The Eye of Anubis: Book Ten

[DocBeard]

Seeing that everyone seems relatively alive, Tomas nods, leans against the far wall, and starts filling his pipe. He doesn't get too close, not really wanting to dig up old wounds again.

[Rock of the Fraternity]

Without saying a word, Lia eyes Mandisa. She glances at Tomas, and her eyes half-close. Then she takes a few steps forward and beckons to the Akiri girl to come closer, still not saying anything.

[Isabella]

Muhar, Har'Akir
August 28th, 761, 7:31 AM; Day 164 of the Menetnashte Expedition
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"The Falkovnians took some nasty losses, but we managed to pull through. And Professor Marchand-Renier is safe, as is Professor Carter. Cavendish had him under some form of mental domination, but through some miracle I managed to snap him out of it."

Andre's expression then turned a touch darker "Cavendish got away, but next time..next time he won't be so lucky."

"We won?" Remy asked, almost disbelievingly. "We all made it?"

The student's face split into brilliant smile. The expression was rare enough on the student's face these days, but looking at him now you realized how tempered and cautious he usually was, even when he seemed to be happy. Now his face was completely open, his smile honest and pure.

"Kabendish is gone?" Mandisa asked shyly from beside him. "You have defeated him?"

"He won't be back," Devereux said, finishing up whatever he was scribing. He was wearing a rather fatherly smile, and even stranger, it didn't look that out of place on him.

Without saying a word, Lia eyes Mandisa. She glances at Tomas, and her eyes half-close. Then she takes a few steps forward and beckons to the Akiri girl to come closer, still not saying anything.

The Akiri girl shuffled about nervously. "Is that one of Anubis, Djehwuh?" she asked carefully.

"Devereux," Remy reflexively corrected. He moved over to Andre, speaking to him aside; knowing that both Mandisa and Nathifa spoke Mordentish, he switched to Lamordian. "We were talking to her while we were here. It was better than thinking about anything else. She's really been kicked around by life, hasn't she?"

"You can ask her yourself," Devereux said. After a moment's thought, he shrugged and wiped the ink from his quill pen onto his ruined jacket. The professor stood up, gathering his papyrus as he did, and gently led the girl a little closer to Lia. "She won't hurt you."

The professor's cheerful expression faded as he looked at Tomas. He left Mandisa's side for a moment, suddenly looking small and uncertain. "I am sorry," he whispered.

================


"He asked me to tend to the living instead of the dead," Kheldun said. There was obviously more to it than that, much more, but Kheldun was unwilling to speak it. He walked over as Harris brought in the last of the sad remains, uncovering a few of the bodies from their canvas wrappings. Upon seeing the state of the bodies, the old man bowed his head, quickly replacing the cloth so that none of the other Akiri could see.

"These are badly damaged and rotted... And I have no doubt that was part of the intent of this monster you spoke of. I will do what I can. But I fear that some of these souls will be unable to find their way back, and be lost in the underworld forever." Kheldun sighed, holding his ankh and murmuring a short prayer that the woman didn't translate.

"Tell me," the old man said, regarding the pile of bodies that lay before him, "where is the Leader of these Hawk men you spoke of? I would know."

[lostboy]

"So your grandson is here, in Muhar?" Sascha asks, although judging by Khelduns reaction, he's fairly certain that will end up being a rhetorical question.

Solemly he trudges after the old man, bowing his head and paying his own respects to the dead, whatever the Akiri might think Sascha wasnt the monster in this equation.

"where is the Leader of these Hawk men you spoke of? I would know."

Saschas eyes blink open and he looks oddly at the old man for a moment, as if about to speak before thinking, then shaking his head he answers. "The Kommandant has returned to the compound I believe along with their dead and wounded. However for all our sakes I would hope you give him a little time before confronting him, and perhaps allow us to make the introduction. I think after these events we may have a little more sway wiht him than before, and rest assured there is nothing I want more at this moment than to see them leave Muhar for good."

[Isabella]

Muhar, Har'Akir
August 28th, 761, 7:32 AM; Day 164 of the Menetnashte Expedition
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"Then I will wait," the old man said, gathering one of the wrapped bodies up in his arms. "I have much to do here first. And I will let you speak to him first. But I shall speak to him." Kheldun's tone made it very clear he did not intend to be dissuaded easily.

[Rock of the Fraternity]

The Akiri girl shuffled about nervously. "Is that one of Anubis, Djehwuh?" she asked carefully. "You can ask her yourself," Devereux said. After a moment's thought, he shrugged and wiped the ink from his quill pen onto his ruined jacket. The professor stood up, gathering his papyrus as he did, and gently led the girl a little closer to Lia. "She won't hurt you."

As soon as Mandisa comes within range, one of Lia's hands gently reaches out and takes Mandisa's wrist, turning the girl's hand palm up. Lia's other hand moves over the open palm, drops something cold and heavy into it, then folds her fingers closed over it. There is a chinking and chiming of fine metal as Lia leans in even closer and whispers something to the Akiri girl:

Akiri: "Being 'special' is not something one is born with. 'Being special' is something you work at each and every day, with a little encouragement and assistance from those around you. Ask the Isis priestess to assist you, or find your own way to be special. And never let anyone tell you ever again that you are not."

Closeup, the wizard is cooler than expected, and there's a heady scent of spell components about her. And then she lets go and backs well away from Mandisa, going to stand beside Tomas without looking directly at the Akiri girl again.

[lostboy]

"For the lives of many I am glad wisdom runs strong within you, venerable one. I surely hope it is trait that also runs strong in your bloodline. You have been more than generous towards us, and I would hate to now incur your wrath over Fassahd's fate. But my promise still binds me, you have my word."

"Now unless there is anything more we may do......" He spreads his hands, awaiting Khelduns leave to withdraw, and wincing as the movement cracks open the fist sized wound in his side.

"Im going to chop those damn stakes into kindling" he mutters under his breath at Harris.

[DocBeard]

Tomas puffs his pipe, forcing his face to remain neutrally oblivious. The last thing he wants to do is screw up that poor girl's life even more because he was selfish enough to enter it properly.

[The Whistler]

Otto, for his part, still doesn't understand Akiri--but he does lean over to Tomas, speaking quietly in Lamordian.

At least...she gets a fresh start, now. All you can do is be an example, right?

[Isabella]

Muhar, Har'Akir
August 28th, 761, 7:35 AM; Day 164 of the Menetnashte Expedition
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"I understand!" Mandisa said, trying to look determined. She clutched the gift in her hand. "Rhemy and Djehwuh have told me this too."

"Devereux," Remy immediately said.

"Rhemy told me how you taught him to be strong, honored sir," Mandisa continued, bowing to Andre. "He shown me his books and what he can do now... well, I didn't really understand any of it, but I understand I must work hard! Djehwuh told me many wonderful stories. And he told me about all of you, and how hard you worked, and how strong you now are, and how you seek to confront Apep himself."

"Devereux," Remy corrected again. It seemed to be compulsive at this point. "She's been having a little trouble with the details of what we explained to her," he said aside to Andre. "She asked what gods we served as well, but I couldn't quite get most of it across."

"I will stay behind at the Temple of Isis and help," Mandisa said, finally smiling. "It is the only way I can think of thanking you for saving me. I wish to repay the Great Lady of Magic for what she has done for me."

Remy coughed slightly, looking as though he wanted to go hide. "She sort of got the idea of your goddess, but... not quite."

Devereux, in the meantime, had bobbed over toward Lia, holding the papyrus he had been scribing out to her. "A gift for a gift?" he said, somewhat questioningly. "It's the holy words of Isis you wanted. The priestess didn't quite have time to copy them, so I finished them while I was here."

The priestess nodded, still looking slightly cautious about the strange mob in her temple. "May they bring you knowledge, honorable one."

The professor ducked his neck down as he looked at Tomas, rocking back and forth on his feet uncertainly. "I wish I could stop the bleeding," he said quietly, and somewhat paradoxically, as all of Tomas' battle wounds had been healed by Kuzan. Devereux stayed silent for a while longer, uncertainly swinging his arms as he thought about what to say. "Once we leave here, we'll likely never see her again," he finally continued. "Is this how you want it to end...?"

[DocBeard]

"...it's not important." Tomas crosses his arms, not looking Devereaux in the eye as he contemplates the tobacco smoke. It won't be long before he's out of the stuff, Tomas reflects. Probably a bad habit anyway.

"What other way is there?" Tomas murmurs, shrugging. "She shouldn't know. She'd probably think I was trying to hurt her or something."

[Rock of the Fraternity]

"So, 'ibis'," Lia says to Devereux, her eyes elongating slightly in a rare smile, "this child believes the Oracle of the river is Heka? Or ... did she think that my divine patron is Heka?" The wizard accepts the fresh scroll with rare grace, and gently stores it in her scroll case. "Thank you for this," she says, bowing briefly to boh Devereux and the priestess. "This will aid my personal research immensely, I am sure of it."

[Nathan of the FoS]

"Oh! Here you are. Everything all right, I trust? Lessard, Professor Devereux, glad to see you're well."

At this point Charles realizes there is something going on which involves a great deal of not looking at Tomas, who is not looking at Mandisa.

Blinking, Charles falls silent, then begins again. "Er...We're expected back at the compound...shall I go on ahead and say it'll be a little while?"

[Isabella]

Muhar, Har'Akir
August 28th, 761, 8:04 AM; Day 164 of the Menetnashte Expedition
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"What other way is there?" Tomas murmurs, shrugging. "She shouldn't know. She'd probably think I was trying to hurt her or something."

"You could think... a little better of her than that," Devereux said, somewhat defensively. The professor looked angry for a moment, though it wasn't really clear at who, then turned away dejectedly and dropped the matter.

"So, 'ibis'," Lia says to Devereux, her eyes elongating slightly in a rare smile, "this child believes the Oracle of the river is Heka? Or ... did she think that my divine patron is Heka?"

"Dever-" There was an audible noise as Remy slapped his hand over his mouth.

Devereux simple looked at Andre, then back to Lia, and put a finger to his lips.

Blinking, Charles falls silent, then begins again. "Er...We're expected back at the compound...shall I go on ahead and say it'll be a little while?"

"No, that's fine, Charles," Devereux replied, tweaking the sleeves of his torn and ink-stained coat. "We should be going."

"Good bye, Mandisa," Remy said, giving a little wave. "Don't let anyone treat you like Lady Snefru ever again, alright? No matter..." the student swallowed slightly, "no matter how much you respect them."

"I-If you say so." Mandisa looked nervous at the thought.

'Goodbye, little sweet one," Devereux said, smiling down at her. "I'll work hard to find a way to send you letters. So you must work hard to learn to read them when they get here."

"I will!" Mandisa actually smiled back. Clutching her precious gift in her hands, she bowed to you all once more. "Goodbye, servants of the gods. A thousand thanks to you, a thousand more... I will pray for your success."

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The main square looked quite different from when you had last seen it. Signs of the battle still lingered, and likely would for months to come, but the bodies had mostly been cleared away. Only a few Falkovnians were visible, mostly patrolling the scotched compound walls. One of them leaned over the wall as the cavalry returned. "The Kommandant is still searching the inner courtyard, but the barracks and your quarters are clear. The kitchens are open, should you desire anything."

Harris was carrying a large barrel out toward the Temple of Horus, a grim expression on his face. He nodded to you as he passed. "The others are back at our quarters," he said.

"One of the kitchen staff ran afoul of a smiler earlier," he added quietly, as the only way of explanation. "Professor Carter asked me to return him."

And standing near the corner of the square, his hands folded pensively, was a familiar black-eyed figure. Kheldun was waiting there patiently, but expectant.

[Rock of the Fraternity]

"Good day to you," Lia says as she approaches Kheldun. "If all goes well, we should be leaving Muhar soon." 'Though it troubles me that Menetnashte might either not show up, leaving us to flounder in the midst of Falkovnians, or that she might actually willingly lead them to her cenotaph.' "Is there anything of which you would speak with us beforehand?" the wizard asks politely.