PROLOGUE — IMHOTEP'S VOW

"The evil in this tomb must never be discovered." — sekhmet

THEBES
1,290 BC

THE VESSEL OF RA WAS CURRENTLY TRAVELLING THROUGH THE UNDERWORLD ON ITS WAY TO BE REGENERATED FOR THE NEXT DAY, SO IN THE MEANTIME KHONSU HAD TAKEN UP HIS MANTLE IN THE SKY. It was dead silent in the City of the Dead (pun definitely intended) and the inky darkness was illuminated by the torches that lined the paths and buildings — their flames blazing orange. Guards littered the grounds, their hands hovering readily over their swords in case of an attack against the Pharaoh who was tending to business nearby.

Thebes was the home of Imhotep, the High Priest of Osiris and Keeper of the Dead. He stood strongly, looking out over his city, his dark eyes practically burning holes into everything they met.

It was at that moment that a beautiful and elegant woman entered the temple and his gaze immediately softened at the sight of her. From a distance, one would believe that she was wearing an intricate, skin-tight dress but once you got closer you would realise that it wasn't a dress at all, just gold and black paint that coated her entire body. It was a symbol of possession, that she was not to be touched. Well, by anyone apart from the Pharaoh, because she was in fact his Mistress. Just like the Priest she secretly adored, Thebes was her home, her place of birth. And it was where she was given the name Anck-su-namun.

The goddess-like woman strode through the temple, her head held high and her stance screaming importance. Priests of Osiris — Imhotep's men — watched as the Pharaoh's Mistress made her way towards her lover from behind a cracked piece of stone. They continued to observe, shocked, as Anck-su-namun passed through the bedroom curtains to meet with her secret love. The heavily tattooed men stood there, sharing a knowing look with one another, they all knew who their loyalty belonged to.

They met in the middle and their eyes glistened with intensity as they stared at each other as if memorising their lover's features in case they would never see them again. Anck-su-namun then ran her hands over Imhotep's face, but not touching him, until he brought her into a passionate embrace. Their lips danced in a hungry battle as pure passion flowed through their veins. Consumed by the moment, Imhotep's hand caressed her shoulder, finally touching the perfect body of his lover, smearing the paint that had been so carefully applied.

To those who witnessed, it was clear that the two were not just submitting to their lust, but to their eternal love as well. In fact, they loved each other so deeply and truly that they were willing to risk life itself to be together.

On the opposite side of the curtains to the lovers, the bald tattooed Priests made a dash for the door in an attempt to seal them in. But just as they were about to lock them for good, the doors suddenly burst open, revealing a furious Pharaoh. He stormed into the room, glaring at the priests who were so close to keeping him out.

"What are you doing here?!" He demanded angrily.

Frightened for their lives, the Priests scurried backwards and were obviously distressed from the Pharaoh's sudden entrance. Then the ruler of Egypt turned to the luxurious curtains and threw them back to enter the room in which his Priest and Mistress had been loving each other.

But instead of interrupting two of the people he was closest to betraying him, he was met with just his Mistress, leaning seductively against a golden statue of a cat as her fingers tapped away against the metal.

A fake smile adorned her lips as she stared at the Pharaoh, pretending that she cared about him when really she despised his very being and longed to be with another. Her attempts to distract him didn't work because his eyes soon fell on the smeared pain on her arm, the complex pattern now distorted.

Pointing at it accusingly, he asked, his voice loud and full of rage. "Who has touched you?"

Stepping out from the shadows, but still behind the Pharaoh, Imhotep then pulled his blade from its scabbard. Anck-su-namun watched her lover over the Pharaoh's shoulder and following her gaze, the Pharaoh spun around only to be met with one of his most trusted Priests who was about to commit the ultimate betrayal. To say that he was shocked would've been an understatement.

"Imhotep?!" He questioned in disbelief. "My Priest?!"

It was Anck-su-namun's turn to draw a knife this time and then she plunged it into the Pharaoh's vulnerable back. Her eyes held no mercy, hesitation nor remorse as she drove the sharp blade deeper into the flesh of her former lover. It was a horrific sight to witness — two lovers who held Egypt in their hands striking down the man who shared it with them. An unforgivable act of treachery. 

The Pharaoh let out an agonising scream.

But no help came.

Imhotep then raised his own sword, ready to bring it down upon the chest of his former friend.

As he was about to do so, his priests forced the large doors shut and bolted them, sealing in the murderers with their victim. They watched with morbid curiosity as the shadows of Anck-su-namun and Imhotep stabbing repeatedly at the Pharaoh were projected onto the thin curtains that separated them. Even though the Pharaoh was certainly dead, the lovers continued to dig their blades into him as if watching his royal blood spill brought them unmeasurable pleasure.

Suddenly, the doors shook as they were rammed against from the other side, disrupting the murderers from the treasonous deed.

WHAM!! Together, the heads of the lovers whipped around to face the source of the noise.

WHAM!! The doors were hit yet again, but just like the previous attempt, they failed to breach the room. Imhotep and Anck-su-nanum turned to each other, sharing looks of desperation.

WHAM!! The guards rammed against the door for a third time as the Priests ran to their leader to try and pull him from the scene and towards the open balcony.

"Pharaoh's bodyguards!" They yelled at him in an attempt to get the man to realise why they had to hurry. Imhotep didn't care.

The Keeper of the Dead struggled against the grasp of his fellow Priests as he tried to once again reach his lover. But Anck-su-namun wasn't having any of it and instead took the sword he had used to kill the Pharaoh and shoved him in the direction of the balcony. Whilst Imhotep saw this gesture as hurtful, Anck-su-namun saw it as merciful.

"You must go. Save yourself." The former Mistress told him, but when she saw the hesitation and stubbornness in his eyes, she added convincingly. "Only you can resurrect me."

Sorrow and despair flooded his features and he was about to say something in response... but then the doors exploded.

After the entrance was burst open, the Pharaoh's guards (men with blue-tinted skin and peculiar tattoos) stormed the room, heavily armed as they headed straight for them. With no time to waste, the Priests tugged Imhotep out onto the dark balcony where they were hidden by the shadows. Then just after the High Priest had vanished, the guards threw the curtains aside and were deeply alarmed by what they were met with.

Pointing at the dead Pharaoh in disgust but with a hint of victory, Anck-su-namun hissed. "My body is no longer his temple." And then she took the sword and drove it through her own heart.

Out on the balcony, watching the whole thing take place, Imhotep's jaw fell open in a horrified silent scream. It was a good thing that it was, because if it hadn't been, the sheer volume of the man's grief would've shaken the heavens itself.

IT WAS IMHOTEP'S JOB AS HIGH PRIEST TO CURSE THE BODY OF HIS SECRET LOVE FOR THE TREASON SHE HAD COMMITTED. No one knew — excluding his Priests who saw the entire thing — about his part in the murder of the Pharaoh, so to the rest of Egypt, he was innocent. That allowed him to have the time and resources he needed to plan the resurrection of his murderous lover.

Imhotep was the one who led the torch-lit procession across the sandy dunes in which Anck-su-namun's body was carried by slaves who would later be slaughtered. Her body was then mummified and her vital organs stored in sacred, jewel encrusted Canopic jars. They were both placed in the sand together to be buried beneath the golden waves.

He then started to read from a book made entirely of gold and it glistened in the light, almost blinding some of the others. Filled with dread, the High Priest continued to speak the mystical words, words given to them by the Gods themselves. The book he was holding was called 'The Book of the Living' and the purpose of the sacred incantations within was to send the souls of the evil dead on a gruesome journey to the underworld for the damned.

Watching in a mixture of fear and fascination, the Slaves and soldiers widened their eyes at the sight of a strange light suddenly flashing across the dead woman's body along with theirs. All of a sudden, their gazes rose, as if they couldn't tear away from Anck-su-namun's rising body. Brightness obscured their sight as another flash of light covered the mummy, closely followed by a strong gust of wind. Then it all stopped.

Imhotep stared down upon the now-cursed body of his love, guilt of what he had just done to her overcoming him. Her mummified corpse was currently strewn across the sand with limbs twisted in odd angles. The Priests then picked up the body of Anck-su-namun and carefully placed her inside the stone sarcophagus before closing the lid and sealing the body of the Pharaoh's Mistress off from the world of the living. It was then slowly lowered into the hole by the slaves and then covered with layers upon layers of golden sand. With a wave of his hand, the soldiers threw their spears at the slaves. Killing them instantly.

Imhotep gave another signal and then his bald, knife-wielding Priests launched themselves at the now unarmed soldiers and began cutting them to pieces. You could barely see the fight in the flickering darkness, but still Imhotep and the Medjai watched solemnly, because they knew it had to be done. It was so that no unholy person would ever have the information as to where exactly the murderess was buried. They thought that no one who truly believed in the Gods would ever commit an act so sacrilege.

But they were wrong.

After making sure that Imhotep fulfilled his duty as High Priest, the Medjai led off and headed back across the sand. One by one, the Priests stopped their frenzied attack on the already dead soldiers to stare at the Medjai as they vanished into the horizon. Once he was sure that the Medjai were no longer in sight, Imhotep nodded to his Priests who immediately discarded their blood-soaked knives and then leaped onto Anck-su-namun's grave. They began digging at the sand with their bare hands, desperately trying to reach the cursed dead woman.

It didn't take too long to retrieve her body from the sand and then Imhotep and his Priests laid her down in a sort of hearse before racing through the desert. Their chariots sped, their path illuminated by the moonlight that shone down upon the sand. Imhotep was leading the way and he knew where they were headed.

There they would find a powerful object which could bring Anck-su-namun back from the dead. It was the twin of the golden book, but this one was a dark black and called 'The Book of the Dead'. So named because of the incantations could control life and death itself. But it was not to be read, or even opened, because the knowledge locked within was so unholy and evil that it scared the omnipotent Gods themselves.

Imhotep and his Priests rode through the large stone gates and into Hamunaptra. The book was hidden inside the towering statue of Anubis who guarded it well until the High Priest came with his desire to resurrect his lost love. It was so well hidden so no sacrilege - like the one he was about to commit - would ever disgrace the might of Egypt. But because of his power and status amongst the people, Imhotep was entrusted the location of the book.

What a mistake that was.

Carefully, he withdrew an ornately decorated chest from the secret compartment within the statue of Anubis and then slid off the lid. Hope and premature victory glinted in his eyes as he pulled out the book made of black stone and held it tightly in his hands. He was prepared to bring his lover back from grave and willing to defy the Gods to do so.

Following behind their leader, they all descended down into the depths of Hamunaptra and the eerie Necropolis. Rats scurried amongst the grave markers, spiders spun their silky webs over the statues and the occasional insect buzzed past before being caught by the spider's trap or drowning in the murky moat. It surrounded the outside of the cemetery, as if cutting the departed off from the land of the living. Human remains bobbed in the ominous liquid and the empty eye sockets of the occasional skull stared at Osiris' Priests as they swept by, carrying the mummified body along with them.

Delicately, they laid her body down onto the stone alter that dominated the room and then formed a complete circle around it. Their exposed skin scraped against the floor as they knelt down before Anck-su-namun, the Pharaoh's mistress and killer, the lover of the man they followed and believed in. Eyes glazing over, the Priests began chanting and praying, their bodies rocking back and forth. Their voices merged into a gloomy harmony, echoing and rebounding off the cracked stone chamber.

It was then that Imhotep stepped forwards to where the lifeless body was resting next to her sacred canopic jars. Fortunately, the organs stored away in the jars were still fresh so there was no need for a human sacrifice to replace the body of his lover. Words that fell from his lips brought a chill to the air, the darkness of his intentions shadowing the room. The pure power of what he was reading caused the ground to tremor slightly under his feet. He was playing a dangerous game and he was winning... at the moment anyway.

As the incantations became audible, a dark mist floated from the dingy moat and headed straight for the corpse on the alter. The Priests didn't dare to look up from what they were doing, partly frightened of what they may see if they did. Wafting through the air like paper on the breeze, the mist made its way to the dead woman, but first passed through the canopic jars to reach her. Even with all the chanting and all the spells filling the chamber, the distinct sound of a heartbeat could be heard as the one inside the jar once again started to race. Unified, their peculiar tune rang throughout Hamunaptra, getting louder and louder as the spell grew in power, reaching its climax.

Then, all of a sudden, Anck-su-namun's eyes flew open.

Imhotep placed down The Book of the Dead before withdrawing the sacrificial blade. Yes, he had successfully retrieved Anck-su-namun's soul from the Underworld, but the ritual was not yet complete. He still had to replace the organs that were currently residing inside the jars next to her. So, he raised the knife above her breast, ready to plunge it deep into her chest. The chanting, the heart, the mist, were all ready and finally stopped.

But just as he was about to finally bring back his love, the Medjai once again interrupted them.

They stormed into the dark chamber, the shadows retreating to where they had come from. Whilst the majority of them proceeded in taking control of the scene, a few raced forwards and shattered the jar containing Anck-su-namun's beating heart, making it stop for a second time. Consequently, the now screeching mist that had been reviving the fallen mistress was now getting sucked out of her, the moat drawing back its power like poison from a wound. Then the body's eyes closed and became lifeless once again.

Imhotep screamed in pain and rage. He had lost the love of his life twice in such a short space of time and he was finally broken. So broken that he didn't notice the Medjai pulling him and his Priests from Hamunaptra and back to Thebes where he would receive a trail that would no doubt end in his death.

FOR SUCH HEINOUS CRIMES, IMHOTEP AND HIS PRIESTS WERE CONDEMNED TO BE MUMMIFIED ALIVE. They were inside a torch-lit preparation room where the Priests of Imhotep were undoing agonising ordeals. Imhotep himself was currently being held down by embalmers wearing Jackal Masks to symbolise Anubis, the God of Mummification, the Afterlife and Protector of tombs.

He cringed when he caught what was happening to his Priests in the corner of his eyes, how the embalmers used knives, needles and thread to perform the horrific surgery whilst they were still alive. So it wasn't a surprise that the entire chamber was filled with their screams and that their sanity was vanishing like water on a hot summers day. Imhotep watched helplessly as an embalmer retrieved a hot poker from the pile of burning coals and headed over to where a Priest had his head trapped between two boards. His eyes widened in terror as the scalding metal was lined up to his nostril, the heat already burning his skin. The High Priest was horrified as he witnessed his Priest screaming and squirming in agony. 

When all of the Priests had been wrapped in bandages and forced, writhing and howling, into the sarcophaguses, it was finally Imhotep's turn. The embalmers pushed him to his knees, their Jackal heads looming over his. They held his arms behind his back before prying his jaw open to reach his tongue.

He was condemned to endure the Hom-Dai. The worst of all ancient curses. One so horrible, it had never before been bestowed.

Imhotep knew what was going to happen him and what it meant, but he didn't resist, he accepted his fate. But that didn't mean he was happy about it. He glared up at his captors, not uttering a single word before they took a pair of tongs and used them to pull out his tongue. A sharp knife was raised and then brought down upon the piece of outstretched flesh, severing it from its owner. Wide eyed, Imhotep felt the shooting pain erupt from where his tongue used to be as it was cut from him. The tongue was then chucked carelessly to the side where it was attacked and devoured by the Medjai's dogs.

Next, the High Priest was bound in linen wrappings, covering his fear-filled eyes that were screaming for mercy that would not come. He had committed his crime and now he was facing the consequences, he had earned his fate. They threw the squirming body into the black stone sarcophagus (a material similar to the one used for The Book of the Dead) before the majority of the Embalmers took a few precautionary steps backwards. One Embalmer stepped forwards, tightly and carefully clutching a bucket.

Imhotep didn't have to see to know what was coming and he felt his fear rise up inside of him.

Dozens of scarab beetles were dumped upon his bandaged chest and immediately began to race across their victim's body. Sliding the lid across the sarcophagus, the Embalmers sealed in the scarabs with the High Priest, but they could still hear his muffled screams as the bugs slowly ate him alive.

The Head of the Medjai stepped forwards with a unique four-sided key and then locked the sarcophagus lid tight. Then he carefully folded down the sides of the peculiar key, turning it into an unsuspicious puzzle box.

After the Embalmers and the rest of the Medjai had left to bury the sacrilegious murderer, the Head of the Medjai remained inside the preparation room, contemplating what had just occurred. He knew they couldn't allow the High Priest to return, it would be catastrophic, so the Medjai would have to protect the secret, to make sure the creature remains undiscovered. The next problem to solve was what to do with the key and where to hide it.

But before he could think of an answer, a sudden flash of gold appeared in the room and when it vanished it revealed a beautiful woman dressed elegantly like an Egyptian Queen. She stepped towards the man gracefully as if she had agility of both a dancer and a warrior. His eyes caught her wrist and widened at the symbol that was printed there. It was the mark of Sekhmet.

She smiled softly at the man which brightened the darkness that had just happened in the room. "You know who I am." It wasn't a question.

He nodded.

"I'm here as a representative." She informed him, her expression dropping from welcoming to solemn. "The Gods are worried about what might happen to Imhotep. After all, the power of the Hom-Dai curse is unpredictable and with no doubt, powerful."

The Head of the Medjai looked down at the key in his hand, running his thumb over the surface. "We will guard him, for all eternity." He told the Goddess, shocking her slightly that he was so willing to force a legacy and duty upon all his descendants. "We will ensure he is never disturbed."

Sekhmet just nodded, accepting what he was saying and what he was sacrificing.

"The evil in this tomb must never be discovered." She agreed with a sigh, her gaze turning in the direction the sarcophagus had been dragged off in. The Lioness' slightly enhanced senses could still pick up on Imhotep's muffled screams of agony as the scarabs continued to devour him alive.

But she couldn't read his mind so no one knew how he was vowing to return and once again try and bring back his lost love. No matter how long it took.

Sekhmet placed her hand on the man's shoulder and gazed at him in admiration. "Good luck." She said sincerely, smiling encouragingly. The Keeper of the Key nodded for a second time and then watched as she disappeared in another flash of golden light. Both the man and the goddess thought that it was over, but it wasn't by a long shot.

Imhotep was to remain — undisturbed — sealed inside his sarcophagus, the undead for all of eternity. The Medjai would never allow him to be released. For he would arise a walking disease, a plague upon mankind, an unholy flesh-eater, with the strength of ages, power invincibility and abilities that would almost rival the Gods. And if he could raise his beloved Anck-su-namun from her place in Hell like he vowed to, together, they would be an unstoppable infection upon this world.

Or also known as The Apocalypse.

Hi and welcome to the prologue of Sands of Time!!! I'm so glad this has been published, I really did enjoy writing this.

Ok so, to start with I was writing from the transcript until I got about half way through and then realised that it's slightly different to the movie. The transcript is more descriptive and detailed than the movie when it came to the whole Imhotep and Anck-su-namun story, so I decided to keep writing with the transcript. For the rest of the book, it will probably be mostly based on the movies and a little on the transcript.

Also, the dialogue is in italics because it's meant to be in Ancient Egyptian, so when you see some further on, that's most likely the reason.

In this prologue we got an introduction to Sekhmet and her connection to what happened to Imhotep. Sekhmet isn't going to like returning to Hamunaptra, that's for sure.

Hopefully I'll see you in the next chapter.

Thank you for Reading!
Sincerely, Rosie aka Winter326