by Dan Hunter
Akori, Manu and Ebe backed off to the very edge of the swampy ground. Akori drew his golden khopesh sword. He could only hope it would be enough of a weapon against this unstoppable terror.
With a roar and a mighty heave, Am-Heh dragged his whole body free. Then he squatted on his haunches, shook himself like a dog and stood to his full height.
Before, he had been terrifying. Now, he truly was a living nightmare. His body was oozing with sandy slime. His dreadful teeth were bared, as if ready to feast on young, tender meat.
Akori took a deep breath and brandished his khopesh. “Get back!” he yelled.
Am-Heh cocked his head and gave an evil grin. Akori glanced around in panic. On one side was a wall of rocks – on the other, the river Nile. And behind them was more quicksand! There was nowhere left to run…
Akori looked across the river, blood pounding in his ears. There was only one place they might be able to shelter – a lumpy-looking island a little way out into the river.
“Swim for it!” Akori shouted, pointing to the island with his sword. “I’ll hold him off for as long as I can.”
Ebe was already moving. She darted past Akori and splashed into the water with a yowl of fear and disgust. As soon as she was deep enough, she began to swim towards the island.
“Manu, you too. Get away from here,” Akori yelled.
Am-Heh swung an arm towards Akori, trying to knock him sideways, but Akori leaped out of the way just in time. A clawed hand whooshed past his face, missing it by a hair’s breadth.
“My scrolls!” wailed Manu as he stared out at the river. “I can’t get them wet. They’ll be ruined!”
Am-Heh snarled and glared at him. Then he surged towards Manu, snapping his jaws hungrily.
Akori quickly jumped into Am-Heh’s path with his khopesh raised. Behind him he heard a loud splash. Akori glanced over his shoulder and saw Manu plunging into the river after Ebe, holding his scroll bags above his head. Now only Akori and Am-Heh were left on the riverbank.
Am-Heh lunged, aiming a bite at Akori’s neck. This time, Akori swerved his body to one side and slashed out in a desperate counter-attack. The razor-sharp khopesh went whistling towards Am-Heh’s own exposed throat. Am-Heh dodged out of the way just in time.
He warily circled around Akori, touching his neck as he did so. There was a little bald patch where the khopesh had struck. It had come close enough to slice his fur away! Am-Heh looked at Akori with a mixture of hate and wariness.
Then he crouched on his haunches and leaped through the air, his huge, heavy body hurtling right towards Akori!
Akori stumbled backwards into the river. Cold water washed around his feet. Am-Heh landed in the water with an almighty splash and roared in anger.
Akori glanced back over his shoulder once more. Out in the river, Ebe and Manu were scrambling desperately onto the island. Akori saw Manu frown in puzzlement as he pulled himself onto its bare surface, hauling his soggy bags up behind him.
Was Manu still worried about his scrolls? No – he was poking at the island’s surface as if there was something not quite right about it.
Suddenly, the whole island lurched and titled sideways! There was a booming roar from beneath the water and a huge head loomed up out of the river, its nostrils flaring, its immense mouth yawning open to reveal teeth that were longer than swords.
The shock of the sight left Akori weak at the knees. It was a giant hippopotamus – a truly colossal one!
Akori spun around. Am-Heh took a giant step through the water towards him, looking angrier than ever.
Akori quickly turned back to the hippo. Water streamed from its back as it rose out of the river, with Ebe and Manu still clinging on. It was so huge it was like watching a house lift itself up.
Akori spun back round to look at Am-Heh. He was shaking the water from the fur on his head. Then he tipped his head back and gave a mighty roar.
Akori felt terror rise in his chest as he glanced back and forth between the Hunter God and the hippo. There was no escape.
Then, suddenly, Akori had an idea. “Manu, Ebe, jump!” he cried, gesturing at them to dive into the river. As soon as his friends had splashed down into the water, Akori waved at the hippo. “Hey!” he shouted. “Over here you overgrown river-cow!”
The hippo’s piggy little eyes caught sight of Akori. With a furious grunt, it charged towards him. At the same moment, Am-Heh gave a menacing growl and rushed forward.
Gritting his teeth, Akori held his ground as the two monsters thundered closer. Then, at the last moment, when the hippo’s gaping mouth was so close he could have jumped in, he leaped to the side, plunging into the deep, fast-flowing river.
Behind him, there was an earth-shaking crash and a blood-curdling yowl of pain as the two beasts collided. Next moment, there was a wild frenzy of roaring, snarling, snapping and growling. As Akori came up for air, he tried to see what was happening.
The hippo was lashing this way and that, battering Am-Heh with its massive head. The dog-headed God snarled in mindless rage as he fought back, tearing at the hippo’s thick hide with his huge claws.
But then suddenly the hippo reared up and brought its whole body crashing down on top of him. Am-Heh vanished in a muddy fountain of Nile water.
But where were Manu and Ebe? Fighting to keep his head above the surface, Akori swam towards the spot where he had last seen them. Finally he saw them swimming across the river, trying to reach the far bank.
“We’ve done it!” Akori gasped as he drew level with them. “We’ve escaped!”
“Not yet we haven’t,” spluttered Manu. “We’ve got to get across the river first, and I don’t know if I can swim much further.”
Even Ebe was struggling against the strong currents.
“Keep going!” Akori urged, but even as he spoke he could feel his own arms and legs getting heavy.
Then all of a sudden a chilly mist began to descend on the river. Akori shuddered. The cold waters of the Nile seemed to be draining all of his energy. Looking across at Manu and Ebe, he could tell they were feeling exactly the same. Manu didn’t even seem bothered about his scrolls any more – his bags dragged behind him in the water.
But just then, as if it were a sign from the Gods, the prow of a boat emerged from the mist.
“Look,” Akori shouted, pointing at it with a weary arm. “Let’s see if they can help us.”
They forced a last effort out of muscles that burned with pain. The boat drew closer.
Akori saw the silhouette of a man leaning over the edge of the boat. He was holding out an oar for them to grab on to. They were safe.
The three of them clambered aboard and landed in a bedraggled heap in the bottom. Nobody spoke. For a moment they just lay there, taking huge breaths, glad to be alive. Then Akori looked up to thank their rescuer.
But his words died in his throat. The head that peered down at him was on back to front! Akori stared at the strange figure. The man began to smile at him, but that somehow only made it seem worse.
Manu looked horrified. “Akori…do you know who this is?”
Akori shook his head.
“His name is Aken,” said Manu, his voice weak with fright. “He’s one of Anubis’s helpers.”
Akori was puzzled. “But that’s good, isn’t it? Anubis is on our side. Maybe Aken can take us to him.”
Manu gave a hollow laugh. “It’s not that simple. Aken only knows one route, and it’s a one-way voyage. He is Anubis’s ferryman. He carries the spirits of the dead to the Underworld – where they must stay for ever!” Manu turned to Akori, his face ashen with fear. “He is taking us to the Underworld. We will never make it back alive.”
“So that’s why he was so glad to see us.” Akori shuddered. “With Anubis imprisoned, Aken can’t have had any passengers for a while.” He shook his head slowly as the awful truth dawned. “So we’re to be taken to the land of the dead, while the dead roam the world of the living!”
“Some say tha
t’s how the world itself will end,” whispered Manu. “Everything gets turned upside down.”
The mist closed around the barge, growing as thick as a grave-shroud. Off in the distance, Akori heard a horribly familiar growling, then splashing noises and howls of frustration. Somewhere, Am-Heh was still searching for them. Ebe gave a shudder and crouched down in the bottom of the boat, as if she was trying to hide.
From beneath them came a deep gurgle. Then the whole barge lurched downwards. Akori sprang to his feet.
Clutching the rail, Manu stared down at the water. Bubbles were streaming up to the surface. “It’s starting!” he said grimly.
“What do you mean?” Akori demanded. “What’s starting?”
“As the sun goes down, the boat sinks too,” Manu explained. “Down to the caverns of the Underworld!”
Akori could just make out the sun through the mist. It was a feeble red, and vanishing fast. Another gurgle and another lurch. They were definitely lower in the water now.
“Aken!” Akori yelled, tugging at the figure’s robe. Although Aken’s body was facing them, his head was facing the other way. “Please stop! Take us back! We need to save your master Anubis!”
But Aken just kept rowing, his head turned away, as if he hadn’t heard.
“It’s no good, Akori!” Manu shook his head. “Dead souls beg Aken to turn back every single day, but he can’t. He can only do what he was created to do. He has to take this same voyage, day after day, until the end of time.”
Sinking into the Underworld as the sun set…it reminded Akori of something. He punched his fist into his hand as he remembered. Of course! Ra’s sun-barge did the same thing! Akori grasped the Amulet of Ra and held it aloft. Manu had said Aken could only do what he was created to do. He wasn’t evil, he was just simple, so maybe he could be fooled…
“Help me, Ra,” he prayed. “Please help me!”
At once, a bright golden light blazed out from the talisman, shining in all directions. In an instant, the mist thinned and vanished, burned away by the warm light.
Aken looked over his shoulder. For a moment, he looked surprised and deep in thought. Then he shrugged and kept rowing. Slowly the boat began to rise back up in the water.
Ebe leaped to her feet and gave Akori a huge grin.
“It’s working!” Manu whispered. “Aken thinks it’s still daytime!”
The barge glided silently up the river, Akori’s talisman shining out like a beacon. He looked up at the darkening sky, and wondered how long they could fool Aken. But Aken just kept on rowing, until eventually a huge white pyramid loomed into view on the horizon.
“Look!” Akori said excitedly. “Over there, across the sand dunes. It’s the Great Pyramid.”
“But we still have one problem,” said Manu. “How do we get to the shore? Aken’s not going to steer us there, is he?”
Akori’s brow furrowed as he stared across the river. He hadn’t thought of that. Luckily, Ebe knew what to do. Quick as a panther, she leaped onto Aken’s back and clamped her hands down over his eyes.
Aken bellowed and tried to shake her off, but she clung on tightly. Akori grinned. This was more like the old, courageous Ebe!
While Aken was distracted, Akori snatched one of his oars and plunged it into the water. The river was flowing so fast the current nearly swept the oar from his hand, but Akori held on. Leaning heavily on the wooden shaft, he used the oar like a rudder, steering the boat towards the shore. In a matter of minutes, it thudded into the bank and Akori, Manu and Ebe leaped out.
Watching from the boat, Aken scratched his head in confusion.
“Thank you, Mighty Ra,” Akori whispered. As he spoke, the light from the talisman faded and darkness descended once more. Aken blinked, and suddenly seemed to come to his senses. Seizing his oars, he rowed swiftly back into the middle of the river. Then, as Akori watched, the barge began to sink lower and lower into the water. Soon it had vanished into the murky depths of the Nile, along with its strange ferryman.
Akori tucked the Talisman of Ra back inside the pouch at his waist and sighed gratefully.
“I’ve never been so glad to feel dry land under my feet.” He turned to the others. “Come on, there’s no time to lose. We have to save Anubis before the dead take over the living.”
They hurried across the sand dunes towards the Great Pyramid. As they ran, two more huge triangular structures emerged on the horizon. The three gigantic pyramids towered over them like a mountain range, glowing white in the moonlight. Suddenly, Manu gasped.
“Look!” he breathed. “The Sphinx!”
There, crouched in front of one of the great pyramids as if it was guarding them, was a massive stone statue. It had the body of a lion but the head of a king, staring out across the desert with blank eyes.
Ebe’s face lit up with delight. Filled with new energy, she raced down the dune ahead of them and soon reached the foot of the huge stone creature. She rubbed her face gently against it, like a cat saying hello. Akori followed her and gazed up at the huge stone face, solemn and regal in the moonlight.
The birthmark on his arm was tingling. Akori knew that the Sphinx was connected to his destiny. When he had first arrived at the temple, the High Priest had shown him the Prophecy of the Sphinx, inscribed in an ancient block of sandstone. It had foretold his quest.
“A hero of the wheatfields,” the Sphinx had called him. “He shall battle the monsters to free the Gods.” As Akori gazed up at the ancient stone face he was sure the Sphinx was smiling at him, as if he still had some secrets left to tell.
Beyond the Sphinx stood the Great Pyramid. Akori thought of Anubis trapped somewhere inside the giant stone structure and the breath caught in the back of his throat.
“We need to get inside,” he said, turning to Manu. “I don’t suppose any of your scrolls would tell us how?”
But before Manu could answer, a mournful groan echoed across the dunes. Ebe gave a warning growl, but Akori already knew what that sound meant.
Rising over the top of the nearest dune came a seething mass of grey lurching figures. It was full of snarling faces, outstretched arms and clutching hands. The dead! Not just a few this time, but a whole army.
“Quick, Manu, how do we get in?” demanded Akori.
Manu began delving through his scrolls, but many of them had turned to mush in the river. The ghastly army of the dead had staggered over the top of the dune and was now sweeping down the other side like a dark wave. In less than a minute they would reach the Sphinx…
“Manu, we have to hurry.”
“I’m trying my best,” Manu snapped, pulling out yet another damp scroll. As he unrolled it, it tore down the middle.
Ebe yowled and pointed. Hundreds of empty-eyed figures were now charging towards them.
“I know, Ebe, I know.” Akori readied his khopesh. It would be a hopeless fight, but he wasn’t going to give up without one.
Just as Akori was about to charge towards the dead army, Manu shouted in triumph.
“Found it,” he yelled. “In the scriptures of Ta-Nech, it says there’s a secret door in between the Sphinx’s paws. Akori, we’re right on top of it!”
As the dead surged towards them, Akori, Ebe and Manu quickly ran between the Sphinx’s huge paws. There they found a sloping stone surface, covered with weathered hieroglyphics.
“The scrolls didn’t mention this!” said Manu. “One of those symbols must be a clue to the way in. But which one?”
Akori felt desperate. He couldn’t even read hieroglyphics! And if they couldn’t get in, Anubis would never be freed.
But then he noticed a familiar shape in among the rest. A falcon, with its wings spread. He knew it well by now – it was the same as the birthmark on his arm. The symbol of Horus. The Pharaoh’s Mark…
“This one!” he said, and jabbed it with his thumb. With a deep grinding noise, an ancient panel in the stone slowly began to open.
The lurching army of the dead was now almos
t upon them, shrieking and wailing.
“Hurry!” Akori called, as the stone panel continued to edge its way open.
“They’re going to get us!” Manu cried. “We’re too late.”
“Let’s pull it,” Akori shouted.
All three of them kneeled down and tugged at the heavy stone. The panel juddered and opened a fraction more, just wide enough for them to fit through. Without a moment to lose they jumped down into the darkness.
Akori looked up, and saw a sea of angry dead faces glaring down at him. Then the grinding noise began again and the panel closed. They found themselves in pitch blackness.
“How did you close the door?” Manu asked, impressed.
Akori swallowed. “I didn’t.”
They felt their way along in the darkness. They were in a passageway that went downwards at first, then levelled out, before angling upwards again.
“We must be under the Great Pyramid by now!” Manu whispered after a while. Ebe nodded in agreement. Akori’s heart began to beat faster. Hopefully they would soon be within reach of Anubis. But then he heard something.
“Shhhh,” he said to the others. “Did you hear that?”
From further down the passageway came the distant sound of voices chanting. And a faint glimmer of light.
Cautiously they made their way to the end of the passageway. It emerged into a gallery that looked down on a vast chamber. Narrow stairs led downwards. Huge flaming torches on the walls bathed the room in a fiery glow.
The chanting was much louder now, and Akori gave a start as he saw where it was coming from. Dozens of figures filled the chamber below. But these figures looked different to the ones outside. Instead of being clad in dirty raggedy clothes, they were wrapped in layer upon layer of dusty bandages.
Mummies!
“They must be the dead who were mummified just before Anubis was captured,” Manu whispered. Akori nodded.
Around and around the chamber the mummies marched, repeating the same words:
