Curse of the Demon Dog

by Dan Hunter

  “Shhhhennnnnnntiiiiii,” he gasped, lurching towards him.

  Akori took a step back in horror. Shenti! It couldn’t be? Could it? He stared at the man’s ragged clothes. They were streaked with dirt and full of holes, but as he looked at them more closely they did seem oddly familiar. The man lunged forwards again. Akori tried to grip his khopesh more tightly but the palm of his hand was slippery with sweat.

  “Shhhennnnnntiiiii,” the man hissed, stretching his arms out as if about to strangle Akori.

  Ebe took a step closer to Akori.

  “Use your sword!” Manu urged. “Kill him quickly, before he kills you.”

  But Akori shook his head. “I can’t.”

  Manu stared at him in shock. The foul-smelling crowd of figures lurched forwards, chanting, “DEATH! DEATH! DEATH!”

  “What do you mean, you can’t?” Manu cried as the trio started edging backwards along the jetty.

  “It’s my Uncle Shenti.”

  Manu’s mouth gaped open in shock. “But your Uncle Shenti’s dead.”

  Akori grabbed the fishing net from the floor. “Come on!” he cried, swinging it over his shoulder. “Let’s go along the riverbank. We have to get to the temple to protect the High Priest.” The trio jumped down from the jetty and started running along the riverbank towards the temple, their feet squelching and sliding in the thick mud. Although he didn’t dare look back, Akori knew the ghoulish people were close behind; he could feel their foul-smelling breath upon his neck.

  “But if your uncle is dead then how can he be this…this thing?” Manu panted as he stumbled along beside him.

  “I don’t know,” Akori replied. He heard a loud thud from behind him and turned to see Ebe had tripped and was scrabbling about in the mud.

  “Ebe!” Manu cried as the ghouls closed in on her like a dense river mist.

  Summoning all of his courage, Akori flung down the fishing net and let out a roar. To his surprise the figures actually stopped chanting for a moment and hovered motionless in a circle. Seizing the opportunity to strike, Akori charged at them, slicing the air with his khopesh. All he had to do was imagine he was back on the farm where he used to live, harvesting the crops. As long as he didn’t think about what he was really hacking down he would be fine.

  The khopesh sliced into the first figure and a terrible high-pitched moan rang out across the river. It was like slicing through a rotten melon. Horrible-smelling juices splattered out across the riverbank. The other ghouls all turned their sunken eyes upon Akori. And this time when they started chanting it was deafening. “DEATH! DEATH! DEATH!”

  “Run, Ebe!” Akori cried.

  Ebe picked herself up off the ground. But instead of running away she leaped onto the back of one of the gruesome figures and started hitting it over the head. It began thrashing about, trying to shake Ebe off, but the harder it flailed the tighter Ebe clung on. Akori marched towards another of them, sweeping his khopesh like a scythe. The ghoul looked at his wounded companion lying on the floor and it started to back off. Akori felt a rush of confidence – now it was afraid of him. He turned and looked at the hideous man who had said he was Shenti. Could the haggard grey figure in front of him really be his dead uncle? It didn’t make any sense. Once a person died they went straight to the Underworld, didn’t they? His heart pounding, Akori took a step towards the man, holding his khopesh aloft. The man raised his ragged arms, stared at Akori through the sunken hollows of his eyes, and then turned and started lurching off down the riverbank the way he had come. Seeing him go, the other ghoulish figures all turned and followed. Ebe ran over to join Akori and Manu.

  Manu shook his head in disbelief. “By the ring of Isis, that was close,” he sighed.

  Akori nodded and put his khopesh back in his belt. “We must go to the High Priest and tell him what has happened.”

  Ebe brushed herself down, Akori picked up the fishing net and the trio began making their way up the narrow path between the storehouses that led to the temple. Every few steps they would turn and look anxiously over their shoulders, but the figures had drifted off without trace.

  By the time they reached the temple the sun had set. The only light came from the flickering torches standing sentry-like on either side of the huge wooden door. As they made their way up the wide stone temple steps the door swung open with a loud creak and the frail High Priest shuffled into view. “Akori? Manu? Ebe? Is that you?” he enquired, his unseeing eyes staring out into the dark.

  “Yes, it’s us,” Akori called, running over to greet him. “Are you all right? Has anything happened while we’ve been gone?”

  The High Priest frowned and shook his head. “No. I was starting to worry about you though. You’ve been gone so long. Did you manage to catch anything?”

  “The river was stronger than the mighty Bull God Apis,” Manu explained. “It took us all day to catch one fish.”

  The High Priest’s face fell.

  “But it’s a huge fish,” Manu added. “Nearly as big as a house. Akori caught it with his spear.”

  “That’s not all that happened,” Akori said, taking hold of the High Priest’s thin arm and starting to walk back into the temple. “High Priest, we have encountered something terrible on our way back from the Nile.”

  The High Priest froze in his tracks. “Where is Ebe?” he asked, his voice filled with concern.

  “She is here,” Akori reassured him. Despite the fact that Ebe had disobeyed the High Priest by leaving the temple to join Akori and Manu on their last adventure, he had quickly forgiven her. Ebe was his favourite slave girl and it was obvious to everyone in the temple that he viewed her as more of a member of his family than a member of staff.

  Ebe hurried over and took hold of his hand. The High Priest touched her wild hair and beamed with relief. “Pray tell me more,” he said, turning his cloudy eyes back to Akori. “Are you all right?”

  “Can we go inside first?” Manu asked, nervously glancing over his shoulder into the darkness.

  “Yes, of course.” The High Priest led them all into the huge temple entrance hall. Akori pushed the heavy door shut behind them.

  “They were like nothing of this world,” Manu began. “They were all grey and lurching and their smell was worse than the smell of death itself. And that’s what they kept chanting – ‘death, death, death’ – over and over again and—”

  The High Priest raised a gnarled hand. “Manu, my boy, slow down. I cannot keep up. Ebe, why don’t you take the fish to the kitchen so that the cooks can prepare supper? We shall retire to the main hall and then you can tell me what has happened. Slowly.”

  Scooping the fish up in her wiry arms, Ebe bounded off along the passageway leading to the kitchen. Akori, Manu and the High Priest set off along the arched corridor to the main hall. As Akori passed the rows of giant animal-headed statues on either side he remembered the first time he had come to the temple, shortly after his Uncle Shenti had been killed. He frowned. Had that really been Uncle Shenti he had seen earlier? He hoped the High Priest might be able to provide some kind of answer. His eyes alighted on a picture on the wall. It was of the good God Horus preparing to fight the evil God Set. Akori felt a stab of fear. Had Set himself sent those horrible creatures to kill them?

  They entered the main hall and sat down on a bench at one of the long wooden tables. Although the hall was lined with burning torches, Akori couldn’t help shivering. There was a definite chill in the air.

  “So tell me what happened,” the High Priest said as he settled into his chair.

  Akori took a deep breath, and began telling him the terrible tale. When he had finished, the High Priest shook his head.

  “This is what I have been dreading,” he said gravely.

  “What do you mean?” Akori enquired.

  The High Priest turned to face him across the table, his expression now deadly serious. “As you know, Set captured five of the good Gods.”

  Akori nodded.

  “One of
those Gods is Anubis, the Guide of the Dead.”

  Akori stared at him for a moment. “The Guide of the Dead? But if he is imprisoned how will the dead get to the Underworld?”

  The High Priest shook his head gravely. “They can’t. The souls of those who have recently died will not have entered the Underworld as they should. They will still be among us! This is what you must have witnessed today, on the riverbank.”

  Dread churned in the pit of Akori’s stomach. “One of the figures that we saw said he was my Uncle Shenti,” he whispered.

  “His dead Uncle Shenti,” Manu added, reminding the High Priest.

  “Then that confirms it,” the High Priest replied gravely. “Those who have died are still walking among the living.”

  Akori frowned. “Dead souls walking the earth? But surely you priests can deal with that,” he said, trying to sound hopeful. “You understand how to lay the dead to rest, don’t you? I thought that was what priests did! You make offerings and talk to spirits all the time!”

  The High Priest gave a sorrowful smile. “I wish we could, young Akori, I wish we could. But only Anubis himself is capable of taking the dead to their rightful place.”

  Akori felt an instant pang of remorse. “I’m sorry. This is my task, not yours.” He felt a tingling in the birthmark on his arm as he remembered his destiny. The tingling began to spread throughout the rest of his body. Maybe Anubis would be the next God he had to release, so that the dead souls could be taken to the Underworld and Egypt would be safe. And just as he had saved Ra, he would not fail in his quest. If only Horus could find the strength to let him know. He placed his hand upon the High Priest’s arm.

  “I just don’t know what to do next.”

  “You expect too much of yourself, Akori,” the High Priest replied, smiling gently. “No man is born knowing all he needs to know. Sometimes we must ask others for help.”

  “But who can I ask?” Akori gazed up at him anxiously.

  “Perhaps if Horus hears your plea he will find the strength to come to you,” the High Priest said.

  He pointed to a shadowy figure at the end of the hall. Akori stood up and approached it. Once he got closer he could see that it was a statue of Horus, the falcon-headed God of Light, standing with his arm upraised. In his hand was the ankh cross, symbolizing the power of life.

  Akori felt disappointed. Last time he had spoken to Horus, it had been very different. Then, the God had appeared to him magically, but now he seemed very far away. Even so, all Egyptians believed that the spirit of a God could enter every one of his statues. Perhaps Akori could reach Horus through this one.

  He kneeled in front of the statue.

  “Mighty Horus, Lord of Light,” he began. “Please hear me! You helped me once before – now help me again, if you can!”

  For a moment, nothing happened. Then slowly the statue’s face began to glow. The light grew stronger and brighter until it was blazing like the desert sun. As if in answer, the falcon-shaped birthmark on Akori’s arm began to blaze too. Akori raised his hand to his eyes to shield them. Then, as he watched in amazement, the eyes on the statue’s falcon-like face blinked, and its powerful beak moved. Akori heard Manu gasp behind him. The statue was coming to life!

  “Hail, Akori,” said the voice of Horus.

  Akori bowed his head in respect.

  “Your victory against Wadjet was hard earned,” said Horus. “I salute you and your brave companions. Indeed, you have chosen them very well.” For a second, a twinkle of amusement showed in the God’s fierce eyes, then it was gone. “But there is no time to rest,” Horus continued. “It has taken all of my energy to answer your plea and I don’t have much time. I must tell you of your next quest.”

  Akori nodded. “What must I do?”

  “I have discovered that Anubis is being held captive in the Great Pyramid. If he is not released with all haste, the dead will be left to roam Egypt, bringing harm to the living.”

  “But why would they want to harm the living?” asked Akori.

  Horus shook his head. “Until they reach the Underworld, the dead cannot enjoy the good things of life as they used to. They will smell food they cannot eat, see houses and possessions they cannot own, watch people take simple pleasures they cannot enjoy. They will first become jealous of the living, and then angry. And then they will take their revenge.”

  Akori remembered the figures from the riverbank. He thought of the horrible look of hate on their sunken faces, and shuddered.

  “Only Anubis can stand in the way of the dead and their terrible anger,” said Horus. “Only he can bring peace to their troubled souls. He will soothe them and guide them, as a good hound guides lost sheep back to their fold. But he cannot do this unless you release him. Until Anubis is free once more, nobody in Egypt is safe!”

  The golden light began to fade from the statue until it was ordinary stone once more, leaving the God’s final words echoing around the hall.

  Akori’s earlier doubt and fear seemed to fade with the light. He felt excited now. There might be danger ahead, but at least he knew where to go to confront it – the Great Pyramid itself!

  He turned back to the High Priest.

  “I know what I need to do,” he began, “I know where I have to go to find Anu—”

  But before Akori could continue, a terrible howling noise rang out. It was coming from outside the temple. It sounded like many voices crying out in hunger. Or rage. “What was that?” he asked.

  “It’s just the desert wind,” Manu replied, looking at the High Priest anxiously. “Isn’t it?”

  Akori hastily made his way back to join them at the table.

  “I don’t know,” the High Priest replied, his brow creased with concern. “Perhaps it is the wind. Since the floods came it has been very stormy—”

  But then a loud pounding noise echoed along the corridor and into the hall, interrupting the High Priest. It was swiftly followed by the sound of running footsteps. Ebe burst into the hall. Beneath her wild mass of hair her dark eyes were filled with fear. She pointed frantically back along the corridor towards the temple entrance. “What is it?” Akori asked. “What is making that noise?” Ebe ran over to them and started tugging on Akori’s arm. He took his khopesh from his belt.

  “Do you think it might be the…the creatures from the riverbank?” Manu whispered.

  Akori nodded gravely. “Horus said that the dead would try to bring harm to the living. We must stop them at once.”

  Akori prepared to leave but the High Priest raised his hand.

  “Wait!” he commanded. “If it is the souls of the dead then you have to be prepared. The only thing they fear is fire.”

  “Fire?” Manu echoed.

  The High Priest nodded.

  Akori looked at the torches blazing away on the wall. “Quick,” he said, gesturing to Manu and Ebe to follow him. They each grabbed a torch and Akori took an extra one, which he handed to the High Priest. “High Priest, go and join the other priests in the living quarters. Don’t worry, we will protect you.”

  The High Priest smiled at him weakly before hurriedly leaving through a small door at the back of the hall. The terrible howling noise grew to a roar, followed by a resounding crash.

  “They’ve broken through the main door!” Manu exclaimed.

  Gripping their torches tightly, the trio raced from the hall. An icy cold draught rushed up the corridor to greet them. Ebe turned to Akori and wrinkled her nose. Akori sniffed the air and his heart sank. The corridor was filled with the same horrible smell from the riverbank. Up ahead he saw something move in the shadow of one of the statues. He put his finger to his lips and gestured at Manu and Ebe to follow him quietly. The three friends began tiptoeing up the hall.

  Just as Akori drew level with the statue, a thin grey arm shot out of the gloom and grabbed onto his tunic. Quick as a flash, Ebe thrust her torch at the figure and a piercing scream rang out. It was followed by a puff of foul-smelling smoke and the figu
re disintegrated into a pile of dust. But before Akori had the chance to thank Ebe, more grey, withered arms started appearing from behind the other statues and other figures lurched into view. “Death, death, death!” Their chant echoed along the passageway. “Death, death, death!”

  Akori gripped his torch tighter. He didn’t care how many ghouls appeared, there was no way he was going to let them win, not when all of Egypt was at risk.

  “Come on!” he yelled to the others, raising his torch aloft. Then he charged at the figures. Manu and Ebe followed hot on his heels, copying Akori as he swung his torch from side to side.

  One by one the foul figures disappeared in puffs of smoke. And one by one new figures kept on coming, their vile smell and evil chants filling the passageway. As Akori glanced at Manu and Ebe battling away valiantly beside him he felt a glow of pride. There was no way the ghouls could win against them. But then disaster struck.

  Manu lashed out so vigorously at one of the ghouls that his torch flew from his hand and crashed to the floor. The flame sputtered and died. Quick as a flash, one of the ghostly figures descended upon Manu. Ebe raced to his aid but in her hurry tripped and fell, dropping her own torch. Instantly Manu and Ebe were surrounded by cackling ghouls, all of them with their arms outstretched, reaching for Akori’s friends’ throats. They were going to strangle them! Akori lashed at the foul creatures with his torch, but the flame was too weak to deal with so many at once. He heard Manu calling for help from somewhere deep within the grey, stinking mass.

  “Don’t worry,” Akori called back. “I will save you.”

  But how could he save Manu and Ebe with only a weak torch? In desperation Akori made a silent prayer to the good Gods to help him. Almost immediately he felt the amulet around his neck begin to burn and the flame on his torch exploded into a sizzling golden-white light. Akori remembered the words Ra had uttered when he had given him the amulet: “It will bring you light, no matter how dark your path seems.”

  Holding the Talisman of Ra in his free hand, Akori lashed out with his blazing torch at the figures surrounding his friends. The figures hissed and wailed and began to skulk back into the shadows. To Akori’s huge relief, Manu and Ebe came stumbling towards him.