Maev and the Destiny of Dragons

 “Your daughter, King Corliss, is lost!”, the oracle declared darkly. “Consumed by the callous flames of war.” 

“Bah!”, Corliss said hotly. “I don’t come to you to tell me what I know! Where is her body? We must retrieve it before the humans desecrate her making impossible for her soul to pass to afterlife.” 

The oracle gave Corliss a look of distaste then waved a clawed hand through the thin, white smoke that rose from a candle and closed her eyes. 

“Close she is. And yet,” the oracle broke off her eyes opening wide. 

“What? What do you see?”, said Corliss impatiently as he grabbed the oracle's shoulders and lifted her up. 

“Your highness, the oracle must not be distracted, or the connection will be lost,” a bronze dragon to the King’s right warned. 

The King grumbled but released the oracle who returned to her seat. 

“There are two paths. Two journeys that have become one.” The oracle nodded to herself then breathed deeply. She clasped her hands in front of her face and closed her eyes. 

“I-I don’t understand”, the King said in a very low voice. 

The oracle opened her eyes and stared hard at the candle. The tiny flame danced about under her gaze. 

“Her fate is not yet decided. But her path is unclear. Clouded it is. Crossed with the life of another.” 

“Is she, is she alive?” 

“Yes,” said the oracle in a hushed voice. 

“Where? Where is my daughter?” 

“Welcome to the Elder Tombs in the Valley the Kings!”, crowed Professor Buckling as she extended her arms to the sides. “As part of you young mages exchange semesters with us at École et Lettres d'Ingénieurs I’ve decided to include this trip as a part of our lesson plan with the goal of showing you how supernatural phenomena can, at times, be easily explained through science and technology while at the same time also showing how the two can complement each other to exceed even the most optimistic expectations!” 

“This sounds like it’s going to be even more boring than her lesson on quantum dynamics,” said Bengt causing a few students around him to chuckle. 

“Ah yes! That excitement you are already experiencing will only grow as we make our way deeper into the pyramid,” Professor Buckling said enthusiastically completely misinterpreting the reason for the laughter.  

“For example, here at the entrance to this pyramid is a seemingly normal opening allowing us to enter and exit,” Professor Buckling said as she pointed at the enrry way to the pyramid.  

“But as you pass under, take a moment to look up. There you will see scripts written in the form of hieroglyphics. These hieroglyphics were powerful spells meant to capture meta energy, harness it and create a portal that would transport any individual passing through to a completely different place than inside the pyramid. A feat that simple spells and incantations on their own could never accomplish.,” she finished with a sniff. “Of course, this was part of a silly supersition and I assure you that the entire grounds have been reviewed so that no magic can occur. All that remains is the script that tells us of a rather crude belief system from ancient times.” 

“Now, if you continue this way, we’ll explore the main corridor that is open to the public before making our way to the antechamber and finally the burial chamber. Please do be careful children. While this is now an historical site it is still considered to be a holy place for the inhabitants in this area and is highly revered.” 

After all had passed through the entrance Maev thought she heard a low humming sound. The sound seemed to be coming from above her. As she looked up she saw the hieroglyphics pulsated a blue and then flashed. Blidded, Maev staggered backwards, rubbed her eyes and looked around, but nothing seemed different. She turned around to see the class had started down a flight of steps and she hurried to catch up. 

“Bengt!” she called out to him. 

“What is it, Maev?” Bengt asked, turning to face her. 

“Did you hear that weird humming sound when we walked through the gateway or see that flash of light?” 

“Nope.”  

Maev ran her fingers through her golden hair. Ever since she had become a dragon her world had gotten turned topsy turvy. She was strong, faster, could cast spells and she could fly but she also had these odd memories that floated around in her head. Nothing distinct. Just fragments. Like a vivid dream that she really wanted to remember but couldn’t quite get to the front of her mind. Maybe the humming and flash were part of her heightened senses and connection with meta energy. Given how much this place used to give off it wouldn’t surprise her if there was still some lingering about. 

Maev shook her head. Just over thinking it is all. 

“Now class, as we make our way to the burial chamber you will notice on your left and additoinal hieroglyphics. Unlike the utterances in the entryway these writings were meant to serve as a guide to assist the individual entombed to get to the afterlife. Scribes wrote these supposed spells on the walls of tombs before they were carved. Then, the craftsmen decorating the tomb carved the hieroglyphics or painted them. Finally, the head scribe checked over the work that had been done to make sure it was correct. 

Remember, the craftsmen could not always read what they were carving on the walls, and a missed line or sign could mean that the spells were not effective. This text is commonly referred to as the Book of the Dead. In this scene the ibis-headed Thoth, scribe of the gods, records the result of a test. If the heart equaled exactly the weight of the feather, the soul is allowed to pass into the afterlife. If not, the soul is eaten by the waiting chimeric devouring creature Ammit composed of the deadly crocodile, lion, and hippopotamus.  This is another fine example of a rather primitive form of technology that combines the devotion to the ancient belief to the existence of magic as a means to manipulate meta energy for spells and sorcery,” she said chuckling at the last part to herself. 

Maev stopped to look at the drawings. One showed a heart being weighed on a scale against the feather of truth by a jackal-headed humanoid. The whole scene seemed to flex and move as the heart dipped on the scale, shuddered then slowly began to rise. Maev reached out in wonderment and touched the wall. 

“No touching the artifacts!” came a hard voice from a guard to her right that shook Maev from her reverie. She turned to look at the guard and noticed two teenage dragons, one silver and the other moonstone, standing next to him. Both seemed to be looking at her with a mixture of surprise and awe. Maev felt the heat rising in her cheeks, apologized to the guard then ran to catch-up with the rest of the group. 

“Did you see that?”, Maev asked Bengt. 

“See what?” 

“The pictures! They were moving!” 

Bengt looked back over his shoulder then at Maev. 

“I don’t see anything.” 

“Hey Ben, I think your girlfriend is going crazy in this place,” sniggered one of the boys. 

“Bite me Eggers! And she’s not my girlfriend. We’re partners for Athlos Racing is all.” 

“Ooo, I think we hit a soft spot,” the boy continued. 

Bengt grabbed the Eggers by his robe and made to hit him when he heard Professor Buckling clear her throat. 

Bengt turned to look at her, smiled then released Eggers’ robe. 

“Now, let us continue to the antechamber children,” Buckling said staring at the two boys as they made their way by her. 

“Here children is the antechamber. What you see here are just a few of what once was many of the household items for the Empress Grynvyr Saresh’s voyage to eternity were found. Off this room to the back you will see an entry to an annex. The annex contained nearly half of the tomb's total contents. It was stacked with hundreds of reed baskets and pottery jars, containing provisions for the dead king. Royal furniture and elaborate urns were strewn among these ordinary objects.” 

As Professor Buckling continued to explain what could be found in the room Maev wandered over to an area cordoned off by a stancion. The two dragons she had seen earlier came up to stand close on either side of her. 

“Ow! What was that for?” Maev said as the one to her left plucked a hair from her head. 

The silver dragon pulled out a small bowl from her jacket that contained some form of green powder and blew a thin yellow flame into it. A puff of smoke floated out of the bowl as the three looked up at it. 

“It’s her,” the silver dragon confirmed. 

“How can you tell?”, the moonstone dragon asked. 

“Weren’t you paying attention at all to the oracle?” she asked to which the moonstone dragon shrugged his shoulders. 

“And now class, let’s move unto the burial chamber,” Professor Buckling said and guided the group into the next room. 

Maev took the opportunity to dart out from between the two dragons and ran over to Bengt almost knocking him over. 

“Ok, serioulsy. What’s going on with you?” Bengt asked. 

“Those two dragons,” she said pointing behind her. “I’ve never seen them before.” 

“They’re probably from another school touring this dump.” 

“But where did they come from?” she asked in a tight whisper. “I didn’t see them come in with our group. And remember what Professor Buckling said on the way over here; only one group at time can go in so that they can control the amount of people in here to limit the potential deterioation of the site.” 

“Since when do I pay attention to what a teacher says?” Bengt replied with a smirk. 

“Quiet! Quiet please! This is still considered a holy place by the Votheans.” Professor Buckling admonished. 

Maev grimaced as the group moved into the burial chamber. 

The chamber was guarded by two sentry statues. One had the head of a falcon and the sun-disk inside a cobra resting on his head. The other was a woman with a helmet made of stressed bronze that covered her entire head and neck, with slits for the eyes and mouth and a red plume that ran down the middle. A large curved projection protected the nape of her neck. For armor she wore scuplted bronze cuirass that covered her torso, a defensive skirt of leather came out of the cuirass from her waist defending her hips and thighs. On one arm she carried a semi-cylindrical shield made of plywood and covered with calfskin while in the other she proudly held a spear above her head in salute. Around her shoulders was a rectangular cloak of heavy wool held together at her collar by a brooch in the shape of griffin.  

The group passed through the entry and moved around the sarcophagus that lay in the center of the room. The room was built entirely of rose granite with walls are painted with scenes of the Emperor and Empress in the afterworld - the ritual of "opening the mouth" to give life to the deceased, the solar bark on which one travels to the afterworld, and presented their souls in the presence of the god of Death and Rebirth and Master of the Underworld. Small apertures in the ceiling led to shafts on the north and south walls that pierced through the outer surface of the pyramid. 

“Now children, you will see above us are two shafts. At first it was believed these were meant for ventialation however a discovery by the great scientist Urloc the Unwise,” 

“I thought he was a sorceror?” Bengt asked Maev. 

“When you’re great everyone tries to claim you for their own.” 

“Ahem,” Professor Buckling clearerd her thoat and stared over at Maev and Bengt accusinginly. “As I was saying, Urloc the Unwise rectified this error when he concluded, after much research, that the astronomical sight lines correlated with specifc star constellations positioning in the sky. The north shaft of the Emperess’ Chamber aligns with Ursa Minor which the Vothea people called Draco. Draco was associated with the goddess Tawret who was an ancient Vothea patron of childbirth and a protector of women and children. The southern shaft in the Emperor’s Chamber reaches to the outer surface of the Pyramid and is thought to be aligned with Orion’s belt. Orion was associated with Osiris, and was also the god of the netherworld. Thus, it was of high astrological importance and considered to be a symbol of immortality as it never left the night sky.” 

“Excuse me,” said a boy to Maevs left and he pushed in-between her and Bengt. At the same time a girl wedged onto ther rigth side. Maev glanced at the two and realized it was the two dragons from earlier and she let out a gasp. 

“Ok this is it,” the girl said. 

“Are you sure Astira? Why can’t we all just go out the front door?”, the boy dragon asked. 

“You really didn’t listen to a bloody word the oracle said, did you?” Astira said rolling her eyes. 

“Teacher’s pet!” 

“It has to be in the burial chamber. We just have to recite the utterances around the edges. That’ll activate the spell and then we go home with Erylis.” 

“Erylis, is it really you? We thought you had died in the Battle of Raith”, the boy dragon to her right whispered. 

“Birlen, use proper titles!,” Astira hissed. 

“We’re all friends here Astira. She does look different though. More humanoid.” 

“Your majesty,” Astira huffed. “if you could hold still for one moment.”  

"What are you two talking about? Who is your majesty? I died?”, Maev asked confused. 

“She must be disoriented,” Birlen assumed. 

“Concussed most likely from the battle.”, Astira added. 

“Concussed? Battle? What’re you talking about? Who are you?” 

“Just, take it easy Erylis. We’re here to free you before the Commoners try to send your soul to the afterlife,” Astira said trying to reassure Maev. 

“Free me? Free me from what?”, said Maev in an anxious voice. 

“Let’s just say the words and get out of here,” Birlen said. 

“Fine! Just keep her calm!”, said Astira testily. 

“The sky is covered, the stars are darkened, the bow-clouds tremble, the bones of the earth-gods shake, take your head, collect your bones, gather your limbs, shake the earth from your flesh!”, Astira shouted and raised her hands up to the celing. 

The floor beneath them began to shake as the hieroglyphics around them started to shimmer and glow a briliant blue. 

“Hey Maev, what’re you’re friends doing?”, Bengt asked hesitatntly. 

“They are not my friends!”, Maev responded tersely. “That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you!” 

“Take your bread that rots not, stand at the gates that bar the common people! The gatekeeper comes out to you, he grasps your hand, takes you into heaven, to your father.” 

“Students! Students, please stop what you are doing,” Professor Buckling demanded but the Astira continued on reciting the spell.  

“He rejoices at your coming, gives you his hands, kisses you, caresses you, sets you before the spirits, the imperishable stars...” she continued on her voice now changed to a deep and resounding echo around the chamber Astira’s head rolled back and her eyes glowed crimson. 

“Uh, Astira. What’re you doing?”, Birlen asked in a small voice. 

“The hidden ones worship you, the great ones surround you, the watchers wait on you, as ordered done for you by your father, rise up, O Grynvyr Saresh, you shall not die!”, A broad smile spread across her lips in satisfaction as she finished the encantation. 

Suddely the room went pitch black and the students screamed. Only the glow from the hieroglyphics and Astira’s eyes illiminated the room. Then, before Maev could react, Astira grabbed her and Birlans’s arms dragging them with her as she floated upwards. 

“Maev?”, Bengt called out but no answer came. 

“Alright, I’ve had about enough of this!”, he said as he jumped up and grabbed Astira’s booted ankle. “Let my friend go!” 

The dragon that was Astira looked down at Bengt with curiosity. 

“You are not one to join me in the after life,” Grynvyr Saresh responded and she kicked Bengt in the face. Bengt grimaced and wiped the blood from his nose. 

“I’m a lot harder to get rid of then that,” Bengt said as he reached up to grab her knee. 

“So be it,” Grynvyr Saresh said as she reared her head up to the ceiling, inhaled sharply then turned back to Bengt. 

“Oh boy!” Bengt said in alarm as he let go of Astira and scrambled to the side just as she unleased a wave of silver flame. 

Grynvyr Saresh then turned her attention back to the two shafts above and disappeared along with Maev and Birlen. As soon as she did the lights came back on and the room stopped shaking. 

‘You!” Professor Buckling admonished Bengt. “You have some explaining to do. Not just to me but to the authorities!” 

Bengt could only look up at the empty shaft and at the dragon’s boot he had accidentally pulled off and wonder, Where on Earths are you Maev?