The Valley of Kings and a Queen

Chapter 12

That night I fall asleep and enter the duat.

"Well, she made it just on time," Henri says pushing himself off the wall, and grabbing a dagger from his waist belt.

"Who's ready," Grey asks chuckling. I try to contain my excitement. I'm on a quest finally. I know I know the last time I was here it wasn't the best situation per say and I wasn't really wanting to stay long. This time, I feel more comfortable here as though I was meant to be here. This was my mission, my quest. I guess our quest, but I don't want to brag though I kind of jump started this whole idea.

"So, where do we start?" Aiden asks.

"Finding Anubis," Olivier says.

"I'm here," Grey raises one of his hands and gives him a wave.

"I meant finding his throne room, the Hall of Judgment," Olivier says clearly not excited by the adventure to come.

"Grey lead the way, you should have a sense of where it is," Finley gestures for him to lead the way, "everyone be on guard always. We never know what might be lurking around the corner."

I draw up a small dagger in my right hand ready this time for battle. Last time, the boys might have done everything, but I've changed, and I'm not going to let them think I'm always the one in need of saving.

"Once I lead us there, I doubt I will be much help to you guys," Grey says starkly. Once we were in the position of a god's home in the duat, Grey wouldn't have much if any control over himself. The god would completely take over most likely not for our benefit.

We started walking down this corridor lined with hieroglyphics. They depict gruesome scenes of epic battles and deaths as well as beautiful pictures depicting the earth and glorious kingdoms that reigned above the surface. Grey picks up his speed, and we follow his steps down this maze of a labyrinth. Wind blows through the cavern, and I swear I heard voices whisper to me as we raced down the different hallways. It was as though they were calling to me.

Grey stopped in the center of where the passage forked into four different passageways all leading into darkness. Save me, save me voices cry call from the passageway to the right. A handful of serpents come around the corner, and begin to crawl over the floor slowly approaching, their tongues flickering as if they are mocking us. The boys and I stand shoulder to shoulder facing them ready for a battle. Instead of attacking, the biggest snake opens its mouth showing us these two huge fangs hanging from the roof it's mouth, and I step back expecting it to snap and bite us, but instead it's mouth opens addressing Finley.

"Don't you want to sssss-save them," the serpent taunts. Finley presses the palms of his hand to its head. "There ssssuffering. They need you to sssss-save them. The fire is ssss-smoldering but just your cool touch could sssss-save," I wasn't sure the serpent was referencing.

Grey takes his blade and slashes the snake's head, it rolls right off into the corner only to reform.

"I'm ssssssssss-till here," it provokes. So, snakes that can't die. Love to see that for us.

"Finley, you musssst sssss-save them," it gestures to a place where the cries are coming from.

"Finley, they are not there," Grey cries, "Finley, your father he's not there. It's not his voice," Grey pleas with him, but Finley starts to step forward to where the cries are coming from. The rest of the boys are calling to Finley but he's lost in a trance.

"You'll sssss-see, you can ssss-save them,"

"Finley," I join in the pleading, "they're okay. They aren't there, they love you, and wouldn't want you to go," tears had started to form in my eyes, and my vision has become glassy. I reach out and grab his placing it into mine and squeeze it tightly, "I'm here, Grey's here, your friends are here, they need you here, not there" I beg.

Finley starts moving faster towards the screams following the snakes who guide him, but I act fast, dropping his one hand and grabbing the other that holds his knife. I guide his hand slicing the snakes that surround him left and right until we have room. Finley's becoming faint, so Henri and Aiden grab his arms and start to run carrying him away.

"Go left," Grey signals slicing off the rest of the snakes and creating a boundary of magic to keep us protected until we have space between us and the serpents.

We run for what feels like twenty minutes down this hall until we fall tirelessly against the wall. Finley has gained more strength.

"Are you okay?" Olivier asks.

Finley's about to cry, and I don't think I have seen him looking so weak before.

"The serpents...they were telling me that my father. He was there in this lake and needed to be saved. He needed a drink," Finley stammers on.

Grey nods his head. "They just wanted to trick you. They wanted you to die in the lake of fire. That's why those souls are crying. They are in eternal punishment sort of like their own hell, but they just used him to try to convince you."

"Why just Finley," I ask.

"Who's to say honestly, the underworld can be cruel like that," Henri says.

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The next morning in biology, Finley's quiet, but our teacher lectures the whole time giving us little time to converse anyways.

"This weekend, I have assigned you and your partner lab ten in your manual: investing an ecosystem. You and your partner will head to the assigned park or outdoor location in order to explore the area. You will then investigate the ecosystem there. There you will be asked to jot down the particular animals, plants, as well as abiotic factors. Then provide your responses to the questions in the lab manual. I refuse to accept half done lab reports. It will be very obvious to me who took this assignment seriously and actually went to their assigned location versus those who did not. This lab grade will be worth double the points of a normal lab," Mr. Evans goes on. When he finishes his tangent about the lab, he passes out the list of our lab table numbers and our assignment location. Table twelve: The Long Water. Never heard it, but then again, I have been here for what? Less than a month and haven't really taken advantage of exploring the country.

"Ah the Long Water, it's in the Kensington Gardens," Finley explains, but I raise my eyebrows as if to say that means nothing to me, "It's in Westminster, relatively close to the Thames River and the British Museum." He rips out a piece of notebook paper drawing me a map of London. The river, the museum, and waterway make a slight triangle in a way.

"So, does the queen live nearby somewhere?" I ask. I have no knowledge about British royalty, and now that I think about it, why haven't I been trying to meet a prince of some sort while I'm abroad. I clearly haven't been using my time wisely.

"You mean Buckingham palace?" Finley laughs as we get up to leave.

"Sorry that I'm not a huge fan of British royalty,"

"Clearly."