Nig
Like the waves of a merciless raging tsunami they landed on the rugged hilly terrains and engulfed the entire area around Mount Sinai. They stood waiting for Ramses's army to arrive and regroup, carefully eyeing their immense numbers. Ramses's infantry quickly advanced the lines, following were the cavalry, then chariots. In the earthly realm and as the hands of the clock struck 5:45 in the afternoon, both armies finished grouping from their travel. Within seconds they both released vicious beastly screams and threats towards each other, their voices echoing immensely through the surrounding mountains.
Ramses looked at the gruesome figure in twentieth century clothes that stood in front of the beasts, while his army stood on the hilly terrains of Sinai. He understood his commanding rank as he looked back at him defiantly. Three thousand years ago this army was attacking him on the outskirts of his cities, threatening to ravage him and his civilization to shreds. If it wasn't for his braveness and the courage of his army, Egypt wouldn't be what it was today, a prosperous nation boasting the civilization of his people. Although today his realm was governed by people of a different human lineage, Egypt was still Egypt and it deserved to be protected by the people that governed it for ages. He clutched his sword in expectancy and looked at Ptah to give the attack signal.
The opposing general studied the three thousand three hundred and six year old royal mummy and his military advisor, that were wrapped in worn out linen, standing ahead of their massive strike force, smiling with anticipation, as the evil beasts roared behind him with threats. He clutched the handle of his sword in his right hand and smiled while he thought of what gifts Oxen would give him for Ramses's head. His mind raced with the enticements which quickly wore his patience out. He impatiently withdrew his sword and the army behind him copied on the double. He screamed commanding, "TEAR THEM APART!!!"
Within seconds the grounds underneath quaked as they dashed towards each other. The church's old structure on Mount Sinai rocked from the echoes of the warriors as they clashed outside of it underneath its hilly terrains. The priest took the Holy Grail and Plate that contained the sacrament and placed them on the alter as the armies outside tore at each other. The priests looked at their watches as it read fife fifty, and waited patiently for the last ten minutes before the unison global mass; the choir's chants surfacing barely from the wars about. The crowds inside looked at the holy icons that hung on the iconostasis and begged with tensed looks the mighty Lord to save them from the consequences of what was going outside of the holy church they were sheltered in.
Angel and Nigel crashed down on hard grounds in the open muddy wilderness. They were in a ravine centered between two high hills that were over populated with the armies. They screamed with terror as they quickly realized that they were totally sandwiched between the charging coalitions. They got up on their feet and scanned the hilly region for refuge. The armies clashed filling the entire atmosphere around them with deafening metal banging and battle cries. The grounds underneath filled with body parts within seconds as they got quickly caught in the battle between the warring soldiers. They yelled with fear and barely made their way through the battle searching for safe grounds.
The mummies' diligent training posed a challenge to the opposing beasts. They swiftly took command of the situation with their swordsmanship and physical agility. The vicious beasts' powerful bodies posed no threat for them at all and the coming chariots stormed through the crowds striking off the fiendish heads and bodies mercilessly. The beasts roared with pain as their body parts and heads rolled on the muddy grounds by the scores. The mummies' casualties were not as severe as their counterparts as the minutes raced towards six, nearing earth to the inevitable universal mass.
A beast flew over and grabbed Nigel attacking him and attempting to tear him apart with his hands. Nigel's heart screamed with terror as he felt its mighty hands grip his shoulders and yank him in the air. Angel panicked and grabbed Nigel's waist as the beast's wings flapped hurling them upwards. They danced in the air as the beast grappled with Nigel trying to get a good hold of him to hurt him. Nigel's muscular arms beat the beasts' hands away as they approached the church on the summit of Mount Sinai. The beast feeling worn out by the fight finally dropped the couple on the steps of the church. As it attempted to fly away it suddenly closed its ears from the echoes of the chanting that was going on inside the church. It shook and roared with pain then burst into pieces.
Angel and Nigel managed to get up, aching and rubbing their backs from the fall. They looked at the magnificent view the church provided from on top of the summit. The warring armies were flooding the hilly chains making their spine chill with fear. Worn out and tired but thankful that the beast left them unhurt, Angel brought up the piece of papyrus and looked at Nigel whom was breathing heavily.
Nigel said, "Go ahead. Its time."
Angel searched through the glyphs till she found what she was looking for. She paused for a while, a contrasting frown slowly showing on her face as she read and remembered the words of the wise man they had met earlier in the Egyptian desert. Now she knew what he meant by what he said. Nigel asked unaware of what was going on, "What is keeping you?"
In a minute's time, she looked at him with very sad eyes. Tears made their way down her cheeks as his image blurred then came clear.
"Angel what is going on? What does it say?"
She took in a deep breath and read, "Brave hearted soldiers of Ramses and the Nile, awakened to rescue Egypt from the vile, return to your grave you slumbered in for a while, your calling has finished go back as I desire."
Within seconds the battle stopped and the beasts all erupted into sand. The mummies stood silently in their places. Two chariots strongly made their way to the middle of the ravine amongst the crowds that were looking upwards towards them. Angel and Nigel looked carefully as the chariots maneuvered then stood silent.
Nigel asked, "What are they waiting for?"
"Remember the old man in the desert. Remember when he told us that the scriptures will be conditional, demanding something in return. Well the scriptures asked for me in return to give me authority to command the army.
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?!" Nigel grabbed angel by her arms and looked at her, "What are you talking about."
Angel read the rest of the glyphs, "As history repeats itself once again, while she stands up above the sacred mountains of Sinai and commands the eternalness guarding the Nile, her ancient blood shall return to her body, a lost piece within her heart shall call her back to the golden palaces of royalty. She shall rule again in the history of her people, her place has already been made once again. Her magnificent army will wait for her, a graceful precession while she returns to the ancient realm."
"Angel no, no!!!" Nigel hugged her warmly and cried like a child. "No!!! I will not lose you!!! What did you? You had no right to make this decision by yourself?"
Angel walked away from his embrace and commented, "I was predestined to stand here and read what I had just read. I had no choice; it was me or the earth's well being. We can't walk away from what was predestined an age earlier."
"ANGEL I'M COLLAPSING FROM WHAT IS GOING ON!!!"
"I have no choice."
"You will find another wife Nigel. I shall always remember you in my heart."
Suddenly an empty chariot stormed upwards from the ravine towards them riding the thin air. Its horses gallantly galloped pulling it towards the couple and landed besides them. She climbed on to it and the chariot took off towards the massive army that silently waited for the arrival of their queen. As the chariot headed back to lower earth the army disappeared into thin air, leaving the hilly terrain in peace once again. The only thing that engulfed Nigel was the cool air and the soft echoes of the monks as they chanted just outside the church.
As Nigel wept the departing of his sweetheart, still in totally disbelief that she sacrificed herself for the sanity of her mission, the skies began raining once again. A feeling of numbness from the frustration was reverberating through him. Hardship and pain were his companions throughout the past days, not giving him a chance to even catch his breath, compelling him to war and meet the most gruesome creatures ever in probably the history of the universe, and now the taking away of his only beloved. It was just unfair. He screamed his frustration out towards the skies, "Fate, you were a complete adversary to me and my beloved, what do you want from me!!! Couldn't you have left her for me as a reward for my fight and patience!!! I love her!!!" A lightning bolt and a thunder clap raged around him muffling the sound of the chanting inside the church he stood by.
He knelt down and cried only to find in seconds a creepy feeling swarming all over him. As the lightning bolts ensued above him and preceded the thunders, a separate lightning bolt of terror ravaged his inner soul as well. But what was strange about that. He was used to alarm and fear. He felt that there was something not quite finished yet. His wrist watch was nearly six. A fresh series of lightning bolts and thunders passed as a huge blanket surfaced in the horizons of the mountains up ahead. It was hastily homing in on the area. Nigel cautiously watched as they arrived at the same ravine that had earlier witnessed the war and engulfed the entire area. They were waves of beasts like the ones that were earlier present. Nigel stood perplexed as he wasn't comprehending what was happening. Suddenly a deep blood curdling unfathomable voice spoke prompting him to turn around. "Did you think a disgusting scripture would end my domain in your world Nigel?"
Chills bolted down his spine as he looked at Oxen's disgusting beastly figure. He asked with disgust, "What do you want from me?"
The Bull walked towards him, his footsteps releasing huge thuds as they moved on the muddy earth, "It's true that those scriptures wiped out my army earlier, but they were good only for one time use. As for me, well, as long as man is around I'm around."
"Are you the cause of all of this you disgusting creep?!"
"No, your race's hatred and ill ways are the cause. They summon me to your world. I don't get summoned by myself. Do you see my army down there? They are invincible? You are a stout figure. I need you. Come with me and I will return your Angel. Trust me."
"Get away from me. My Angel chose to trade in her happiness for a noble deed. A truly noble lady that I will feel honored to have known for my entire life; unlike you and your filthy realm."
The general suddenly surfaced out of nowhere. It was as if he had just came in from an invisible door and stood besides Oxen.
Nigel's mind lit with knowledge, "It's you. Where the hell did you come from."
"You will never win this war. You are just too weak." The general laughed with happiness and victory as Nigel stood in front of them raging with frustration and panic. "I warned you earlier. We are just too strong."
Suddenly the bell of the church besides them rang. The general and Oxen closed their ears with their hands and danced around with frustration as the bell struck over and over again. The earth underneath their feet shook with a quaking as they fell on it and rolled around a few times unable to maintain stability. The beasts down in the ravine screamed and ran about in panic as the quaking continued. Oxen cried out loud, "NO!!! I WILL NOT DIE!!!" and got up angrily. He jumped up and down a couple of times then headed for the church screaming menaces and curses. Suddenly the quaking stopped. The chanting in the church continued but was soon dwarfed by the sound of horse galloping.
The skies around lit with a soft blue as a knight holding a spear came galloping on a white horse from the skies. He gallantly landed on the grounds besides the church and looked at Oxen threateningly. The beast opened his mouth in terror as he saw the horse charge again only this time towards him. The horse stopped and rose on its hind legs as the knight in full armor raised the spear and dipped it with skill in Oxen's chest. Oxen roared magnificently as the spear cut through his chest, his blue blood spilling from his chest. The general screamed with terror as he saw the killing and began to move backwards unaware that he was moving towards a sharp cliff. Soon he fell meeting an ill fate while the army of beasts diminished into dust as their earlier breeds.
Nigel unbelievingly looked at the gallant knight as he took off towards the skies again. As the church bell continued to ring a huge deep echoing in the distances sounded as well resembling church bells. It was powerful, magnificent, awe inspiring and propelled him to look towards the skies. It felt that the whole world was ringing its church bells with the church bells on Mount Sinai. He found himself moving towards the church where he knew that he will find his consoling and rest. It was over. Thank God it was over, the cult, the wars, earth was saved, and although the tax was heavy on him in a way he was grateful. When a wolf walks around a pack of hungry sheep the shepherd tries to shoo him off with no loses, but if he succeeds in snatching a lamb he runs off afterwards leaving the rest of the pack in peace. If Angel was that sacrificed lamb in the midst of this brawl so let it be. She made her choice. There was nothing he could but present his pain to the Lord and see how he will enlighten him to deal with it.
August 20, 2009, New York,
Memories Of A Requiem To A Near Past
"The church community safely continued their prayers my dear David. We met shortly afterwards in New York, if you remember, upon your arrival from Jordan with the help of the authorities there."
David replied in deep thought, "I received my medal of honor from the president shortly after I arrested the rest of the organization. I remember." He gave Nigel a look of sympathy and said, "No wonder you wrote on her grave stone 'died in the line of duty somewhere in time,' I'm sorry my friend."
Nigel looked at David and tapped his hands softly on his’, "She was a free spirit and a decent person. She lived smartly, fought the tyranny of evil bravely, and was proudly buried with royalty upon her death after ruling one of the strongest civilizations that captivated the realm of mortals ever. Now let me be and spend what remains of my days besides my true love David. She didn't die besides me. At least I will die besides her."
"But you didn't tell me. Who was in the coffin?"
Nigel managed a smile and took out some dollars from his pocket while stating, "A John Doe who died from powerful burns a day earlier. I found a way to negotiate things with the morgue and receive the body. I explained that Angel's fate was so upon her death, or how else could I have convinced the priest not to open the coffin during the funeral? In return the poor unknown fellow had the chance to receive the blessings of a priest and a descent burial."
David smiled at Nigel's keen mindedness. Nigel placed the money back and shook hands with his friend before he quietly stepped out of the rolls and closed the door behind him. He softly paced the sidewalks with his feeble old footsteps, his stick releasing soft tick tocks on the grounds as it aided him in his soft trek towards the museum. David watched him slowly ascend the steps that led to the mighty edifice in Manhattan before he ordered Stewart, "Take me home."
He thought within himself as Stewart got the engine in gear, "I shall live my remaining days in peace because of God's kindheartedness, and because of the bravery of the good breed of humans like you and Angel, that resist evil and its disciples."
The End
(Echoes of a Nightmare will follow soon in paperback)
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