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Hello everyone! Alright, let's get to the main point. This is my first time writing, so please don't be too harsh. IF YOU LIKED IT - WRITE TO ME; IF YOU DIDN'T - WRITE MORE, but be more lenient.
I hope you enjoy it. Happy reading!
Chapter 1
Alive Among the Dead
I want to tell you about a story that is incredible in its own right. It is filled with interesting events, impossible creatures, and an overall unreal plot.
I'll begin my tale with three guys who had been friends since kindergarten. Later they studied together, finished school, and subsequently, as always happens, they moved apart. But, as best friends, they communicated, wrote to each other, and were always in touch. Now they bear the names Ashrich, Aeru, and Azon. Back then they were called something else, but thanks to the Legacy, they received these names. Well, let us begin our story…
First, I'll tell you about Ashrich. He was an ordinary guy from an ordinary home. His parents were reasonably well-off, and in honor of the boy getting into college, they went to Egypt for 7 days. After all, it's not every day you take entrance exams in another country.
Everything was wonderful: sun, sea, sand, pyramids. This is exactly where our hero's story begins. The first 5 days were simply marvelous—he swam in the sea, sunbathed on the beach, and managed to buy some clothes at a little shop in the hotel.
But then came the day, the fateful day that changed Ashrich's life. It began, as usual, with the most hated time of day: the morning.
- So-o-o-on, wake up! Wake up now, it's time for breakfast!
- Just 5 more minutes.
Half an hour later he got up and went to have breakfast. Since a sightseeing trip to the pyramids was planned for that day, he had to dress not quite for summer. A long-sleeved shirt, light sneakers with jeans, and a cap with glasses. The choice of dishes was very rich, as is always the case in good hotels.
- What should I choose? - Ashrich asked himself.
- I suggest choosing the meat—it's especially juicy today. - a voice said from behind.
- M-m-m-m-m thank you. - He turned around and saw his friend Andrey, whom he had met on the plane. – But there's no need to scare me like that, it's not nice. – Ashrich quipped.
- Oh, look how delicate we are! – Andrey smirked. – Alright, let's go eat, that's a good thing!
- By the way, are you going on the excursion to the pyramids? - he asked, with a roll in his mouth, approaching the table where Ashrich's whole family was sitting.
- Of course I am. I generally like places where history happened. Now chew first, then speak!
- Where exactly did history happen there? - Andrey asked, laughing slightly.
- Well, how so! These pyramids were built millennia ago and it's still unclear who exactly built them!
- What's unclear about that? The ancient Egyptians, who else?
- But who knows for sure? Maybe they were aliens, or maybe ancient mages?
- MAGES?! - Andrey began to burst out laughing.
- Yes, mages, what's so strange about that? - Ashrich asked, confused. In reality, Andrey was a complete skeptic and laughed even at the mention of supernatural powers.
- Nothing! - Andrey laughed.
- Oh, forget you! – Ashrich waved him off.
- Son! Let's go get ready. - Ashrich's mother called.
- Coming mom! - Ashrich answered her. – Well, I'll meet you at the bus to the pyramid.
- See ya. - Andrey replied, calming down a bit.
A few hours later they were at the pyramids. The scorching sun beat down on Ashrich's cap-covered head. They had traveled here in safari cars; sand kept trying to get into his eyes, but thanks to the glasses, it couldn't reach its goal. The air burned his throat and he wanted water more and more, which unfortunately was not available, so he had to endure until they arrived. The pyramid was indeed huge: a good old twenty-story house would barely reach the height of this behemoth. The antiquity of the construction was imposing: the stones were already in the penultimate stage of corrosion; it seemed as if they were ready to crumble at any second. Metal beams supported the entrance, and even the sand seemed so ancient that it could compete with Mother Earth herself. There weren't many people, so they quickly gathered into a group. Besides the guys, there were several other tourists and a guide in the group.
-ESTEEMED GUESTS! PLEASE DO NOT FALL BEHIND THE GUIDE - INSIDE THE PYRAMIDS IS A REAL LABYRINTH! WE ASK YOU NOT TO FALL BEHIND THE GUIDE!!- the hotel representatives and the guide himself repeated twice more.
After 5 minutes, the whole group went to explore the depths of the pyramid.
- Upon entering, look to the right—there is a fresco depicting Egyptian gods such as: Selket, Isis, Osiris, Amset, and Amenet, who are sending people to Anubis. - the guide pointed to a huge ancient fresco that had clearly passed through the centuries. It occupied almost the entire wall of the corridor and was nearly destroyed: the colors had faded, and some parts of the image were completely missing. - Researchers say it is one of a kind, as not many frescoes depict such a gathering of gods. And frescoes where the gods are not depicted in yet another battle can be counted on one hand. Here they even cooperate, sending souls to rest with Anubis.
- Very strange. - Andrey said softly.
- What's strange about that? - Ashrich asked.
- Well look… The fresco on the wall is destroyed and there was likely a second part. And also, the people who were supposedly being sent to Anubis by the gods are going to him armed with spears and bows with arrows. - Andrey pointed to the almost erased and inconspicuous images of weapons.
- Come on, don't talk nonsense, someone probably just drew them in later. Look closer, there's hardly any weaponry there. - Ashrich answered skeptically.
- "Drew them in"? Are you kidding me? How could anyone "draw something in" HERE? – Andrey looked at Ashrich as if he were an idiot. - No, there is clearly something wrong with these people.
- What could possibly be wrong with them? What kind of smart-aleck would go to a battle with a god with such meager and primitive weaponry?
- And what mortal smart-aleck would ever go to a battle with a god? – Andrey countered.
- As you can see, on the left are instruments for embalming. The ancient Egyptians believed that the deceased would gain immortality in the afterlife if they were mummified. And before the exit to the corridor, you can see the sarcophagus in which the mummies were actually buried. – the sarcophagus was completely covered in gold, or simply gilded, with symbols that did not correspond at all to those strange Egyptian birds, snakes and such. The golden mask, carved into the lid with a squinting gaze, stared into the distance, or rather, at the wall.
Besides everything else in the hall, along with the sarcophagus and embalming instruments, there were columns with paintings and faded colors, a couple of passages further inside the building, and that was essentially it. But what did you expect? The pyramid is ancient.
- WE ASK EVERYONE NOT TO FALL BEHIND! – the guide repeated again, after which everyone who had remained to take photos and examine the frescoes left their activity and followed him into one of the passages. After a couple of minutes, everyone found themselves in a corridor with many branches that either widened or narrowed.
- Man… it's not easy walking here. – Ashrich stated. – How about you? Huh? Andrey!
Turning around, Ashrich saw his friend Andrey beginning to drift away from the group. Since they were walking at the back, no one but him noticed this.
- Hey, where are you going? - Ashrich whispered to his seemingly spellbound friend. But Andrey showed no sign that he had heard.
- Come over here! - Ashrich whispered nervously again. And in that same second, Andrey began to run and Ashrich, without thinking twice, ran after him. After a few minutes of running, the boy realized this was a bad idea. He found himself in a corridor that would have been dark if not for decorative torches illuminating separate sections of the road. Stopping, he saw two branches:
- Damn, where did he run off to?
Immediately after our hero stopped, he heard a scream from the left corridor. This was certainly a bit frightening, but Ashrich thought it was his friend's voice and, since there was no time to follow anyone else and he didn't feel like screaming back, the boy went in the direction from which the scream had been heard.
After running a couple of meters, the boy heard a light rustle. Stopping, he felt vibrations under his feet. Cracks spread across the floor.
- Damn!
The floor gave way right beneath him and Ashrich fell into a hole. The landing was not soft. Stone floors from thousands of years ago are generally poorly suited for catching human bodies.
- Khek-khe. - only a muffled cough could be heard from his lips. – Where am I?
–Ashrich looked around, but saw only darkness. After a minute, our hero noticed torches lighting up on their own throughout the room:
"Probably the group found me." - he thought, and said aloud:
- Excuse me, I went to look for a friend who fell behind. - Apparently Ashrich thought the torches were electric and lit by pressing a lever. – Help me get up, I'm like stuck!
Our hero was in a large hall, on the walls of which were the now-familiar frescoes, incomprehensible writings, and unfamiliar drawings. Near the frescoes were shelves with… human skulls! Inside them were candles, which, by the way, were also glowing. And this was truly frightening.
No one answered him. Suddenly Ashrich noticed above him a stone carving of a large spider, in certain parts of whose head green stones had been inserted. Ashrich turned his head toward the light and saw a sarcophagus standing before the exit:
- Hey, is anyone here?! Answer me! Where am I?!
After his shout, a rustle was heard again. A stone thud sounded from the direction of the exit. Looking there, the boy turned pale. The lid of the sarcophagus lay on the floor, and SOMETHING was climbing out of the container itself. It was wrapped in bandages, although in some places they were torn, and a skinless human hand was visible. There was a golden mask on its face, and two dark-green lights shone from the eye sockets. The mummy stepped out of its sarcophagus and looked at Ashrich. He, in turn, looked at it and could not say anything due to the fear that enveloped him. The mummy, without taking its eyes off him, took a staff as tall as itself from the sarcophagus, topped with a strange figure that did not resemble any figure known to Ashrich. The mummy's staff began to glow and Ashrich, seeing all this, began to struggle and even scream, but it was useless. It was as if he had been fastened with straps, but most interestingly, no straps or handcuffs were visible. Then the mummy pointed a finger, or what remained of one, at Ashrich and the giant spider above him came to life.
- OH MY GOD! GO AWAY! HELP! A-A-A-A!
The spider slowly approached the hero, while Ashrich screamed louder and struggled more violently. He simply could not believe what was happening and expressed extreme dissatisfaction in his words. Then suddenly, from all the crystals on the spider's head that formed eyes, beams of light burst forth, directed at Ashrich's eyes. Our hero's scream grew louder and louder and then he suddenly fell silent. Silence reigned in the hall.
Ashrich woke up in a strange white room; the walls, ceiling, and even the floor were absolutely white. It seemed as if all of this was just one large white sheet of paper.
- H-e-e-ey, is anyone here? – Ashrich asked nervously, looking around and catching his breath after everything that had happened to him. He breathed heavily and could no longer utter a word because of the fear the mummy had instilled in him. After a couple of minutes he asked again:
- Well, is there at least someone? – the answer was silence. – Well, even silence is better than nothing.
A couple of hours passed like this, but no one answered and Ashrich even began to calm down. Then suddenly from the ceiling, the sky, or whatever that whiteness above him was, a dragon appeared. It was simply huge and black as the night sky. The giant lizard sat right in front of the boy and looked at him with enormous orange eyes that seemed like two small stars. Suddenly Ashrich realized that the dragon would do him no harm, but he was still afraid of it:
- Do not fear me. - a gentle female voice sounded in Ashrich's head.
- …Who are you? - he asked nervously.
- My name is of no importance to you right now. - the dragoness answered calmly.
- What is happening here? Where am I? And what was there, in the pyramid? - the boy continued to ask questions. Suddenly he felt a pain in his heart:
- Ow! What's this? - Ashrich opened his shirt and saw that the skin on the left side of his chest was charring:
- A-a-a-a-a-a-a!- he screamed in pain. The dragoness looked at him calmly, observing the agony. After five minutes it all ended, but the pain did not leave him:
- What did I do to you that you are torturing me? – Ashrich asked through tears.
- I am not torturing you; I am giving you freedom. - the dragoness answered with the same frightening calmness.
After this, she spread her wings. Ashrich looked at her and marveled at her beauty. The dragoness's wings resembled infinite space, and an aura of tranquility spread around her. One wanted to drop everything, forget about everything, lie at her feet and fall asleep. It seemed that if she stood between you and an oncoming wall of fire, you would still be safe. Ashrich looked at her without taking his eyes off. It seemed he was already weeping from her beauty. Suddenly he felt himself falling somewhere.
- Do not fail me, boy. – a relieving quiet whisper reached our hero.
The whiteness around him changed to a darkness as saturated as darkness can possibly be. It seemed he fell for an infinitely long time. Ashrich even began to doubt if he would ever land, until he felt that the flight was over. He landed on something hard, opened his eyes and saw the same hall in which he had watched the mummy awaken. But now there was no one in it and the torches that had previously shone seemed to have stood untouched for many years. The spider, which had recently crawled toward Ashrich, turned out to be almost at the very ceiling.
Ashrich could not, or simply did not want to, utter a single word. He felt that he could now stand and move. Looking around once more, he decided to get up. When Ashrich stood, he saw the same passage before which the mummy had stood; however, no one was there. Taking advantage of the moment, our hero quickly ran to the passage. Stepping out, he saw a staircase leading to an illuminated corridor. And of course, Ashrich ran toward the light. Entering this corridor and going up the stairs, he heard the guide's voice:
- AND NOW WE ARE APPROACHING THE END. I THINK YOU DIDN'T EVEN NOTICE HOW WE MADE A CIRCLE AND CAME BACK TO WHERE WE STARTED.
- I have to go to them – Ashrich said quietly to himself. But before going, Ashrich looked at the stairs but saw only a wall. And hearing the voice begin to fade, he immediately went toward the guide. In an instant he found the group and, pretending nothing had happened, walked to the exit with everyone else. Approaching the exit, as the sun was already breaking through holes and cracks in the stones, Ashrich looked around and did not notice his friend Andrey. If it weren't for the burning pain that remained where the tattoo was, he might have forgotten what happened to him in that pyramid and gone to look for his friend. Perhaps he was already sitting on the bus waiting for the rest of the group. Entering the bus, Ashrich looked around. Andrey was sitting by the window in one of the front seats. Seeing Ashrich, he waved to him and invitingly gestured toward the adjacent seat. But Ashrich shook his head and sat at the back of the bus. While they rode back, Ashrich didn't even try to get up and talk to his friend; he only looked out the window and thought about what had happened, rubbing his chest.
"So… I won't even ask what that was. – Ashrich thought, watching the landscapes float past the window. - But why did Andrey lead me to that mummy? I need to pin him against the wall and ask a few questions about this. It all looks too much like a vision. There are no shriveled dead men in life who, after thousands of years, get up from their graves as if nothing happened and go about their business."
Arriving at the hotel, the friends parted ways. Ashrich wanted to go with Andrey, but before he could get closer, he lost sight of him.
Evening approached.
Our hero went to dinner thinking that Andrey should appear there. But hope was not meant to be fulfilled: Andrey was not in the dining room. After a quick snack, Ashrich ran to the reception and asked if they had seen him. But the answer confused Ashrich even more: they told him that no one knew any "Andrey," that such a person had not registered at the hotel.
"Damn! And I really didn't see anyone address him by name… - Ashrich reflected. – And where do I look for him now? What to do? Why does it hurt so much?!"
Thus the day passed, but in the evening, when the whole hotel was already asleep, our hero could not close his eyes. Besides his reflections, he was bothered by a burning pain in the left part of his chest.
Deciding to see what was there, Ashrich got up and went to the bathroom to the first-aid kit.
"I think there should be something for this pain in the first-aid kit. Here's an ointment. Now we'll apply it and everything should go away."
Finding the ointment on one of the shelves, the boy approached the mirror and unbuttoned the shirt he hadn't changed since visiting the pyramid.
"Holy cow! – across the entire left side of his chest, the skin looked as if it had been charred, so black it seemed. – Can people really walk around calmly with burns like these?! I should be lying unconscious in a hospital already!"
The thought that he was actually lying in a hospital right now and everything around him was his inflamed imagination was immediately dismissed by Ashrich. Everything was so real that it didn't even cause doubt. Against the burned skin, a thin silhouette of a dark-green spider was visible.
"But why specifically a spider? The dragon gave me this tattoo! What does this spider mean? What does all this even mean? Okay, stop. I need to calm down. Inhale-exhale, inhale-exhale."
Calming down slightly, Ashrich treated the burn with cream, wrapped it in a bandage and decided to take a walk in the garden to organize his thoughts.
He put on sneakers, buttoned his shirt and left the room. The garden was located on the hotel grounds, so he didn't have to go far. Small palms shaded the benches where people sat in the morning and afternoon; wonderful flowers clustered in groups all around the perimeter. From there, there was an excellent view of the beach and the sea, now glistening in the moonlight. The moonlight, reflecting in the sea wave, danced a calm, soothing waltz.
The weather was peaceful, the sky cloudless. The moon illuminated the entire garden, and because of this it became beautiful, filling with colors that could not be seen during the day; they were noticeable only at night. There were also small lanterns illuminating the benches, although there was a flaw in this beauty—mosquitoes, those blood-sucking demons that wouldn't let normal people live.
Ashrich, after walking a bit, decided to sit on a bench. This was the last night at the hotel; tomorrow he would be traveling home. After sitting for a couple of minutes and still coming up with nothing, Ashrich simply began to admire the view.
- Ahem-ahem, excuse me, may I sit here? – a creaky old man's voice tore him from his thoughts. Looking up, Ashrich saw a man leaning on a cane.
- Of course. – he moved to the edge of the bench, showing that he didn't mind company at all. Ashrich looked away from the old man and turned toward the horizon.
- A magical night today, isn't it?
- Yes, indeed it is.
- It feels as if the dead have subdued the weather and made it truly peaceful. Isn't that so?
And at this moment Ashrich looked at the old man with frightened eyes.
"WHAT DID HE SAY?!"
He looked strange—despite it being summer and quite warm outside, the man was wearing a formal suit. On his hands were snow-white gloves. His face was white, matching the tone of his gloves; his eyes glowed slightly, although perhaps that was just how the light reflected.
"I HOPE I MISHEARD."
- M-m-m-m, probably so. – the boy answered nervously.
- And the air here is— - the old man inhaled and exhaled, - wonderful. Were you on the excursion today? The pyramids, probably, if I am mistaken. – The old man looked at Ashrich questioningly.
- You are not mistaken. – Ashrich answered, trying to calm down. However, he failed.
- Yes, it's beautiful there. Although if one is not careful, one can easily get lost and even die. – after this phrase, the strange old man turned his face toward Ashrich.
– By the way, did you know that sometimes during an excursion to the pyramids at least one or two people get lost and cannot be found?
- Yes, I knew, but I was interested in seeing it completely. In the end, I'm sitting here, alive and unharmed. – Ashrich had calmed down a bit and managed to regain control of himself.
- Yes, that's good. But you know, young man, I don't like it when people lie to me. - the person said, breaking into a smile while looking into Ashrich's eyes. Although calling him a "person" was a stretch.
- Who? Me? I'm not lying to you. – the confused boy wondered more and more.
- Well, here we go again. – the old man's smile grew even wider. – Listen, I know what happened to you. I know that you got lost in the temple and spoke with a dragon.
Ashrich's eyes became like two large saucers. He didn't understand what was happening and was already ready to run away, but for some reason his legs gave way and if he had tried to stand up, he would have fallen immediately.
- There is no need to be nervous. I will do you no harm… yet. You don't know what you are dealing with, but I am ready to answer all your questions; just call me. – the old man smiled so that Ashrich could see two fangs. – Here is my business card; you can call at any time, we'll work something out. – placing a small piece of cardboard in Ashrich's hand, he turned away from him. - Human? Alright, I'm off, as I've grown so hungry that my teeth are aching.
The old man stood up from the bench and walked away, but Ashrich didn't have the strength to watch him and simply blacked out. He woke up in the morning with a strange heaviness in his body. He got up from the bench and went to his room. It was dawn. Flopping onto the bed, Ashrich instantly fell asleep and woke up only by lunchtime.
In the evening he packed his things and treated the burn with cream. There was no time for dinner, so he decided he would eat on the plane. But questions continued to arise in his head: "Who was that old man?", "What happened in the pyramid?", "Who was that dragoness?", "Where did Andrey go?". Leaving the hotel, Ashrich cursed and told himself that he would never come here again.
That's basically all. I hope you liked it (I have chapters 2 and 3 but won't post them yet, I'll wait for reactions):)
Hello everyone! Alright, let's get to the main point. This is my first time writing, so please don't be too harsh. IF YOU LIKED IT - WRITE TO ME; IF YOU DIDN'T - WRITE MORE, but be more lenient.
I hope you enjoy it. Happy reading!
Chapter 1
Alive Among the Dead
I want to tell you about a story that is incredible in its own right. It is filled with interesting events, impossible creatures, and an overall unreal plot.
I'll begin my tale with three guys who had been friends since kindergarten. Later they studied together, finished school, and subsequently, as always happens, they moved apart. But, as best friends, they communicated, wrote to each other, and were always in touch. Now they bear the names Ashrich, Aeru, and Azon. Back then they were called something else, but thanks to the Legacy, they received these names. Well, let us begin our story…
First, I'll tell you about Ashrich. He was an ordinary guy from an ordinary home. His parents were reasonably well-off, and in honor of the boy getting into college, they went to Egypt for 7 days. After all, it's not every day you take entrance exams in another country.
Everything was wonderful: sun, sea, sand, pyramids. This is exactly where our hero's story begins. The first 5 days were simply marvelous—he swam in the sea, sunbathed on the beach, and managed to buy some clothes at a little shop in the hotel.
But then came the day, the fateful day that changed Ashrich's life. It began, as usual, with the most hated time of day: the morning.
- So-o-o-on, wake up! Wake up now, it's time for breakfast!
- Just 5 more minutes.
Half an hour later he got up and went to have breakfast. Since a sightseeing trip to the pyramids was planned for that day, he had to dress not quite for summer. A long-sleeved shirt, light sneakers with jeans, and a cap with glasses. The choice of dishes was very rich, as is always the case in good hotels.
- What should I choose? - Ashrich asked himself.
- I suggest choosing the meat—it's especially juicy today. - a voice said from behind.
- M-m-m-m-m thank you. - He turned around and saw his friend Andrey, whom he had met on the plane. – But there's no need to scare me like that, it's not nice. – Ashrich quipped.
- Oh, look how delicate we are! – Andrey smirked. – Alright, let's go eat, that's a good thing!
- By the way, are you going on the excursion to the pyramids? - he asked, with a roll in his mouth, approaching the table where Ashrich's whole family was sitting.
- Of course I am. I generally like places where history happened. Now chew first, then speak!
- Where exactly did history happen there? - Andrey asked, laughing slightly.
- Well, how so! These pyramids were built millennia ago and it's still unclear who exactly built them!
- What's unclear about that? The ancient Egyptians, who else?
- But who knows for sure? Maybe they were aliens, or maybe ancient mages?
- MAGES?! - Andrey began to burst out laughing.
- Yes, mages, what's so strange about that? - Ashrich asked, confused. In reality, Andrey was a complete skeptic and laughed even at the mention of supernatural powers.
- Nothing! - Andrey laughed.
- Oh, forget you! – Ashrich waved him off.
- Son! Let's go get ready. - Ashrich's mother called.
- Coming mom! - Ashrich answered her. – Well, I'll meet you at the bus to the pyramid.
- See ya. - Andrey replied, calming down a bit.
A few hours later they were at the pyramids. The scorching sun beat down on Ashrich's cap-covered head. They had traveled here in safari cars; sand kept trying to get into his eyes, but thanks to the glasses, it couldn't reach its goal. The air burned his throat and he wanted water more and more, which unfortunately was not available, so he had to endure until they arrived. The pyramid was indeed huge: a good old twenty-story house would barely reach the height of this behemoth. The antiquity of the construction was imposing: the stones were already in the penultimate stage of corrosion; it seemed as if they were ready to crumble at any second. Metal beams supported the entrance, and even the sand seemed so ancient that it could compete with Mother Earth herself. There weren't many people, so they quickly gathered into a group. Besides the guys, there were several other tourists and a guide in the group.
-ESTEEMED GUESTS! PLEASE DO NOT FALL BEHIND THE GUIDE - INSIDE THE PYRAMIDS IS A REAL LABYRINTH! WE ASK YOU NOT TO FALL BEHIND THE GUIDE!!- the hotel representatives and the guide himself repeated twice more.
After 5 minutes, the whole group went to explore the depths of the pyramid.
- Upon entering, look to the right—there is a fresco depicting Egyptian gods such as: Selket, Isis, Osiris, Amset, and Amenet, who are sending people to Anubis. - the guide pointed to a huge ancient fresco that had clearly passed through the centuries. It occupied almost the entire wall of the corridor and was nearly destroyed: the colors had faded, and some parts of the image were completely missing. - Researchers say it is one of a kind, as not many frescoes depict such a gathering of gods. And frescoes where the gods are not depicted in yet another battle can be counted on one hand. Here they even cooperate, sending souls to rest with Anubis.
- Very strange. - Andrey said softly.
- What's strange about that? - Ashrich asked.
- Well look… The fresco on the wall is destroyed and there was likely a second part. And also, the people who were supposedly being sent to Anubis by the gods are going to him armed with spears and bows with arrows. - Andrey pointed to the almost erased and inconspicuous images of weapons.
- Come on, don't talk nonsense, someone probably just drew them in later. Look closer, there's hardly any weaponry there. - Ashrich answered skeptically.
- "Drew them in"? Are you kidding me? How could anyone "draw something in" HERE? – Andrey looked at Ashrich as if he were an idiot. - No, there is clearly something wrong with these people.
- What could possibly be wrong with them? What kind of smart-aleck would go to a battle with a god with such meager and primitive weaponry?
- And what mortal smart-aleck would ever go to a battle with a god? – Andrey countered.
- As you can see, on the left are instruments for embalming. The ancient Egyptians believed that the deceased would gain immortality in the afterlife if they were mummified. And before the exit to the corridor, you can see the sarcophagus in which the mummies were actually buried. – the sarcophagus was completely covered in gold, or simply gilded, with symbols that did not correspond at all to those strange Egyptian birds, snakes and such. The golden mask, carved into the lid with a squinting gaze, stared into the distance, or rather, at the wall.
Besides everything else in the hall, along with the sarcophagus and embalming instruments, there were columns with paintings and faded colors, a couple of passages further inside the building, and that was essentially it. But what did you expect? The pyramid is ancient.
- WE ASK EVERYONE NOT TO FALL BEHIND! – the guide repeated again, after which everyone who had remained to take photos and examine the frescoes left their activity and followed him into one of the passages. After a couple of minutes, everyone found themselves in a corridor with many branches that either widened or narrowed.
- Man… it's not easy walking here. – Ashrich stated. – How about you? Huh? Andrey!
Turning around, Ashrich saw his friend Andrey beginning to drift away from the group. Since they were walking at the back, no one but him noticed this.
- Hey, where are you going? - Ashrich whispered to his seemingly spellbound friend. But Andrey showed no sign that he had heard.
- Come over here! - Ashrich whispered nervously again. And in that same second, Andrey began to run and Ashrich, without thinking twice, ran after him. After a few minutes of running, the boy realized this was a bad idea. He found himself in a corridor that would have been dark if not for decorative torches illuminating separate sections of the road. Stopping, he saw two branches:
- Damn, where did he run off to?
Immediately after our hero stopped, he heard a scream from the left corridor. This was certainly a bit frightening, but Ashrich thought it was his friend's voice and, since there was no time to follow anyone else and he didn't feel like screaming back, the boy went in the direction from which the scream had been heard.
After running a couple of meters, the boy heard a light rustle. Stopping, he felt vibrations under his feet. Cracks spread across the floor.
- Damn!
The floor gave way right beneath him and Ashrich fell into a hole. The landing was not soft. Stone floors from thousands of years ago are generally poorly suited for catching human bodies.
- Khek-khe. - only a muffled cough could be heard from his lips. – Where am I?
–Ashrich looked around, but saw only darkness. After a minute, our hero noticed torches lighting up on their own throughout the room:
"Probably the group found me." - he thought, and said aloud:
- Excuse me, I went to look for a friend who fell behind. - Apparently Ashrich thought the torches were electric and lit by pressing a lever. – Help me get up, I'm like stuck!
Our hero was in a large hall, on the walls of which were the now-familiar frescoes, incomprehensible writings, and unfamiliar drawings. Near the frescoes were shelves with… human skulls! Inside them were candles, which, by the way, were also glowing. And this was truly frightening.
No one answered him. Suddenly Ashrich noticed above him a stone carving of a large spider, in certain parts of whose head green stones had been inserted. Ashrich turned his head toward the light and saw a sarcophagus standing before the exit:
- Hey, is anyone here?! Answer me! Where am I?!
After his shout, a rustle was heard again. A stone thud sounded from the direction of the exit. Looking there, the boy turned pale. The lid of the sarcophagus lay on the floor, and SOMETHING was climbing out of the container itself. It was wrapped in bandages, although in some places they were torn, and a skinless human hand was visible. There was a golden mask on its face, and two dark-green lights shone from the eye sockets. The mummy stepped out of its sarcophagus and looked at Ashrich. He, in turn, looked at it and could not say anything due to the fear that enveloped him. The mummy, without taking its eyes off him, took a staff as tall as itself from the sarcophagus, topped with a strange figure that did not resemble any figure known to Ashrich. The mummy's staff began to glow and Ashrich, seeing all this, began to struggle and even scream, but it was useless. It was as if he had been fastened with straps, but most interestingly, no straps or handcuffs were visible. Then the mummy pointed a finger, or what remained of one, at Ashrich and the giant spider above him came to life.
- OH MY GOD! GO AWAY! HELP! A-A-A-A!
The spider slowly approached the hero, while Ashrich screamed louder and struggled more violently. He simply could not believe what was happening and expressed extreme dissatisfaction in his words. Then suddenly, from all the crystals on the spider's head that formed eyes, beams of light burst forth, directed at Ashrich's eyes. Our hero's scream grew louder and louder and then he suddenly fell silent. Silence reigned in the hall.
Ashrich woke up in a strange white room; the walls, ceiling, and even the floor were absolutely white. It seemed as if all of this was just one large white sheet of paper.
- H-e-e-ey, is anyone here? – Ashrich asked nervously, looking around and catching his breath after everything that had happened to him. He breathed heavily and could no longer utter a word because of the fear the mummy had instilled in him. After a couple of minutes he asked again:
- Well, is there at least someone? – the answer was silence. – Well, even silence is better than nothing.
A couple of hours passed like this, but no one answered and Ashrich even began to calm down. Then suddenly from the ceiling, the sky, or whatever that whiteness above him was, a dragon appeared. It was simply huge and black as the night sky. The giant lizard sat right in front of the boy and looked at him with enormous orange eyes that seemed like two small stars. Suddenly Ashrich realized that the dragon would do him no harm, but he was still afraid of it:
- Do not fear me. - a gentle female voice sounded in Ashrich's head.
- …Who are you? - he asked nervously.
- My name is of no importance to you right now. - the dragoness answered calmly.
- What is happening here? Where am I? And what was there, in the pyramid? - the boy continued to ask questions. Suddenly he felt a pain in his heart:
- Ow! What's this? - Ashrich opened his shirt and saw that the skin on the left side of his chest was charring:
- A-a-a-a-a-a-a!- he screamed in pain. The dragoness looked at him calmly, observing the agony. After five minutes it all ended, but the pain did not leave him:
- What did I do to you that you are torturing me? – Ashrich asked through tears.
- I am not torturing you; I am giving you freedom. - the dragoness answered with the same frightening calmness.
After this, she spread her wings. Ashrich looked at her and marveled at her beauty. The dragoness's wings resembled infinite space, and an aura of tranquility spread around her. One wanted to drop everything, forget about everything, lie at her feet and fall asleep. It seemed that if she stood between you and an oncoming wall of fire, you would still be safe. Ashrich looked at her without taking his eyes off. It seemed he was already weeping from her beauty. Suddenly he felt himself falling somewhere.
- Do not fail me, boy. – a relieving quiet whisper reached our hero.
The whiteness around him changed to a darkness as saturated as darkness can possibly be. It seemed he fell for an infinitely long time. Ashrich even began to doubt if he would ever land, until he felt that the flight was over. He landed on something hard, opened his eyes and saw the same hall in which he had watched the mummy awaken. But now there was no one in it and the torches that had previously shone seemed to have stood untouched for many years. The spider, which had recently crawled toward Ashrich, turned out to be almost at the very ceiling.
Ashrich could not, or simply did not want to, utter a single word. He felt that he could now stand and move. Looking around once more, he decided to get up. When Ashrich stood, he saw the same passage before which the mummy had stood; however, no one was there. Taking advantage of the moment, our hero quickly ran to the passage. Stepping out, he saw a staircase leading to an illuminated corridor. And of course, Ashrich ran toward the light. Entering this corridor and going up the stairs, he heard the guide's voice:
- AND NOW WE ARE APPROACHING THE END. I THINK YOU DIDN'T EVEN NOTICE HOW WE MADE A CIRCLE AND CAME BACK TO WHERE WE STARTED.
- I have to go to them – Ashrich said quietly to himself. But before going, Ashrich looked at the stairs but saw only a wall. And hearing the voice begin to fade, he immediately went toward the guide. In an instant he found the group and, pretending nothing had happened, walked to the exit with everyone else. Approaching the exit, as the sun was already breaking through holes and cracks in the stones, Ashrich looked around and did not notice his friend Andrey. If it weren't for the burning pain that remained where the tattoo was, he might have forgotten what happened to him in that pyramid and gone to look for his friend. Perhaps he was already sitting on the bus waiting for the rest of the group. Entering the bus, Ashrich looked around. Andrey was sitting by the window in one of the front seats. Seeing Ashrich, he waved to him and invitingly gestured toward the adjacent seat. But Ashrich shook his head and sat at the back of the bus. While they rode back, Ashrich didn't even try to get up and talk to his friend; he only looked out the window and thought about what had happened, rubbing his chest.
"So… I won't even ask what that was. – Ashrich thought, watching the landscapes float past the window. - But why did Andrey lead me to that mummy? I need to pin him against the wall and ask a few questions about this. It all looks too much like a vision. There are no shriveled dead men in life who, after thousands of years, get up from their graves as if nothing happened and go about their business."
Arriving at the hotel, the friends parted ways. Ashrich wanted to go with Andrey, but before he could get closer, he lost sight of him.
Evening approached.
Our hero went to dinner thinking that Andrey should appear there. But hope was not meant to be fulfilled: Andrey was not in the dining room. After a quick snack, Ashrich ran to the reception and asked if they had seen him. But the answer confused Ashrich even more: they told him that no one knew any "Andrey," that such a person had not registered at the hotel.
"Damn! And I really didn't see anyone address him by name… - Ashrich reflected. – And where do I look for him now? What to do? Why does it hurt so much?!"
Thus the day passed, but in the evening, when the whole hotel was already asleep, our hero could not close his eyes. Besides his reflections, he was bothered by a burning pain in the left part of his chest.
Deciding to see what was there, Ashrich got up and went to the bathroom to the first-aid kit.
"I think there should be something for this pain in the first-aid kit. Here's an ointment. Now we'll apply it and everything should go away."
Finding the ointment on one of the shelves, the boy approached the mirror and unbuttoned the shirt he hadn't changed since visiting the pyramid.
"Holy cow! – across the entire left side of his chest, the skin looked as if it had been charred, so black it seemed. – Can people really walk around calmly with burns like these?! I should be lying unconscious in a hospital already!"
The thought that he was actually lying in a hospital right now and everything around him was his inflamed imagination was immediately dismissed by Ashrich. Everything was so real that it didn't even cause doubt. Against the burned skin, a thin silhouette of a dark-green spider was visible.
"But why specifically a spider? The dragon gave me this tattoo! What does this spider mean? What does all this even mean? Okay, stop. I need to calm down. Inhale-exhale, inhale-exhale."
Calming down slightly, Ashrich treated the burn with cream, wrapped it in a bandage and decided to take a walk in the garden to organize his thoughts.
He put on sneakers, buttoned his shirt and left the room. The garden was located on the hotel grounds, so he didn't have to go far. Small palms shaded the benches where people sat in the morning and afternoon; wonderful flowers clustered in groups all around the perimeter. From there, there was an excellent view of the beach and the sea, now glistening in the moonlight. The moonlight, reflecting in the sea wave, danced a calm, soothing waltz.
The weather was peaceful, the sky cloudless. The moon illuminated the entire garden, and because of this it became beautiful, filling with colors that could not be seen during the day; they were noticeable only at night. There were also small lanterns illuminating the benches, although there was a flaw in this beauty—mosquitoes, those blood-sucking demons that wouldn't let normal people live.
Ashrich, after walking a bit, decided to sit on a bench. This was the last night at the hotel; tomorrow he would be traveling home. After sitting for a couple of minutes and still coming up with nothing, Ashrich simply began to admire the view.
- Ahem-ahem, excuse me, may I sit here? – a creaky old man's voice tore him from his thoughts. Looking up, Ashrich saw a man leaning on a cane.
- Of course. – he moved to the edge of the bench, showing that he didn't mind company at all. Ashrich looked away from the old man and turned toward the horizon.
- A magical night today, isn't it?
- Yes, indeed it is.
- It feels as if the dead have subdued the weather and made it truly peaceful. Isn't that so?
And at this moment Ashrich looked at the old man with frightened eyes.
"WHAT DID HE SAY?!"
He looked strange—despite it being summer and quite warm outside, the man was wearing a formal suit. On his hands were snow-white gloves. His face was white, matching the tone of his gloves; his eyes glowed slightly, although perhaps that was just how the light reflected.
"I HOPE I MISHEARD."
- M-m-m-m, probably so. – the boy answered nervously.
- And the air here is— - the old man inhaled and exhaled, - wonderful. Were you on the excursion today? The pyramids, probably, if I am mistaken. – The old man looked at Ashrich questioningly.
- You are not mistaken. – Ashrich answered, trying to calm down. However, he failed.
- Yes, it's beautiful there. Although if one is not careful, one can easily get lost and even die. – after this phrase, the strange old man turned his face toward Ashrich.
– By the way, did you know that sometimes during an excursion to the pyramids at least one or two people get lost and cannot be found?
- Yes, I knew, but I was interested in seeing it completely. In the end, I'm sitting here, alive and unharmed. – Ashrich had calmed down a bit and managed to regain control of himself.
- Yes, that's good. But you know, young man, I don't like it when people lie to me. - the person said, breaking into a smile while looking into Ashrich's eyes. Although calling him a "person" was a stretch.
- Who? Me? I'm not lying to you. – the confused boy wondered more and more.
- Well, here we go again. – the old man's smile grew even wider. – Listen, I know what happened to you. I know that you got lost in the temple and spoke with a dragon.
Ashrich's eyes became like two large saucers. He didn't understand what was happening and was already ready to run away, but for some reason his legs gave way and if he had tried to stand up, he would have fallen immediately.
- There is no need to be nervous. I will do you no harm… yet. You don't know what you are dealing with, but I am ready to answer all your questions; just call me. – the old man smiled so that Ashrich could see two fangs. – Here is my business card; you can call at any time, we'll work something out. – placing a small piece of cardboard in Ashrich's hand, he turned away from him. - Human? Alright, I'm off, as I've grown so hungry that my teeth are aching.
The old man stood up from the bench and walked away, but Ashrich didn't have the strength to watch him and simply blacked out. He woke up in the morning with a strange heaviness in his body. He got up from the bench and went to his room. It was dawn. Flopping onto the bed, Ashrich instantly fell asleep and woke up only by lunchtime.
In the evening he packed his things and treated the burn with cream. There was no time for dinner, so he decided he would eat on the plane. But questions continued to arise in his head: "Who was that old man?", "What happened in the pyramid?", "Who was that dragoness?", "Where did Andrey go?". Leaving the hotel, Ashrich cursed and told himself that he would never come here again.
That's basically all. I hope you liked it (I have chapters 2 and 3 but won't post them yet, I'll wait for reactions):)
