The Lost Tomb of the Old Kingdom:Part Three

     "No! Arthur, Parlebb, don’t listen to her! You’ve got to snap out of it!” Clara screamed.

     Rehema let out yet another laugh, “Waste your breath as you will, little brat. They only obey their queen now.”

     It was to no avail. The Zafara and the Yurble did not respond to their sister’s words. They still moved slowly towards her, swords in hand, ready to strike. She was trembling, almost uncontrollably, backed up into a corner. She could feel almost every pulse, every beat of her heart coursing through her. She needed to think of something, fast! Hesitantly, she reached into her belt, gripping the hilt of her Cobrall dagger. Would it have to come to this? She thought, fearfully.

     “Hurry it up, will you?” Rehema said, twirling one of her fingers.

     The brothers twitched for a moment in response. Arthur raised his sword high above his head. He crouched for a moment, then with one powerful leap came rushing towards Clara, waving the blade in the air, much like a cavalier riding to strike at the enemy. Parlebb lowered his arms, angling both of his katanas so that the tips of the blades almost touched the floor. He arched his back slightly, bending down a bit, then started charging. They were coming close, just a few feet away. Clara knew she had to make her move. She clutched the hilt of her dagger, much more tightly than before, slowly drawing it from its scabbard. Hesitation still lingered in her mind, she didn’t want to risk hurting her brothers. She couldn’t. But if she didn’t act now, if she let herself allow her emotions get the best of her…no…there had to be another way, there always is! Think, Clara! Think! She felt her breath quicken, she looked around, desperate to find, something, anything.

     Suddenly, from the corner of her eyes, just barely illuminated from the reach of Arthur’s arcane torch, was a pillar, large enough to use as cover to hide her from her brother’s blind spots in their vision. But just how would she be able to run up to it without them noticing? Even if she just jumped out of the way in the nick of time and made a dash for it, they would surely see her. It was clear, she needed a distraction first. But how? She sifted through her pockets and pouches with her other hand. What could she possibly have that would be good enough to distract them?

     Her train of thought stopped as she found something. It was a bag, filled with…powder? But how would that work against two mind-controlled pets coming straight for her? To hit them both in the eyes with enough to blind them for her to slip past without being seen required too much accuracy and a larger amount than she had in her bag. Not to mention speed and dexterity as well, there was no way she could grab a handful and blind both of her brothers at the same time, as the other would reach her way before she would have time to grab the second batch. No, it wouldn’t work. Blast it! What else, what else? Then she remembered the magic torch above her. Her eyes widened. Perfect!

     All she had to do now, was wait for just the right moment. Her brothers charged, they were mere inches away now. Arthur let his arm fall, his blade about to strike its target. Just like that, the trap was sprung. Clara finally moved, feeling the blade glide through the air and strike the ground on the very spot where she had been standing just a few moments ago. She threw the bag into the air, aimed straight for the arcane torch hovering above.

     The bag lit up as it connected with the flames, creating a powerful reaction that ignited into a shower of fire and embers over the duo. As Clara took cover behind the adjacent pillar, she looked over her shoulder to see how her brothers and the evil Ixi mummy had reacted. The brothers shut their eyes and gritted their teeth as the unexpected explosion startled them, causing them to stumble. Rehema snarled, the intense bright light burned her eyes, forcing her to shield them with her arms.

     Clara hunkered down. She took a deep breath. It worked? I mean, of course it worked! She almost couldn’t believe it. At that moment the explosion had dissipated and the flames and embers sputtered out of existence as they hit the sandstone floor. Suddenly the light went out and the tomb was enshrouded in pitch-black darkness. Clara gasped. Oh…didn’t factor that into the plan, perhaps it had worked too well. Now what?

     A sudden voice echoed throughout the chamber, “You’re a clever girl, I’ll give you that. But you won’t stay hidden for long. The Anubis always catches the Scarabug in the end!”

     Clara gasped, it was coming from behind the pillar. She had to move. She went down on all fours and started walking, blindly into the darkness, moving as steadily and carefully as she could not to make a single sound.

     THUD!

     She recoiled, grasping her forehead. She reached out, wondering what she had rammed into. Her hands touched smooth stone that curved around at the edges. It was another pillar. She heard footsteps echo in the tomb. Her fur stood on end again, her brothers were looking for her, as was the mummy. She had to keep moving.

     SMACK!

     This time her hands felt the flat and rough surface of a wall. She followed it, using her hands as a guide. Moments later the wall came to an end, her hands slipped and she fell to her knees. She quickly regained her footing and reached out at the space in front of her, grabbing at nothing but air. Without hesitation, she ran into the open corridor.

     She felt a sudden jolt of pain in her toes as her foot struck something heavy. She stumbled, hitting something as she came down. She cursed, pain seared through her body. She pulled herself up in spite of it, her hands gripped the jagged and uneven edges of a broken pillar. She stopped for a moment and listened. There were no sounds of footsteps in the distant darkness. She waited. Seconds passed, it was silent.

     She took a deep breath and slid down, slumped on the crumbled pillar behind her. That was close! If only it wasn’t so dark…

     Just as she finished the thought, the area around her lit up in a faint, blue light. Clara’s ears perked and her eyes adjusted to the darkness around her. For a moment she was confused, where was this light coming from? Then she looked down. It was her necklace, a small blue sapphire fitted in a round frame. Magic swirled within, glowing blue with hints of white, giving the appearance of waves, rising and swelling in the ocean. She grasped her necklace and took another deep breath, her fear and anxiety subsided. Now she could think more clearly.

     Alright. Now what? She has my brothers under her mind control ability. Talking them out of it won’t work, neither can they snap out of it themselves. Oh…if only I knew magic! Maybe I could have known a spell to reverse its effects! No, there’s got to be a way I can break her hold on them, but how? What do I do? Maybe…there’s one thing I could try…but—

     Suddenly, Clara’s ears perked. There was a sound, a soft hiss. A noise she recognized too well, steel being drawn from a scabbard. She turned her head, slowly. Just barely illuminated in the light radiating off her necklace, was the visage of a Yurble standing right behind her, his blade held firmly in front of him, raised high in the air. Clara ducked as the blade came down, the steel just missing her ears by a strand of fur. Quickly, she jumped aside, rolling on the floor, drawing her Cobrall dagger. She was now face to face with Parlebb, who had clambered over the pillar, staring down his target. No more running. This time, she was standing her ground.

     Parlebb rushed towards her, sword in hand. He spun the blade around, angling it above his head. She could read him like an open book, she knew precisely where his arms would fall. Clara nimbly dodged out of the way, the blade glided through the air, crashing into stone. She dashed straight for him, intending to tackle him by his side. But Parlebb was quick, he swung his sword as she was a few inches away. Clara caught the glint of the blade through the corner of her eyes and sidestepped at the last moment, the tip sailed in the air, only leaving a small tear as it made contact with her shirt.

     The Yurble followed up with more attacks, flailing his arms, swords slicing the air. Clara backed away, dodging each strike as they tried to connect with the swift Acara. She ducked, parried and sidestepped to keep her distance. Her brother may have been fast, but she was far more agile. Suddenly she gasped, her nerves stretched, a sudden jolt coursed through her as the back of her foot struck a heavy rock behind her. She lost her footing, she fell over backwards, crashing to the floor. Just as he was about to deliver another strike, she instinctively raised her Cobrall dagger, holding it at an angle, as the katana came down upon her.

     Steel met stone as the blades clashed. Clara strained in the effort to hold back her brother’s sword. She clasped her other hand around the hilt, trying to reinforce her arm and push back against the weight of the katana. She was strong, but her brother was stronger, the blade kept coming down and her strength was giving out. The blade inched closer and closer. She suddenly looked down, then saw an opportunity. Her brother’s footing was off, one leg in front of the other, unbalanced. She smirked, her real brother in his own right mind would never make such a careless mistake in the field of battle, let alone sparring. But she had to be careful, she realized that she couldn’t kick his leg, as it could send him falling on top of her and the blade would likely impale her, or worse. That only left one other option. She didn’t like what she was about to do, but she didn’t have much of a choice. Reeling back one leg, she raised it off the ground and with all her might, kicked as hard as she could.

     SMACK!

     Parlebb let out a loud snarl. His eyes, for a moment, bolted wider than ever. He backed off, groaning in annoyance. He fell to his knees, dropping his katanas, the blades clanged on the ground. Moments later, he raised his head, only to be struck down by the hilt of his sword to the face, knocking him unconscious.

     “I’m really, really sorry big brother! Please don’t hate me for this.” she said, guiltily.

     A sudden flash of light blinded her, followed by an electric shock coursing through her body. She yelped, the blast knocked her off her feet, sending her sprawling to the floor. She raised her head, wondering what struck her. In the distance she saw Arthur. She clambered to her feet, dagger in hand. He cast another bolt. Clara immediately lunged for the closest cover she could find. The bolt dissipated into a shower of sparks as it hit the wall.

     She raised her head just high enough to peek above the stone she hid behind. The moment she heard him approaching, she grabbed a large rock beside her and threw it as hard as she could across the room. The rock clattered on the floor, a loud echo reverberated throughout the chamber. She peeked out of her hiding spot. She could just barely see Arthur turn to the side, then start moving away, towards the source of the sound. She picked up another rock next to her, quickly stood up and threw it at the Zafara, hitting him in the side. Arthur stumbled as it struck him. She vaulted over the rock and dashed straight for him.

     She lunged, intent on knocking him out the same way she did to Parlebb. But as she jumped into the air, she was suddenly stopped, a paralysis spell held her in place. Arthur veered, knocking the dagger out of her hands. He drew his sword and reeled her towards him with a flick of his wrist. There was little Clara could do but flail helplessly in the air. The paralysis spell wore off as she landed in Arthur’s grasp. He raised his sword, his arm shaking madly, ready to strike. Suddenly, Clara’s hand gripped the hilt of the Cobrall dagger at the last moment, just before it was out of reach. She turned the dagger to the opposite side so the hilt was facing her brother rather than the blade. She thrust her arm forward with such force, striking Arthur in his side. He gnashed his teeth, the impact forced his hand open, letting Clara fall to the floor. Arthur backed away, recovering from the hit. He raised his arms, ready to cast another spell.

     “Sorry about this, Arthur!” Clara said in lament.

     Curling her fist, she struck Arthur right in the side of the face, the powerful punch sent him swerving. He fell to the ground where he lay motionless on his side, making no effort to shake off the blow or stand back up. He was out cold. She turned around, checking on Parlebb. He was still lying there on the floor. She breathed a sigh of relief, her brothers were out of commission, for the moment. Now was her chance, she quickly glanced back to where Rehema was standing, ready to confront her, only to freeze in place as she found she was no longer there. Not that she wasn’t expecting it. Clara scanned the surrounding area, she had to be nearby.

     Suddenly she was grabbed by the neck and was thrown back. Clara yelped as she slammed against the stonewall behind her. Before she even had a chance to react, she was pinned forcefully by a strong hand. The pain forced her eyes shut for a moment.

     “I must say you’ve been quite a thorn in my side, little runt. I had hoped your precious ‘brothers’ would be able to deal with you, but of course, I must do everything myself if I want it done right,” it was her, no doubt about it, “it’s quite a shame it had to come to this. With your smarts, you truly could have been a valuable asset in my plot to retake the Lost Desert, but alas, there’s a limit to even the most powerful of abilities, isn’t that right?”

     Clara strained in her grasp. Trying in vain to escape her grip.

     “I said, isn’t that right, you little brat?”

     It took the Ixi a moment to realize she was unable to respond as her hand was held against her throat. She loosened her grip on the Acara, giving her the chance to speak.

     “You really don’t know who you’re dealing with, do you, your majesty?” Clara said in between breaths.

     Rehema raised an eyebrow.

     “Here, let me show you!” Clara continued, giving her a wry grin.

     Rehema twitched as she felt a poke on her side, forcing her to look down. Then her eyes were wide, Clara had her dagger gripped in her left hand, somehow managing to slip it past her notice. Before she could react, Clara raised her arm, twirled her dagger and let her arm fall, slashing the Ixi’s arm. Rehema snarled, releasing her. As Clara landed on the ground, she looked up. To her surprise, particles of dust seeped out from the cut. Not only that, but the fur around the cut had vanished, leaving behind a grey spot of what appeared to be bone. For a moment she was dumbstruck, but then she put two and two together.

     Dust? But how is that—wait! Of course! It’s some kind of glamor! Clara realized.

     She seized her chance and lunged. But a sudden strike to her hip knocked her off balance, she was sent rolling to the floor, her dagger coming loose off her grip, sliding across the ground. Clara tried to move to recover her weapon, but again she was grabbed by the neck. Rehema raised her high in the air. Clara locked eyes with the Ixi, whose eyes were filled with seething rage.

     “I am done playing games with you!” Rehema growled.

     This time her grip was far stronger. Clara struggled, trying to pry her hand off her neck. Rehema raised the dagger. Clara shut her eyes, bracing for the worst.

     A flash of light momentarily lit up the tomb in a stark white glow. Rehema suddenly screamed. The pressure around Clara’s neck relinquished and she fell to the floor, panting.

     “HEY!” a familiar voice echoed in the distance.

     Rehema spun around. Clara stared in the direction of the source of the shout, her sight fell upon a Zafara and a Yurble both standing side by side. Arthur stood there, arm outstretched. He reeled back his arm, raising his wooden shield. Parlebb had both katanas drawn, eyes fixed on the Ixi mummy, narrowed into a stern glare, teeth bared.

     “Let go of our sister!” Arthur shouted, gritting his teeth.

          Rehema responded with a wry smile, “Ah, seems you’ve got your minds back. Let’s fix that again, shall we?” she closed her eyes, then slowly raised her eyelids. But her concentration was broken as a sudden strike to her leg, brought by Clara, knocked her down.

     “Nice try, but you’re not pulling that little trick on us again!”

     Before the mummy could regain her footing, the tomb lit up again and a lightning bolt struck her. Arthur continued casting bolts, moving slowly towards her as he did, while Parlebb charged. He lunged at her, angling himself so he spun around in the air, blades spinning in a wide arc, striking her in the side. As he hit the ground, he followed up with another slash, turning around almost in a complete circle as he struck her other leg. When Arthur got close enough, he raised his shield and dashed. He bashed his shield into her torso, knocking her back. Finally, he jumped behind her and positioned his hands to the side, cupping them together. He charged up another spell, small sparks flickered to life above his palms, quickly forming into a swirling vortex of energy contained within an orb of crackling lightning as big as the distance between both his hands.

     Rehema stumbled back to her feet, only to see Arthur cast the spell at her. The tomb was bathed in an intense blue-ish white light, energy crackled as it hit its target, sending her flying through the air, crashing into the ceiling before falling back down to the ground, sending shock waves across the tomb.

     “And stay down!” Arthur called out.

     Silence fell in the tomb once more. An almost dead silence, save for the sounds of their breathing.

     Arthur turned to face his sister, “Are you okay, Clara?”

     “Yes, I'm fine. I just need a moment,” she said. She took a few seconds to catch her breath, then ran up to her brothers, nearly knocking them over in a tight embrace, “Arthur! Parlebb! I’m so glad you two are okay!” excitement left her voice.

     “Yeah, we’re glad you’re okay too, sis’.” Arthur replied as he ruffled Clara’s hair and Parlebb rested a hand on her shoulder.

     Clara stared back at Rehema, who lay motionless on the ground, “That centuries-year old dust hag! I can’t believe she tried to turn you two against me like that,” she stuck her tongue out at the mummified Ixi, “serves her right!” she turned her attention back to her brothers, “do you guys…remember anything?” she asked.

     “Everything.” her brothers replied in unison.

     Tears swelled up in her eyes, “I’m so sorry I hit you both! I really didn’t mean to!”

     “Hey, no hard feelings.” Parlebb said, his eyes veering off to the side, crossing his arms.

     “Clara, it’s ok. You did great, don’t worry about it.” Arthur reassured her.

     “Curse you, brats! A thousand curses!”

     The siblings jumped back in surprise, looking over their shoulders towards the voice. It was Rehema. Arthur and Clara took one look and recoiled, her glamor spell had worn off completely, revealing her true form. She was thinner than she initially appeared, practically skeletal in appearance. Her light tan fur had shriveled away, leaving little behind other than bone. She raised her head, revealing her face with only a few thick strands of her fur and dark hair left. Clara shuddered, her yellow eyes were staring straight back at them.

     “But I won’t go into the afterlife alone,” she said, her voice turned to cackling, a wide grin stretching her withered face, “I’m taking you brats down WITH ME!”

     Rehema’s cackling turned to maniacal laughter. The ceiling cracked open and the chamber rumbled. At that moment, parts of the roof gave way. The kids shielded their eyes and ears, ducking for cover. A loud boom filled the air as the ceiling crashed down on the floor beneath, stacking up in a pile of rubble where Rehema stood, leaving nothing behind but dust and ash. The cracks on the ceiling widened. Suddenly they could hear what sounded like grain slipping onto the floor. They looked up. Sand poured through into the tomb.

     “Oh, perfect.” Parlebb said. Arthur gulped silently in response. Clara slowly inched her way into her brother’s shadows.

     Sand piled up quickly, covering every inch of the floor, pooling at the kid’s ankles and rising higher with every passing moment. They looked back, the only way out was the stone door right behind them, sealed shut.

     Arthur ran up to the door, placing his hands under the thin opening at the bottom edge, trying in vain to fit his fingers through to try and pry it open. Pointless, it was far too heavy. He quickly abandoned the idea and backed away. He charged up a fireball and cast it at the door, exploding into a shower of sparks upon impact. Only scorch marks sundered the surface of the stone.

     The cracks in the ceiling spread, more sand poured into the chamber. It was up to their feet now. Arthur cast more fireballs at the door. It still did no good. Other than decorating the door with a new set of scorch marks all around, the stone didn’t even dent. They had to get the door open, fast!

     “Argh! This isn’t working! Does anyone have anything?!”

     Parlebb shook his head. Clara reached into her pockets and knapsack, rummaging through their contents. She could only hope she brought something of use. Suddenly she procured an item. Her eyes brightened.

     “Arthur, use this!” She bellowed, tossing it at him.

     Arthur caught it in his hands. It was a darkfire negg bomb. For a moment he questioned why his sister brought it along with her, but he shook the thought away and focused on the more urgent matter at hand. He breathed a jet of flame from his mouth, lighting up the wick. He pulled back his hand, counted to three, and then threw it at the door with all his might.

     BOOM!

     The darkfire negg bomb struck the door and exploded in a cloud of noxious dust, smoke and fire, but only a slight crack dented the surface. The sand was rising ever higher, now it was up to their legs. Clara struggled to keep her balance, the friction caused by the rolling, rising sand made it particularly difficult to stand still, her feet threatening to slip as she was raised off the stone floor.

     “Please tell me you have another one of those?” Arthur reached out a hand, beckoning her to toss him something. Clara reached into her knapsack again, sure enough, she did. She tossed him another. Arthur lit up the wick, counted to three like before and chucked the bomb at the door.

     BOOM!

     When the smoke cleared, a large crack split apart the stone. It was significantly damaged, but not destroyed. The sand appeared to roar as it poured through the ceiling at a faster rate, in the same vein as rushing water. The sand rose above their legs, reaching their waist.

     “Clara, I need one more!” Arthur shouted.

     “I’m completely out!” Clara shouted, rummaging through her knapsack.

     Sand spread in every direction, they couldn't feel the ground under them as the sand carried them above the floor. Now the sand was up to their chests, the pressure pressing the air out of their lungs. Time was running out. Clara started to panic, her heart began beating fast, grabbing onto Parlebb for support as she struggled to keep herself above the grains.

     “Parlebb! Help me pry it open!” Arthur commanded.

     He didn’t need to be told twice. As the sand rose to their chests, Parlebb trudged to the door. He gripped the open edge and pulled, the stone budged open just an inch. Arthur waved his arms, concentrating his focus on the stone slab. With his help, the door inched open a little wider.

     “Guys, hurry!” Clara yelled, she was up to her shoulders. She flailed about, struggling to keep her head above the sand.

     “Hang in there, sis’! Just a little longer!”

     The brothers strained. Parlebb’s muscles burned from the effort, even with Arthur’s help, the door was far heavier than what he was used to lifting. Arthur felt a little light-headed and the strength in his arms waned. With one final wrench, the door was wide enough for two to slip through the gap.

     “Clara, Parlebb! Make a run for it!” Arthur commanded.

     “No! Not without you!” Clara protested.

     “Go! I promise I’ll be right behind you!”

     “But—!”

     “No arguing! Just do it!”

     Parlebb latched onto his little sister and dragged her across the rising sand. They reached the door, fitting through the cracks with little trouble. Arthur held the door open long enough for his younger siblings to escape. As Clara slid through the gap, it was finally his turn to run. He let go of his telekinetic grip and made a dash for the door, trudging through the sand as it rose above his chest. Movement was difficult, the sand slowed him down as much as possible, as if it were afraid to let him get away. The door came closer and the sand rose higher and higher. Now it was up to his shoulders. It was hard to breathe under all the pressure. He could feel his lungs burn, his breath quickened and his vision faded.

     Finally the whole ceiling collapsed, a massive torrential downpour of sand filled the tomb in seconds. The sudden wave nearly swept up Arthur just as he leaped through the crack in the stone door, diving to safety. Sand poured through, spilling out into the passage. Parlebb and Clara grabbed their brother by his arms and ran up the stairs, stopping halfway to look back as the sound of the shifting sands quieted down. The door was buried by a mountain of sand, completely sealing off the tomb within. Nothing was ever going back in there, or ever coming out. Not even air.

     The siblings caught their breath, then made their way back up the passage. Soon enough they reached the upper chamber, the exit blocked off by the stone slab they had set up earlier. Arthur waved his arms and moved the stone slab out of the depression. Parlebb and Clara helped push it aside to the adjacent wall. Light poured into the chamber once more. The kids shielded their eyes, as they had already adjusted to the darkness, until the intensity died down and they could see in the sunlight again.

     Without wasting another second, they ran out of the ancient tomb back into the outside world. Clara took a deep breath, taking in the fresh, yet arid air and the welcoming warmth of the waves of heat. They made their way across the rocky mountains until they ended up back at the vast sea of burning sand that was the Lost Desert.

     Clara sighed, “Can’t believe I’m saying this, but I couldn’t be happier to be out here right now!”

     “Yeah, no kidding. Guess that’s another discovery marked off the list.” Arthur casted the sand off his clothes and fur. He looked up towards the sky, the sun was just setting over the horizon. He noticed that the desert was not as hot and unbearable as it was before. In fact, it was starting to get cooler.

     “So, what now?” Parlebb asked.

     “I think we’ve had enough adventuring for one day. It’s getting pretty late. Clara, are you—?”

     “Honestly, after what we’ve just been through, I think we can reschedule our trip to Sakhmet for some other time.” Clara stretched her arms, letting out a yawn.

     Arthur grinned, “My thoughts exactly. At least we won’t have to worry about walking in the hot sun on the way back home, am I right?” he reached into his shirt pocket and procured a compass. After a few moments of studying it, he walked into the dune sea with his siblings following close behind.

     Suddenly Arthur stopped in his tracks. Taking another look at his compass, he turned to Parlebb, “Um…sorry, I forgot, mine’s broken. Can I borrow yours again?” he said.

     “Keep it.” Parlebb replied, taking out his own compass from his tunic, handing it over to Arthur.

     Clara shook her head, rolling her eyes. The siblings went on their way, the sun vanished under the horizon and the cold enveloped the desert once more.

     The Lost Desert is home to many secrets, many which have faded into legend. Some long lost under the ever shifting sands, only to eventually reveal themselves in time as the sands rise and fall, while others never emerge, and some that dwell within plain sight, waiting for the right moment, for just one curious individual to come across it. Yet, some legends should never, ever be discovered, lest their legacy return, to be unleashed once more into the world.

      The End.