Chapter Two: The Myran
The sun had risen on the day of the Feast of the Five Brothers when the heralds of the destruction of our world arrived. A nest of vipers, hidden beneath robes of brilliant green, came through the Third Door of Enladil. They brought gifts of precious silk and gems, feathers of birds unlike any seen on our world.
They said they came in peace. They said they said they were sent by their lord to establish diplomatic relations with our world. They promised vast riches in trade, exchanges in culture and the arts. They promised us a whole new world, if we would just welcome their lord.
Our king and his queen welcomed these diplomats with open arms, as they had all others who had come through the Doors of Enladil. The diplomats spun their web of deceit, ensnaring all who would listen of tales of their homeland.
After the turn of the Harvester’s moon, the king sent a small delegation through the Door to visit the land of the green clad diplomats and speak with their lord.
They never returned.
–
Khalid Bey was dying.
As his blood slowly seeped into the sand, the weak wind brought the sound of his men’s slaughter to his ears. The black and green robed strangers they had tracked to Hamarna were far greater in number, and far better armed, than the Nekhew were prepared for. They were ambushed at the base of the cliffs near the City of the Dead.
He had failed. The strangers would get the artifact that could open a path to the Underworld and allow those sent there to return to the land of the living. He would die with his men. If the wound in his side did not kill him, the poison coursing in his veins surely would.
There was a growl, and Khalid forced himself to turn his head. A myran, twice as large as any he’d seen before, stalked up the dune towards him. “I am finished,” he thought, and began the prayer for the dying.
The myran crept to where Khalid lay and dragged him away….
–
“Where on earth has he been all this time?” The woman’s voice was nearby, and as he came to awareness, Khalid realized he recognized it.
“I don’t know, but someone took good care of him. I’ve never seen wounds dressed wounds this well.”
Khalid cracked his eyes open to see his cousin Marrec squatting next to him. “Where am I?”
“You’re awake!” Ynare’s face was an image of relief. “You’re at the Oasis of Miradjer. One of the shepherds found you just outside our camp at sunrise this morning.”
“But how…” Khalid tried to remember what had happened, but his last memory was the giant myran’s fangs biting into the tangle of his clothes and dragging him across the sand.
“We don’t know,” Marrec said. “There were no tracks in the sand to or from where you were found. It’s like you just appeared out of thin air.”
“Khalid, you’ve been missing for almost two weeks.” Ynare picked up a cup filled with water from the low table and brought it over to the injured man. “What happened? Where have you been?”
“I’m afraid I don’t remember what happened,” Khalid said as he took a sip of water. “The last thing I remember was the battle.” His face darkened as he remembered his failure.
“Nothing at all?” Marrec asked.
Khalid shook his head. There were things teasing at the edge of his memory, but whenever he tried to focus on them, they’d fade. “I must return to my people,” he said and struggled to sit up.
“Stay where you are,” Ynare said with a frown. “Until you’re strong enough to travel, you’re staying here with us.” She held up a warning finger. “No arguments.”
Khalid knew how stubborn Ynare could be, and one look at Marrec told him his friend agreed with her. “Very well.” He lowered himself back onto the bed, but suppressed a sigh of relief. Moving, he decided, wasn’t the best thing to do right now.
“How are you doing?” Marrec asked.
“Surprisingly well.” Khalid looked down at his torso. “And I wonder if I should be worried. It was a serious wound to my side, and it was poisoned.” He touched the bandages. “I feel no pain. No pain at all.”
“I think we should take a look at it, just to be sure there’s nothing wrong.” Ynare retrieved the first aid kit. Marrec helped Khalid into a sitting position.
She slowly began to unwrap the bandages, and two layers in she stopped in surprise as something small fell into Khalid’s lap. “What’s it?”
He picked it up and looked at it closely. “It is a tiny amulet,” he said. “Do you see here? It is an incantation in hieroglyphics to ward off infection.” He handed it to Ynare.
“Goodness,” she said, showing it to Marrec. “Look at the workmanship. It’s exquisite.”
“Didn’t the Ancients put amulets in the wrappings of mummies?” Marrec asked.
“Yes,” Ynare said, “but there’s never been any evidence of them using amulets when binding wounds.”
They continued to remove the bandages and found thirteen more amulets, in shapes and inscribed with symbols to promote healing. When the last of the bandages were off, and Ynare took off the poultice covering the wound, all the trio could do was stare.
“What on earth?” Ynare looked more closely at the injury. It had been neatly closed with tiny stitches, so small there would be hardly any scar. “Are you sure this wound is only two weeks old? It’s almost completely healed.”
“I can’t explain it.” Khalid shook his head. “I don’t remember anything of when I was missing.”
“Give it time,” Marrec said, putting a hand on Khalid’s shoulder. “It’ll come back.”
Khalid chafed at the forced inactivity during the day. His strength had returned over the past two days, and he was eager to return to his people. But, he had promised Marrec and Ynare he would wait one more day before leaving.
While his days were long and restless, his nights were turbulent. His friends asked him what was wrong, but he denied there were any problems. What should I say to them? That my dreams are haunted by a warm body holding me as I shook with fever, by strange and exotic scents, a woman singing, and a pair of blue eyes rimmed with dark kohl? No, they will think I am insane.
Khalid was startled out of his thoughts by the sound of screams and fighting.
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