Legend of the Eleventh Slayer

Chapter Two

Chapter Two

“After Caesar's assassination in 44 BC, Cleopatra aligned herself with Mark Antony and bore him three heirs; the twins Cleopatra Selene II and Alexander Helios, as well as another son, Ptolemy Philadelphus. However, after Antony lost the Battle of Actium against Octavian's forces, and his subsequent suicide, Cleopatra followed him into the afterlife as per tradition, by being bitten by an asp in 30 BC. This officially made Cleopatra the last active Pharaoh of Egypt, and soon after her death the kingdom became a Roman province. Depicted in the statue before you is the image of Cleopatra allowing herself to be bitten by the asp that would take her life.”

Jason smiled and moved closer to the golden statue on display, a sense of wonder filling his heart. He and Amy stood inside the packed Museum of Cairo, tourists talking in hushed and excited whispers all around them. It was the mid day and it had taken the two of them almost an hour just to get inside the museum; but it was well worth it, and Jason was glad he had convinced Amelia to buy an audio tour that they both could listen to. Jason enjoyed ancient history, and this was one of the most well preserved collections of artifacts he had ever seen. It was even better than the displays they had been shown when his school had gone to Greece for spring break.

Everywhere he looked he found artifacts that dated back a thousands of years, and most of them were so well preserved that they almost looked brand new. Statues, urns, jars, coffins, scrolls, and even mummified bodies filled the massive museum, and the light streaming down in from the high windows made everything glimmer like they were magical. Right now Jason was a kid in a candy store, and boy did he have a sweet tooth.

The item that currently held his interest was the depiction of the seventh Cleopatra committing suicide, and her marvelled at how well crafted it was. Cleopatra was a culmination of some of the oldest and largest empires in the world, with her ancestor being Alexander the Great, and two of her lovers being rulers of Rome. And this one single woman stood right in the middle of it all; gorgeous, smart, and very powerful. She was easily one of the most influential women to have ever lived, and her actions shaped the world for thousands of years.

Now, while the majority of the other artifacts were protected by thick and reinforced glass, the small statue he stood before in that moment was not. It was atop a pedestal against a wall, with only a velvet rope separating it from the grubby hands of all the tourists who passed by. It was pretty strange that something that was so old wouldn't be protected, but Jason really didn't care. He was mesmerized by the beauty of the statue and the palms of his hands began to sweat. He was so close he could just reach out and touch it. Just once, just to see what it felt like. How many other times would someone ever get a chance to touch a piece of history with their bare hands like that? Probably never. This was a once in a life time opportunity, and he was going to take it.

So with his heart beating loudly in his chest and a bead of sweat rolling down his cheek, he slowly moved his hand towards the golden statue only a foot away from him. The anticipation was powerful, and his movements were slow because of it; but it was just right there. Just a few more seconds and he could wrap his fingers around it. Just... a... few... more... seconds.

SLAP!

In a flash, Amelia's hand darted out and smacked his just as his fingers had been about to touch the statue for the first time. With the sting of pain in his hand, Jason quickly pulled his back and held it to his chest as it throbbed, confusion painting his mind as he looked towards his friend. The normally mean Amy stood six inches away, connected to Jason by the wire from the ear buds they shared to listen to the audio tour they had bought from the front desk. There was disappointment painted on her face, and her eyes held him for a long moment.