“Rituals for what, exactly?” This sounds too weird for me.
“My theory is that the climactic changes we’re going through now, getting worse every season—that these will eventually destroy most of the earth. Geologists are predicting major changes within the next ten years.” The doctor looks serious. “I think this is a cyclical pattern in the earth’s long history, and there’s a ritual the four powerful youths can do to calm and balance the earth, keeping the changes from destroying civilization. That seems to be what the text says. So, this is our mission. We need to find the Air Guardian and use the power to rebalance the earth.”
Chapter Thirteen
We’re all processing the information that Dr. Mara just told about us, me, as we arrive in El Wasṭā. Smoke heads off to the medical center to get real stitches and pain meds. Thank you Lord, for helping Smoke. My friends are becoming my family now.
Dr. Mara finds us an Airbnb, as close to the Weeping Pyramid that has enough available rooms. After a good night’s sleep, we will head out late morning. This is our chance to sleep in while the good doctor runs some errands. Once she returns with a bunch of provisions, we leave in a taxi. We’re dropped off on the dirt road near the sad-looking pyramid. It’s a cloudy, gray day. We bring our belongings just in case we can’t go back. Each of us carries a backpack refilled with medical supplies, extra batteries for the headlamps, rope, food and water. Our exploration can only last a few days.
A narrow canal flows right next to the giant mound of dirt that’s supposed to be a pyramid. The waterway has a thin strip of green on each bank, dotted with a few short trees. The pyramid is similar in size to the smallest pyramid in Giza, but it looks like it’s been slowly disintegrating over the millennia; like it’s weeping. It’s a giant haphazard lump of stone and sand, with brickwork rising out of the gray sand. You would never guess this was once a pyramid shape.
We walk around, exploring. There are several areas with the remains of brick rooms, the walls now only thirty centimeters high and easy to step over. One low bricked area is peppered with various chipping, some natural, some carved, like an artist’s rock garden. One rock has an Egyptian symbol carved into it, only the top half, as the red stone is broken and lying on its side. One half is standing on its edge and looks like a simple flower shape with an indented hole in the middle.
This is all very weird.
In another spot it looks like some excavating has been done. There’s a square pit going down a couple of meters with some thin wood scaffolding over it, a rope attached to a pulley, dangling into the two-meter-wide pit. It’s only a couple of meters deep. I can see what looked like possible columns down there, with water resting on the bottom.
We meet back under a tree by the canal to eat our lunches we’d brought. The Airbnb hostess made them for us. I open my paper wrapping eagerly; I’m famished. We dig into falafel with hummus and pita bread, baba ghanoush, carrot sticks, and water.
“Underground scans have revealed the lost labyrinth stretches under here, right in front of the pyramid to 244 meters, and side to side 300 meters.” The doctor sweeps her hand over the area where we’re sitting. “So it’s right below us. This man-made canal was added later since it goes right through the labyrinth, I think.”
“Why do you call it the ‘Lost Labyrinth’?” Ash takes a swig of cool water. “We don’t have to find it, do we?”
“It hasn’t been officially excavated yet, the underground scans have proven it’s existence, but it’s likely a dangerous and expensive endeavor—at least in an official capacity. We’ll need to find an entrance.”
“I went into the pyramid a few feet, but it goes straight down into water,” Torrent says. “No wonder I was drawn to the pyramid itself. Even the walls and ceiling are damp, and all bumpy like the walls themselves are weeping. The water in the descending tunnel is saltwater, too.”
“That’s strange, the Nile is freshwater,” I add.
“I know, it’s very odd. Are we that close to the water table, and why would it be salt? I sense water all around us.”
“Yes, there’s water down in a pit they were digging,” I point to the square pit.
“What a minute. Does this mean the entire labyrinth will be under water?” Tage sounds nervous.
“Oh no,” Smoke adds. “I’ve had enough of travelling in Tor’s air bubbles. No more. Besides, it’ll ruin my stitches.”
“Underwater … I wasn’t expecting that possibility.” Dr. Mara is quiet. “It certainly would be a perfect way to hide a labyrinth. Who could explore it underwater?”
Man, the ancient builders were ingenious.
“Maybe. I can’t tell if that water has been there for thousands of years or not.” Torrent stands and looks around. “It’s possible the water table rose and covered it later. I won’t be able to take all of us for long if we need to explore down there. If I go by myself I could be gone for a couple of hours.”
“What if you get lost?” Ash asks.
“It’s best if we stick together,” the doctor agrees. “That will be the very last resort.”
“How can it be the water table if it’s saltwater?” Tage asks.
“Either way, we’re fucking screwed, from the sounds of it.” Ash finishes and lies on her back, taking in the comfortable temperature under the shade.
“Well, we must find a way inside in either case. We’ll figure out how to handle the water later, if we run into it.” Dr. Mara packs up her belongings.
“How do we find the way in?” Torrent asks. “Like I said, you can’t even go down into the pyramid because of the water. Although, I could go explore for a bit just so we know what we’re up against down there. I don’t know how I would see anything down there, unless Ash comes with me.” He winks at her.
“The tunnels and chambers in the pyramid have all been mapped.” Dr. Mara unfolds two more papers for us to study. One shows a 3D model of the simple passageways and two main chambers inside the structure. Her other map looks very strange, like an old black and white woodcut, showing what appears to be an intricate drawing of a geometric labyrinth with many rooms. “The labyrinth is actually in front of the pyramid, not inside or below it. It’s possible the entrance is in there, though I doubt it. My guess is the entrance was through the temple complex in front of the pyramid, right above the underground maze.”
Tage spends most of her time lounging next to Smoke, who has been told to take it easy. The rest of us spend the afternoon studying the maps and exploring the area in greater detail, especially the section in front of the pyramid. All we find is a small opening into a corner of the pyramid, under some tumbled boulders, where a person could just squeeze through. I place my hands against the rock and listen to the stone.
“Dr. Mara, there’s space under there. I don’t sense water, but maybe Torrent can since he’s closer to that affinity than me. I don’t want to move anything and then flood the area.”
The doctor comes close and gets on her knees, examining the large crack at the base of the pyramid with her new flashlight. “Good, this is our best bet for now.” The sun is setting and the temperature is dropping fast. “We’ll take a day or two to plan and prepare. We have no idea what we’ll encounter down there. We need a ton of supplies, food, and water. I have no idea how long we’ll be walking around. It could be a few hours or days. We need to gear up for the latter. Once we’re ready, we’ll go in. With Ridge’s help, we’ll find the labyrinth, and the rituals we need.” The doctor straightens, dusting off her fatigue.
Part II
Chapter Fourteen
“I’m stuck,” Dr. Mara gives a big sigh. The rest of us have just managed to squeeze through the crack.
“Hold on.” I come up beside her and place my palms on the rock immediately by her torso.
“Don’t bring the whole thing down on me, Ridge.”
“I won’t.” By now I’ve done this enough I can control my force pretty well. Ever since the pyramid craziness, my awareness and
control have heightened like nothing else. Thank you, God, for this incredible gift. The stone tremors just slightly, but enough for the others to pull the doctor the rest of the way inside.
We help her to her feet, avoiding bashing our heads on the close rock above, as Ash flares her light. We’re in some kind of cataract, probably caused by water or lava long ago. This uneven area is in the ground; the crack shines sunlight from ground level, a little above. There are just enough rocks and boulders for us to climb down inside, though we’re stooped almost in half again.
“What is it with the ancient Egyptians, were they all effing hobbits?” Ash moves in front with her flashlight.
Since we stopped to rest for those few days, we managed to stock up on supplies. Batteries and new flashlights were the top of the list. Now we don’t have to rely on Ash’s powers as much. But I don’t think she minds using her abilities.
“This wasn’t built by them, the earth shifted and made this crack.” I’m touching the rock all around, trying to figure out where to go next. “But you’re right, most of the pyramidal passages are only a meter high.”
“They weren’t hobbits, but they were probably shorter than us by today’s average.” Dr. Mara shines her flashlight all around. “Still, the ancient Egyptians had the best food for the times. They ate richly. They weren’t that much shorter than us, I think.”
“Who the fuck cares, we’re just trying to get into the labyrinth, right? Besides, I was joking.” Ash shakes her head.
“Calm down, Sis.” Smoke pats Ash’s shoulder. Immediately Ash’s demeanor settles at her brother’s touch. “Back in those times, the division between the haves and the have nots, was large. But like Dr. Mara said, those who were upper class, did eat well.”
“You’re such a dork knowing all of that.”
“And yet, you still love me.”
“I tolerate you.” Ash nudges his shoulder, but has a smile on her face.
The crack descends crookedly, dwindling in size. We climb down to where it’s almost closed.
“Ridge, is there anything behind there?” the doctor asks.
I place my hands on the rock by the crack, closing my eyes. “Yes, there’s space behind this, and below … it’s a passageway!” I pour my energy into my hands. The walls trembles, widening the crack on the bottom, dirt and stones falling down inside.
Dr. Mara kneels close, shining her light. “I see it. It’s a tunnel, all right.” She sits up, pulling out her map of the pyramid and studies it. “This passage isn’t on the map.” She says with excitement.
“Do you think it will lead us to the labyrinth?” Tage asks.
“It’s our best shot. I think the official entrance wasn’t from the pyramid, but maybe we can get in a back way.”
“Or maybe the pyramid tunnels aren’t connected to the labyrinth at all,” Smoke adds. “Can I look at the underground scans again?”
Dr. Mara opens the scan sheet and points. “Some of the lost passageways actually do go under the pyramid. I don’t know if there is a link, but if not, maybe we can make one.” She pats me on the shoulder.
I widen the crack enough for us to climb down. It’s nice to be in a smooth tunnel again. We don’t even have to stoop, it’s about two meters high.
“Thank God I can stand upright.” Ash brightens her palm light. “I got this, Dr. Mara.”
“Don’t wear yourself out too much. I’ll save mine for emergencies.” The woman tucks her flashlight into her backpack.
We each have a pack, full of all sorts of supplies, mostly food, and water. Torrent has a few extra bottles of water just in case we don’t find any other source and he needs to use his abilities. We tried to think of everything. We each have our own First Aid Kit, of course, and waterproof flashlights and headlamps with extra batteries. Everything in our packs are sealed in plastic bags, for extra protection. We have ropes, notebooks, pens, pencils and measuring tape.
The doctor is in freshly-laundered fatigues. The rest of us are wearing the best adventure clothes we could get on short notice. I feel like Indiana Jones in my brand-new khaki’s, sage T-shirt with a gray long-sleeve button-down. I’ve never had new clothes before—they smell amazing.
Tage and Smoke opted for more traditional kaftan tunics. They each found a shorter style in earth tones, going to just below the knee. Smoke wears simple beige loose pants underneath. They’ll certainly dry a lot quicker than my khaki’s if we get wet. I can’t help it, though. I wanted to be like Indiana Jones. Dr. Mara wouldn’t allow the iconic hat, though, since we’ll be underground.
Torrent kept his jeans and dark-blue T-shirt, as did Ash with her burnt orange shirt. Both insisted on washing them whenever we stopped and had machines that could be used. Dr. Mara bought them beige windbreakers, and we’re all wearing good hiking boots with extra socks in our bags.
We brought camping gear, too—thin, emergency sleeping bags that look like tin foil, and face masks. We packed simple tools to cook and eat with, toiletries, and toilet paper.
“Whatever we find down here, be careful,” I say. “This has been here a lot longer than any of us and we need to respect it.”
“It’ll be around long after us, too,” Smoke adds. “Don’t touch anything you don’t have to. There might be toxins in the air if we open a chamber that’s been sealed for centuries. Also there could be rough terrain so step gingerly and try not to destroy anything.”
“We are not tearing up megalithic ancient stones to bury our shit in.” I’d never heard the doctor so stern. The others were laughing quietly, I caught the sniggers.
“Okay, which way do we go?” Ash shines her light down one direction, then the other.
“Ridge?” Dr. Mara looks to me.
Quickly I kneel and place my palm on the ground, sending my energy through the stone and in both directions. After a few moments I stand. “This way. I sense many more passageways, a lot, in this direction.”
We turn to the left and get going, Ash and I in front, Dr. Mara right behind.
Chapter Fifteen
Carrying the heavy pack is a little like all the loads of recyclables I had to haul in Zabbaleen.
“You have the lightest load, you’ll be fine,” Ash mocks. “We’re trained for this.”
“You’re all soldiers?”
“Hell yeah. That’s where we met and trained with Dr. Mara.” Ash keeps her light up so we can see into the black tunnel. It’s dusty and we keep sneezing.
“Thank God there’s no water,” Smoke mutters.
“Shh, bite your tongue.” Tage’s quiet voice carries.
“It doesn’t make sense, actually,” Torrent says. “I can sense water in isolated spots all around, especially below us, but I think we’re already lower than the entrance tunnel. And that was full of water just ten feet in.”
“Many are the mysteries of Egypt,” Dr. Mara says.
I lift my head proudly. These are my ancestors they’re talking about. “The religious group I’m part of, Copts, are direct descendants of the original Egyptians, did you know that?” I can’t help boasting. It’s the one thing I’ve always been proud of. “Our Coptic is all that’s left of the ancient language. But not many speak it anymore.”
I don’t notice the wall until we almost run into it.
“Dead end, Ridge. Did you lead us wrong?” Ash shines her flame into all the corners.
I place my hands on the wall and close my eyes a moment. “She’s right, this is a dead end. There’s nothing but stone and earth on the other side.” What happened? I know the labyrinth is this way, I sensed it clearly. I scratch my head, my skin burning as everyone looks at me.
“Try touching all the walls.”
I take the doctor’s advice and place my hands on the walls to either side, then the floor. Nothing. I can barely reach the ceiling and place my hands onto it. Openness … “Up here—there’s a chamber above this slab of stone.” No way—a secret door!
“Can you move that giant stone?” Dr. Ma
ra studies her maps.
“Yes, ma’am, I think so if Smoke and Torrent lift me.” The boys cup their hands as I use them as steps. They support my weight. I pour all my energy through my fingers into the heavy stone above. Nothing happens at first; I start to sweat. Then the ceiling trembles so somewhat only I can feel it. I double my focus—the stone shifts slightly, then a little more, then grinds open to the side with a large echo.
Dust falls onto my head and I cough.
“Savage!” Ash points her light high. The passage continues in another direction.
“How are we going to get up there?” Tage moves closer to look.
“I could make some ice stairs.”
“No, Torrent, we can’t waste our water if you can’t find another source. Thank you, though.” The doctor removes her thin rope. “Ridge, can you try?”
The memory of me taking us through the stone floods my mind. That was really dangerous, taking them through not knowing how long it would take to pass through it. I could have killed them. But the rope … I hold the rope and study the room above.
“Can someone lift me again?” I ask.
“Sure.” Torrent removes his backpack.
The others help me onto his shoulders and aid him in standing. My torso lifts into the room above. The thick opening stone is next to me. I reach in and place my rope against the slab, shifting my focus to loosen the atoms. Sweat beads my forehead, but finally my hand sinks into the stone, becoming one with it. I lodge the end of the rope down a little farther, then carefully retrieve my hand before opening my eyes.
Earth Guardian (Deities Series Book 2) Page 5
