Charlie the Great White Horse and the Journey to Egypt

by Kenneth Mullinix

A renewed friendship is your greatest strength

  Trust is a must

  Once again inside of yourself

  Is where you will find the answers that you seek

  You must become you

  Release yourself

  You will have to sacrifice

  You will have to suffer

  Release the golden horn

  A deathly screech echoed out directly overhead.

  "It's Rukh's The Firebird, shouted out Mr. Beamer as he looked upwards in revulsion; dreadfulness consumed him.

  The three Pegasus horses reared up in defiance.

  Louis fell to his knees as the earth awakened anew. All covered their ears as the ground below began to violently shake again the tremors shot across the clearing at the speed of lightning. Chug and Mr. Beamer lost their footing, falling next to Louis, into the soft grass.

  The Pen of Jupiter Angel Satquiel fell cold and silent, dropping back into the book, lifeless. The Book of Thebes closed quickly.

  Rukh shot a burst of flames from his throat, sending the book exploding into a thousand flames. Mr. Beamer tried to douse the fire but to no avail, the book cindered and crumbled to pieces at his feet.

  Another earsplitting shriek and high-squeal burst forth, from above. Rukh swooped in even closer, to now not more than ten feet above their heads. The hot winds beneath his glowing orange and red wings rustled the morning's fire embers, sending them into a deviant dance around the campsite.

  Digger dove for cover, deep inside of Louis's shirt. Mr. Beamer fought to get to his feet as the shaking from below came to a sudden halt. He grabbed the Staff of Thebans. Using it as a javelin, he heaved it upwards. It struck dead center, into Rukh's broad feathered chest, sending split and broken feathers scatter-bound.

  Petar appeared from the side of Rukh's thick neck, his two black evil eyes spun wildly in concentric circles. A sickening and horrifying smile appeared across his face. His black leather duster was open at the chest, showing his scrawny and very boney, shirtless torso.

  He was a mire skeleton of himself.

  Evil had completely consumed him.

  "Louis your mind will be mine!" he bawled out, above the shrieks, of Rukh's painful cries "your mind will belong to me!"

  "Be gone you winged-fiend!" shouted out Mr. Beamer above the cries of both.

  Charlie whinnied loudly: trumpeting out repeatedly with anxiety heard in his voice. Chug cowered as Louis now stood unimpassioned next to an enraged Mr. Beamer.

  "Louis duck!" shouted out Chug as the turmoil kept unfolding around them "my god man, what's gotten into you...duck!"

  Chug lurched; he grabbed Louis, dragging him into the safety, and cover of the tall Nile grasses.

  Petar pulled on Rukh's left rein, breaking his now quavering, hovering pattern. Rukh squealed out again, an unearthly scream. Junior flew towards Louis, blocking him from view of Petar's evil gaze. Charlie now lifted off the ground, with two mighty downward swoops of his wings. He elevated instantaneously, slamming into Rukh's huge breastplate, sending him tottering to the left side.

  Petar dug his jackboots deep into Rukh's rib cage, pulling once again on his left leathery rein. Rukh shot off to the left side of the clearing above the Nile delta, rising in elevation during the maneuver. A few rapid strokes of his fiery red wings and he was completely away from the clearing and his enemies.

  "At the noon hour, you will feel the pull of the Under Dark upon your soul, you will know the right path to choose" proclaimed a wily Petar "you will see the true light, the Blue Hour light, chose the Neither World and you will know the whole truth! The truth shall set you free..."Apophasis the Destroyer" demands your presence there."

  Rukh, with Petar wildly gesturing and vocalizing upon his back, spun backwards away from Charlie as Charlie gave chase "Remember Apophasis...you have a date with the ruler of the Neither World at high-noon Louis...at high-noon...this day!"

  Speaking under his breath, then with a low whisper into Louis ear he said, "Wha-t have we gotten into Louis...wha-t have we gotten into?" wondered Chug.

  "Don't worry Chug" said Digger peering from the safety of his perch inside of Louis's shirt "Louis has everything under control...everything...he is a "High-Thinker" now.

  Digger took a handful of spellbinding blueberries; he took half for himself, gulping then down with a new passion; shoving the rest deep into Louis's palm. Louis looked downwards, relishing in their beauty. He swallowed them as quickly as he could, with the same passion as Digger had for his, delightful bounty. They both locked eyes, nodded together in confirmation, of a deeper understanding of the world.

  Chug saw the whole ceremony, dumbfounded as to its meaning.

  Digger's mouth and fingers were turning a brighter blue as time unfolded, due to the color of the toxins that lay within them. He had spent another night foraging the Under Dark for another Bodhi bush; without question, he was the victor in his quest.

  Trying to grab Mr. Beamer by the coat to get his attention was fruitless. Now turning sharply towards The Baron, Chug locked eyes with him, shouting out, "Did you see that Baron? What evil is upon Louis?"

  "I do not know young master, we have only arrived we have much to learn. Maybe it is not an evil, we cannot judge yet. It may be his medicine, and the rabbit may be his redeemer. Have patience youthful one" shot back The Baron.

  Mr. Beamer paid no attention to either one of them or their conversation; he was full of contemplation, and considerable deep thought. He had had no time to decipher the written words of the last reading of the Good Book. The final words were lost, incinerated before his eyes by Rukh "The Phoenix".

  "We must leave this place. Petar may have summoned other dark unworldly creatures to falter us in our quest, or delay our meeting with Hathor. Quickly pack the camp, make haste!" exclaimed Mr. Beamer in a hurried fashion.

  Charlie flew in, now appearing from around a large thicket of trees, at the far side of the river, breathing heavily, sweat poured down his broad neck and shoulders. As he approached, he rang out, "Rukh has fled back to his lair with Petar, into the Valley of the Kings into Petar's new fortress, the Pyramid of Khafre. I followed them there without being seen. It is only a short flight."

  "Charlie it is mid-morning now. We have two hours before the midday sun beats down upon us, and the rising of the noonday full moon, passes between the summer solstice of the sun and earth. We have to get to the foot of the Pyramid of Giza and ready ourselves for Hathor the "Solar Deity" to arrive."

  The camp was hurriedly broken down, the campfire extinguished. Mr. Beamer slung his chain mail across his chest, grabbed the Staff of Thebans, he then mounted Charlie. Louis in turn in a sluggish fashion placed his chain mail across his chest, slung the Bow and Quiver of Ra, the Sun God over his shoulders, he then took hold of The Shield of Heracles in his left hand. He mounted Junior as Chug mounted the Baron.

  They were away.

  The Nile delta fell away from them the higher they climbed upwards. Looking to the eastern horizon, they could see a dark, brooding, beastly thunderstorm, brewing above the heart of the Fire Desert on top of the three Great Pyramids of Egypt.

  Black lightening ripped through the atmosphere. Thunderclaps rumbled across the skies; growing in intensity as they thundered by them. Thick sheets of rain fell around the valley, deluging the ground below, causing flooding in the nearby sand dunes.

  "Hathor announces her arrival!"

  "That she does Mr. Beamer," shouted out Charlie.

  "Look to the east, under the storm clouds and in the center of the storm, daylight encircles the Great Pyramids and The Sphinx."

  "Where should we land father; right there?" asked Junior.

  "Yes son."

  "Junior we must land at the foot of the largest one Khufu, at the north side of the valley, we are about another hour away now, so again make haste," said Mr. Beamer.r />
  The hot desert winds engulfed them as they approached the center of the Fire Desert of the northern Middle Kingdom. All Looked forwards and downwards at the sand dunes, in all their brilliant golden red, brown and rust colored hues, it was breathtaking to behold.

  The Blue Nile stretched across the horizon, to the north, south, and beyond. It carved its way through the living desert at will, with nothing stopping its advance: not wild wind, sturdy rock, or the freely blowing desert sands.

  "It is such a beautiful land Mr. Beamer. Wild and free, and behold the great stone Pyramids, what a thing of beauty!" said an enthralled Chug.

  "But on this day Chug, be wary, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Dark things lurk inside of this beauty."

  "Mr. Beamer is correct Chug, the looming storm we are about to enter holds grave dangers" said Charlie.

  "We must be careful as we enter the ancient valley. As we pass through the storm, descend quickly, stay low to the ground on the approach, and let us advance on the northern most side, where we might be able to enter unseen, by watchful eyes."

  Time passed quickly as they finally reached their long awaited destination; they now began their quick descent into the valley. Circumventing the heart of the storm, they glided to the northern end of the valley, at the very outskirts of the great storm. Swooping in low to the ground, The Baron, Charlie and Junior, flew in a single file line, riding in the slipstream of the one before them.

  Charlie took the lead as Mr. Beamer gazed at the Compass of Nubia held in one hand. Calculating the exact location they needed to be at, Mr. Beamer provoked Charlie towards a large burial chamber on the west side of the Great Pyramid of Khufu.

  Now entering the dark violent storm shook all to the core. Heavy rain poured down upon them, drenching them from hoof to toe. Black ungodly lightening rang out throughout the dark skies. Powerful thunderclaps bounced off the unforgiving ground and stone Pyramids, then shooting out in all directions, echoing off the nearby high mountains, and thick, waterlogged rain clouds.

  As they passed through the black heavy clouds, all felt an unnatural presence: Petar's evil was palpable, his evil was alive; Petar the "The Dark Rider" was close by.

 

  Evil knows no fear.

  Evil never sleeps.

 

  "Into the entrance of that chamber to your left Charlie" said a wild-eyed Mr. Beamer, "we can find shelter from the black rain, in there".

  Pulling on Charlie's left rein Mr. Beamer guided Charlie into a quick, steep right turn. Charlie lifted the bottom tail feathers of his great white wings, slowing their progress to an abrupt halt instantly: in through the two thick stone doors, abruptly stopping in mid-flight right inside the center of the olden stone; hollowed chamber.

  Junior and the Baron, followed: a soft, speedy landing, then a quick dismount by all. Shaking the rain off his coat of arms and after throwing his backpack to the ground Chug rang out.

  "Louis is you altogether with us? You seem to be not yourself."

  "I am find Chug, love is in the air, it surrounds us, and is engulfing my spirit. I cannot wait to talk with Petar. It has been so long since I saw him," said a glassy-eyed Louis.

  "Louis he is our enemy. He means to destroy you and us all, my god man! What is wrong with you?" asked a disheartened and very alarmed Chug.

  "His malaise grows stronger Chug," said Mr. Beamer

  "Wha-t...?" said Louis.

  "He is under the spell of the Neither World; he has eaten the forbidden berries of the Bodhi Tree" said Mr. Beamer.

  "What are you talking about Mr. Beamer?"

  "You have just arrived Chug, you do not know the whole truth that is now before us all."

  "Continue on Mr. Beamer."

  "When Louis was in his training for enlightenment, he was called to the Under Dark to fulfill his task, his destiny. He must have failed, because this is the first sign of defeat, of passing into the dark realm of nothingness, which could soon engulf us all. No one has ever come back from the dark side, from the under-verse, the same as they went in, in one form or another. He obviously failed in his mission as you can tell by his melancholia, and somber mood."

  Charlie spoke.

  "Are you sure Mr. Beamer?"

  "Yes, look at his lips and tongue they are as blue as the berries of the Bodhi Tree."

  Digger disappeared deeper into Louis's shirt; covering his ears with his hands during the course.

  "But he told us upon his return from that horrible place that he did not eat them, remember?" asked Junior.

  "He must have been too ashamed to admit his disappointments to us. He was gone three long days and nights. He took no food or water with him when he left the golden palace of Kapula. It must have been all too much for him, he is so young and such a small child."

  Louis smiled, and then drooled on his shirt.

  "Oh my Louis, what has become of you?" said a bewildered Charlie, now seeing that the complete spell of the Under World had taken him, during their last flight into the great valley.

  Just then, another great, black thunderbolt shot out overhead of the burial chamber. It reverberated inside of the smooth stonewalls, sending a deafening echo around the large cold room.

  All covered their ears.

  "Petar calls me," stated Louis, as he stood stone-faced, lost in the doldrums.

  The ground began to shake spitefully: The Precession of the Equinoxes began once again, more fully and right on time. Dust covered the room as some of the larger quarried stones began to shift above their heads.

  "We cannot stay inside of the Chamber of Khufu. This was to be our sanctuary until Hathor appears above us, across the face of the noonday moon. Petar does not allow it. This could become our tomb, we must leave at once!" shouted out Charlie as he motioned with his wings extended, for all to hurry towards the two vast stone doors at her entrance.

  Another black lightning bolt shot out, hitting the two hinges of the doors just as all made it to safety. Both doors fell with a mighty, resounding thud at their feet, just as they all jumped to safety.

  Standing at the base of the great pyramid, looking upwards to the sky, it began to clear above their heads. The rains lightened as a few awkward sunbeams began to show through the aberrant clouds.

  The dark lightning bolts from above, and the shaking ground below, ceased in harmony; all was quiet, and still for a moment. Louis wiped the rainwater from his eyes as he looked upwards to the breaking skies.

  "A visitor approaches, a winged friend and his rider", said Louis in a soft voice.

  A voice from above rang out from deep inside of the breaking mystical clouds that surrounded the valley.

  "Your mind is now mine as I said before!!" yelled out Petar Deegan Aden.

  "Yes it is, it is yours my friend," said Louis with as a ghastly smile appearing on his face.

  The foreboding voice grew louder.

  "Tut-ankh-Amon the Keeper of the Ancients, you have failed! Aswan the White, Raafat the White the great King of the Arions you have failed as well. Ancient and Arion will be servants of Mehan the Serpent, of "Apophasis the Destroyer" for I have summoned him!" shouted out a menacing Petar.

  "Would you like a cup of coffee?" queried a sheepish, and very discontent Louis, "maybe have some flapjacks with us, Hattie May could cook them."

  Then out of the thickest part of the ungodly storm hovering above, Rukh the Firebird appeared in all her fiery fury, swooping down upon them with Petar the Harbinger of all Things Dark and Evil now laughing hysterically perched upon his broad feathered shoulders. The insidious voice sounded, like the maniacal calls a marauding wild African Jackal, hovering over his wounded prey, in the untamed outlands of the sub-Sahara desert.

  As Petar approached, his two wild evil eyes were spinning sadistically inside of their black sockets.

&nbs
p; "The Book of Aka Manah has shown me the truth. I am the holder of the two evil eyes, they are mine as last!"

  Absolute power had a grip on Petar's black heart.

  "The Evil Eye of Horus and the Evil Eye of Wedjat belong to me. Horus the Elder offered one eye as a gift to my father, and Kauket, my mother offered the other evil eye. God bless them both, for now I am the holder of true absolute powers of the Under World, for I am the "Black Fire" for I am the Giver of Darkness!!" shouted out Petar as Rukh The Phoenix, landed with great theatrics at the stone base, of the great pyramid.

  Grotesque streams of steamy hot fire shot boldly outwards from deep within Rukh throat, blasting upwards into the now once again thundering skies. Petar summoned two large black lightning bolts upon his landing, by raising his boney hands to the sky, in the manner of a disturbing conjurer. Both dark lightning bolts struck the ground at Petar's feet, he did not flinch.

  Petar dismounted Rukh, in a single great bound, landing not more than thirty feet in front of Tut-ankh-Amon, Aswan and the others. Petar's black evil eyes were spinning counter-clockwise, in an excited fashion.

  Junior stood his ground behind his noble father, as Chug ran quickly for cover behind Junior's tail. Digger popped his furry head and ears out of Louis's coat as Louis gyrated slowly back and forth, like a lovesick pigeon staring at his mate on Valentine's Day.

  "Master, you have returned" said an enthralled Louis.

  "Yes I have my son," said a demented Petar.

  "Father..." said a dithering Louis.

  Digger reached deep into his pocket, finding another handful of his not natural berries. With the stealth of a lion on the prowl, he popped a few more over Louis's blue lips.

  Two quick gulps and they were gone.

  "Come with me son. You have a date with destiny in the Under World," said Petar as he outstretched one of his claws.

  "He is not going anywhere with you!" shouted back Tut-ankh-Amon as he widened his stance in disobedience to Petar's callings, "he does not belong in the Under World, he is a mortal that can only survive in the light. He can do you no good. He has nothing to offer you!"

  "On the contrary, he is the future of the world. He is the youth. He is our most valuable commodity. I have already begun to fill my legions of "Dark World Soldiers". The children of the night belong to me now, their minds are now mine, as will Louis's soon."

  "Never!!" screamed out Chug at the tops of his lungs "he is my blood-brother and my best friend, and friends don't let their friends go off with strangers. Every kid knows that!"

  Mr. Beamer looked at Chug a bit stupefied, as Charlie looked over at Louis, with a look of disbelief as to what he just heard.

  Charlie paused to contemplate what Chug had just said then spoke.

  "He is correct Petar as is Tut-ankh-Amon. Louis will not be going with you to the Under Dark World. He belongs with his friends and blood brothers, inside the light of the day. You will have to pass through me to take him," said Charlie as he defiantly lifted off the ground in front of Rukh and Petar.

  "I will take that as a challenge to me, and my fiery stead. Rukh, to battle!" shouted out Petar as he vaulted onto the firebird's shoulders once again.

  "Can I go with you Petar?" asked Louis "can we find a Bodhi Tree in the Under Dark? Those berries are scrumptious."

  "I knew it Mr. Beamer, those berries are evil. I have seen Digger feeding those to Louis, since I have been here. He is truly cursed and under the spell of the Neither World" called out Chug as he ran towards Louis.

  Upon reaching Louis, Digger scurried back into Louis's shirt, back out of sight and out of mind. Chug tried to dig into Louis's shirt to expose the truth.

  "The truth cannot hide any longer. There is a traitor amongst us, wearing the disguise of a rabbit," proclaimed Chug.

  Digger popped his head back out of Louis' shirt as he dodged Chug's probing fingers.

  "No Chug; I am not a traitor, only a loyal warrior of the Neither World for you forgot. I burrow. I live in the darkness of the ground. Never trust anything that dwells in the night, and lives in the depths of the earth."

  "You are a traitor to us all!" shouted out Chug as Digger evaded him.

  "I am a thief, a pickpocket, a shoplifter and a burglar, and I am a servant of the Dark Lord...forgive me for what I have done...for I have known no other life."

  "Enough!" shouted out Tut-ankh-Amon, "to arms!"

  As Petar landed upon Rukh, the firebird screamed out in pain as the braided noose of his reins tightened around his neck. He took to flight, shooting backwards with two rapid beats of his shimmering, golden wings.

  Charlie attacked his flank.

  Now circling overhead of Ruhk, Charlie's hooves clipped his lengthy tail-feathers, sending him into a tailspin, off to his left. Petar lost his grip, almost falling off his mount. Petra quickly gained control, of the steed again before they reached the hardened earth below. Once again Petra guided Rukh by his noose; avoiding another folly sent forth from Charlie's sharp hooves.

  "Get him Charlie!!" screamed out Chug from far below.

  "We must help him. Baron to my side, with haste!" shouted out Mr. Beamer.

  The Baron flew past Chug and Junior in a flurry of activity, and as he passed by Tut-ankh-Amon took two large bounds off a nearby fallen stone statue, landing directly on The Baron's back. With the Staff of Thebans in hand, they launched themselves towards the battle brewing overhead.

  Petar summoned two more black lightning bolts, as he raised his hands once more to the thundering black skies. They shot across The Baron's left flank; a direct hit. This set ablaze a bevy of feathers on his left wing; scorching them to the shaft. The Baron cried out in pain, as his nerve endings registered the direct hit.

  "We do not retreat!" screamed out The Baron.

  They rose in elevation, now sidling up next to Charlie who was hovering about three hundred feet off the ground, above the stone burial chamber.

  "You send him running towards the Pyramid of Khafre on our right. I will come up from the backside; the sun will be in Rukh's eyes as he leaves the shadows of the Pyramids, and Petar's evil eyes cannot look directly into the sunlight, it burns them. I will blindside him, a twixt in between, the two...of shadow and light" said a commanding Charlie "see you on the other side, be gone now."

  Tut-ankh-Amon raised his staff, pointing at Rukh and Petar who were scanning them both from above, as Petra tried to make his own plans for attack. The Baron shot straightforwardly, upwards in an unswerving line towards Rukh's underside. Rukh lowered his head, shooting a long, thin stream of flames out in front of the approaching Pegasus. Tut-ankh-Amon, effortlessly guided The Baron out of danger this time, by leaning hard to his right, they glided out of danger, away from the flame burst, as they rose in elevation.

  The Baron braced for contact; tucking his wings to his sides, lowering his head into a tuck position. His courageous rider spun around to the underside of the Pegasus, by gripping a thick leather strap, stung across his belly. Underneath he slid, away from the contact point. The Baron slammed into the firebird's rib cage, snapping three ribs.

  Rukh screamed out in agony!

  Petar's evil eyes spun like a toy top, spinning on a tabletop.

  Petra laughed aloud, like a corrupt banker who had just won the lottery.

  Charlie disappeared behind the bright side of the Pyramid of Khafre, well into his plan.

  "Do not be disheartened Rukh! Re-enforcements are on the way as I speak."

  Rukh spiraled to the south, deep into the shadows of Khafre, now heading away from the once more charging Baron, and towards the sun lit side of the massive pyramid. Petar commanded another volley of black lightning, aimed backwards towards the trailing rider and horse.

  "Baron, be brave! He heads towards Charlie and our salvation, into the bright western sunlight" called out Tut-ankh-Amon int
o The Baron's left ear. The lightning bolts shot past harmlessly, discharging into the ground at Chug feet. Chug jumped backwards, tumbling down onto the hot sands of the Fire-Desert.

  Louis stood passionless nearby, looking towards the skies and the combat going on above him.

  "Master, be careful" called out Louis as his dealer of poison administered another dosage down his willing throat. Digger licked his lips as he to, popped another handful of blueberries down his own throat.

  "Chug would you like to join the minions of the Under Dark? Would you like to be a child of the night...as Louis...is...? Digger offered up a handful of berries; they shimmered, a deep blue in the Egyptian sun.

  "None of your venomous toxins shall pass my lips. You should be ashamed of your behavior. I knew you before, when you were a small bunny living in Hattie May's garden. You were good once, do you not remember?" asked Chug as he shook his head in dismay, at what he was seeing.

  "No I was never good; I have always been a thief."

  "All rabbits are born thieves; it is their nature, it is innate. It is what they are born for, that does not make you a bad person, or bad rabbit. You see you are wrong in your thinking. You can be good. You just choose to be bad. We all have choices to make on a daily basis. It is the choices that you make each day that define you in the end it is who you become that truly matters, the journey is only part of it."

  "You try to confuse me Chug. You are wrong. It is too late for me."

  "No it is never too late. Come back to the world of light, back into the world of good Digger. A zebra cannot change his strips but all the children of the world love rabbits. That is why you were born into this world, to bring joy to all the children of the world. Don't you remember your true purpose in life? You were lovable as a young bunny rabbit. I use to hold you in my arms, remember?"

  Digger was confused.

  His mind raced to find his memories of the past: of Louis, of Mr. Beamer's, and Hattie May's gardens, of Centerville, and of Chug holding him when he was a younger rabbit.

  Doubts of who he was, now was entered his mind.

  A seed of doubt had been sub-planted in Digger's poison filled, and cloudy mind. He retreated into the comfort of Louis's shirt once again. He looked down at his blue fingers then pulled another handful of berries from his front pocket.

  A teardrop formed.

  It gently rolled down the side of his furry face, only to be displaced by his whiskers, then lightly falling into Louis's shirt. Digger lowered his head in shame, at who he had become.

  The ground began to rumble again as Junior called out to Chug.

  "Chug look to the west! Hathor has begun her journey!"

  The full moon of the Egyptian Summer Solstice exploded on the western horizon. As it lifted upwards out of its deep slumber, Chug could see the dark volcanic craters that pockmarked its surface. The impacted craters were wide and bottomless. The moon with all her history never seemed so close to the horizon as it was on this day. Chug, Junior, and Louis immediately felt the gravitational influence of its sudden appearance.

  Chug caught Louis as he fell from the moon weighing down, upon him. As they both tumbled to the hot desert-fire sands about their feet, a fiery huge icy asteroid slammed into the regolith that covered the moon's surface, sending moon sands, rock, and dust flying outwards, in a rage, then another asteroid, then another!

  "Louis snap out it man...wake up. Oh Louis..."

  The ground again began to shake from the weight of the moon's pull upon it. A high tide pulled at the Nile River's banks, which spewed river water across her thick banks. The Valley of the Kings started to flood at the far-east side of the long valley.

  Petar sent another volley of thunderbolts at The Baron and Tut-ankh-Amon. The Baron diverted to the left again in a decisive and quick movement. They were closing once again on Rukh; he shot out flames upwards as a show of bravado, a sizable warning for The Baron to back off.

  It did not work.

  The Baron being smaller and more nimble was able to outmaneuver the lugubrious and more sizeable beast. It stumbled in flight as it tried to keep up. The Baron approached its left flank, once again.

  They clashed in mid-flight. A mighty head-thrust by The Baron into Rukh's left wing outstretched wing sent Rukh reeling into an irregular spiral upwards.

  "Take that you craven, cowardly beast!" screamed out Tut-ankh-Amon as he raised the Staff of Thebans high above his head.

  The bold beast squawked out in pain once again as it regained its mastery of flight. The long shadows of the Pyramid of Khafre were ending as the moon continued her majestic climb up the sky. The safety of the shadows were dismissing above them as they reached the far corner of the stone-mountain.

  Rukh rolled upside down, as she entered the bright sunlight of the sun, and as she rolled over she exposed her undersides, the most defenseless and unfortified area of her body. The feathers were scarce and thin on the underside, and Charlie knew this as a fact.

  Petar shielded his eyes as they entered the bright sunlight; the light blinded Rukh just for a moment.

  There was a bright sunburst. A whiteout detonated above them, at just that moment. There was a flash of weakness displayed by the great bird. Charlie dove from high above. Tucking his wings in tightly besides his body, he built up supersonic speeds. Head lowered and hooves tucked up to his sides; he flew like an eagle in pursuit of its prey.

  Rukh squealed and yelped out again in great pain as Aswan the White... The King of the Arions slammed into her underbelly on last time. Blood spurted out in volume. Her belly had been torn open. Charlie barrel rolled in an escape pattern off to his right side.

  Seeing the great beast was mortally wounded, The Baron under Tut-ankh-Amon's command moved in for the final kill shot. Holding the Staff of Thebans high in the air, with the broad end braced at his chain mail coat and leather tunic, The Baron circled above in a similar pattern that Charlie had just implored.

  Diving downwards and inwards with great speed and cunning The Baron flew pass Rukh as Tut-ankh-Amon impaled the Staff of Thebans into Rukh's fiery heart. It discharged from within upon contact with the magical staff. The staff shattered in Tut's hands sending great shards of wood deep into Rukh's sides.

  The Baron instinctively rolled to his left, with the precision of hummingbird in flight. Now sidling up next to Charlie and stalling in flight, the two great Pegasus's hovered effortlessly, as they admired their recent handy-work.

  "A well executed plan Charlie."

  "I knew Petar and Rukh could not look directly into sunlight. They are after all beings of the Neither World.

  Rukh screamed out in defeat, as she tumbled aimlessly to her death!

  Petra tried to guide her to the earth below, but she would not respond to his commands. He called out words of hatred and filth, the further and quicker she fell.

  "You have won this battle; but not this war!" shouted out Petar as he fell towards the earth upon his vanquished warrior. Petar was barely audible, or could be heard above the loud cries of the crushed fighter.

  Rukh was sent smashing into the earth, sending Petar flying off into a large sand dune in front of the Mausoleum of Kings where Charlie, Junior and The Baron had landed earlier that day.

  Rukh's great breath left him.

  His eyes rolled back into his head as he wreathed about in pain. His broken and busted wings fluttered about for the last time as Petar now stood over his bird of prey.

  Disgust was in his eyes.

  "What kind of great warrior-bird is this, defeated by two hapless, Pegasi'. I have other means at my disposal yet. I have called for other creatures of the night to fight my battles this day," said Petar as he looked at a glassy eyed Louis who was not more than fifty yards from him.

  Rukh disintegrated to dust before his eyes. The Great Firebird...The Phoenix had gone back to the world, which bo
re him, only to be reborn again.

  Petar threw off his black duster as he pressed on once more upon little Louis, his boney skeleton was now totally exposed. You could almost see directly through him. He had not eaten since his thieving ways at the North Pole, three months back. He was rail thin, his bones jetted into his skin, which was tightly wrapped around his gaunt frame. You could grab his spine through his stomach. He was so thin. You could see his heart beating wildly in his chest; his black evil eyes began to spin madly about in his head again.

  He limped towards Louis with hatred raging in his mind.

  "Louis we need to get moving immediately, trouble is on the way again in the form of that walking skeleton right there!"

  Petar shot a black lightning bolt from the tips of each index finger into the scorched earth. The earth shook back in contempt. Petar began his insidious laugh again, the closer he drew in upon the two children.

  "Climb aboard my back boys!" said Junior with new alarm ringing in his voice The Dark Fire approaches once more. Chug grabbed Louis, pulling him towards Junior as Junior crouched down lower to help Chug in his task. Digger looked out of Louis's shirt as he began to shake violently inside of his furry skin.

  "You have done well Digger; you will be rewarded in the end when this is over. You can have all the vegetables you could ever want, and all the blueberries of the Bodhi Tree. You have earned it."

  "Thank you master"

  "No thank you, you are a good thief and burglar."

  Digger slunk back into, the shell of a rabbit that he had become. Another tear of sadness rolled down his weary face.

  Digger spoke under his breath to himself.

  "I am a good rabbit. I only steal vegetables ...nothing more...nothing less...I was born to do that only...Chug was right...this is not my fault...I am not a...a...not a soul robber, like Petar. I can change back..."

  Chug called out to above.

  "Charlie...Aswan the White...we are not finished yet...hurry!"

  His small friend called Aswan back to service.

  "Tut-ankh-Amon, Chug is right the Firebird is no more, and the full dark moon is rising above. The Blue Hour will before long be upon us and shortly Hathor will appear in her human form to seek her payment."

  "You are right Aswan, but first Petra still lives. We have additional work to do. Follow me."

  Tut-ankh-Amon dug his heels into The Baron's sides then pulled on the reins in his mouth. The Baron shot for the earth once again with his black wings fully extended out from his sides, enlivening the wind beneath them. Both great Pegasus's bolted for the entrance to the Crypt of Kings.

  As Petar continued to go ahead on Louis and Chug, Junior tried to take to flight but their combined position on his back made for an awkward takeoff. Chug was having a hard time keeping Louis in place on Junior's back. They lifted a few feet off the ground when Petar was finally upon them. He grabbed Louis by the leg pulling him back to the ground thus sending Chug sprawling off Junior. He fell on the other side of the horse well away from him.

  Aswan landed with his wings fluttering like the fans of a motor boat spinning at full throttle. The red sands of the Fire-Desert rose upon his commands, filling Petar's evil eyes with dust and grit. He dropped little Louis from his grasp and reached for his evil eyes, he scratched at them, trying to relieve the pain.

  Louis stood to his feet then covered his eyes from the blowing windstorm around him. In a flash Chug was perched upon Junior's back, and in flight heading directly towards Louis. Snatching Louis from certain death, Junior lifted off the burnt earth with Chug having a firm grip of Louis's arm.

  They were away!

  Charlie reared up, executed a sharp turn by dropping one wing below the other, then, he was gone.

  "To the cover of the Pyramid of Khufu, there is another chamber on the other side. We make for there!" shouted out Tut-ankh-Amon from above.

  As the three Pegesus's began to fade from sight Petar shot back at them at the top of his voice, "I call upon the things that go bump in the night. I call the walking dead to rise up from the Neither World! All your souls will be mine in the end. Look to the sky Hathor is almost here. The time of your defeat is at hand. Apophasis the Destroyer, The Dark Serpent is coming!!"

  Petra limped, bloodied but not beaten into the Chamber of the Kings. He raised his hands in the air, commanding the two great battered stone doors of the crypt, to slam shut behind.