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Chapter 7.55 - Ichabod 2

It was a one day flight across the Atlantic to Egypt. Then a two-day train ride down the Nile. From there, a further three hour helicopter ride to the palace of Amun-Kar.

Though Ichabod traveled with a small entourage, he passed most of the time in silence. The ten vampires accompanying him were of little consequence, but they were loyal and they would not ask questions. That was preferable, since traveling with a group would ease suspicions and reduce his interactions with outsiders.

It should have been a historic event for an elder to travel to another country. Elders did not travel like this, and never did so in such a small group. It was improper and unbecoming of his stature. Ichabod had gone to great lengths to travel like this. Quickly. Quietly.

When he and the other vampires traveled during daylight hours, they wore heavy cloaks that concealed every inch of their skin. The coverings would've been stifling to humans, but the copious fabric did not bother Ichabod. If it bothered the lesser vampires, they knew better than to give breath to their complaints.

Slight discomfort in the heat was preferable to the alternative—death by sunlight or by their master's hand.

Though Ichabod moved little during his travels, he wasn't restless. He did not torpor. His body moved little, but his mind wandered.

He had much to contemplate. Much to plan for. And much to atone for.

There were other geographically closer elders, but Ichabod went to Egypt first. It was poetic that this should start in Egypt, near both the cradle of humankind and of vampirekind. Most vampires could trace their lineages back to this hot and inhospitable place—

Back to the sunbaked desert.

And many could trace their lineage back to Amun-Kar.

He was ancient, even among the elders—older than the stones of the pyramids and strong enough that he could've built the great monuments by himself. He'd ruled from the shadows, whispering in the ears of pharaohs throughout Egypt's earliest history. Amun-Kar had gone by many names over those thousands of years. He'd been both the Shadow of Ra and the Herald of Apophis, among a hundred others. But his favorite was the Blood of the Nile.

Ichabod went to Egypt first because Amun-Kar trusted him. It would be easy to get close to him. Easy to surprise him.

Ichabod went to Egypt first because he needed to kill Amun-Kar first. Because if he could kill Amun-Kar, then he might just have a chance of killing the others.

~

Though Ichabod hid his plans and his identity, there was nothing he could do to mask his aura.

Vampire senses were much more potent than those of humans. Even freshly turned vampires saw the world with a vividness that scientists and poets could only dream of. Humans relied mainly on sight and sound, but vampirekind were not shackled to their eyes and ears. Their sense of smell and taste were as sensitive as those of a bloodhound or a shark, and vampires relied on them just as much.

Among those senses was an aura that all vampires possessed. Like most animals, vampires valued strength. But unlike most animals, vampires didn't need to posture or fight to determine their pecking order. Most times, aura was enough for two vampires to compare strength. One vampire could tell the strength of another at a glance, even from across a room. A powerful elder like Ichabod could be felt across a city block.

Aura was an archaic term and one that had lost its mysticism in the age of science. Aura wasn't a magical connection or a psychic sense between vampires. It was simply a mixture of pheromones and nonverbal communication, such as posture and gait. But old habits were hard to break, and thus the term aura was still widely used.