Spell, Crook and Handle Pt. 02

"Is this your doing," I asked and she shook her head.

"No and this isn't yours either," she replied throwing me for a loop.

"Wait, I don't understand," I said looking around the marketplace. "Then whose dream is this?"

"One of your companions," she said. "You have made great progress. First by embracing your feminine side and now by entering another's dream. My gift is working better than I ever hoped."

"There was something I read about succubus being able to enter young men's dreams and feed off them that way. Is that right?"

"Yep, it was necessary after the ban."

"Ban, what ban?" I asked and she smiled.

"I don't have much time so I will give you things to research. Look up the term Nephilim I think that will set you on the right track."

There was a change happening around us. The voices of the merchants began to fade as did the edges of people, buildings and stalls. The dream began to crumble and she grabbed me by the wrist and we flew out into the desert. She seemed quite alarmed but relaxed once we were outside. She warned me that I must leave the dreamer before the dream ends. The consequences were dire and that was that. My own dream was fading and she called out two last words for me, astral projection.

I opened my eyes and stared up at Idris who was nudging me awake. The smell of camp coffee filled the air. I sat up and got dressed. The coffee was strong and the breakfast was very tasty. We broke camp and were on our way before the sun was up. It was another day of unchanging landscape, blistering heat and music blaring from the speakers. The truth was we actually saw a drastic change in our view an hour or so before we were going to make camp.

The unrelenting Anvil gave way to hills that hinted at the mountain pass we were searching for. God bless GPS and satellite mapping. No wonder the Bedouin and any other sane people steered clear of this death trap. We stopped to make camp and we were forced to go without a campfire for fear of any patrols seeing it. We were too damn close to the border to risk discovery. I grabbed my sidearm from the truck and slept with it close by just in case. The others followed suit and after a meal of military rations we called it a night.

I lay in my tent and thought back to the things the succubus had said to me the night before. What the hell were Nephilim? The last thing she shouted was something like astral projection. Was that the ability that allowed me to enter that dream? It would make sense from what little I have heard about it. It is a sort of spiritual travel and supposedly everyone does it they just can't control it. I would find out once I fell asleep if I was just making this all up or not. I closed my eyes and slipped easily off to sleep.

I was standing outside my tent just like last time but I could see the hills in the distance now. I picked another tent to explore another man's dreams to discover. I stepped forward and was transported away from the camp and into what appeared to be a narrow street or alley. The architecture was once again Middle Eastern but there was something vaguely familiar this time around. I followed the crowd to a huge square and there it was the dark square stone in the center. I was standing in Mecca and there the devout spiraled inward to finish their pilgrimage. I had no desire to see the stone so I drifted skyward and sat on a wall overlooking the pressing mass of bodies.

"Makes you shiver doesn't it," the succubus said without warning.

"Jeez," I said startled. "A little warning next time might be nice."

"Sorry," she replied without any hint of conviction. "So was it easier this time around?"

"Yeah, I guess the more I practice the easier it will be?"

"Yep," she said with a stunning smile. "What are you doing out on the Sun's Hammer?"

"You recognized it?"

"There are few places on the face of the earth I do not know. You didn't answer my question."

"I am leading a team to reclaim something," I said. "If we are successful it will pay very well indeed."

"I hope you are looking for something old and something shiny," she said narrowing her eyes.

"Maybe," I said and she laughed. "It's called the Heart of Ashurbanipal."

"Who are you collecting for," she asked turning downright hostile. "Tell me!"

"It's for the royal house of Saudi Arabia," I replied and she went ballistic.

"He cannot be allowed to possess both stones," she shouted. "It is far too dangerous!"

"He doesn't. A guest of his apparently walked off with the Fire. He wants to replace it."

"Oh, well I am still uncomfortable if both stones are roaming free in the world. I cannot warn you more adamantly that the stones must never be brought together."

We both cursed as the dream began to dissolve and fade. I launched myself out of the city and back to the desert. She had gone her own way and that was probably for the best. There was a legend that the two stones had belonged to some sort of idol. I didn't know what sort of idol or even its country of origin. If the succubus feared the gems being reunited there was probably a damn good reason. When I woke up we would be mere hours from our final destination. I had a bad feeling about this.

Once again we broke camp and were on the road before dawn. However, this time we were going to be crossing into another country to acquire a national treasure for my employer. We rode armed and expecting trouble. We no longer played music and the conversations were brief and of a more business like nature. The tension grew with every mile we covered. We managed to cross the border without incident but that didn't mean we were out of danger. Fakhir called out turns and roads to look out for as we neared our goal.

The road and I use that term loosely was a little better than a footpath. It slithered its way through brush, trees and boulder strewn paths. We found the cleft thanks to modern technology, mainly satellite images. We parked the vehicles and cut our way through the overgrown trees and brambles. Once the path was cleared we drove carefully through the narrow opening in the rocks that had been cut eons ago by a river that had long since been diverted or forced underground. We covered the opening behind us with the limbs of the fallen trees. It wasn't likely that anyone was following us but it was better to be cautious.

It was slow driving through the series of switchbacks and serpentine course that ancient river had laid down. After a half hour or so the path widened and the valley came into view. The driver stopped the truck and we all stared out over the ruins that lay there. A majority of the structures were buried under what appeared to be silt, soil and scrub grass. The dark stone seemed in remarkable condition considering that at least three millennia had passed since any living soul had set foot here. We drove on but slowly for there was a kind of malignant feel to the place.

We parked near the largest observable structure, a stylized dome etched with queer lizard men hybrids dancing in a circle. At the apex of the dome was a rayed sun surrounded by slithering flames that reached out for the serpent things. The others set up camp while I looked at fallen pillars, toppled walls and other half buried structures. A recurring theme of snakes, lizards and the eerie sun design were prevalent. I did find characters that could have been some sort of alphabet or cuneiform but it was unlike anything I had ever seen before. Once camp was established I took out a video camera and began filming the site. While I freely wandered the ruins the others stayed close to the camp and mumbled prayers.

"We should go," Idris begged.

"Yes, this place is evil," Lais added. "Can't you feel how wrong it is?"

"For what it is worth this is not Assyrian architecture," I said and I turned to go.

I walked further away not wanting to hear that kind of talk. Not that it was untrue but because it was harder to work when you were constantly looking over your shoulder. I went to one of the buildings that looked promising and would be fairly easy to enter. I walked around the perimeter looking at not only possible entry points but also the general stability of the structure. I filmed my examination and decided it would be a perfect first attempt. I turned off the camera and returned to our camp and grabbed one of the folding shovels and returned to the building I had selected. Idris and Lais, the diggers, followed me reluctantly carrying shovels of their own. I showed them the arched doorway that was only half buried. I took the first shovel full of earth and tossed it over my shoulder. Idris laid a hand on my shoulder and shook his head.

"Watch and learn or else you will wear yourself out before you get anything accomplished."

I stepped back and watched the professionals go to work. There was a certain economy of movement and there was an attack plan for the placement of the removed earth. I returned the shovel to the camp and returned with a flashlight as well as the video camera. I was amazed at how quickly they were able to remove enough earth for me to slip inside and look at the domed ceiling. I turned on the flashlight so it wasn't obvious that I didn't actually need it to see. I panned the beam over the interior of the building's roof.

"Whoa," I gasped seeing the details of the construction. "Look at this."

"What is it," Lais asked leaning in just enough to see.

"Look at the pattern in the ceiling," I said pointing.

"Are those triangles?"

"Yeah, there are hundreds of interlocking triangles forming the underside of the ceiling. Have you ever seen anything like that before?"

"Never," he replied. "I hate to admit it but there is beauty here. Idris have you seen the like?"

Idris traded places with Lais and looked where the beam was illuminating. He scratched his beard and shook his head. I turned off the flashlight and stepped out so that they could continue. I sat down on the ground and leaned against a fallen pillar. The pair worked straight for another two hours before taking a break. I turned on the camera and filmed the interior. I carefully panned the ceiling showing off this unique pattern and then I showed how much of the floor had been revealed. That's when I noticed an irregularity in the earth. I bent down and used my hand to brush away some of the loose earth. It took only a few moments to make yet another discovery. I stood up and backed out through the arched doorway. But it wasn't a doorway it was in fact a window. The thing I had found in the dirt was actually the top step in a stairway. This wasn't a one story building it was the top of a tower.

"It's a tower," I cried to the others.

The entire group gathered around the dig site. Hassan, the team leader, stared at the structure with renewed interest. He walked around the circumference of the tower and shook his head. He asked me how tall I thought this tower might be. I shrugged but it could be as short as twenty feet or as tall as a ten story building, only time would tell. The team took turns looking at the triangular pattern and all of them shook their heads. None of them had seen anything like it. Sadly this was going to be a find I couldn't speak about due to the nature of this recovery mission. It was a career making find and I couldn't tell a soul in the academic community. Perhaps in a few years I could work something out with the government here and dig officially. I didn't like my chances of that happening. America was at odds with many of their political affiliations.

When the diggers went back to work I did a second walk through to see if any of the other buildings offered a better chance at housing our treasure. I stopped and examined the fallen pillars and looked at them more carefully and discovered a very telling sign. The pillars had not simply toppled they had been broken off from their bases. This area was seismically active so it was likely an earthquake had struck the area and caused some serious damage to the buildings here. It seemed like a majority of the building materials was a very hard dark stone. I suspected it was either granite or diorite. The more I learned the more I grew to respect this culture. It was most assuredly not Assyrian. I began to do the math and suspected this site predated the Assyrians by centuries or even millennia. If that was true this was a historic find of the highest order.

Aaron, the sniper, found me and was carrying my weapon belt. He was frowning that I was on my own unarmed. He clucked his tongue in disapproval. I slipped the belt on and adjusted its fit. He walked with me as my silent shadow for a long time.

"Do you feel it," he asked breaking the silence.

"You mean the temperature," I replied and he nodded. "It is strangely cold here."

"Yes, much too cold for this time of year," he said making a sign against evil. "Who built this place?"

"It is definitely not the Assyrians," I told him. "This place predates them and the skill displayed here is nothing short of amazing."

"You admire them," he said and I nodded. "It is not wise to admire evil my friend."

"The scholar in me wants to discover every secret that is hidden here. But I agree with you, we should get in and get out as soon as possible."

"You are a wise man," he said and looking over his shoulder made the sign against evil.

We finished the parameter sweep and discovered no better excavation site or lurking enemies. I offered to cook lunch and soon I had half the squad watching and making suggestions the entire time. I wouldn't call it a culture clash but I eventually gave up and let Mubarak, our explosives expert, take over. Everyone enjoyed a laugh at my expense. While I enjoyed the cool temperature of our dig site it began to gnaw at me that there was someone or something watching us. I wasn't the only one a little jittery about this place. I caught the others looking over their shoulders as well.

After a delicious lunch I decided to get a different perspective on things. I took Aaron with me and we looked for a way to climb the cliffs that surrounded the valley. It took a little while but we found a portion of the cliff side that had plenty of hand holds. The two of us managed to climb up to an overlook and study the valley floor from a new viewpoint. Aaron took out a pair of bioculars he had stored in his backpack and used them to look over the valley.

"So what do you think," I asked and he handed me the binoculars.

"That dome seems to be the center and the rest of the buildings and structures seem to spiral out and away from it. I know this is getting old but I've never seen anything like it."

"I have a working theory," I said as I looked down at the valley. "But it could be completely wrong."

"I am waiting," Aaron said with a wry grin.

"There is a theory that the three large pyramids of Egypt are aligned with the three belt stars in Orion. What if the larger structures here do the same thing? What if they are tied to another set of stars?"

"I can see the logic in that. Perhaps when we all get back we can put that to the test," he said taking the binoculars back and repacked them.

We sat and stared down at the valley and we both shivered. I would get the GPS coordinates for the valley and test my other theory when I got back. I suspected some great upheaval thrust these buildings up from their regular resting place. If there was an earthquake that coincided with this area it meant that this site might be a whole lot older than I believed possible. If core samples could be obtained it would answer that question for certain. But this wasn't about my wants and needs we have a treasure to acquire.

We climbed down and shared what we had learned with the others. The diggers had managed to reveal most of the stone floor and even dig out three of the steps. We could be here another two days or two months. There was no way to tell how deep the tower ran. I did inspect what they had accomplished and the skill of these ancient builders impressed me more and more. The layers of earth had preserved the mosaic and that was a mixed blessing. For while it displayed the level of intricacy the masons were capable of, the design itself was the stuff of nightmares.

The center of the design appeared to be some sort of black star with the now familiar serpentine flames wrapped around it. At the heart of the star was a singular unblinking eye. This baleful design sent a chill through me and worse for my companions. They were all loath to even set foot anywhere on the mosaic. The more I examined the star design the more I disliked it. The flames began to look more and more like tentacles. I tore my gaze from it and looked at the rest of the design. There were twelve other stars that orbited the central one and I recognized the pattern of their placement immediately. It was the same as that of the buildings in the valley. This could have been some sort of observatory to track the movements of these sacred stars. Each of these companion suns were smaller versions of the central design and each was as unnerving to look upon as the primary star.

The diggers rested after a very rewarding day and we sat down to a nice hot meal by the campfire. If I was a good judge of human character I would guess that if our employer had been anyone else we would be heading back already. These men were scared to death and I suspected they would have preferred a human enemy to this place hands down. Once the sun had set I walked away from the comfort of the fire so I could do a little star gazing. The builders of this place would stare up in reverence and pattern this place after a constellation. I looked for the brightest stars that might form the spiral design and found none. Of course it could be the wrong time of year for it.

I returned to the camp and found the others had gone to their tents except for Fakhir, he was standing guard. I asked him if he wanted company but shook his head. I decided it had been a long day and sleep was a good idea. I lay down and stared at the ceiling. Would she appear again tonight? Did she really want to help me or just herself? I was so out of my depths but what was I to do? I let out a deep sigh and closed my eyes. I dropped off almost instantly.

I was standing just outside my tent but this time there was Fahkir walking around the perimeter of the tents. He looked like he was underwater and his movements looked exaggerated. I wasn't alone. I felt that someone or something else was near. I looked around and saw the shadow moving towards one of the tents. I raced forward and entered that tent.

There was a lake and sitting on the bank was Hassan. He had a fishing rod in his hand and he was whistling a happy tune. The sun was high in the sky and sparkled off the surface of the lake. I looked around for the shadow but couldn't see it. Where the hell had it gone? I walked up to Hassan and watched him fish. He seemed more concerned with relaxing than actually catching anything. Even though it was a warm spring day a chill hung in the air. We both shivered and he put down his pole and stood up.

"What are you doing here," Hassan asked.

"Looking out for you," I replied as I felt the chill was coming off the lake. "It is out there."

"Yes, it's under the water," he replied as he blocked the sun with his hand. "I can see something moving."

The chill became a biting cold breeze. Instinctively I moved in front of him protectively. There was no sign of the succubus and I knew whatever was under the water it wasn't her. Hassan laid a hand on my shoulder and that's when the thing breached. It sent out a wall of water as it surfaced. It was bigger than any sane thing could ever be. The thing was a mass of black rolling flesh with no permanent shape and I heard Hassan cried out as he fled.