Pharaoh’s Curse Pt. 07

"I have a feeling he's not," Andrew admitted, only to have the falcon cry in response.

"So what's Horus doing here in the first place?"

"I have no clue; I think he just wanted to bask in the attention," Andrew said offhandedly. "Ow! That thing's sharp!" he barked when Horus poked him on top of his head with his beak.

"Dr. Sanders!" Bill called out when they were getting some odd readings on its display. If he didn't know any better, he would say there was indeed something buried beneath their feet. Ignoring how Andrew was arguing with a bird which to him seems so preposterous.

"You and I need to have a chat about poking me with that beak!" They heard Andrew grumble as they all stood around the display screen, going over the readings. Debating what they meant as their fingers moved over the screen.

"I can't believe any one of you believes this man's hogwash?!" Dr. Rose shouted, earning ever-burning glares from Anta, Carla, and Alex. "So he got lucky a few times. That does not mean..." The ground began to tremble beneath their feet. The wind that had been nonexistent a few moments ago violently whipped their clothes, churring up the sand. Then a hum began to be carried on the currents causing Alex to turn back to her son. Throwing up her arm to keep the sand from stinging her eyes.

"Andy?!" Alex gasped low as a golden aura pulsated around his body.

"You insult the Gods; your disbelief will be your undoing, for I am Pharaoh, and Egypt heeds my call!" Andrew spoke in an alien voice. A voice, thanks to Bast's training, he learned was his own goddom speaking. The purple light of his ankh ring flared as he brought up his arms; his divinity swirled within his eyes as the translucent images of Bast and Horus appeared behind him, resting their hands on his shoulders, imparting their might into his works.

Alex and the others scrambled to get out of the area as the sand began to shift beneath their feet. Alex stared worryingly at her son as the sand rose up into the air like a giant wave in the ocean, towering ninety feet into the air before crashing thunderously down onto the land behind the newly uncovered addition. Covering her mouth as did the others as the sand floated in the air. Her eyes quivered at her son, praying that he wasn't overtaxing himself like he had done in Punt. She never wanted to see Andrew in that shape ever again. However, unlike how he had collapsed in Punt, Andrew stood tall, and an air of strength seemed to cloak him as the golden glow still radiated off his body.

"Next time when I speak, you will heed it as the truth," Andrew spoke in a forceful tone as he gestured down to the now uncovered pavilion. "Or you will be left behind like all the other fools who failed to heed their Pharaoh's words," he said, staring intently at the disbelievers. "Come on, man, can't you like pick a shoulder or something?!" Andrew grumbled loudly as he walked back to camp when Horus returned to his perch on top of Andrew's head as the dinner bell rang out.

Halima and the others eyed the falcon as it sat perched on top of the mess tent. She got the feeling they were being watched very carefully. It unnerved her greatly being beneath the gaze of a god, especially the one that protected the monarchy. She had no idea what they would do to them if they moved against Andrew like Mido was planning. Noting how Andrew was sitting alone if you discount the three women that were always by his side as he ate his dinner while the rest of the archeological team gave him a wide berth while those of her order sat across from them. Quickly fixing herself a plate, given how she would be on duty in an hour to guard the Pharaoh during the night. She didn't want him to think she couldn't handle the long hours of standing guard. Halima wanted to show Andrew that she could be trusted, that all she wanted was the return to the old ways and not usurp his power like Mido was plotting.

"Would you mind if I joined you?" Halima asked as she stood by their table, causing the four of them to look up at her as she held her metal tray. "Thanks," she said warmly when Andrew gave her a wave to sit as he chewed his bite. Noticing the sly looks of her peers as she took a seat beside Carla. "So I see you got yourself a pet falcon. Do you just adopt strays?" Halima teased, trying not to squirm beneath those eyes of his and ignoring how the others down the table were eyeing Andrew with hate, fear, and uneasiness.

"He's not a stray," Andrew mumbled before taking a bite of his date.

"Oh?" Halima perked up; of course, she knew what or who the falcon represented; she just wanted Andrew to admit it. "Did he follow you all the way here from Cairo?"

"No," Andrew said, pushing around his food with his fork. He had enough of hummus the last time he was there; he wasn't about to go through the runs again. Not in that lifetime, he wasn't.

"So, enjoying the dig site?" Carla asked, steering Halima's questions away from whatever she was trying to pull out of Andrew.

"It's quieter than I had imagined it would be; how do you all stand it when there's nothing around for miles?" Halima asked, knowing it was going to be three long months out in the desert or until they finished up with their survey. She did hope it didn't take three months; she was already missing her shower.

"The work keeps us busy most of the time, so we don't have a lot of time to worry about boredom," Anta said, sitting across from Halima. Her hand rubbed Andrew's thigh beneath the table just to tease him through their dinner.

"So, how many Gods have you actually met, Pharaoh?" Halima asked in ancient Egyptian, cutting to the chase only to be met with a smirk from Andrew. She did notice how the others perked up when they heard her speaking ancient Egyptian, given how no one expected her order and the four beside her could understand it, yet she paid them no heed. They weren't the focus of their mission; only Andrew was. "Then if you won't talk about the Gods, how about we talk about NeoHierakonpolis or Djed?" she spoke, keeping to the ancient language. Also, informing him that they knew about them. "Where are these places? Is that why you wanted that temple designed for you, and where exactly would it be built, Djed or NeoHierakonpolis?" Hearing the shifting behind her, knowing those of her order were waiting patiently for the answers to her questions. However, what she was met with was not what she was expecting, as the four of them just continued to eat their meal in silence. "What about this Punt? Is it some other site you're going to use?" Leaning back in her seat, wondering if she had pushed too hard, when four pairs of eyes stared intently at her.

"I will say this once, and that will be the last I ever want to hear those names coming from you, we clear?" Andrew spoke in a harsh tone, keeping to ancient Egyptian so only Halima and her peers would understand. "What they are or where they are, are none of yours or your ilk's concern. When the Gods say you can't be trusted, I take their word far more seriously than what you, and your order has spouted off to me. You wish to rise with me, fine, I welcome your help, yet don't think for a second you will hold sway over Egypt. You are not the one chosen by the Gods, now are you? No, you all are just little sycophants chomping at the bit for an ounce of power. Move against me, the Gods, and I will crush you into dust, am I clear?" he uttered in a stern, authoritative voice as he rose from his seat, having lost his appetite. The tent was deathly silent as Andrew walked over to where plastic trays were filled with potable water to soak the trays before they washed them.              

"Don't anger my husband again; you're supposed to be the protectors of the Pharaoh, not some shady group plotting against him. If you want to join in the rise of Egypt, then I suggest you return to your former ways and not this... whatever you are," Anta said in ancient Egyptian, clearly taking Halima by surprise that she would even know the language as she followed after Andrew.

"Come on, Horus?! What's your fascination with my head, of all things!" Andrew bemoaned once he had stepped out of the tent, and Horus' falcon hopped down onto his head. "See, I have perfectly good shoulders to perch on!" His voice could be heard as he walked off into the distance.

Halima's shoulders slumped as Carla and Alex quickly discarded their trays and left the tent. She had been hoping that she could build trust among the four of them, yet if the Gods were telling him that they couldn't be trusted, how was she to overcome that? Hurriedly eating her meal, she was going to fulfill her duty even if Andrew distrusted her at the moment. She could only show him that she could earn that trust through her deeds, not her words.

******

Anta awoke early the next morning as something roused her from her slumber. Looking at Carla, Alex, and Andrew as they were slumbering peacefully in their sleep, only to have something nudge her mind to look towards the front of their tent. The generators could be heard running in the background, the air chillers humming away to keep the air in the tent cool. Even though it was the end of winter in Egypt, it was still eighty degrees during the day and the high sixties in the evening. Her sleepy eyes finally took notice of Bast as she sat gazing at her and her alone. She had no idea what compelled her to get out of bed or don her clothes from yesterday. All she knew was that she had to follow Bast as she jumped down from the folding table that held Alex's journals she used to document their days on the site.

Slipping out of the tent without making much noise, she didn't want to disturb Andrew's sleep, given the stress of yesterday. The cool sand felt wet on the soles of her feet as she hurried after Bast, as her little legs carried her off towards the temple.

"Bast, where are you going?" Anta asked low, hoping none of the Medjay were watching. Yet Bast didn't say a word and just continued on down the embankment towards the temple proper. Looking around the ancient site as the days that they were there months ago flared in her mind as she followed Bast's little paw prints in the sand. Stopping in her tracks when she saw Bast sitting on the base of the thirty-foot-tall statue of herself. That wasn't all. She gasped in awe as the statue itself appeared to be glowing in the early dawn light.

"Do you wish to serve me, Anta Ali?" Anta's head darted around as an alien voice filled her mind. "Do you wish to serve the Goddess of cats, battle, home, childbirth, and the protector of the Pharaoh?" Anta dropped to her knees in the sand as her eyes were centered on Bast the cat, not the statue.

"Oh yes, Bast, I will serve you as long as you wish it," Anta said in reverence and joy that she could finally hear what Bast sounded like, at least in her head. Looking around worryingly as a soft green light surrounded the area around her statue. She felt a strange tingling sensation on her skin as she felt Bast embracing her in her arms, taking her into her bosom. Not realizing the paw print materialized into existence on the center of her forehead where Bast had anointed her on.

"Then rise, my priestess, and enter," Bast commanded as the huge doors that had once been sealed by sand and hid the chamber that Andrew had fallen into swung open, and an unearthly light shone brightly out of the opening.

Anta didn't hesitate as she got to her feet and walked stalwartly towards it. Knowing now, she would be in Andrew's world and experience the side of reality that only he has dealt with alone. Squaring her shoulders as she neared the threshold, she was not about to allow her man, the man she loved to wander alone anymore as she took a step into that light, then another, only to have the doors slam shut behind her.

******

Everyone rushed out of their tents in their undergarments at the sound of the noise that roused them from their slumber. Then quickly hurried back into their tents when most of them were in their underwear.

"Everyone fan out and see if you can't find the cause of that sound?!" Alex barked out her order; she had no wish to damage anything at the site. She might be the future Queen of Egypt she was still an archaeologist first and foremost.

"Where's Anta?! She wasn't in the tent when we woke up?!" Carla asked worryingly at the disappearance of her good friend.

"Well, your people were supposedly standing guard. Did you see anything?" Alex asked heatedly, staring down at the group of Medjay. Who looked as confused as they were at the disappearance of Anta from the camp.

"She couldn't have walked out of camp, nor could anyone sneak in and kidnap her. We would have seen it," Halima assured her, with her peers nodding along. "What's he doing?" she inquired as Andrew was walking strangely away from their group, following the tracks only he could see.

"Lion!" Dr. Rose shouted as the female lion appeared out of the haze of the desert, causing the whole group to scramble to safety.

"Andy!" Carla screamed out to him as the lion was walking right towards him.

"No, Carla," roughly, taking her by the arms when she was about to rush to Andrew, "you'll only provoke it," Alex said, trying to keep her fear contained as her son hadn't moved an inch from the spot he had stopped at.

Getting to a knee and bowing his head as the lion stood less than a foot away from him. "Greetings Sekhmet, I have not had the honor of greeting you in person," Andrew spoke, keeping his head bowed as he felt the lioness' hot breath through the strands of his hair. "Oh? Is she, so that's where she is," he muttered when Sekhmet spoke in his mind about Anta's whereabouts and why she was there. "I thank you greatly, Sekhmet. I know being a messenger for the other Eye of Ra isn't what your divinity entails. I thank you nonetheless for delivering this to me. We would have been very worried about Anta until she came back. Now that I know where she is, I can wait until Bast returns her to me." Glancing up as Sekhmet gently laid down in the sand, causing him too to follow suit after the goddess told him to sit.

"He's gone mad!" Dr. Rose spoke as Andrew's words of: 'I know! He wouldn't get off my head!' reached them. "To be speaking to an animal like it was intel..." The man didn't finish his words as he doubled over as if something had punched him hard in his gut, taking his breath away.

"Who is he talking to? That's not Bast," Carla whispered to Alex.

"Sekhmet is my guess; she's the only other cat goddess, also Bast's sister," Alex said informatively. "She's also not as patient as Bast is," she said, nodding over to Dr. Rose as his students helped him to his feet. Arching an eyebrow when the wind carried Andrew's words of 'I met your husband.' Shaking her head, there was no way Andrew had met Ptah; then again, she also doubted that her son would have a goddess following after him. She just wondered where he had met the god. She would know if Andrew met any other gods on their tour because she made him tell her if that happened. So she knew it had to be sometime yesterday. The only time she knew her son was out of her sight was when he went to visit NeoHierakonpolis. Pouting when her son didn't tell her he had met another god while he was visiting his capital.

"Don't bring that thing over here!" Bill shouted in fright as Andrew approached them with Sekhmet padding along beside him.

"So Andrew, where is Anta? I'm sure that's what you and Sekhmet were talking about," Alex stated, noting the amusement in the lion's eyes as it looked up at her as it sat down on its hind legs.

"With Bast," Andrew said factually. Seeing how his mother and Carla looked back to their tent, totally forgetting they hadn't seen Bast that morning.

"What do you mean with Bast?" Carla asked accusingly.

"I don't know, that's between her and Bast; I just know she's with her. She told Sekhmet to let me know, knowing I'd be worried about her and run off somewhere dangerous trying to find her."

"Ah, and why is Sekhmet still here? No offense," Alex uttered quickly.

"What? Can't a goddess come down to earth every century or two?" Andrew joked, looking down as Sekhmet brushed her left cheek against his leg.

"But she won't do anything in the camp, right?" Alex asked, pointing over to hers and Dr. Rose's frightened students.

"You'll behave yourself, yes?" Andrew asked, only getting a grumbling huff out of her that he took as: 'If I must.' "Come on, Sekhmet, mealtime," he stated as the chow bell rang out. Even throughout the commotion, the cooks were still at work preparing their meals. Snickering when the onlookers quickly got out of the way as they were eager for her offering. "I so have to bring you along to parties," Andrew joked as they approached the mess tent.

"That thing cannot stay here!" Dr. Rose said heatedly as he pointed towards the mess tent.

"By all means, Dr. Rose, remove the lion from our camp," Alex said in a condescending tone as she waved towards the mess tent. "I will greatly enjoy watching how she makes you her chew toy." Noting how the man looked to their security only to be met with empty space as they, too, had sought out their morning meals.

"I don't know where you're getting these animals from or how you're training them so well, but I will find out!" Dr. Rose stated from the safety of the other side of the mess tent.

"Good luck with that," Andrew mumbled before taking a bite of his eggs and tossing one of the sausage patties to Sekhmet, who caught it midair. Her tail thumped in gratitude for the offering on the ground. Only to see a line of the Medjay forming, offering a portion of their meat to her before finding their seats.

"Pharaoh?" Halima spoke in ancient Egyptian, getting a questioning look out of Andrew as he peered over at her. "I know you spoke truthfully yesterday at dinner, and please know, not every one of the Medjay is out to deceive you. I'm sure in your wisdom you know how power corrupts," to this Andrew nodded, "so you know how unlikely some would be unwilling to give it up even in our order," again Andrew nodded, "so please know not one of us here is out to betray you, we only want is best for Egypt. I also have sent word back to the order about what you said last night. So maybe that will keep those that wish for more power from acting on their desires," she said, making her offering to Sekhmet before going to sit with her brethren.

"You know Bast is so going to be jealous that you got all her meat this morning," Andrew said, looking down at the goddess, who was licking her chops clean after devouring her meal.

"Good, she's been prancing around for far too long," Sekhmet said into Andrew's mind.

"So, any thoughts as to where you want to be?" Andrew asked, referring to his temple. Looking down when she patted the sand with her right paw indicating which side of the temple she wanted to be on. "So you want to be like Isis?" His eyebrows rose when Sekhmet shook her head. "Beside Ra?" Andrew asked when he noted the sun in her eyes, getting a nod out of her.

"Andy! Where are you going?!" Alex called out to her son as their group got ready to start their survey of the site after they had their breakfast.

"Sekhmet wants to show me something; I'll be back!" Andrew answered, waving his hand to her before he and the goddess disappeared into the haze of the dessert.

"Be safe, baby, and come back to me," Alex whispered, not even the least bit perturbed at how her son had just vanished without a trace.

******

Andrew tried not to be freaked out when he peered back, and the camp and temple were gone. If he concentrated hard enough, he could sense the air around him had a familiar feel to it as he followed after Sekhmet. His thoughts went to Anta, hoping she would be safe with Bast while Sekhmet led him to where? He hadn't a clue, yet he felt like he had to take this journey wherever it led him. Praying to Horus to ensure his mother and Carla remained safe while he was away. There was no telling what the powers in the shadows would do if they knew he was out of the picture for however long this would take.