky roll of the dice had given her seventeen year old character extraordinary beauty, but she'd almost forgotten it in the frenzy of recent days. Now, the thought of it made her uncomfortable. She had no idea how to act like a concubine and she said as much to Marcus.

His mouth twisted. "You don't need to. Just go up to the door and make up some story about being sent by the Proconsul or something. All you need to do is get inside and I'll slip in and find the others."

"Why can't I just use a command spell and put the guards to sleep? Or maybe you could shoot them with your bow."

He considered it. "I couldn't kill more than two before they raised the alarm. Your spell is worth a try, but you have to be pretty close to cast it, don't you? We can't get close to them without being seen. What if they are some sort of undead and it doesn't work? Besides, if the High Priest really is a sorcerer, you're going to need all your strength to fight him."

Jade frowned. "Why can't you wear the stupid tunic and jewellery?"

Marcus sent her a wry, half-amused smile. "Somehow I don't think it would have quite the same effect."

She hunched a shoulder at him and chewed on her lip, undecided. It was a very, very dodgy plan, but she couldn't come up with anything better. When had Marcus taken charge? Reluctantly she nodded. He pulled the tunic out of his gear bag and handed it to her. Jade took it without enthusiasm, went around the other side of the horses and changed. When she was ready, Marcus inspected the result.

"You'll have to take your boots off and leave your staff with me. Here, hold still so I don't hurt you with these d.a.m.ned gloves." With an expression of intense concentration, he produced several, glittering objects and began to put them on her. Jade held still as he draped an ornate, chain headdress over her hair. Then he handed her some bejewelled rings and bracelets, while he clasped a heavy golden torc around her neck and a thick, filigree chain around her waist.

Standing back, he looked at her again then shook his head. "Something's missing. Ah! Wait a moment." He dived into the shadows of a tumbled-down shack and emerged carrying something small and dark. "Charcoal. Egyptian women always put kohl on their eyes, but this will have to do. Just don't rub your eyes. Hold still and close your eyes." Cursing her Elven heritage, he stripped off his gloves and tucked them into his belt while he worked on her eyes.

Jade did as she was told but her mouth was dry at the thought of what she was about to attempt. Her thirteen year old self was a tomboy. She had only a vague idea of how to flirt and act girly from watching her older sisters in the real world, and her character had lead pretty sheltered life in the forest with her mother. What if she wasn't able to carry it off? Even worse, what would happen if the priest took a fancy to her?

"Can I take my knife at least?" She murmured, opening her eyes as Marcus finished and pulled on his gloves again.

"Definitely," he nodded, looking grim. "Strap it onto your leg, under the tunic."

She did so, feeling much safer. Squaring her shoulders, she closed her eyes for a second and took a deep breath.

"OK. Let's go now before I stop and think about this too much."

CHAPTER TEN.

"She said to take any opportunity to escape and to use the 'sick prisoner' routine," Brynn repeated. "What's that?"

Phoenix blinked at him. It was hard to imagine anyone not knowing the oldest escape idea in the book. Maybe that was a good thing. He turned to Heron, who was watching them both eagerly.

"Have you heard of the 'sick prisoner' escape routine?"

Heron shook his head, looking bewildered.

"Well," Phoenix stared at the thick wooden door, "let's hope the guards haven't either. Heron, give me that piece of sharp stone you had. Here's how it goes..."

Jade took a deep breath and stepped out of the shadows. Calling up a mental image of her oldest sister, she put a hand on her hip and let her eyelids droop. With her hips swaying as she walked, she put her bare feet carefully down on the grimy stones in front of the temple. As she climbed the first two, the four guards moved together, blocking her way to the door.

She tried to make her voice all deep and throaty; hoping it wouldn't come out as a nervous squeak. "Good evening gentlemen. I've been sent by the Proconsul." Tilting her head, she looked up at them from under her lashes and smiled.

"We don't need you, wench," one of the guards said in a harsh voice.

She went up two more risers and put her hand on her leg, sliding the tunic up a little and, incidentally, gripping the handle of her knife. She felt ridiculous and had to suppress an urge to giggle at her own actions.

"You may not," she smiled slowly and heard at least one of the men give a strangled gasp. Maybe she was getting the hang of this. "But the Proconsul seems to think the High Priest does. He's expecting me, you know, and if I don't arrive soon, I think he might be just a little upset, don't you?" Batting her eyelashes, she poked out her lower lip then wondered if she'd overdone it when all four guards took a half-pace toward her.

Behind them, a shadow slipped between the columns.

"You three stay here," one of the hooded men ordered after a long, thoughtful pause. "I'll take her to the High Priest, just in case. Come on woman." He waved a hand at her.

Jade let out a long, slow breath and hurried up the rest of the stairs.

At the door, the monk gave an odd series of knocks and a small door set into the larger panel swung open a few feet. Jade followed the guard inside, waiting in a huge, shadowed antechamber while he spoke softly to the doorkeeper. At the back of the chamber, towering ominously overhead, was an enormous statue of the G.o.d, Set. Jade looked up the glossy, black legs, past the short, stone tunic to the enormous, curved, beak-like face of the deity. She shivered. Whatever Set was the G.o.d of, it was not anything nice.

The guard appeared at her side, giving the statue no more than a casual glance. Glad to leave the foyer, she obeyed his abrupt gesture and trailed along behind him, into the dark halls of Set's temple.

Behind her, just before the door creaked closed, another shadow drifted inside. After the heavy thud of wood closing, there was a gasp from the doorkeeper. Next came a short, wet noise then silence followed by the rustling of cloth and a sc.r.a.ping sound as though something heavy was being dragged across a stone floor.

As they wound their way deeper and higher into the temple, Jade began to feel profoundly uneasy. The further she went, the greater the distance between her and her friends became. A dagger, her wits and some minor magic were poor weapons indeed against a sorcerer who could raise the dead. Why on earth had she let Marcus talk her into this?

This whole creepy place reeked of unholy death and danger. The stone walls were darkened and the occasional, smoky torch did little more than highlight the blackness between. In the distance, a strange, inharmonious chanting began and the hairs on the back of her neck stood up. A faint, terrified scream made her shiver and she jumped as a deep gong reverberated through the building once, twice, three times.

Still the silent guard glided before her, now leading the way toward a narrow, spiralling staircase.

"Up there," he jerked his head toward the stairs.

"Aren't you coming with me?" Jade glanced up the risers.

He laughed unpleasantly and she wished she could see his face beneath the hood. "This is as close as I have to get to the High Priest, thank goodness. Good luck girl, you'll need it."

Aware that the guard was watching, she reluctantly put her foot on the first step and began to move upward. She really, really didn't want to go up. Blast Phoenix and his stupid sword. Surely he could get by without it if he really had to. He'd managed ok on the first level of the game. Another of her lives wasn't worth giving up for one darned magic sword.

Just as she had decided to retreat and help Marcus instead, the faint sound of angry shouting reached her ears. Since her hearing was better than the guards', Jade had several seconds to think and act before he did.

Swiftly she spun to face him, sliding her ruby-hilted knife out of its sheath and up behind her back. With a slow smile she swayed back down the stairs, intending to knock him out if she could. She didn't enjoy killing people, even if they were digital. First, however, it was time to find out if her command spell would work.

"Help! Help! Guard! This man is sick," Brynn shouted, thumping on the cell door. "Help!"

There was a brief pause. Brynn glanced up at Phoenix, who nodded. The boy shrugged and yelled again. Heron lay on the ground near the door, groaning enthusiastically. Phoenix closed his eyes. The old man would give them away through sheer overacting at this rate.

"Get back from the door, boy!" A rough voice called from outside. Brynn moved over to Heron's side, trying to look anxious. "Where's the other prisoner," the guard demanded.

Brynn pointed. "He's not well either, but he's sleeping."