"But till this day this is only a legend. Nobody knows if this book really exists." Angel commented with surprise.
"Besides it is believed by many to have been completely destroyed upon a long era of wars. We will need ages of research to locate any possible duplications of it and there is no guarantee if even whole copies can be found." Nigel protested.
"This is the only way if the Cross cannot reach the initiation ceremony and stop the man from what he is about to do in time. There is a price to pay for using the scriptures but your strength will help you pay it off. The magical incantations placed on the tombs of the Egyptian men are reversed only through the magic in the scriptures. If the incantations that were placed on Ramses's army were reversed the army would disappear into thin dust and the evil army would disappear with it immediately. The pawn of evil will then perish from the Ankh, although my piece of advice to you is, do not underestimate his power till he perishes with the Cross."
The old man got up and guided them towards his camels continuing, "May God bear witness to my words that I told you everything you need to know in order to stop this evil from happening. How to do it is up to you to discover. I have provoked further anger of my evil adversaries by helping you, but I felt you needed help fighting your war. And you Nigel will be one day very happy for you have found your heart's love."
Angel placed her hand on the old man's shoulder sympathetically and asked, "What evil adversary are you up against."
"This world is a time crossroad linking the lost, like myself, to many places. My destiny is still many months of travel up ahead and God knows if I will find it and reach it before my days end."
Nigel asked, "Could we help you?"
"And who will help your world stop this evil. It's our Lord's will ever since the beginning of time to involve man within his will and kingdom and you have to be faithful servants to our Lord's will, just as Ramses did."
"But what did you do to be suffering like this." Angel enthusiastically asked with a warm smile.
"No my dear, this is a totally different adventure than yours. Come I shall give you a gift for you to remember me with."
The old man guided them to his camels. He pulled out a small rug, two meters long and a meter wide. "Take this as my gift."
Angel replied with gratitude while studying it as Nigel took it from the man, "Thank you. But believe me I fear it might only burden us. If we had camels like those two beautiful ones you have."
"You might need it. As for the beasts they are truly my best friends in travel," The old man commented.
Nigel patted their sides stating, "Can handle desert roughness and travel really well."
"And of a really excellent breed as well." The old man caught the strap of one of them and led them way. The second camel followed obediently after its mate and owner. "Take care of yourselves and remember, love and faith in our Lord is the only way."
Angel and Nigel gave each other inquisitive looks and looked at the man as his image began to dwarf by the distances.
Nigel unrolled the rug in curiosity as angel asked, "What do you think?"
"Now that is definitely a Persian rug. Look at how the colors blend beautifully."
The rug had a red perimeter but was filled with multicolored interwoven designs towards its center that included black and grey.
"Not the rug but what the man told us?"
"My mother will love a gift like this…but…"
"Nigel, this isn't a time to fool around. We are locked in no where's land and the man just told us something petrifying that might prove to be true. What are we going to do now?"
"We are going to arrange for a meal. My stomach is making all sorts of noises." Nigel shot his eyes upwards towards the dates on the palms.
"Do you know something? I'm way too hungry too even think."
"Those palm trees are filled with dates. How about having some of them?"
"They don't look too aged. We might go thirsty as a dry sponge afterwards."
"We have the ponds water."
"What!!! We could get poisoned!!!"
Nigel ironically stated while he watched Angel freak out, "It's better than starving to death."
He grabbed the revolver from Angel's belt and aimed at the dates that were hanging from one of the palm trees. Two shots sent a huge bunch hurling towards the floor. They both ran towards them, sat down and began eating.
"Impossible!" Angel exclaimed.
Nigel commented as he stuffed his mouth with a few, his mouth spitting out the big seeds, "It seems nothing is impossible in these lands sweetheart."
"They are sweet and delicious."
The food proved most nourishing as they nibbled at their sugary meal. Very soon they were lying on the floor underneath the shades of the huge palm leaves, full and sleepy. Nigel watched as Angel slowly dozed off, the gentle summer afternoon currents shaking some of her long hair from time to time. She was truly a sleeping beauty. He watched her until he couldn’t resist closing his ever growing heavy eyelids and soon began to taste the comforts of sleep as well.
But soon he was awakened. He felt it brush against his hair and raise some dusty air around him. He jumped up coughing and waving the dust away. He sat in his place with surprise unable to say a word. Soon his hands were waking up Angel, "Wake up, Angel get up."
Angel rose rubbing her eyes from the deep sleep. She asked in a feeble voice, "What is it Nigel."
"Look to your right."
Angel looked to her right and gasped with enough surprise to shake off all her sleepiness. It was lying still besides her like a faithful pet dog. "I don't remember placing it besides me. Did you bring it here?"
"Only if I walk during my sleep, which I don't!"
Angel jumped from besides it saying, "MARY MOTHER GOD!!! I don't believe it!!!"
"A flying rug!!!" Nigel screamed out, "All we need is Aladdin!!!"
Angel covered Nigel's mouth, "Don't mentioned it. We just might find him marching in on us."
"I woke up when I felt it like fly over us."
"NIGEL!!! Smack or pinch me!"
"I have something better," He spoke as he rose and circled around Angel towards it. "No flying rug is going to scare me after what I've seen and heard today."
Angel pushed Nigel away panicking, "No. Please."
"Just bring a bunch of those dates and place them on this…this…"
"Rug" She replied. She reluctantly marched towards a big bunch of dates. She took off her shirt and began piling the dates on it. Nigel studied her as she worked quietly, only wearing her denims and braw, piling the food. Every single manly feeling within him moved as he saw her sexy complexion shine under the afternoon sunlight. How truly lucky he was to have her as a lover. He will never forsake her till all the mess she was in gets sorted out. She's very precious to him and would truly, as the old man said, be very happy with her as his wife.
Angel walked towards him and dumped the dates on the rug. She wore her shirt back on asking, "Now what do we do."
"Do as Aladdin did in that film and hop on."
Angel closed her eyes and said a prayer while Nigel sat down on the rug. She did the same afterwards and sat behind him. Nothing happened.
For a few seconds they both sat saying nothing till Angel stated, "I just knew nothing would happened." She smacked the rug with her hand and released a "WOW!" as the rug took off. Nigel's heart leaped as the rug took a slope upwards and circled the top of the palm trees. Nigel screamed out, "Do you believe it!" as both gripped the sides of the rug as it flew, the cool currents of the summer skies brushing against their hair and skin. Nigel in a random attempt pulled the right thistles of the rug and it moved right. He commented, "See how flying lessons do you good!"
"What do you mean!"
"If you want to go left you pull the left side of the thistles. For the right you pull the right side of the thistles."
The rug took a sharp right turn and hovered over the pyramids. Angel screamed happily, "Never before did I ever expect to see them from the top Nigel!!! The view is fantastic!!!"
"I only saw their top once, from a plane, not from a freaking flying rug!"
The rug suddenly took an unexpected hard turn almost succeeding in making Angle tilt to the right. She released a "WOW!!!" as it headed towards the sphinx. Angel asked "What is going on!" Nigel replied, "I don't know!" He impulsively pulled the thistles back attempting to slow it down. To his surprise it slowed down then stopped at the mouth of the big monument.
"Nigel I think it wants to tell us something! Maybe it knows something we don't!"
"I think it wants to go inside. I think we should go!"
"No body ever went inside the sphinx! I don't know what's in there!"
"So far it hasn't hurt us." Nigel smacked the rug and it flew inside.
It hovered inside its mouth that resembled a cubed room. The color of the walls was a dark brown, unlike its outside natural color, with the pictures of the golden Ankh drawn consecutively in a horizontal line across the walls. A long passage lied ahead sloping at a sharp degree. Nigel released a gasp in surprise as he looked down spotting a rifle on the grounds underneath. He pulled the thistles of the rug down and the rug dropped a meter downwards to the grounds. Angel extended her arm and picked up the rifle. It was old and full of dust, but of a very fine caliber with a shoulder strap. A belt of arms in a dusty package lied closed to it. Nigel picked up the belt and gave Angel an inquisitive look. "What is going on here? Who would even be able to get up here and leave his arms behind?"
"I don't know; they seem to have been here since antiquity. The owner probably never…"Suddenly the mouth of the sphinx began closing. Their entire surroundings began quaking as the light diminished inside. Nigel screamed, "Angel hold on." He smacked the rug. It picked up its travel and descended the long sloping passage.
Angel and Nigel lost their balance as the rug slopped with the descent and both rolled down screaming from their places. Nigel managed to grab the front thistles of the flying rug but Angel continued falling faster than him, bouncing on the grounds of the slope, releasing anguished screams as she hurled downwards farther away from him. She hit the floor with a loud thud, the dates and rifle shots showering her and the grounds around her. She immediately lost all awareness with the world.
*****
The rug gently dropped to the bottom of the schism allowing Nigel to regain firm steps on the floor, and then landed softly besides Angel. Nigel hovered over his love with tearful eyes wailing her name, "Angel, What happened to you, speak to me Angel!!!" He picked her up between his arms and placed her on a nearby table. He shook her body over and over again but she remained unconscious. He took a bowl of what he perceived as water that rested on a smaller table besides him and sprinkled on her face some drops in a desperate attempt to wake her up. Beautiful refreshing perfumes saturated the air around him. Angel began moving her head sideways. Elated with the results he sprinkled on her some more succeeding in making her sit up.
"Where am I? What happened?" She asked in a weak voice. Nigel smiled back warmly and hugged her while the tears dropped from his eyes, "Sweetheart, I thought I lost you just now."
Angel barely was able to make a smile and placed her hand on her back, "My back is aching. Other than that I feel fine Nigel."
"Can you move?"
She turned on the table and went down on her feet. Her lover’s heart filled with glee as he saw her walk around.
"Don't worry, I think I'm fine." The fantastic perfume came to her senses. "What is this exquisite scent?"
Nigel looked at the bowel and smelled it, "In the wake of my panic when I saw you knocked out, I mistook it for water and sprinkled some on you. But if it wasn't for its splendid scent you wouldn’t have awakened."
As Angel came to her senses completely something eerie crept upon her soul. She took the bowel in her hands and smelled it again. It was saturated with coconut scents. Another bowel resting besides it smelled like frankincense.
"What is going on?" He asked studying her discomforted disposition. "Is it the fall?"
"No. Where are we?"
Nigel looked around the dark room. "I don't know, it’s too dark sweetie."
"What was I lying on?" She exclaimed as the incense brought to her recent memories correlated with the preparation chambers they used to excavate within the cities of the ancients.
Nigel picking up on Angels doubts lighted his flashlight. He lit the table Angel was lying on. Angel released a shriek as she recognized it completely. It was a wooden table with two narrow thin wooden flats on both ends erected upwards. The narrow flats were carved in half circles as if prepared to hold a long vessel with a rounded bottom. A smaller table was filled with bowls of Coconut oils, Frankincense, myrrh, and aromatic resins. A big cotton like sponge used in embalming rested besides the bowels. Large jars of Natron were lying close by. Nigel's flashlight shot at three torches that were hung on the walls. He lit them and the room revealed its contents.
It was a huge rectangular room about five hundred square feet in area. A huge painting of the god Anubis weighing the heart of the deceased in front of Osiris whilst on his throne, and in front of an assembly of gods was on the opposite wall. On another was a painting of the sun ark that carried souls with it across the sky to the afterlife. The other two walls on the chamber filled with glyphs from the Book of the Dead. A body was lying on another preparation table wrapped in linen bandages, informing the viewer its readiness to be buried.
Suddenly waves of awe and anxiety washed all over her as her eyes filled with the beautiful paintings on the walls. She closed her eyes as her hands touched the walls and moved over the paintings, her heart beats racing as passions mixed with yearning flooded through her soul. She couldn't understand what was going on.
Nigel looked at her as her looks told of the distant lands she suddenly traveled to, "Angel where have you gone to? Maybe it’s the room. It's definitely not of a pleasant nature. Let's get out of here."
Angel ignored his request and turned to the glyphs on the walls. She calmly read in a loud voice, "During the reign of Pharaoh Ramses II, Seti I pharaoh and defender of the great Egyptian lands, bringer of the glories of Egypt back after the long ages of darkness, died peacefully…"
Suddenly she felt shivers shoot up her spine as the doors of the chambers opened, its hinges releasing loud squeaks within the walls. Angel walked back till she bumped into the wall behind her. Nigel watched silently perplexed by her sudden retreat. He pleaded, "Angel please speak to me… What is going?" But Angel kept her silence as if he was speaking to her in a foreign language. Six men in white Egyptian robes walked in. Two of them held torches in their hands, while the other four carried a golden sarcophagus. The human convoy walked straight towards them making her heart beats quicken again with tension. However to her surprise it seemed as if they were looking straight through them as they remained without any reaction. They placed the sarcophagus on the preparation table besides her and Nigel while the other two headed towards the body. They picked it up carefully and brought it to the golden case. The lid was opened and the body placed inside. A rolled up scroll was placed inside as well. The sarcophagus was sealed and the four carried it again and departed. Angel followed them but only to find Nigel take a mad grasp at her. He shook her wildly, "Where have you drifted off to. Speak to me." She brushed him aside as if she didn't know him and ran after them trying to catch up with them. Her body raced with panic as she passed the entrance of the preparation room and followed in their footsteps. The convoy seemed close by as she could still hear its assembly talk to each other. She ran after them to find herself walking up a cave like path that ended with a sharp turn. She followed the upward path for a few meters then took the turn. She heard what seemed to her like door squeaking then all went silent. Suddenly she reached a T shaped path and found herself in front of two closed entrances, one to her right and one to her left. Despite the fact that she had no idea which way the convoy walked she found her hands moving and opening the door to her right, as if she knew what her way was. She allowed her foot steps to guide her along the brief corridor that lit with fresh morning sunlight and ignored the chambers that rested to her left and right. Feelings of sadness began creeping up her soul as she neared the chamber up ahead. Somehow she felt that she was tied to the figure inside the case carried by the convoy.
As she entered into the chamber she froze in her place at what she saw. The waves of yearning and longing peaked within her again, vigorously mixing with her sadness, as she looked around. An empty golden throne that was decorated with glowing gems from the bright morning sunlight shining from the open east side windows rested at a far end. A fresh breeze brushed against her hair and complexion as she stood looking at the rich colors of the paintings on the walls that gave the huge court a touch of magnificence and majesty. They all spoke of Seti I excellent military conquests and his glory as Pharaoh, ruler of the Egyptian Empire, god and supreme commander. Suddenly two lamenting women, one of them in full royal costume, came storming from a far entrance and knelt besides the case that was still surrounded with the convoy. They entered into a frenzy of wailing and crying, pounding the case with their fists from their frustration. Tears surfaced into Angel's eyes as she eyed the scene. Their faces were like hazy visions covered by clouds of mist, gradually summoning memories of a distant past; a part of her that was buried deep within and needed some effort to be remembered. Her grievance raged with their weeping voices. She walked up to them unconscious of what she was doing and asked in Ancient Egyptian, "Who is in the coffin?" but they continued to cry ignoring her. All of a sudden it glowed in her head. The royal convoy, the weeping royalty, the remarks of Seti the first's death in Hieroglyphics; she knelt down in tears crying from within the depths of her aching soul and screaming out, "Seti in ancient Egyptian!!!" Nigel watched dumbfounded as she cried repeatedly, "Seti why did you leave me!!!" Her apparel glowed and transformed into Royal wear like her mates.
Her mates suddenly looked at her with recognition as she wept and ran up to her calling out, "Sekhmet calm down…"
"How can I not cry Isis when my only love has departed me!!!?"
"Satis take Sekhmet to her chambers. She grieved and cried a lot today. She has to rest."
"No leave me to weep the loss of my only source of happiness in this world!!!" Angel began striking her head on the grounds as Isis and Satis grabbed her to take her away. She wailed hysterically as Nigel picked her up and embraced her, "Leave me…no don't take him away…I want to die with him!!!"
Nigel shook her, "Wake up Angel. Wake up darling please…" Suddenly the morning lights disappeared into dense darkness. She opened up her eyes to feel a lightning bolt of pain storm down her back. The grounds swirled around her a couple of times as she got up. Nigel hugged her, "Thank God your OK darling."
*****
"Where am I? what happened." She asked in a weary voice as her senses came back to her.
"Can you move and stand up?"
Nigel supported her as she replied in a pained voice while slowly attempting to firm her legs on the grounds, "Everything in my body hurts so much. But I think I'm OK."
Nigel closed his eyes and released a sigh of relief, "Thank God sweetie your fine. I thought I lost you for good after that fall."
Angel looked at the rug that silently parked besides them on the floor. "Yeah and I owe it to our convertible here." She looked back at Nigel and asked, "Have any idea where we are?"
Suddenly echoes of running water came to their awareness, much like what would come from small waterfalls. Nigel lit his flashlight as Angel shivered from the dampness that suddenly infested her body, "We are definitely underground from the coolness."
Both looked in wonder at the huge spacious empty chamber that was filled with huge colonnades. The flashlight lighting length wasn't able to reach any nearby walls. All it was able to do was light the surrounding beige colonnades that were dispersed around them. "This place is giving me the creeps. It's seems so big," Nigel stated as he spotted torches distributed at reachable height around them. Nigel walked up to two colonnades that rested to his right and reached out for a torch from one of them. Angel suddenly walked up to him and tugged his hand down objecting, "Don't. What if we were not alone? Let's first be sure of our seclusion in this place."
Nigel patted her hand that rested softly on his arm and assured her, "Sooner or later if this place has inhabitants we will rush in to them. There is no way out. Look Angel." Nigel directed his flashlight to the square opening they dropped from. Angel looked at the opening right above them. "See darling. Just arm your weapons just in case."
Angel reloaded her revolvers and tied the ammunition belt around her waist. She hung the rifle on her shoulders as Nigel began lighting the torches. Three torches lined the circumference of each colonnade. The first six shed some good light on their surroundings. The hard tiles of rock underneath their feet were beautifully evened for comfortable stepping and the high ceilings were decorated with paintings of a god in full Egyptian warrior clothes. Angel gasped with surprise as a gigantic statue of the same god standing up on his legs lurked only a couple of steps behind them. It was about sixteen feet in height built out of solid rock. Her eyes widened with disbelief as she looked at it. It had the face, and the four paws of a lion but a human body. "Nigel come and look,"
Nigel had just finished the other two columns that rested to the right of the first two he lit, strengthening the lights of the huge premises. He looked towards Angel then froze in his place petrified at the awesome fierce statue. He walked back slowly towards Angel eyeing the figure.
"The beasts we shot down in the magical room, they looked almost like him."
Nigel replied, "This god was never mentioned in Egyptian history."
"The old man referred to him in the story he told us. He was Egypt's war god…"
"Yes I remember. His temple was eclipsed by Setekh's god...the final battle when Ramses beat Setekh and regained his Kingdom took place in that temple."
Angel shivered from the thought as she spoke, "I wouldn't be surprised if that would be here. The Theban priests cast incantations so it would be lost in time along with the Cross that killed the evil."
"Angel there is no real evidence that this temple ever existed in Egypt's history; and we are living a part of Egyptian history that is lost in time because of events that we need a true miracle to believe."
Angel reasoned, "And maybe it did. After the battle Ramses wiped out the entire episode about his confrontation with Setekh along with Amenram's temple."
Nigel looked carefully around him eyeing the parts of the temple that the few torches were able to light. It was a magnificent piece of architecture, the glyphs that spoke of Seti's bravery in battle, the paintings that honored the much feared god, the gigantic pillars. He spoke explaining, "Maybe we don't know everything. Maybe as much as we as try as archeologists we will never be able to discover what really happened."
Nigel silently walked back to the rest of the pillars and began lighting their torches while angel continued to study the glyphs and paintings on the walls. Angel read, "Oh mighty god Amenram whom we warship and fear. Your glory greatly eclipsed the glory of our enemies and their gods. You didn't forsake us to their blood thirsty swords but fought with us till we won. The Edomites and their allies trembled at the roars of our chariots and fell in front of our spears because you were with us blessing our fighting spirits. Even the mightiest rulers couldn't crush our will and cities because you are protecting us with your lion will. When our enemies at Kadesh overpowered us with their mighty blow you intervened and we stopped their attack with only half the soldiers they had. You strengthen us always and never forgot us."
"Nigel come and read…"
"Give me a second dear." He called back from across the temple. He had only finished lighting the torches on the big pillars lining up at the entrance of the premises and was testing the big iron doors to see if they would budge. They rattled in their place with no avail. As the darkness disappeared revealing the complete splendor of the temple, he was able to see a lock towards their middle, much like the lock that was in the magical room earlier. He ran back to Angel whom was facing a wall besides the statue.
"Nigel read." Angel pointed to the sections that she had just read. Nigel's eyes grew wide with disbelief. "What!!!" He rubbed the sides of his face in frustration, his eyes bouncing between the glyphs on the walls and Angel. He paused silently for a moment's time trying to process everything in his head. He looked at Angel with fearsome eyes. Every single thing the old man said was turning out to be true. Nigel commented with wonder. "This supports our historical information and accounts on the battle of Kadesh. This has only one meaning. We are lost in a time warp. Your theory is correct."
Angel gave Nigel a worried look and said, "Nigel what ever happens don't leave me. I need you. I can't face this alone. Something catastrophic is about to go on here."
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