Blood Shed

Egypt was a peaceful place to spend life, even after life. The evening sky was beautiful with the dark blue color and the same lit stars. Of course the night was about to be lit up with blood knowing what her majesty was out doing to her new born child. Well, one of the two new bourns. The pharaoh and his wife had twins recently. A baby boy and a baby girl…. Joyful yeha whatever…. For some reason the queen wasn’t happy with her two children and believed that each of them were going to grow up to be evil. Evil, I thought as I looked out at the sky from the balcony I stood on.

Pharaoh Ramos, a good friend and my king walked out onto the balcony with anger raging on his face.

“What is it, your highness?” I asked.

“Eva…. She took Nala tonight.”

“Ah…. Young Princess Nala.”

“She did this last night with Niki…. The guards are out looking for her…. If I were a saiyan, I wouldn’t surrender to the good of mankind…. I would use the ability to teach my people a lesson that they can’t mess with me.”

I nodded at the sound of the kings words. “Yes some just don’t know what they have.... Inhuman abilities…. It’s a gift from the Gods and Goddesses and yet they want to throw it all away.”

“Nala and Niki each are saiyans.”

“How do you know that?  They’re just infants.”

“Eva told me…. Along with Maxumous…. They should know they’re both saiyans themselves….”

I nodded again as a guard ran up out onto the balcony.

“Sir, the queen…. They have her and their heading back….”

“And what of Nala?”

“She’s alive and well…. Eva had no chance…. They stopped her just in time.”

“Good….” Ramos turned his attention toward me. “Imhotep, come with me and when I give the order kill Eva…. I don’t want her to keep doing this every night…. She might wind up actually killing one of my two saiyan children…. If anything, I would want her to kill Simba instead but that doesn’t seem like a choice with her.”

I bowed my head. “Of course, your highness.”

 

 

I followed Ramos out of the palace doors and out into the open streets in midnight hour as the guard’s dragged Queen Eva over toward us. The queen’s wig had fallen off, revealing her black long wavy hair and sweat from fighting the guards. It had seemed that even for one with her inhuman ability she wasn’t all that strong. It was most likely from giving birth to the twins.

I stood behind Ramos, waiting for the right moment.

“Were you going to drown Nala like you were going to drown Niki last night, Eva?” Ramos asked in a tone which revealed anger but at the same time managed to stay calm.

“Because the both of….” Eva began to speak but Ramos cut her off.

“You didn’t try and drown Simba.”

“That’s because he’s not going to….”

“Imhotep.”

“Yes, sir,” I replied.

“I want you to put my wife to death.”

“Yes, sir.” I walked over to Eva and grabbed her arm. “You’re coming with me.”

 

 

I dragged her highness down to the mummification room where a few men were, wearing mask of Anubis. “Out,” I ordered and they nodded. I waited for the men to leave as I pushed the queen onto the mummification table pulled out a hidden knife.

“Imhotep,” she whispered as tears fell from her eyes. “Nala and Niki…. They’re going to grow up and become monsters if they’re not stopped.”

I shook my head and rolled my eyes.

“Please listen to me…. You must kill them now while you have a chance…. While their still infants or horrible things will happen….”

“Now why would I listen to you?  Is that your dying wish, Queen Eva?”

“Yes…. Look I don’t care if you kill me but you must stop them…. It’s the only way for Egypt to-”

I stuck the knife into the queen’s heart, interrupting her sentence. “What’s done is done, your highness?” I laughed as she took her last and final breath. “Have fun in the afterlife.”

 

 

Sixteen long years past and I found myself, hating the young prince and princess. Each of them were monsters but I was the one who was supposed to do the evil bidding not the two spoiled little brats the pharaoh called his son and daughter. Go get Nala…. I need to talk to her along with Niki and Simba, I thought to myself in anger as I walked down the hall and found her highness walking in the opposite direction. “Princess Nala,” I spoke, showing tolerance toward her, “your father is waiting for you in the dining hall along with your brothers.” I was ticked off with the fact that I had the pharaoh wanted me to rounded up his three children.

Princess Nala sighed. “Thank you, Imhotep.” She continued to walk toward the direction I was walking from which led toward the stupid dining hall.

“Oh and you might want to watch your behavior today, your royal highness.” I had to say something to tick the child off.  It was fun watching her stop in her tracks and clench her fist.

I knew she couldn’t resist the urge to spin around and eye me. “I don’t care who you are but  you shouldn’t disrespect me, especially in my home.”

“I wasn’t disrespecting you.” I laughed, evilly. “But come on, Nala, you have destroyed more than half this city within two full days…. What kind of princess does that?”

She continued to eye me with flaming anger growing in her eyes.

“You know they believe that you’re just a demon.”

“Oh what do you know?” she hissed the words as if they had some effect but I could care less.

I raised an eyebrow at the princess. “You’re a wolf in sheep clothing…. Or should I say girl?” An evil smile worked its way upon my face. “You know it’s true and there's nothing that you can do about it.”

“What I do to the humans who don’t obey me is up to me…. Not you.”

“Yes, threatening them is worth wild, isn’t it?”

I listened as she growled. I walked away from her because I had my fun.

 

 

I headed out into the hot sandy city and worked my way through the village to check up on the slaves. It was part of my job to make sure the guards had the slaves working and made sure they had no breaks. We couldn’t afford to let them stop in the middle of the busiest time before the rainy season. We needed to make sure we had supplies and the city walls could block the flood waters if the river over filled from rain. It wasn’t impossible and it had happened on occasion so we liked to be prepared when I ran into Maxumous and his son, Tommus.

Maxumous one of the pharaoh’s brothers and a saiyan along with his son just like Nala and Niki. His light brown dirty messy hair couldn’t seem to make up its mind.

His son on the other hand seemed to be more together as far as clean and calm went.

“Maxumous, Tommus, what pleasure brings the both of you here?” I asked.

“Nala,” Maxumous replied with a sadden tone. “We heard about the fire from the other side of the village and figured it was her.”

I sighed and nodded. “She is in trouble for that,” I spoke my words carelessly, knowing that the pharaoh would let her off without a fair warning.

“Imhotep,” Maxumous spoke with more sadness along with worry, “she must be destroyed…. I hate saying that and especially because of the fact that she is family but she’s dangerous and needs to be stopped before she only gets worse.”

“Sounds like you have to talk to your brother about this matter…. Seeing that Nala is his only daughter and knowing how much he loves his three children…. I don’t think it would be that easy.”

Maxumous took a deep breath.

“There’s nothing we could do, father,” Tommus spoke, softly. “At least not right now. We should head back home.”

“Don’t give up a fight that easily, Tommus,” I spoke with a small but sad smile even though my thoughts were to kill the princess myself. “She’s only doing what she knows she can get away with.”

“That’s the problem,” Tommus answered. “She gets away with everything…. Even murder.” His words were filled with sadness like his father’s words were. They were the ones who tried to do right instead of what we did in the palace.

“Don’t worry about Nala…. She’s-”

“Inhuman,” Maxumous finished. “I don’t blame Eva for trying to kill Nala and Niki as infants…. Egypt would be better off if she had…. Sometimes it’s the wrong things that can save the humans from this kind of danger.”

I stood as I watched Maxumous cross his arms and look up at the golden palace.

“This is dangerous,” he spoke in a soft voice. “Her and Niki both…. Niki is the lesser of the two evils.”

Babysitting the Princess

          I worked my way worked my way through the streets as I passed by working slaves.  Good, good, I thought as I nodded toward a few guards who were keeping the Hebrews under control.  I noticed a man in a dark cloak which hid his face and oddly enough the sleeves went beyond his hands.  He held onto a sithe as he kept his head down.  “Isn’t it a little too hot out here to be wearing that?” I asked as I walked over toward the mysterious stranger.

          “I’m always cool,” the man’s odd accent replied but he kept his head hidden from my sight.

          Odd, I thought as I examined the man trying to figure out what he was even doing around Egypt.

          “Someone’s about to die,” his words were eerie but deep and calm with a hint of sadness in his tone.

          “I don’t know what that---”

          The man vanished before my eyes and I jerked my head around, trying to figure out how he had done such a thing.  Was he a God? I thought as I turned around.  I backed away slowly feeling out of place.  Strange, I thought as I shook my head.  I walked around until I arrived at an opening and stood on a hill which let me view the city as I watched the guard work the slaves to death.  I listened as other Egyptians stood around watching and mocking the princess.  I smiled to myself, enjoying the moment of not having to hear her boss me around like the spoiled little brat she was.  That was when I watched as a girl appeared in the middle of the desert holding a servant in her right hand, keeping her nails in into the other girl’s skin.

          I eyed the princess; it was only a matter of time before she heard what the other humans thought.

          The princess not being fully human had the hearing of a mutt and was what most called her a wolf saiyan.  “So you think I’m a demon?” she asked someone in the crowd.  “And you two think that I’m going to destroy us all?” she asked two others.  I watched as an evil smile grew on the spoiled brat’s mouth.  “Well, I’m going to show you three what will happen if you keep disrespecting me.”  She looked around at all of the people in the crowd and then to the servant girl in her hand.  “It’s nothing personal,” she told the young woman who had tears falling out of her eyes.  “I’m just showing them who they’re dealing with.”

          The servant tried to move her head but we all watched as Nala’s grip grew tighter around the poor girl.  The princess turned her attention back toward the crowd.

          “This goes for all of you.”  With that said, she threw the girl into a brick wall which most likely broke her bones.  Then Nala teleported over toward the girl as she bent down and stuck her nails back into the girl’s skin.  We watched as Nala broke the servants neck which killed her instantly.  The young princess stood up and turned to face the humans.  “That goes for all who dare to play against my rules.  I don’t care who you are…. Egyptian, Hebrew…. Family, friends…. Guards, slaves….” Her smile grew as she spoke.  “I will do whatever it takes to show anyone of you pathetic, worthless humans that I am in charge here.”

          “Lord God in Heaven, please watch over the living humans,” I looked over and noticed the mysterious man who spoke to me earlier standing next to me.

          “You mean Ra?” I asked, confused.

          The hidden face of the man looked at me and shook his head.  “I pray only to the creator, not to the fallen angels…. My fallen brothers and sisters have chosen a dark path to follow and are dragging humans with them.”

          “What?” I asked, trying to make sense of the stranger’s words.

          “I have a job to do now.”  With that the man was gone.

          I looked around, wondering how he managed to vanish before my eyes twice.  You’re just seeing things, I thought to myself as I shook my head and noticed that her highness had got lost in a conversation with a Hebrew slave.  They’re voices were low so I couldn’t understand what they were saying but  Nala’s expression seem as confused as I was when I talked to the masked stranger.

          Whatever they were talking about seem to have Nala fearing for her life but no one else could see it.  She began walking away as the man told her something again then she shrugged it off and vanished.

          Now I have to go and throw her back into the palace…. Stupid mutt.

 

                                                          *****

          I hurried into the palace and found my way over to the throne room where the pharaoh stood with a couple of guards.

          “Ah, Imhotep, any news?” the pharaoh asked.

          It was my chance to rat out the princess for her evil deed.  “Yes as a matter of fact,” I spoke as if the words were troubling for me to speak, “Nala murdered a servant girl not too long ago out in the city.”

          I watched as the pharaoh dropped his head and shook it slightly.  “Of course, I should have known…. Thank you for telling me, Imhotep.”

          “I thought you would want to know.”

          “Yes…. Imhotep, please watch over her for a while and make sure she doesn’t continue to do this…. I’m going to be getting remarried soon and right now I don’t want half the city dead because I do want guest to show up…. Any other time it would be different but right now isn’t the best time for me.”

          I bowed my head as I agreed.  “I will not let you down, sir.”

          “Good…. Now go.”

 

 

          I searched for Nala along the path outside of the palace.  The one thing that bothered me the most about the princess was the fact that she could fly or teleport which meant making it harder for me to keep an eye on her or finding her.  I worked my way around unfinished walls and past guards and their slaves heading home before evening fell upon the land when I finally spotted her highness heading my way.  I quickly moved in front of her to stop her dead in her tracks.

          “What do you want?” she asked.

          I tilted my head as anger filled my thoughts.  “You keep murdering the humans, young lady.  Save it for something important.”

          She kind of laughed with a mocking type tone.  “If I could, I’d kill you right now.”

          “I don’t doubt that,” I admitted, knowing that the fact she wasn’t human made it easier for her to get the job done quickly, “but you have a duty and I have to make sure that you don’t get yourself killed.”

          She laughed again with an arrogant tone.  “You think I’m going to get myself killed?” she asked as she shook her head.  “Imhotep, you and I both know that can’t happen.  Who out of the humans can kill me?  I’m a wolf-like creature, I’m inhuman.  I can transform from a human to half wolf to full wolf form and kill anyone and anything I’d like…. That includes you.”

          My eyebrows narrowed as I eyed Nala.  She had a point which I couldn’t argue.

          “If you excuse me, I must---”

          “I’m supposed to babysit you.”

          She began eyeing me as her mouth dropped as if she smelled a rotten corpse heating up in the desert heat.  “Babysit me?  Why?”

          “Your father wasn’t happy to hear about the servant girl who you murdered earlier.”

          “Of course.”

          “You’re going to be watched like a hawk.”  I watched in enjoyment as she grew angry at my words.  An evil grin grew on my face.

 

 

          I walked into my small room in the palace and closed the door.  I walked over to my small but deceit size cot and laid down.  I stared up at the ceiling.  It was a long day, I thought to myself as I closed my eyes when I felt the presence of someone else in my room.  I sat up and noticed the strange man in my room next to Queen Eva?  How was that possible?  “How did you get into my room?  And your highness, you’re…. You died…. I killed you myself….”

          “You and Nala are in for trouble,” the strange figure spoke.

          “Who are you anyways?” I asked the man.

          “I can’t tell you….”

          I began to reach for his head to remove it when Eva’s ghostly cold hand stopped me.

          “You can’t touch me yet,” the man replied.  “If you do then you will die and as of right now you are not supposed to die…. Not right now.”

          “You must kill Nala,” Eva spoke, “or Egypt will only get worse…. You shouldn’t have murdered her while she was an infant…. She grows stronger each day and will cause more destruction for Egypt….”

          I kind of laughed.  “I do plan on killing her but not for your reason…. I hate that spoiled little brat….”

          “Whether or not you want her dead according to some kind of troubling problem you have with her or not…. She is evil and uses her abilities for evil,” the man replied.  “If you don’t get yourself killed first…. Playing with fire will only make your life worse than it already is….”

          I stared at the hooded man with confusion.  His words made no sense and I had no clue how to react toward them.  I was still confused to as why Eva was standing in front of me as well even though she had been dead for sixteen years.

          “I tried killing her and Niki to save Egypt,” Eva replied, “and I know that you have other reasons for murdering her but if someone doesn’t do something to her soon then life as you know it will be destroyed.

          I watched as Eva and the man vanished as I shook my head, trying to make since of the scene.  What just happened? I thought.

Voice of Reason

          I had Nala follow me down the hallway which was filled with hieroglyphics along the walls.  Our Gods and Goddesses danced along the golden brown pavement which kept the palace standing.  I stopped suddenly as we approached the throne room which made Nala bump into me.  I turned to face her as I noticed she was eyeing me with anger which didn’t surprise me and I held my right hand out toward the door.  “Right this way, your highness,” I spoke with a mocking tone as if she didn’t know where we were.

          Nala rolled her eyes.  I knew she wanted to attack me but because I was protected under her father she knew she couldn’t touch me no matter how much she wanted to.  She closed her eyes and when she opened them, she worked her way into the room.

          I stood outside of the door.  I figured that I would let the pharaoh have a chat with his daughter before I walked in.  The thought had occurred that the pharaoh mentioned that his wife to be was arriving.  I hadn’t met her yet but I had a good feeling that the time was nearing when I would finally get to meet the future queen.  I had quite a bit on my plate because on my list of things to do not only was I supposed to keep an eye out for the evil princess but Ramos also had made plans to have me show his mistress around the palace.  She’s probably going to be a thousand times worse than the damn princess.  I rolled my eyes at the thought.  Women and royalty once they lay their hand in gold it’s nothing but trouble.  Everything with them is trouble.

          I continued to wait out in the hall for a few more moments as Prince Niki walked past me.  His black eyes narrowed like a sharks hungry blood thirsty mind kicked in.  I decided it was time to go in.

          “Antinique, my lovely daughter Nala,” the pharaoh spoke as I walked in through the door.

          I looked over at the queen to be and I couldn’t help but notice how lovely she was.  She blended with the others so well but there was something about.

          She looked over toward Nala was I continued to work my way into the room.  I had to move my attention toward Nala so I wouldn’t become mesmerized by her beautiful tanned skin and her lovely dark brown eyes and her long black hair.  She was a sight to see.  “So glad to finally meet you,” her voice told Nala.  The woman made her way over to the princess as I stopped in my tracks.

          “Whatever,” Nala responded out of rudeness.

          “Nala,” the pharaoh replied in a harsh whisper.

          “You look like a prostitute,” the princess replied with a cold hearted smile.

          The pharaoh had grown angry and embarrassed by his daughters behavior toward his bride to be.

          I smacked Nala in the back of her head and she somewhat snapped back at me for it the way a mutt would snap at a human out of anger.

          Antinique was obviously ticked off but played along as if it hadn’t affected her.  The smile she wore grew.  “It’s nice to meet you too, Princess Nala.”

          “I don’t care, human.”

          I gripped Nala’s left arm, growing angry at her for her attitude toward such a beautiful women who was a few years older.  It was about time to bring the wolf out of the room.

          “Apologize,” Ramos spat in anger.

          Nala simply didn’t want to listen to her father and instead spat on Antinique’s lovely dress.

          Antinique dropped her mouth.

          “Nala,” Ramos spoke with more anger.

          Nala pulled her arm away from me and stormed out of the room.

          “I am so sorry,” Ramos told Antinique with disappointment.

          “She just needs to get use to me…. That’s all,” Antinique replied.

          I left the room quickly as well and followed behind Nala as she kept walking.

          “What you did in there was very disrespectful?” I told her as we both stopped in our tracks.

          I watched as Nala turned toward me.  We were both angry.  She narrowed her eyes and began to growl like a stupid dog.  I watched as she scrunched up her nose, fighting the urge to transform into her inhuman form.  “Disrespectful?  My father brings home a human who I have to be nice too and expects me to play the role of an innocent human girl…. I don’t know if you know this but I’m not human and I don’t care about any of you…. I don’t need a human to come and control my territory….”

          “You sound like a territorial dog,” I interrupted.

          An evil smile kind of grew on her face.  “That’s because I am and I don’t want others who don’t belong here to come and take over.  It’s my territory, not hers…. She can live outside for all I care.  This is my home.”

          I began to open my mouth but Nala was gone before I could get the words out.

 

          I roamed the palace when I ran into the young prince Simba.  He was the only one of the three who seemed like his cousins but also a bit airheaded.  “Greetings, Prince Simba,” I replied with a smile.

          “Hey, Imhotep, have you met my father’s wife to be?” he asked with a slight smile.

          “Yes I have,” I admitted.

          “She’s beautiful and just right for my father…. I hope I could meet a woman as beautiful as she is…. Almost as beautiful as a goddess.”

          “Yes,” I agreed.  “I’m sure you will find her someday, your highness…. Whoever that lucky girl maybe.”

          Simba nodded then quickly left.

          I sighed but then I noticed Niki was also working the halls.  The princess’s twin who hated me as much as her highness.  “Prince Niki,” I spoke with another smile.

          “Shut up, Imhotep.”

          Brat, I thought to myself.  “Your highness….”

          “Back off…. I hate you…. You’re nothing but a king cobra trying to work your way into a forbidden garden…. You don’t belong here.”

          I eyed the young prince for his comment.  I was there before he was even born so he had no clue what he was even talking about.  “This is my home just as much as yours….”

          “Yea so…. Nala and I agree that you belong out on the street with the slaves.”

          Anger grew as I continued to eye the young man.

          “You’re just food to us.”  He left before he could say anything else to tick me off.

          Nala and Niki…. The evil twins who deserve to suffer.  I began heading down the long hall as I noticed the servant girl who Nala had brutally murdered.

          Her lifeless eyes locked on to me as she stared with sadness.  “You must do something about her highness before it’s too late.”

          “You’re dead,” I told her as I inched my way over to the ghoulish girl.

          “She will become worse if not destroyed.”

          I stopped in my tracks as I tilted my head with confusion and concern.  “What do you mean by that?”

          “She will become worse,” the girl repeated and then vanished before my eyes.

 

          I stood at Nala’s door and knocked.

          “Go away!” I heard the princess shout from the other side of the door.

          I had a feeling she was doing something horrible and disobeyed her order.  I opened the door and worked my way into the room.

          She rolled her wolf like eyes at me as I walked into the room.  “I said, ‘Go away.’  What if I was changing?”

          “I had a good feeling you weren’t….” That was when I laid my eyes on the corpse of some unlucky dead animal which the princess was devouring and enjoying it from the looks of it.  “What is that?”

          She licked her lips.  “Cat…. Want to try?”

          I covered my mouth as the rotten smell of the animal and felt sick at the thought of the princess enjoying such a thing.  I balled up my fist as I felt anger toward her.  It was disrespectful and it felt sacrilegious for her to do such a cruel thing.  “Why are you eating the sacred animal?”

          She licked her kips once more which made me flinch with disgust.  “I don’t care.”

          “But if other Egyptians find out---”

          “I don’t care.”  She jumped up holding a leg as the rest of the cat fell to the floor.  She walked over toward me and held up the bloody leg of fur.

          It repulsed me so I quickly pulled away.  “Demonic.”

          She shrugged.  “Oh and go get a robe on, I hate starring at your bare chest, it’s creepy…. And also kind of looks tasty…. I don’t mean in the human sexual way either…. I actually mean if I have the chance, you’ll be just like this dead cat…. Bloody dead half eaten.”

          I stared at Nala with worry and fear; two feelings which had been new to me.  I had never felt either of the two emotions until that exact moment.

          “Now out.”

          “Yes, your highness.”  I hurried out of the room as I closed the door behind me.

 

          I sat on my bed as I thought about Nala’s cruel and inhumane words which struck me like a lightning bolt.  Evil, I thought.

          Knock, knock, knock.

          “Come in,” I spoke loud enough for the person to hear me.

          The door opened and Maxumous walked in followed by young Lady Madeline the pharaoh’s niece.

          I stood up and bowed to the both of them as if I really cared.

          “I know we’re not exactly friends, Imhotep, but my family…. My son, my niece, and my nephew are trying to work on a plan to element Nala for the good of Egypt,” Maxumous explain.  “Please consider helping us with our plans?”

          I looked at Maxumous then to young Madeline who was a year younger than the twins.  “I don’t know, Maxumous…. You and I both know that our agendas are quite different when it comes to the princess….”

          “Yes but we want the same thing….”

          “And what will that be?”

          Maxumous was quiet for a moment then sighed.  “Her death.”

          I had to agree with him.  “Of course but our reasoning is different…. You for one want to help to protect Egypt…. I could care less…. All I want is to rid Egypt of the princess and even the young prince so that I could have my rights restored…. I hate babysitting that brat and I’d prefer to be the one who does the murdering not her…. I’m only telling you this because the both of us know my plans anyway….”

          Maxumous nodded.  “I know your plans and I already knew they were different from mine but think about Egypt as is…. In a way you’d be doing everyone and everything in Egypt a favor….”

          “I hate favors---”

          “Imhotep,” Madeline interrupted, “please help us just this once?”

          “Listen, Lady Madeline, your plead doesn’t do anything to me…. I know where I stand and I know where your family stands which is why I must turn down the offer…. Besides, I was threatened by that demon of a princess who looks at me as a piece of meat…. I mean literally she wants to eat me…. She told me that after enjoying a meal of dead cat….”

          “She ate a cat?” Madeline asked in disgust as she looked away from me.

          “Believe it or not…. She’s clearly demonic….”

          “And that’s why we must put an end to her tyranny,” Maxumous replied quickly.  “Imhotep, if you change your mind please let us know.  Come on, Madeline, we must sway my brother now….”

          “But Uncle Ramos will have it out for us,” Madeline objected as she followed Maxumous out of the room.

          I watched as the door closed behind Lady Madeline as she continued to talk to her uncle.  I shook my head and laid on the bed as I stared up into the sky.

 

          I walked out into the dinning where I found the pharaoh’s mistress sitting by herself drinking some kind of red wine.  I diverted my eyes so I wouldn’t look at her beautiful distracting skin.  “Good evening,” I spoke, keeping my eyes down.

          “Good evening, Imhotep,” her soft beautiful voice spoke which had me smiling.  “Tell me about the princess?  How am I supposed to deal with that spoiled brat?”

          “That is a question I’ve been asking myself from the day she was born,” I answered.  “She’s not human and she uses that as a defense…. She took the fun I had and uses it as her way of telling everyone that she’s unstoppable.”  I kind of glanced at Antinique as she kind of nodded.

 

 

 

Forbidden Love

         I walked with Antinique, showing the palace.  I kept my eyes away from her, knowing that her beauty would distract me.  “This is the hall with the quarters for the slaves,” I told her as I used my left arm to show her.

          “Nice,” she replied.  “What about the quarters for the royal family?”

          “Upstairs on the fifth floor…. My quarters are on the third floor…. I believe your quarters are with the family’s seeing that you are the pharaoh’s mistress.  It only makes sense.”

          “Yes.  Imhotep,” I loved hearing her speak my name.  Her voice was like listening to a Goddess sing.

          “Yes, Lady Antinique?”

          “Please just call me Antinique…. I’m not use to the fancy name calling.”

          I smiled.

          “Now do you think my quarters will be close to Nala’s?”

          “I have no idea…. Whatever the pharaoh has planned for you….”

          “I have a feeling she’d kill me in my sleep if so….”

          I kind of laughed.  “The princess is an evil little brat yes…. But I’m sure that the pharaoh has a good place for you…. Probably plans on letting you sleep with him.”  I felt myself grow jealous of thought.

          “I don’t see that happening any time soon…. He’s kind of annoying to me….”

          I felt an odd sensation of relief overcome my mind.  “Don’t you love him?” I asked, trying not to sound too eager.

          “No…. I only really care about the gold and the fact that he’s the pharaoh well that just works to my advantage….”

          I looked over and noticed a flirtatious smile on the woman’s face which was welcoming to me.

          “What about you?  Do you have your eye on anyone?”

          “No….” I sighed.  “My job is hard enough already…. I don’t need a woman to distract me right now…. Dealing with the princess is hard enough…. She’s always getting into trouble that I have to keep an eye out for and practically babysit her as if she were still a little child.”

          I watched as Antinique frowned at my words.  “Oh…. That’s too bad then.”

          “Well I’m sure if the right woman came into my life then I would---”

          “Imhotep,” Niki said as he popped out of nowhere, eyeing both me and Antinique, “Nala’s roaming the town again and father wants you to go fetch her.”

          “I’m busy at the moment Niki,” I told the prince.

          “Yea right,” Niki retorted as he looked over at Antinique.  “Who’s this damn woman?”

          “Language, your highness, and this is your step-mother to be.”

          “Step-mother?” Niki asked as he eyed Antinique.  “I heard what Nala said and I have to agree with her…. You do look like a prostitute.”

          “That’s no way to speak to a woman,” I told the prince.

          “She’s not a woman…. She’s a tramp, clearly just look at her outfit.”

          Antinique kept her mouth closed.

          “Your father isn’t going to like hearing you disrespect his bride to be,” I said as anger flared in my voice.

          “I don’t care…. My father found himself a who---”

          “Language…. Stop disrespecting her.”

          “Why should I care?  You disrespect me…. You think my sister is a demon…. You don’t like us….”

          “That’s me, not Antinique…. You have a problem with me then take it out on me…. This has nothing to deal with us….”

          Niki kind of laughed.  “When I say, ‘You,’ I don’t actually mean you…. I’m talking about the whole human race which involves you two…. Therefore I have a problem with all of you so I can talk to her or you however I want whenever I want…. If I want to disrespect her then I will disrespect her…. Nala and I both hate the humans…. That’s coming from me and my sister….” He looked over at Antinique.  “You look tasty…. Food wise…. Not human desire….” He left without another word.

          Antinique stood there shaking in fear.

          “Don’t listen to him…. Both him and Nala haven’t attacked a human for food…. I wouldn’t worry about either of them.”

          “Have they threatened you like that?”

          I thought back to the night before when I watched Nala finish off that cat.  “By Nala…. She would be glad to eat me….” I sighed.  “Look I have to go see if I can find the princess.  Will you be okay by yourself?”

          Antinique kind of nodded.

 

 

          I wondered the streets of the city, unable to find Nala when I ran into a snake charming who was sitting next to the hooded stranger I kept running into.  “Why do you keep showing up everywhere?”

          The snake charmer removed his piccolo or whatever instrument he was using from his mouth and looked at me funny.

          “I’m not talking to you,” I told the man.  “I’m talking to him,” I said as I pointed at the hooded man.

          The snake charmer looked around as if he didn’t see anyone then shrugged it off as if he could care less.

          “Walk with me, Imhotep,” the hooded man told me.

          “How do you know my name?”

          “Just come with me,” he replied, ignoring my words.  He began walking and I followed behind.  This guy was starting to annoy me as much as he was confusing me.  “I had a conversation with Nala today…. I am trying to convince her that she is heading down the wrong path…. You are heading down the same path as she is…. You both are going to suffer for your sins….”

          “Why should I listen to you?  You can’t seem to even tell me who you are or answer any of my questions….”

          “You want to know who I am?”

          “Yes….”

          The man stopped and turned to face me.  “I am known as the Grim Reaper…. I am the angel of death…. You touch me, you die….”

          I laughed.  I didn’t believe anything he was telling me.  At least until I watched him remove his hood, revealing his skull with eyeless sockets and nothing but bones.

          “Laughing now, Imhotep?” he asked in an eerie serious tone.

          I felt my heart drop as I shook my head.

          “I am here to warn you and Nala of what will happen but the both of you seem to have a rather odd sense of ignorance.”  With that he vanished.

          I felt as if I had been running for miles, trying to catch my breath.  He’s dead?  Or…. He said that he was the angel of death…. Was he even a living being at one time? I shook my head as fear began to feel my thoughts.  I wasn’t even as afraid of Nala as I was of that being.

          “Grim isn’t evil,” Eva’s voice came from behind me.

          I turned to see the ghost standing there, staring back at me.  “You’re dead….”

          “Yes you killed me…. I think we already had that conversation…. Remember?”

          I kind of nodded, confused.  “If he isn’t evil then why is he telling me about taking the wrong path….”

          “Your ignorance keeps you from Heaven’s gate….” She closed her eyes for a moment.  “You will suffer in Hell for your sins…. That is if you don’t change and find God but until then you will suffer gravely after death and the pain after death is far worse than anything that could happen here on Earth.”

          “What does that mean?”

          “You don’t want to know…. Believe me…. But right now Nala is the one who needs to be stopped…. She will suffer….”

          “Come, Eva,” Grim said as he reappeared.  “It is time to go back for now.”

          Eva nodded and before I had time to blink my eyes they were gone.  It didn’t even take a second for them to vanish.

 

 

          I wondered the palace, knowing I had failed in trying to find the princess.  I decided that I should check her quarter just to see if maybe she had wondered back.

          “You’re on my land, in my home, and I will do anything to get you thrown out of here…. Even if I have to kill you,” I had arrived in time to hear the threat Nala made toward Antinique.

          “Princess Nala,” I spoke with anger as I stood in the doorway.

          “What do you want?” Nala said as she looked over at me.

          “Respect your future step mother.”

          “Why?  You’re not my boss…. You’re just food that I will eat when I get the chance.”  Nala growled.

          I noticed as Antinique looked over at Nala then to me.

          “Both of you out of my room.”

          Antinique’s attention turned back toward Nala.  “You should have more respect for your elders.”

          A smile grew on Nala’s face.  “Okay then.”  As she licked her upper lip I knew she was up to something and sure enough she pounced.  She grabbed Antinique’s right arm, slamming the woman against the floor.  She held up Antinique’s arm and the moment she opened her mouth and revealed her inhuman fangs I knew she was going to actually try to bite down.  I couldn’t take any more of it.  As Nala’s teeth were about to touch Antinique’s soft silky skin I jumped and knocked the princess to her back toward the balcony.  I watched as she stood up and transformed into half human and half wolf.  She eyed me, growling with anger.

          “That’s enough,” I spoke harshly.

          Nala kept growling.

          I helped Antinique up off of the ground and had her leave the room.  “Wait ‘til your father hears about this, young lady.”  I left the room and closed the door behind me.  I locked it even though I knew she could teleport but I was too ticked off to really care.

Dancing with Trouble

          I walked along a long hall, glancing into the rooms to see if I could find her highness anywhere.  Of course, she wasn’t in the rooms until I came to the door on my left which led to a room filled with swords and knives along the walls.  There she was in the middle of the room, fiddling with two daggers.  Her back was turned toward me and I had a feeling she was too involved in fighting the air to even realize I was standing there.  I watched her for a few minutes, trying to figure out why she would use weapons in she didn’t need them.  “Your highness,” I began to ask, “what are you doing?”

          “Training,” she answered as she continued to fight, so to speak.

          “Why?  You don’t need swords---”

          “So, it’s nice to have a backup plan just in case.  Are you going to just stand there?  Or are you going to help me train?”

          I sighed.  “I’ll help you train.”

          She stopped as she turned to face me.

          I walked over to a wall and picked up two more daggers then turned and walked over to Nala.  “Play fair, your highness.”

          She raised an eyebrow, questioning my words.

          “No transforming into a creature…. No flying…. No teleporting…. Nothing that I as a human can’t do…. It’s not fair.”

          “Just fight,” she replied, spinning the two daggers in her hands, waiting for me to prepare.

          “Ready?” I asked, looking at the princess.

          “Of course, moron.”

          I swung a dagger toward Nala, ticked off but of course she was too quick and blocked my attack.  She went to stab my side with the second dagger but I blocked it without hesitation, knowing she was going to try and play dirty.  “Oh and no killing me.”

          She growled, swinging the other dagger toward me which I blocked.  I watched her take the dagger in her left hand and went to knock one out of my hand but I caught on and knocked hers to the ground.  She quickly snatched mine out of my hand until eventually we dropped all of the daggers on the floor with a kind of clunking noise as they fell.  She placed her human like nails in my neck, choking me.

          I held up my hands, trying to surrender.  She’s actually going to kill me that cheating---

          “Bravo, bravo,” Niki said, walking into the room, clapping his hands.  “Show that jerk who’s boss, sis.”

          An evil smile grew on Nala’s face.

          “This is cheating, Nala,” I choked out with anger.

          “But I’m being human, Imhotep.”

          “A girl your age choking a man my age isn’t normal.”

          “It is if the girl is stronger than the man.”  She threw me to the ground.  “Pity…. Tell your friends you’ve lost to a girl…. That’ll get you a good laugh.”

          “Not if I tell them that it was you…. Everyone knows about your inhuman abilities.” I hurried out of the room as Niki walked over to his sister.  I held my neck, feeling the cuts from Nala’s nails.

 

 

          I walked into my room where I found Antinique and the pharaoh.  “Your highness…. Lady Antinique,” I spoke, bowing.  I remembered how Antinique told me I could call her Antinique without adding lady at the beginning but because the pharaoh was there I figured he would have made a comment it about it being disrespectful toward her to call her by her name.

          “We are throwing a ball for our engagement tonight, Imhotep,” the pharaoh spoke, “and I wanted you to keep an eye on Nala tonight.  There will be a lot of other humans around and well you know how she is…. She’ll most likely cause a scene…. Please keep an eye on her?”

          “I will your highness.”

          “And there will be plenty of single women there as well for you and my sons to meet…. Feel free to meet them.”

          “Oh but I have my eye on one, sir,” I replied as I kind of glanced at Antinique.

          “Really?  Who?”

          “I cannot tell you but I will be dancing with her tonight.  Believe me, you will see us then.”  I smiled.  I had placed myself in trouble, not knowing who I would be stuck with until the thought popped into my mind.  Nala…. I can use her.  “You will be surprised, your highness.”

          “Well I cannot wait till then.  Come, my love,” Ramos said, gesturing for Antinique to leave with him.

          I kept my smile as I watched the couple leave.  Damn, I’m going to have to play it off that I’m in love with Nala.  How am I going to do that?  We hate each other.

 

 

          I stood in the crowded ball room with the pharaoh and his lovely mistress.  I glanced around watching and waiting for the princess to arrive so I could play my little game but I knew it would probably be a while.

          “Where is this woman, Imhotep?” Ramos asked.

          “Not here yet,” I replied, quickly smiled then turned my attention back toward the doors.  “She should be arriving any minute.”  How are you late to a ball when it takes place in your own home? I thought, until I finally spotted Nala.  “Excuse me,” I told Ramos and Antinique before I left.

          “Stop.”  Grim appeared in front of me, looking around the room.

          “What do you want?” I asked.

          “Are you sure you want to play a game with the princess?  Knowing you could lose your life?”

          I stared at Grim, confused.  How did he know what I was thinking?

          “I recommend for you to rethink what you want to do…. She needs to be stopped but if you play with fire you will burn…. You will not like the end result.”

          “Get out of my way.”  I wasn’t in the mood to chat with the spirit.

          “Someone’s going to die tonight…. Imhotep, watch as the night changes from wonderful to dramatic…. It will be a warning for you.”

          I rolled my eyes.  Why did that guy show up all of the time?  What was the deal with him?  I knew he was the Grim Reaper but still it was as if he had no one else to pick on.

          “I’m warning you.”

          “I don’t care…. Now move I have a princess to dance with.”  I began walking away as Grim vanished.

          “Be careful what you do,” I heard his voice speak as he disappeared into midair.

          A young girl pulled Niki away from Nala as I took his place.  I smiled evilly, knowing that it was going to be fun.

          “I don’t get this how come none of the men want me but the girls line up for him when he’s no better than I am?” Nala asked.

          I looked at Nala, raising an eyebrow.  “Maybe if you wouldn’t threaten to eat them,” I began, trying to seem interested, “they might be willing to dance or purpose to you.”

          She pretended to laugh.  “Not funny.”

          “It’s true…. Here,” I told her as I held out my hand.  “I’ll dance with you, your royal highness.”

          “Dance with you?  I rather take my chances with a king cobra.”

          I dropped my head, knowing how hard I was going to have to work to get her highness to fall into my trap.  “It’s only a dance, but you can’t eat me.”

          “That’s the fun part…. Everyone’s too busy to notice the cannibal.”

          I had to bit my lip.  “I’m trying to be nice…. You can try to do the same unless you’re too conceited for that?”

          The princess rolled her eyes.  “Fine,” she replied, grabbing my hand.  I placed my free hand around her waist and she placed her free hand on my shoulder.

          “Remember we’re dancing, not feasting.”

          She pretended to laugh.

I led her in the dance.  I glanced over at the pharaoh who smiled.  He watched me and Nala dance.  I knew he believed what he was seeing.  Part one of the plan was working although I knew that Nala was going to be hard to convince.  The pharaoh was easily deceived while Nala wasn’t one for falling into human traps.  It was her inhuman instincts that would help her know when she was being lied to or not.

          I noticed Tommus and Maxumous standing in the crowd, watching with horror.  I had no clue what was playing in their minds but I knew that somehow they had fear for me, worried that Nala would kill me then and there.

          Niki stared at us with confusion as him and the girl danced past us.

          I noticed Grim had reappeared but this time Eva was next to him.  Her eyes were filled with sadness and horror as the two of them watched us dancing.

          The hood of Grim’s cloak shook as he shook his head.  It had seemed as if for some reason all eyes were on us dead or alive.  I knew Nala wouldn’t attack me while her father was watching but no one else seemed to know that.

          I shrugged off the others as my gaze turned to Nala who had gone off into some kind of strange gaze.  It wasn’t one I was familiar with and I had decided that when she came to that I could use that to my advantage.

          I wondered what was going on through that devious mind of hers as I stared at her.

          She had been staring off into space, kind of like someone else was talking to her or had her attention.  She finally looked at me.  “What?”

          “Are you feeling okay, princess?  You seem to be lost in some sort of daze…. Realizing that I’m attractive,” I laughed.

          “And you call me conceited.”

          “I was joking.”

          “Still…. The thought is sickening…. Besides, I look at you like food and I would still eat you if I could.”

          I shook my head.  I had to keep going along with my plan no matter how hard her highness was going to make it for me.

Nala Makes a Scene

          While I was still dancing with the princess, she released my hand and dropped to the floor, covering her ears from some kind of noise that none of us mortals could hear.  I watched her along with others, trying to figure out what she was doing.  Her eyes moved up toward me.  I had narrowed my eyes and folded my arms.  It had to have been some kind of trick.  She didn’t want to dance with me any longer which was obvious and I could really care less about.

          Like always she had begun growling, causing a scene while transforming into her inhuman wolf like creature she truly was.  Eventually her arms dropped down to her side.

          The other humans watched her with fear where I knew this had to be some kind of trap.  Nala’s eyes moved around until she locked onto another figure.  I turned my attention toward the figure she was staring at and to my surprised I noticed the God Anubis heading toward our direction.  He examined Nala with his eyes while he worked his way through the crowd.

          The other guest fell to the ground, bowing to the god but I just stood.  The immortal stopped in front of the princess, still examining her with his eyes.  “Death,” he spoke locking eyes with Nala.  He held out a hand and touched her face.  “Princess.”  He bowed.  “Inhuman like us…. But you mock our ways.”  He moved his hand away from her.  “Unloved…. Alone…. Time will come for you…. Join us…. My bride.”  His gaze moved toward us humans then back toward Nala.  “You’re time is near.”  He moved closer toward her with his snout touch her nose, revealing his teeth.  “Evil.”  We all watched as he vanished.

          It hadn’t taken long for Nala to show her thoughts.  She had grown angry and began growling.

          What’s new?  She has to show she’s not weak.  “Be careful, princess,” I warned.

          Of course because she enjoyed defying anything I would tell her, she attacked another man who was kind off in the distance in the ballroom.  We all watched while she torn the man into pieces, killing him slowly.  She snatched his left arm from his body and ripped into his chest with her nonhuman hands, pulling his heart out of his chest.

          “Nala!” the pharaoh’s voice called through the room.

          To my surprise, she ignored her father while she continued searching with her hands for more of the man’s insides.  Everyone in the ball room was seeing how evil the princess truly was.  Even though the man was already dead from having his heart ripped out, the princess continued to tear him into pieces.

          “Princess Nala,” I spoke, trying to get her to snap out of the dark demented mindset she was in.

          It wasn’t any surprise to me that she ignored my words.  She just continued to keep doing what she was doing to the man.  Tommus rushed over and pulled her away from the body.  She tried to fight his arms away but failed.

          “I’m ashamed of you, Nala,” Tommus spoke finally.

          Her gaze moved up to her cousin.  He transformed into a half man along with a half tiger creature.  “Let go of me….”

          “No.  You need to calm down.”

          She opened her mouth and went to bit into his skin but he moved too quickly for her.  He kept her up against the wall, keeping her from attacking any more of us humans.  He held her neck in his right hand.

          “You’re highness…. My cousin…. You can’t do this.  The humans have a fear of you.  Why did you turn out so demonic?” he asked, clearly he wasn’t letting his emotions show.

          “Let me go,” she hissed out a growl.

          He shook his head.  “I can’t do that.  These people need to feel safe and protected but you make them feel fearful…. Terrified…. They’re your people, not animals that you can just butcher.”  He kept his grip around her neck but he turned toward us.  “I am sorry for my cousin’s behavior.  She shouldn’t do this to any of you.  You deserve to be treated like people, not animals.  I am sorry.”

          “Let my daughter go, Tommus.”  The pharaoh made his way through the crowd and over to the two cousin.  He was more than furious with Tommus.  “I’m not happy about what she had just done but if she feels that she wants to murder for the fun of it then let her.”

          An evil smile grew on Nala’s face.

          Tommus continued to hold onto Nala’s neck but his eyes flew to his uncle.  Confused and worry had formed on the young man’s face.  “But she just killed an innocent man.”

          “I don’t care.  She is just like a goddess and apparently a chosen bride for one of our dear gods.  I am proud of her.”

          More confusion grew on Tommus’s face while shock slowly made its way into the mix.

          Nala slowly started laughed evilly and she removed Tommus’s tiger like fist from her humanlike skin.  “I win.  I will always win.”  Her eyes moved around the room, watching each of us humans.  “I may be considered a demon to most of you but you can’t do anything to me.  I am unstoppable.”

          The room grew silent.  I wondered what everyone would say now that Nala had proven her evil horrifying self to be the most demonic person around.  She was indeed up to something a thousand times worse than slaughtering one human.  Grim stood in the shadows, watching.  He clearly knew something would soon happen to her highness.  He shook his head at her.  I didn’t know if she seen him or if it was just a coincidence but somehow I knew he was there for her.  When Nala’s attention moved around to the distance of the room, I watched Grim move over to the man’s lifeless body and remove the life of the man.  He moved over to me with a sadden expression on his face.  “You’re time is soon.”  He vanished, leaving me stuck in confusion.

          I shook my head and shrugged off his icy words.  “Well, the princess has spoken,” I finally spoke up and worked my way over to Nala.  I pulled the wool over the others eyes, making it seem like I really cared for the princess.  “Next time keep your dirty work out of the public eye,” I muttered to her.

          “You’re next on my list,” Nala replied, “and I still plan on having you for dinner.”

          “You can’t kill me,” I answered, letting an evil smile grow on my face.  “Your father won’t allow it.  I’m an important part of his council.”

          “Believe me,” she spoke with a cruel tone, “I’ll find a reason and I’ll use it against you although I might just let you suffer in pain by the human guards.  Then I might have taste.  If I like it then you’ll be a good meal, if not then you’ll be a mummy with a bit mark.”

          “Evil little brat.”

          “Annoying piece of meat.”

          If I could have hit the princess then and there I would have.  I knew what would happen to me if I had though, therefore I kept my hands to myself.

          “By the way, I see the way that you look at my future step-mother…. Beware…. If you even consider touching her, I will know and I will have you both murdered.  Have respect for my father.”  She left the room without another word.

 

 

          I stood in my small room when someone knocked on the door.  “Come in,” I spoke softly.

          The door opened and Antinique walked in.

          I bowed.  “And what might I have the honor of your presence?” I asked, sounding more of an idiot than anything.

          “You don’t have to bow to me,” the woman answered.  She rested a hand on my right shoulder.  “You are an attractive man.  I’m sure Nala will be glad to have you as her husband.”

          I stared at the woman then shook my head.  “She’s not the one I really want.”  I sighed.  “We despise each other.  Believe me, there’s no telling what she’ll say when she learns of the so call engagement after I ask for her hand from the pharaoh.”

          Antinique titled her head, confused by my words.  “Then who do you really want?”

          I sighed and looked away from the woman.  “You,” I answered, quietly.

          “Excuse me?”

          “I said, ‘You.’  You’re the one I really want,” I replied.

          A smile slowly grew on her face and somehow I knew she felt the same.  She walked over to me and wrapped her arms around me.  Before I could say anything, her beautiful slim pink lips were against mine.  It was wrong but it felt right.  We were meant to be together forever.  The only problem was that she belonged to the pharaoh and I needed to keep this a secret.  She pulled away from me and smiled.  “I’m yours,” she said.

          Her words made me smile and kind of blush like a child but I quickly gained my composure.  “You should leave now but first we should pick a secret place to meet where we’ll be alone and we don’t have to worry about anyone, especially the princess, catching us.”

          Antinique nodded.  Once we figured out a place where we would meet, she left the room.

          I kept my smile while a lightly touched my lip with my middle finger.  Finally, I thought.

          “This is only the beginning of your torture,” Grim’s voice spoke from behind me.

          I turned to face the skeleton, kind of ticked off that he was ruining my moment of joy.  “What do you want?”

          “She is yours for now.  You’re playing with fire and I think you should stop,” his words sounded like a warning but I cared less.

          “Whatever.”

How to ask the Princess?

I wondered around the palace like a love sick puppy.  That kiss was amazing and I know it may have seen childish but I was lost in some kind of day dreaming daze; while I walked down the hall when I had spotted Simba chatting with one of his other cousins.  I quickly pulled myself together because I was on a mission.  “I’m sorry to interrupt, Prince Simba, but I’m looking for your sister.  Have you seen her?”

          Simba took a moment to think then nodded.  “She’s in the throne room with Niki.”

          “Thank you.”  I left as soon as possible, trying to figure out how I would bring up my proposal.  I heard voices from the throne room and the closer I got I knew it was Niki and Nala.  I stopped at the doorway and took a deep breath.  I gave it a few moments before I actually walked into the room.  Once I had my time to collect my thoughts, I walked into the room.

          Nala shot me a look of hatred when I walked into the room.

          “What are you two talking about?” I asked, sarcastically.

          “About our father getting remarried….” Niki began but let his voice trail off without continuing.

          “Is that right, Prince Niki?”

          The prince shot me a similar look that his sister wore.  “That is true, Imhotep.”

The twins looked at each other for a moment then quickly turned their attention back toward me.

          “My sister doesn’t want to talk right now,” Niki replied.

          “I can respect that.”  I began to leave the room.

          “Imhotep!” Nala’s voice called to me when I neared the door.

          I stopped and turned to face her.  “Oh.  Now she talks.  Yes, Princess Nala?”

          “I want you to stay away from my stepmother.”

          I should have known she would say something like that.  How was I supposed to propose to someone who obviously would reveal the true reason I would think of such a horrible thing?  I was beginning to rethink my idea but decided that I had to go with it in order to get closer to Antinique.  Once I had Antinique in my arms, then I would think of how to eliminate the evil demon of a princess I had to work for.  “Okay.  Is that all?” I asked with a smile.

          “Yes,” she replied with an almost angry voice.

          I left the room without another word.

 

 

          I was out in the courtyard of the palace, pacing. There was no easy way that I could think of in order to propose to the evil princess. She needed someone who was much more powerful than herself and like her wasn’t human in order to be able to control her whereas I was only a mortal. I had no inhuman abilities and even though I was willing enough to place my fate in her hands I wasn’t stupid. Most of the other men in Egypt were afraid of her and it wasn’t hard to see why. I needed a way to get through to her.

          “Playing with fire,” Grim reminded me.

          “You need to stop appearing out of nowhere,” I warned him.

          “What are you going to do kill me?” he asked. “I’m death and the minute you touch me you’ll be dead.” Clearly it wasn’t smart to threaten the angel of death but I didn’t think before I spoke. “Proposing to Nala will lead to a horrible place for you.”

          “I’m going to kill her,” I replied.

          Grim didn’t speak or move. He clearly knew something that I didn’t know but I had a feeling asking wouldn’t do much either.

“What am I supposed to do?” I asked.

          “I can’t answer that for you. You have a choice to choose life but if you don’t then you’ll have to suffer.”

“What do you mean? The gods will welcome me with open arms in the afterlife once I rid this world of that monster. As long as me and Antinique are together I don’t care what happens to me in the end.”

“You really believe that the creatures you worship are gods?” he asked with a serious tone.

“Yes, you’re just a massager. Clearly, meant to scare me.”

“You think I work for-?” he stopped midsentence. “Very well then; you get what’s coming to you if you don’t change.” Grim vanished without another word.

At that moment, I thought I heard the faint sound of a woman screaming at the top of her lungs. I looked up toward the palace and from Nala’s chamber which was closer to the sky than the ground a baby was falling to his or her death. Before I could say anything, Tommus had flown into the air and caught the child. He landed a few feet away from me. I hurried over to him to make sure the baby was alright. I didn’t have to ask to know that Nala had something deal with the situation. It was a good thing that she wasn’t a mother because there was no telling what she would have done to her own child if she had one. “The baby,” I began to ask, “is he or she alright?”

“The baby’s fine,” Tommus answered, looking toward the opening of the palace. “I need to find the mother of this child. I will not let Nala get away with this. She already murdered my baby brother for no reason and this is too far, even for her.”

I listened and watched Tommus. I wasn’t a fan of the inhumans but at least Tommus wouldn’t put up with his trouble causing cousin.

Tommus began to walk away when he stopped and turned toward me. “I heard you’re conversation with my uncle at the ball and I think you should reconsider if you really want Nala as your wife. She needs a man who is stronger than she is… physically. I’m not trying to say that you’re weak but we saiyans are far more powerful than you humans are and because Nala enjoys murdering people for the fun of it… it’s just not a good idea for a human to mate with someone like her.”

I nodded and took a deep breath. I faked a smile to show Tommus that I wasn’t afraid. “I love her,” the words made me feel uncomfortable to say but I continued to go on with my lie. “I know it’s crazy and sounds ridiculous but I just can’t get her out of my head.” In a way I wasn’t lying but love had nothing to deal with it. “She just needs someone to show her how to love and maybe she’ll eventually understand the difference.”

Tommus took a moment to see if I was lying but he didn’t call my bluff. “Alright, if you love her that much then go for it.” If he knew I was lying, he didn’t say anything to make me feel like he was onto me.

 

The Right Moment

The thought popped into my head that I should talk to the pharaoh, now that he knew who I made him believe I had my eyes on. Other humans were easy to fool but it was Nala I would have to pull the wool over. The one way to do it was to have her father suggest that I wanted her hand in marriage. It was the prefect scheme. I wandered all over the palace until I found him in the throne room, leaning back on his throne.

          “Ah, Imhotep,” Ramos spoke with a pleasant smile and stood up to greet me. “I’m pleased that out of all of the eligible young women, you have chosen my daughter to be your wife.”

          I smiled. “I’m thankful that you are willing to accept my choice. I mean she is your daughter and after all I’ve watched her grow up to be a lovely young lady.” The last part of my sentence made me feel like my stomach acid was burning the inside of my throat. Lovely was the last word I would have never thought I would use when I described Nala. She wasn’t lovely one bit. She was a far from lovely. Out of all of the words I would normally use would have been monster or demon or evil creature sent by the gods to destroy the world as we knew it. “I have grown to love her.”

          “I’m pleased to hear,” Ramos replied.

          Not a minute too soon, Nala walked into the room. It was almost like she had known to show up. I noticed that Ramos had turned his attention toward Nala and he still kept his smile. Nala eyed us out of confusion. Ramos gestured for her to come over to us. I smiled and bowed.

          Nala watched me and I knew that she was trying to figure out what was going on in my head. Her eyes locked with mine and she stared at me.

          “Nala,” Ramos’s voice was filled with joy, “Imhotep wants to ask you something.”

          “What?” Nala asked me, with suspicion in her voice.

          “Would you…” I took a moment to choose the right words before continuing, “Have the honor of becoming my bride?”

          She took a moment to come to turns with what had just been asked. “I accept,” her answer threw me off guard. I wasn’t expecting her to actually agree.

          I stared at her in shock and my heart began pounding. She couldn’t have figured out what my intention was. At least not that fast. I knew she wasn’t stupid but I didn’t think she could read through people that quickly.

          Ramos clasped his hands together. “Two weddings to plan for,” he spoke happily. It was obvious that he had no clue that Nala was my worst enemy.

          Nala’s half smile was a warning to me. It was her way of letting me know that she was onto what I had planned and she was willing to do anything to destroy me.

          Ramos left us alone.

          “Why did you accept?” I asked with anger in my voice.

          Nala laughed with an evil delight. “Oh my…. You didn’t think I would catch on…. Did you?”

          I stared her. I felt my blood boil with anger.

          I watched the princess turn to one side. “You see I’m not stupid. I really hate that you humans underestimate me. I know that you’re just using me as a way to get to her,” she told me. “And this way I can catch you in the act…. And when I do….” I was stunned that she made herself cry. “I could let out the tears and make my father believe that I was so in love with you were as he was in love with her and…. And I could convince him that I need to see you before you die so I could cry to you.”

          I dropped my mouth in anger and surprise at how quickly she had figured everything out and how she might actually pull off the act if I slipped up. I was going to have to keep an eye on her for a while.

          “That way when no one else in the family is around…. I could watch you die and believe me,” she continued to speak with a smile, “I will enjoy it. Besides, if I get hungry, I could always sneak off to see my man to eat….” She turned back toward me and we locked eyes again. “You really should have thought this through…. But then again you are human and none of you humans are that smart.”

          I couldn’t take my eyes off her and it took me a little while to figure out how to respond to her threat. Without thinking, I wrapped my hand around her slender small neck. “You evil little brat,” was all I could say. I knew she wasn’t afraid because she was stronger than I was but I didn’t know what else to do.

          “That’s no way to speak to your bride to be,” she mocked. “You really shouldn’t be strangling me either, moron.” Nala grabbed my arm and removed my hand from her neck. “Seriously? How stupid are you?”

          “No wonder no man wants to marry you….” I knew the words affected her but she seemed to shrug the pain off. “You’re an evil demon brat.”

          She began to laugh. “Actually, you want to marry me…. Remember?”

          I couldn’t believe that she had quickly recovered and used the scene from earlier against me. She knew me a little too well. I felt like an open scroll by how quickly she caught on. I needed to watch myself and needed to keep an eye on her. Damn, that brat’s onto me already, I thought with anger.

 

 

          I paced down the hallway toward my room when someone touched my arm. I turned to see Madeline, the pharaoh’s niece. Her sad brown eyes locked with mine. “I heard about the proposal,” she spoke softly. “Are you sure you want to put yourself in that kind of danger?”

          I faked a smile. “Yes, I mean I love Nala with all of my heart-”

          “It’s just none of the other men are willing to get near her. She’s evil.”

          “I know who I’m dealing with.”

          “You may think you know her but, Imhotep, she will kill you within minutes for no reason if she wanted to.”

          “Lady Madeline, I assure you that everything will be fine. All she needs is a little bit of love and she’ll be a new woman.”

          “They call her a demon.”

          “Excuse me?” I asked as if I had no clue what the young lady was talking about.

          “It’s true. They all call her a demon… our people and the Hebrews. She doesn’t even try to act human. About the only time she makes an appearance is when she doesn’t want us humans to think that for one brief moment she’s weak.”

          “Your cousin is quite something but like I said-”

          Eva appeared behind Madeline and shook her head with disappointment. “The child is right, Imhotep,” she whispered.

          “Lady Madeline, I know what I’m getting myself into. Why are you so worried?” I asked.

          “Because all of us humans should stay as far away from Nala as possible… it doesn’t matter how much you love her. She’s not human and she’s highly dangerous,” Madeline replied.

          “You need to think this through.” Eva walked over to me. It was obvious that Madeline couldn’t see her so when I replied I had to make it sound as though I was talking to Madeline.

          “I understand and thank you for your concern but I know what I’m doing,” I answered.

          “Okay.” Madeline left without another word.

          When she was gone, I turned my attention toward the spirit. “Why do you keep appearing? And only to me?”

          “Grim tells me that it’s important to try to knock some sense into you,” Eva replied.

          “Why doesn’t he come then?”

          “His job deals with death; you can’t expect him to show up constantly.”

          “Okay then why can’t anyone else see you? Why don’t you show your face to Nala?”

          “She was only an infant when you had me murdered. She doesn’t know my face or my voice and as far as everyone else goes you need to start growing a conscience.”

          I smiled a little. “Sorry I don’t feel guilty. It was only orders.”

          “Only orders? She will be your undoing if you don’t watch yourself. By the way, falling for another man’s bride-to-be isn’t a smart move either.”

          “Antinique doesn’t love him.”

          “So? What was it that Grim told you earlier? You’re playing with fire?” Eva asked.

          “Leave me alone, you cursed spirit.”

          “I will remember this.” Eva vanished without another word.

          I took a deep breath and sighed.

 

 

          Later that night, I had decided to go to bed early. The events from the day played in my mind until I finally fell asleep. I stood in front of Antinique holding a dagger in my hand and held it up to her. “Tonight you are to use this against Ramos. Let him drift off to sleep and then push the blade into his head,” I told Antinique.

          She smiled and grabbed the hilt of the dagger. “It’ll be easy but what about Nala or Niki?” she asked.

          “I’ll deal with them. You worry about your husband-to-be.”

          She nodded.

          We leant toward each other and kissed. When you pulled away, I realized that Nala was the one standing in front of me instead. Fresh blood dripped out of her mouth. There was no evidence on her face of any cuts. I looked around with panic. “Where’s Antinique?” I asked.

          Nala laughed evilly.

          “Where’s Antinique?” I asked again.

          “I killed her,” she replied, licking the blood from her upper lip. “She was tasty.” She held up a human bone. “You’re next.”

          I backed away slowly, keeping my eyes on the demon. She began transforming from a human to wolf. Her dark brown eyes stared at me with delight.

          “Stay away from me,” I warned her.

          “I’m faster than any man on this planet and I’m stronger than any beast alive. I can kill you within minutes. You have nowhere to run.”

          “I warned you this would happen,” Grim appeared. “She’s dangerous. You only have yourself to blame.”

          “Go away,” I muttered.

          “Stand up, Imhotep,” Nala’s voice spoke but the tone was different. I turned to face her and noticed the blood was gone from her mouth. She had cleaned herself but there was something odd about her. She didn’t try to attack me and she didn’t bother to threaten me.

          “Make me,” I replied.

          “I’m not Nala,” she answered.

          “You sure look like Nala. Your voice isn’t any different.”

          “Just because I look like her doesn’t mean that I am her,” she responded with a hint of anger.

          “Then who are you?”

          “I am Vanessa… Nala’s conscience,” she let out a small sigh.

          “You’re not doing a good.”

          “She ignores me. I try to explain to her what will happen if she’s not careful but she’s stubborn.”

          “Okay so? Why are you here anyways?”

          “To try to convince you to change.”

          “I don’t need to change… besides if you do exist then why doesn’t anyone else know about you?”

          Vanessa dropped her head. “Nala doesn’t let people know I’m there. She doesn’t want anyone to think she’s crazy. I know you see dead people and she does too. Of course, you both don’t want anyone to think that either of you are insane.”

          “Okay… how are even here then?”

          “Because I can travel through dreams, it’s the only way I can make myself known to people but sadly I can’t choose whose dreams I can appear in. Grim wanted me to talk to you.”

          I laughed quietly and shook my head. “Why?”

          “We both believe that if you change for the better and possibly decide to worship the Hebrews’ God then you’ll be in good hands. Nala is evil and even though I try to get through to her she shuts me out. It has to be something you choose, I see the good in you but you have to see it too. You could be a good man… an honorable man and you could find a woman who isn’t already engaged to another.”

          “You think I should break things off with An-”

          Vanessa grabbed my right hand. “You make your own choices but in the end when you’re face to face with God you’ll be wishing that you made a better judgment. You’re heading toward Hell and believe me-Hell isn’t a place where you would want to be.”

          “What do you know? You’re trapped in a dungeon.”

          “It’s not my choice.” The next thing I knew Vanessa had kissed my forehead.

 

Impressum

Tag der Veröffentlichung: 31.03.2014

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