The Eye of Anubis: Book Ten

[Rock of the Fraternity]

"In the Falkovnian homeland, almost all crimes are punishable by death," Lia replies, her voice going from neutral to dreamy, distant. "And so many things are a crime ... and there are so many ways to die. The lord of Falkovnia has his brand on every brow ... and for every dinner he has a show ... of a criminal impaled." Lia's eyes unfocus for a moment, then re-focus on Kheldun. "In Falkovnia, one is human or one is property," she concludes, voice icy. "And even if one is human, one is nobility, military, or one is a tool to be used to destruction. And soldiers of that regime now hold Muhar."

[DocBeard]

"Isn't she a cheerful thing, nicht war?" Tomas winks at the old man, hoping to diffuse some of the inevitable horrible tension this grim news will bring. "Last time we were all out to dinner she talked the waiter into throwing away his worldly possessions and becoming a monk of Ezra. She was telling a joke."

[Rock of the Fraternity]

"Ezra can kiss my boots for all I care," Lia says, voice remaining perfectly even, eyes remaining locked on Kheldun.

[lostboy]

The lord of Falkovnia has his brand on every brow ... "And even if one is human, one is nobility, military, or one is a tool to be used to destruction. And soldiers of that regime now hold Muhar."

"Not every brow...., but tools of destruction nonetheless..." Sascha mutters darkly, staring hard into the fire, the old warriors face creaseing in a scowl.

"Bah, it matters not what the Falkovnian's are, the matter at hand is that they have set martial law in Muhar, their handiwork adorns stakes in the central square, and it appears they are not inclined to leave until we lead them to the tomb. Something I, and I am sure, we all are disinclined to do."

[Nathan of the FoS]

"Ezra can kiss my boots for all I care," Lia says, voice remaining perfectly even, eyes remaining locked on Kheldun.

Charles is genuinely shocked. He's not particularly observant, but that kind of language! And from a Mordentishwoman, no less. "Yes," he says, shaking himself mentally, "it's an awkward situation. I don't suppose you know of any secret pass through the mountains or what-have-you by which we might give them the slip?"

This question is also addressed equally to Menetnashte and Kheldun, although Charles has no high hopes that the former will answer. Not only is she mute, but she seems to think lending a hand is beneath her...all part of this "testing" bit, no doubt.

[NeoTiamat]

The Cave of Kheldun, Har'Akir
August 27th, 761, 8:37 PM; Day 163 of the Menetnashte Expedition
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Stone would have been more reactive than Menetnashte at the moment. The ancient Anubite was focused wholly upon the sliver of incense, and upon whatever thoughts currently passed behind that uncannily innocent-seeming face. They were not informative regarding Charles's questions, at any rate. Kheldun, however, was.

"No mountain passes the way you want to go, not that I know of." Kheldun said after a moment's thought. The old man shrugged. "I hadn't noticed the change in town, to be truthful. People still come to visit their ancestors, all is the same. Though..."

"Now that I think of it," Kheldun frowned a moment. "It did seem to always be the same person visiting the new tombs."

[The Whistler]

Well, this bears investigating.

"Is this a tall, pale man, wearing black, with dark lenses upon his eyes?" The gunsmith realizes after he says it that at least *some* explanation is due. "...Aside from the aforementioned group with which Fassahd is voyaging, we are being preceded by an...independent agent. One 'Cavendish'--the one who had despoiled the temple of Osiris prior to our arrival there, and one whom we are knowing is seeking the tomb. This man..."

Otto paused. "...This man is not misled. He is evil, and must be forestalled." The gunsmith breathed out heavily. "As you are seeing, our current situation is rather *complex*..."

[NeoTiamat]

The Cave of Kheldun, Har'Akir
August 27th, 761, 8:40 PM; Day 163 of the Menetnashte Expedition
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"In truth, I don't know." Kheldun said with a glance at the pack of jackals enthusiastically competing for the last swallows of the meaty stew. "Kim-- I didn't see him very closely. But the same man, that much is certain."

"I can show you the tomb the man visited, after we eat, though I don't know where in Muhar he traveled from." The old man said with a censorious frown. "To defile a holy place... even Snefru's temple... that is bad business. And to defile a tomb is worse. This Cavendish sounds like a man best stopped, and quickly at that."

"One thing confuses me though." Kheldun continued. "If this man is after the same tomb as you, then what purpose did he have in defiling Snefru's Temple?"

[Rock of the Fraternity]

"He is a filthy piece of vermin," Lia replies, voice still even, "who sets the living against the living and the undead against the living. He has sowed chaos to catch us up in it, and claims it amuses him to do so. Defiling the temple was - is - part of his schemes to turn Muhar into a butcher's yard; destroying the temple stirs a pot already boiling because of the Falkovnian occupation. He is probably stirring up trouble as we speak, since we stopped him from unleashing carnage before. He can look like anyone he wants, and can bend people's minds to madness, in addition to making the peacefully dead into all brands of miserable undead."

Lia's eyes stay focused on the old man. "I had a chance once," she says, "to see Fassahd as he exists on a different plane of existence, the Border where the dead exist when they do not move on. In those Borderlands, he bore the aspect of both human and jackal. He bore his usual sigils about his neck, but also a vessel on a metal chain that looked like so ..." Dipping a finger into the stew, Lia sketches out the pendant. "Does that mean anything to you ... or your jackal friends?"

Behind the mask, those red eyes narrow a little. "And, at the risk of being coarse ... we had heard Fassahd had a brother. What, exactly, happened to him?"

[NeoTiamat]

The Cave of Kheldun, Har'Akir
August 27th, 761, 8:40 PM; Day 163 of the Menetnashte Expedition
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"Nasty business indeed..." Kheldun spat on the ground. "Not enough to murder, but to wrest the spirit from its rest is a cruel and vile act. I hope you catch him and put him down."

Dipping a finger into the stew, Lia sketches out the pendant. "Does that mean anything to you ... or your jackal friends?"

The old man glanced at Lia briefly, his black eyes inscrutable at her words. Then he looked down and examined the drawn pendant. After frowning for a few moments, he shook his head. "It means nothing to me, I am sorry."

Behind the mask, those red eyes narrow a little. "And, at the risk of being coarse ... we had heard Fassahd had a brother. What, exactly, happened to him?"

"I don't know. He vanished, and nothing more was heard from him." The old man closed his eyes, his voice thickening as he spoke. "But I pray for Shenti's soul every day."

[Kaitou Kage]

"We will do our best," Kuzan assured the old man.

The priest had spoken little all night, but he ate like a man starved for a week. He'd been tired and most of the others knew what had been going on and Kuzan knew they could all convey it better than he could, so he just sat quietly and ate. Once finished, he heaved a satisfied sigh and sat back, idly patting his stomach. He looked less exhausted and more content, as if ready for a pleasant nap. He really hadn't been nodding off while everyone else talked. Really.

[Rock of the Fraternity]

"I don't know. He vanished, and nothing more was heard from him." The old man closed his eyes, his voice thickening as he spoke. "But I pray for Shenti's soul every day."

"Two brothers, both disappear from their homes," Lia says, voice still calm, even. "One appears months later in a faraway place and reveals he knows the location of a sepulcher which we later learn is the prison of an archfiend. The other ... disappears from sight entirely." Lia does not turn her red gaze away from Kheldun, but abruptly points at Menetnashte: "Perhaps she could shed some light on this mystery. In all honesty, and with apologies for my rough tongue ... it does not sound promising at all for your Shenti."

[DocBeard]

The old man will feel Tomas's bear claw of a hand on his shoulder, a soft squeeze and a compassionate look in his eye. "I'm so sorry." Tomas says, and as little as the words mean in situations like this, somehow, they sound more...substantial, coming from Tomas. He is really, sincerely sorry to hear that this person he never met may be dead.

"Thank you, for being so hospitable." Tomas continues, "I know it must be rough, strangers coming into your home speaking of devils and lost loved ones. I'm sorry we cannot be bringing good news."

[lostboy]

"Good news doesnt appear to follow us very often." Sascha says with little irony. "But we do indeed thank you for your kind hospitality, and woudl be most pleased for your guidance to this tomb that provides the next step on our convoluted road" he adds giving Menanashte a slightly baleful gaze as a hot thead of anger flares up.

Testing us is all well and good, but it doesnt lead to the prize any quicker, perhaps if you opened your damn mouth for once we would nt be clutchiung at straws or chasing necromancers coat tails!

Fortunatley Sascha keeps those thoughts to himself, and shortly berates himself for a lack of patience. Time...., in time the answer will be revealed.

[NeoTiamat]

The Cave of Kheldun, Har'Akir
August 27th, 761, 8:49 PM; Day 163 of the Menetnashte Expedition
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Lia does not turn her red gaze away from Kheldun, but abruptly points at Menetnashte: "Perhaps she could shed some light on this mystery. In all honesty, and with apologies for my rough tongue ... it does not sound promising at all for your Shenti."

"You think I don't know?" Kheldun asked softly. The old man opened his black eyes to look back at Lia. "That the question has not passed my lips a thousand times?"

"Shenti was a good man. He was a kind man, and a trusting man." The old man looked into his bowl of soup, and with a deep sigh set it aside for the jackals. "I know that he no longer walks the earth, and I pray for his soul's rest."

"But I know too that Fassahd did not kill his brother. Fassahd is in his own way, a good man." Kheldun raised his face to meet Lia's eyes once more. "I can believe that one of Fassahd's fool schemes led to his brother's death, but I can not believe that Fassahd would murder Shenti. I can never believe that."

"Finish eating, and Kimeri and I shall take you to the tomb." Kheldun said suddenly, rising to get his cloak and staff. He paused to look at you. "In exchange, I ask but two things. If you should find it, I beg you, bring Shenti's body back to me, that I may give him the burial he deserves. And when you find him, find it within you to spare Fassahd. He is a good man, however strange his methods. Please."

Next post will have Kheldun escort you to the tomb that someone has been visiting repeatedly. This is your last chance for any questions or comments towards Kheldun.

Also last chance to turn back and get some rest, or anything else you may have in mind.