I took a moment to catch my breath, then continued. “Anubis, the jackal god of mummification, had a pair of scales. On one side sat an ostrich feather, the Maat, regarded as a symbol for truth. On the other went the dead person’s heart, embodying the actions carried out in their lifetime. If the feather and the heart balanced the scales, the dead person passed the test. If the heart weighed too much, the gods judged them impure and condemned the person to a horrific fate.”
“Fine,” Melriel said. “We have our own beliefs about life after death. But how does any of that lead us to the artifact?”
“It reveals that the next location we seek is in the underworld,” I said. “All the inscriptions point to a collection of ancient mortuary texts. The texts, known in an ancient civilization on Earth as ‘The Chapters of Going Forth by Day,’ were later dubbed the Book of the Dead. Its 200 chapters give insight into beliefs about the trials, joys, and fears on the journey into death’s mysterious realm.”
“You are making no sense, Tobias Hart,” Idril said impatiently. “Do you mean to say, I should now slay you so you can visit the realm of the dead to recover the artifact.”
Wincing, I said, “No, we must go to a place connected to the realm of the dead. They considered tombs portals to the underworld. I believe the artifact, or at least the next clue to its location, rests inside a tomb. While we were atop the tower, I saw a large necropolis, a great cemetery on the west edge of the city. We will find there all the tombs we want. One of them, I believe, holds the artifact.”
“If there are many tombs as you say, how will we find the correct one?” Idril said.
“The inscriptions say this medallion is the key,” I said. “Something on this medallion will lead us to the correct tomb.”
I held up the medallion. “Look here.”
I pointed to an image in the center of the medallion, an image of a pyramid in raised relief.
“I think this is a clue,” I said. “The pyramid was in antiquity the tomb of kings. Perhaps we’ll find a pyramid in the necropolis or at least a tomb with the symbol a pyramid on it.”
“How far do you think it is to this graveyard?” Idril said.
“I estimate at least an hour’s walk from here.”
“Almost half the day is gone,” Idril said. “Assuming your estimate is correct, with an hour there and an hour back, we won’t have much time to search. I want to get back here well before dusk to overnight.”
“With only three days to work with, I think we have to make the most of the rest of this one,” I said. “Perhaps the tomb we seek will be immediately obvious.”
“What if we’re attacked by the dreadful mutants again?” Melriel said.
“The structure we occupied earlier seemed safe enough,” Idril said. “You could stay behind there while we go investigate the cemetery.”
“Alone?” Melriel said incredulously. “Are you mad?”
“No, not alone. I’ll leave four of my warriors with you to secure the building. A smaller party could move swiftly. Tobias Hart, two of my warriors, and I will investigate the cemetery. Then we are certain to return well before dusk.”
“Well, I’m not afraid to go,” Melriel said. “But, if you feel it would be more convenient for you, I’m willing to remain behind.”
Idril nodded. “Good, then it’s settled. Let us make haste and return to the structure.”
Leaving by the courtyard gate, we hurried back to the two-story structure. We found it unoccupied as we had left it. There were no signs that the mutants had entered the building in our absence.
Idril chose a warrior named Nalia to assume command of the group remaining behind. She took the woman aside to give her instructions. I dropped the pack I carried, which contained our provisions, then removed a coil of rope from it to take with me. Idril and the two warriors who would accompany us to the necropolis dropped their spears and shields. They took only their bows, quivers, and swords so we could move quickly.
Within only a few minutes of our arrival, Idril, the two warriors, and I departed for the necropolis. We took a different route to avoid walking back in the direction of the tower. Idril feared the mutants might be lying in wait for us there. Knowing the direction to the river on the west edge of the city, I was confident we could find the necropolis once we reached it.
Chapter 16
The Necropolis
Negotiating the rubble and debris, we made our way toward the west edge of the city. As we left the built-up area and entered more open terrain, I strongly felt we were being watched. I mentioned it to Idril, and she admitted she felt the same. But, scanning the area in all directions, we saw nothing.
“I told Nalia to escort Melriel and the others to the harbor the morning of the third day to await the boats if we did not return,” she said.
“Thanks for telling me,” I said. “Now, I feel like I’m part of a suicide mission.”
Idril laughed. “We must hope for the best while expecting the worst.”
About an hour after we had left the others, we arrived at the river. I could see the necropolis on a hillside beyond the river to the south. Even with the poor visibility, the marble tombs shone in the muted Vulvarian sunlight.
Following the river bank, we arrived at the approach to an ancient stone bridge about fifteen minutes later. The bridge led across the river to the entrance to the massive cemetery. Unfortunately, it was in a state of significant disrepair. The railings were all gone. There were many large holes along the surface of the stone and mortar bridge deck. Near the middle, much of the deck had collapsed into the river below. There was barely enough surface left at the site of the collapse to cross it on foot.
Idril and I walked about twenty meters out onto the bridge. The deck felt unsteady underfoot. I heard stones and dirt sliding off into the river as we walked. Hearing splashing sounds below, I peered over the edge of the bridge. The shallow brown water was swirling below us.
“What is that in the water,” I said to Idril, who was also looking over the side.
“By the Goddess-Queens, it's Telarions,” Idril said. “But, very large Telarions. Those I’ve seen in the marshes near Thiva are not even half the size of those beasts below.”
Just then, a massive Telarion broke the surface of the water, opening its great jaws, filled with rows of massive, pointed teeth.
“This bridge is in bad condition,” I said. “It is perhaps too unsafe to attempt crossing it. Especially given what lives down there in the river below.”
Before Idril answered, there were shouts of alarm from the warriors behind us.
“Commander, the mutants come.”
We both turned to look and saw at least twenty of the mutants we had encountered earlier, scrambling down the embankment toward the bridge.
“There are too many,” Idril said calmly. “We must cross the bridge. We have no choice.”
“Well, we better cross one at a time,” I said.
“Yes, you go first,” Idril said, readying her bow. “It looks dangerous.”
“Wonderful,” I said.
I stepped further out onto the ruined bridge, taking a last glance over my shoulder. Idril and her two warriors were already sending arrows towards the charging mutants. Despite the chaos behind me, I took slow, cautious steps, especially when I reached the severely damaged portion of the bridge deck near the center. Once I was past that, I felt a little more confident. After what had seemed like an hour, I finally made it to the far side.
Looking back across the river, I saw Idril was already nearing the midpoint of the bridge. The mutants had not retreated, but a hail of arrows had blunted once again their charge. Many lay sprawled on the ground between the embankment and the bridge approach. As Idril stepped cautiously along the very narrow damaged portion of the bridge deck, a little more of it crumbled and broke away. Finally, she was past it and back on more solid footing.
Once Idril was on my side of the river, she shouted for the first warrior to cross. Then sh
e began arching arrows with her bow toward the mutants to support the lone warrior left on the bridge approach. Stones and pieces of jagged metal thrown by the mutants struck the ground like hailstones all around the warrior. Yet she calmly notched and let fly one arrow after another.
I watched the first warrior crossing the bridge as she negotiated the severely damaged section. It looked even more unstable and hazardous after the collapse that had occurred when Idril crossed. When the warrior reached the middle of the section, suddenly it gave way from beneath her. She plunged downward into the brown water, and the immense crocodile-like Telarions were own her instantly. It happened so fast she had not even screamed.
When I tore my eyes away from the horrific scene below, I looked out at the bridge deck and saw there was now a yawning gap where the center portion had collapsed and fallen away. The gap spanned at least 2 meters. Idril had already shouted for the remaining warrior to cross the bridge. While she was still slowing the progress of the mutants with her bow, they were drawing closer to the bridge approach.
The warrior hurried with light steps, crossing far faster than I had, and soon reached the gap. She surveyed it and looked down at the river below. Even though she was still a good distance away, I could see the doubt in her eyes. She didn’t feel confident she could make the jump successfully.
Without thinking about it, I ran back onto the bridge toward her, uncoiling the rope I’d brought along as I ran. A half-dozen mutants were crawling onto the bridge at the opposite end. Only Idril and her bow were left to attempt to repel them.
Stopping on my side of the gap, I tossed one end of the rope across to the warrior.
“Tie the rope around your waist,” I said. “Back up to get a good start, then run as fast as you can. Leap at the last moment. If you don’t make it, I’ll pull you up.”
She nodded and began tying the rope around her waist. More mutants were on the bridge now, but they were cautious, crawling forward slowly on all fours. They seemed to understand how unstable the bridge was. The first three that had started across were halfway to the warrior now. Suddenly, I noticed Idril was next to me on the bridge, still sending arrows at the closest mutants. I saw an arrow bury itself in the throat of one of them. The creature reared onto his feet, shrieking, and then toppled off the side of the bridge into the river. Again, the Telarions made short work of another victim.
Idril dropped her bow and grabbed onto the rope with me. The warrior was already running at top speed. As she leapt into the air, another 2 or 3 meters of the deck collapsed behind her and fell away. I saw her leap would fall short and shouted at Idril to hang on to the rope.
The warrior disappeared below the deck. I felt the jerk of the rope as the weight of her body hit the other end of it. Idril and I started backing toward the end of the bridge while hauling on the rope. A moment later, the warrior’s head popped into view. Then she scrambled back up onto the bridge deck. She crawled toward me rapidly on her hands and knees.
Idril had gone back to sending arrows into the mutants on the far side of the enlarged gap. I sensed that they were thinking about trying to jump the gap to get at us. They snarled and howled as Idril’s arrows found their flesh. Suddenly, one ran at full speed on all fours toward the gap and leapt. He fell more than a meter short and plunged into the dark water. Yet another meal for the ravenous Telarions.
When the warrior reached me, I extended a hand and pulled her to her feet.
“Thank you, Tobias Hart,” she said with a nervous grin. Then we both turned and hurried past Idril to the bank. Idril caught up with us by the time we reached it.
Both women seemed unfazed by the death of their fellow warrior.
“You both seem to take well the death of your comrade-in-arms,” I said.
“It was her time,” Idril said without emotion. “It was the will of the Goddess-Queens.”
The other warrior nodded. “Maisha was a great warrior,” she said. “I shall miss her.”
“We’re wasting time,” Idril said. “Let us find your tomb and quickly. The damaged bridge will keep the mutants at bay, but now we must find another way back across the river when we’ve finished searching this cemetery.”
I looked back out at the bridge. It seemed the mutants had recognized it was impossible to cross the gap in the broken deck. They were all scrabbling back toward the opposite bank. I nodded to Idril, and the three of us broke into a jog toward the entrance to the necropolis.
Chapter 17
Tomb Raiders
The necropolis was an elaborate and well-designed cemetery, laid out almost city-like with grave fields, streets, and park-like squares. Both impressive tombs and monuments filled it, literally a city of the dead. Some tombs had damage, others were in pristine condition. It looked as if someone had forcibly entered many of them. Grave robbers, perhaps, seeking valuables.
Many of the tombs featured carvings on their exterior walls. Others had painted murals of such outstanding quality the paintings had survived the test of time. Nearly an hour after we had entered the burial grounds, we had seen neither pyramids nor depictions of any. I was losing the confidence I’d felt earlier that the image of the pyramid on the medallion was the important clue I’d believed it was.
After another half-hour of fruitless searching, we arrived at a square with marble benches and stopped for a brief rest. I sat down on a small bench. Idril and her warrior sat down opposite me on a larger one.
“If we’re to make it back to the others before dusk, we can’t spend more than another hour searching,” Idril said. “We still have to find another way to cross back over the river.”
Idril and the warrior had dropped their bows and quivers on the ground when they sat down. I looked at the quivers, leaning against the bench. It appeared they had only a half-dozen arrows remaining between them.
“As long as we find an alternate river crossing before darkness falls, it might be safer traveling at night,” I said. “Since we’ve encountered them during the day, I suspect the mutants are not nocturnal hunters. With the few arrows you have left, we might not survive another skirmish.”
Idril shook her head. “You assume we could even find the structure in the dark where we left the others. We’re not familiar with this place. Perhaps even worse monsters than the mutants are abroad in the night.”
“I suppose that’s a possibility. But, I’m certain we are seeking a tomb, and this is where we will find it. I think we must keep searching even if it means we must spend the night here.”
The warrior raised her head and looked around.
“I would not care to spend the night in this place,” she said.
“It seems safe enough,” I said. “At least we haven’t encountered mutants here.”
Idril stood and stretched.
“Let us search a while longer,” she said. “Then, I will decide.”
I nodded, and the warrior and I got to our feet. That’s when I saw it.
“Look there further up the hillside,” I said, pointing. “It looks like a pointed peak sticking up just above that complex of tombs.”
“Yes,” Idril said, shading her eyes with a hand. “Let us go.”
Idril took the lead. I moved out behind her. The warrior brought up the rear of our three-person column. About a quarter-hour later, we rounded the complex of square and rectangular tombs, and there it was. An honest to goodness pyramid.
It was nothing like the Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt. It stood only about 2.5 meters tall at the point. The builders had made it of smooth blocks of cut stone similar to limestone. Though smaller than the burial pyramids I’d once seen in Egypt, it was still an elaborate tomb.
On one side, we found the entrance. It was open. It looked like those who had closed the tomb had blocked the entrance with a wall of mortared smaller blocks of the same stone used to build the tomb. But someone had since come along and battered the mortared wall with tools until they had broken through. There was an opening large enough to sque
eze through.
“Here goes nothing,” I said, squeezing through the opening into the tomb.
Idril and the warrior followed. We stood close together inside, allowing our eyes to adjust the near-complete darkness of the inner recesses.
“I wish we had a torch,” I said.
I felt someone grab the hem of my tunic, then heard the ripping of fabric. In the dim light coming from the opening, I saw Idril kneeling on the floor in front of the piece of cloth she had torn from my tunic. She produced a small metal box from inside her breastplate. She removed a small ball of shavings from the box and laid in on the fabric. Then she struck the edge of the closed box against what appeared to be a piece of stone, producing sparks that cascaded down onto the shavings. Soon the shavings smoldered, and the flame appeared. The fabric smoldered and cupping her hands, Idril blew on the red embers until the fabric caught fire.
Looking around by the light of the fire, my excitement grew. There was a detailed painted funerary mural on the wall of the tomb before me. On it, Anubis, the jackal-headed god, worked the scales. Osiris sat on a golden throne watching with his sister-wife Isis standing beside him. The ibis-headed deity of the scribes, Thoth, looked on with his tablet and quill in hand, ready to record the results from the scales.
“Look,” I said excitedly, pointing at the painting. “That mural depicts the Hall of Two Truths I told you about back at the temple. I’m sure we’re in the right place.”
“But, except for some broken pottery, the tomb is empty,” Idril said.
“This room is only a chapel where people prayed for the deceased at the funeral,” I said. “There should be a shaft that leads to a burial chamber below where the coffin or sarcophagus of the tomb owner is. We just have to find the entryway to access it.”
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