Demons and Kings

Prologue

Ancient Egypt

Dawn.

The sun god, Ra, rises far from the banks of the river Nile. His light shines over golden sands, stretching towards the pyramids. He shines upon his people, who as always, look to him for guidance.

As he reaches the river, the sun seems to cover all of Egypt.

A new day is beginning.

• • • • • • • • •

3000 years in the future Cairo, capital of Egypt

"In ancient times, Egyptians believed in eternal life. That their 'true' lives began after death. The afterlife. They preserved their bodies in anticipation of this afterlife with a process known as mummification."

Mummify
[muhm-uh-fahy]
Verb (used with object)
mummified, mummifying

1. to make (a dead body) into a mummy, as by embalming and drying.
2. to make (something) resemble a mummy; dry or shriveled up.

xXx

"Through the use of slaves, ancient Egyptians built tombs for their kings, and temples for their gods."

The air was hot, stifling, and sweat ran down my back and inbetween my shoulder blades, causing my shirt to stick to my skin as I shifted my feet impatiently in the loose sand, my sneakers unsuited for the desert terrain. It was unstable footing, and I was having trouble keeping my balance as we slowly but steadily moved forward through the heat. Said situation was not helped by the fact that our group was pressed tightly together, shoulders brushing as we breathed.

How claustrophobic. I grimaced and slowly inched away from the person standing closest to me, only to bump into another. I craned my neck, catching a flash of gold that shone brighter than the dusky sand around us.

Carol, my adoptive sister, met my eyes above the others and grinned, elated. Her enthusiasm was contagious, and I couldn't help but smile before shifting my attention back to the professor. Always worried about my image, I shouldn't have bothered. No one was paying attention anyway.

Now professor Browns voice - while not overly loud - was monotonous, and even the continuous chatter of the people around me did nothing to block out the sound. It was almost impossible not to hear him. His voice carried, and he seemed to have a knack for being heard no matter where you happened to be standing. He moved us forward at a well-planned pace, never letting us linger for too long in one spot least a student wander from the herd. And it was all too easy to get separated. I was constantly stepping around tourists, in their white sneakers and cargo shorts, my small stature an obvious disadvantage as I fought to stay with the rest of the group.

Voices babbled nonsense in a multitude of different languages, the sound blending together into an incessant hum, and people took pictures of everything, the flash an irritating addition to the already blistering sun; a constant flicker at the corner of my eye. I pushed my hair back as the wind blew, my fingers leaving streaks of dust where they brushed against my cheek. I couldn't find it in myself to care.

"They had amassed an incredible army, built off the glory of kings. Kings whose power extended across the desert." The professor waved his arm, sweeping it across the desiccated ruins as if trying to brush away the veil of decay to reveal something wonderful underneath. I couldn't imagine.