Shifting sands (closed to Nate)

by **Sphinx** November 22nd 2012, 4:29 pm

In the chill of the night of the Egyptian desert, Hathorisis the sphinx folded back her wings after a graceful landing between two massive sand dunes a few miles west of Giza. The flight had been smooth with clear skies, but hard work from the lack of thermals to ride in the cold night air. Beads of sweat dewed up on her skin, making her appear like a sparkling Egyptian goddess. Her time of exertion was not over though, even if she was walking the rest of the short distance to her destination. Hathorisis had a temple to raise from the depths of the sand.

There was no physical evidence to mark the presence of the city, but Sphinx could feel the echoes of the past calling out to her. It had once been her gate to guard, so she knew its energies well. When the echoes came to their peak like a storm within her mind, Hathorisis stopped and raised her arms to the moon traveling the night sky above her, making her golden armbands shimmer in the light. Then she began to chant.

The night was wrapped in silence except for the mild chantings of the strange woman. At first nothing happened. Soon though, the earth itself began to shake. It was subtle at first and could be mistaken for a herd of animals passing nearby. Then it rose exponentially until the sands began to shift like the currents of the sea. The dunes surrounding her sank into a growing pit, while sand was forced upwards in a circular mile radius around her. From within the pit, the first peaks of the temple sliced through the surface and rose above to their former glory.

"The Eye of Horus has risen."

by **Chellizard** November 22nd 2012, 5:10 pm

"Don't call my name, don't call my name..." was melodically singing passed a set of lips usually occupied by the end of a Clove. It was night, and it was cold. The wind was swirling and sending sand in light zephyrs across the many rolling dunes. Wings spread and carried the singing male over the desert toward his location. He was in search of treasure. He had heard about it at a bar in DC. Some group of college kids that worked at the Jeffersonian Institute. They were going on and on about some artifacts lost in the desert. They said they had the exact coordinates. Nate bought 'em a few rounds, go the coordinates, and was gone before they could even try to follow him. He had successfully convinced his sister into letting him use the private jet for transport, and then was dropped off on a strip in Cairo. He would've flown the whole way, but he was tired and napped in the jet.

His wings were fluttering, the feathers shifting and ruffling as he glided over the sands. A scarf was wrapped around of his head covering his mouth, nose, and hair. Wind goggles protected his face from the sand, and random sandstorms that blew in from time to time. He was craving a clove so bad, and he was a little hungry. He would treat himself to something delicious when he got back to Cairo. He could almost taste lobster with butter and garlic. He whined to himself and then landed, the GPS meter on his wristwatch giving him the appropriate location. He also could tell because of the mile wide ring of swirling sand, rumbling ground, and structure lifting from the sand. He was awestruck, his eyes darting around while his jaw fell slack. He landed on the sand, his Prada dress shoes not the best wear for the desert, but he wasn't exactly prepared for his trip. Stupid Nate and his spur of the moment adventures.

He took a few steps forward, the wind almost knocking him down. He allowed his wings to fold behind of his back, making his steps forward a lot easier. Before he reached the other lone figure standing near the entrance to the stronghold, he heard a voice carry on the wind.

'The Eye of Horus Has Risen.'

It sent a bit of chills down his spine, making the cold seem even colder. The figure was becoming clearer now. Wings, half lion. Sphinx? Nate rose a brow and jogged closer, the wind dying down. "Sphinx..?" he asked, clearing his throat while his wings ruffled and shifted slightly. What an odd coincidence.

by **Sphinx** November 22nd 2012, 5:46 pm

The sand dripped down from the temple windows and roofs like many individual waterfalls raining down into the desert. As the sand slowly dripped away from the ancient buildings, the massive temple began to take shape. Smooth walls depicted giant carvings of Horus, the sky god in his human-like and falcon forms. Great statues of Egyptian soldiers with various animal heads lined a walkway that led to the central building, which featured a giant eye in its circular roof.

Hathorisis slowly lowered her arms as the great temple rose to its full height to greet her. For too long it had slumbered beneath the sands, just as she had once slumbered. Now a little part of her ancient world was around once again to remind her of the old days. If Horus had not fallen with the rest of the gods, this might have even made her happy.

She took a deep sigh just as the voice spoke up behind her. "Sphinx..." the voice asked. Hathorisis turned at the sound of the name she had given to the mortals in New York and took in the sight of the winged man. Now this was a surprise. Of everyone she had met, Nate was the last she'd expect to see here in Egypt.

"So the outspoken one has returned for more riddles," she purred. "I would have thought you had enough."

Her arm reached out toward the temple as if she was seducing it to come to her. "Not many seek the wisdom of Horus anymore. Tell me why you are here at my door and I may reconsider testing you again."

by **Chellizard** November 22nd 2012, 8:16 pm

When the structures were finally standing erect, his memories started to flourish and rev into motion. "I.. know this place.." he muttered, his brows furrowing beneath his scarf and goggles. His left hand shifted to removed the scarf and goggles, both articles hanging around of his neck. His mop of shaggy ebony hair framed his face, a soft smile playing his lips when Sphinx turned to speak toward him. "Hello to you too. How could anyone have enough of you?" He flashed a Cheshire grin, his Vampiric canines glistening in the soft moonlight. His cerulean eyes were piercing, even with his black shroud of hair dipping to kiss his eye lashes. His smile never fell while he watched her.

She was a magnificent woman, let alone a wonderful creature. Divine in almost every aspect. He somewhat wondered if she was able to take the form of a woman to blend in with every day civilians like himself. He also thought about revealing his "Angelic" form, but that would take so much out of him, and he wasn't about to risk that, being death, out here in the desert. He shivered slightly and smirked at her next comment. "Test me any day. I'm ready. Are you?" He rose a brow and let his tongue slide over his lips. He simultaneously pulled out a Clove and his zippo. Pulling the cigarette to his lips, he inhaled while the flame licked the end of the black cigarette. His lungs expanded as he breathed in. He was happily filled with nicotine and other delicious flavors from the clove. He then sighed, the smoke passing out of his nose and mouth. Tonight was going to be a long night.

by **Sphinx** November 22nd 2012, 11:10 pm

Hathorisis sat back on her haunches, making her appear as regal as an alpha lioness guarding her territory. Sitting back, she still rose to an impressive height of 6'3" vertically. Her eyes, which were accented by heavy black lines, seemed to narrow in on Nate as if considering her options with him. She did not feel the need to test him with more riddles. Though she did not tell anyone, her riddle curses did tax her strength more than any other ability she had. Nate was no threat, nor did she feel the need to prove herself to him like she had back with the group of mortals in New York.

Instead, Hathorisis decided to test her own curiosity of the man. Seeing him here when she was just raising it from the depths of time was too much of a coincidence. What did his presence here mean? "And how does one such as you know this place?" she asked him. "Your presence and timing is... disturbing. If I didn't know better, I'd say you were following me. I do not like people following me..."

They were not the only ones to witness the resurrection of the ancient temple though. At the edge of the large cleared circle on top of newly created dunes, a ragged band of men atop dark horses were scouting the desert disturbance. These men were raiders and thieves of the worst kind. They claimed the hidden treasures of the African desert as their own and killed whoever got in their way. Their buffet had just been laid out in front of them.

by **Chellizard** November 23rd 2012, 2:29 pm

Nate was going to stand on his toes, but chose not to. He was a bit taller than this half woman, half lion entity. It made him feel emasculated, but only slightly. He crossed his right leg in front of his left and used the fore finger and thumb of his right hand to hold his cancerous treat. He cleared his throat and looked at her again. "Not to burst your bubble.. but I came here on my own. You being here surprised me just as much." He chuckled and took another drag of his Clove and blew the smoke up while his legs uncrossed so he could pivot from his right to left foot.

He placed the cigarette between his lips and rubbed his hands together, shivering slightly. "So, was this your home some odd centuries ago? Because I swear I remember this place.." he said, rummaging in his pockets for some warmth. He shifted his hands a bit recklessly, and the paper with the coordinates to this place fluttered from his pocket and was caught by the wind and sent directly toward Sphinx. Uh oh.

by **Sphinx** November 23rd 2012, 7:28 pm

Hathorisis's eyes followed the sheet of paper as the light breeze carried it through the air her way. It missed her slightly, but came just close enough for her to reach out and snatch it from the air before it had the chance to get away. "I guarded these temple gates for centuries in the name of my master," she explained as she flattened out the paper and began to make sense of it. "Many would-be thieves, rivals, and assassins attempted to breach my guard. None lived to tell the tale."

Her eyes narrows on the odd language of the paper as she studied the message. She knew the numbers by now, but she wasn't quite sure what the arrangement meant. Riddles never escaped her for long though. She'd studied maps in her own language long enough to discover that this was his form of coordinates. Her eyes lifted up from the page again.

"This temple has been buried longer than I have. So I will ask you one more time. Why are you really h-" But she cut herself off before she could finish. Her eyes missed nothing. Not even the small dust clouds marking the descent of horses down the side of the far dunes.

"We have company. You said you came alone?"

by **Chellizard** November 23rd 2012, 9:41 pm

He scrunched inward slightly, as if he was hit in the gut when Sphinx snatched the paper. He was definitely caught red handed. At least when it came to his greedy side of treasure hunting. "Ah, nice," he nodded and took a heavy drag of his cigarette, his cheeks caving in as he inhaled deeply. He held in the toke and sighed, the smoke passing his lips while his head hung in a defeated manner. "Oh, I can only imagine.." he muttered beneath his breath. He felt his nerves igniting and sending him into a mild state of panic. He shoved his left hand into his pocket, placed his Clove between his lips, and nervously ran his right hand into his mop of velvet hair.

"Look, I can expla-" he said, only in response to the coordinates that slipped out of his pocket. His attention was drawn to a looming dune that was suddenly shrouded by more than just a lone cloud that swept to blanket the moon's rays. Men riding horses, black stallions that looked to be bred specifically for desert travel, were galloping down the dune's steep slope. "Now that, I cannot explain," he said, articulating each syllable while both brows rose up in shock. His wings spread wide and ruffled. His eyes became a bright golden streaked white, and his muscle mass doubled, his bone structure forcing him to grow to almost seven feet. A bright halo curled around of his cranium and his fangs elongated along with claws on his hands. He defensively stepped between the oncoming trouble and Sphinx. She was a woman, afterall, and he loved being the Hero.

by **Sphinx** November 23rd 2012, 10:19 pm

Hathorisis stood up and stretched like the giant half-cat she was and shook the sand from her fur. To a man, an Arabic horse was fast, but they did not place any urgency in a sphinx. The reaction she did get was that of amusement, but because of Nate instead. Maybe he was more than she gave him credit for earlier. He was still an intruder on these lands, but she'd let him stay a while longer now.

"There's a lot of them," she purred. "I hope you can hold them back long enough." Hathorisis then turned her back to them and left Nate behind to hold them off. She still needed to begin what she came here for. Now there was just more urgency. As she began to run back towards the massive temple gates with long, heavy bounds, scenes from the past began to flood her memory. Although many centuries had passed, she was ready to take up her old post again.

The giant doors opened as soon as the Sphinx stood before them, then closed with a solid 'thud' that echoed through the outdoor corridors.

The Sphinx was gone, but the threat was still nearing. The dune had hid them partially from the bright moonlight, but now they were starting to emerge from the shadows like dark demons riding out of the underworld itself. Unlike demons though, these men had guns, some of which were aimed at Nate. Two of them began to fire their automatic rifles while a third charged him with a sword. The other 20 riders began to sweep wide around him to take the temple while he was distracted.

by **Chellizard** November 23rd 2012, 10:53 pm

"Oh, I'm sure I can," he boasted, unaware that she was going to be leaving him to fight alone. He whimpered under his breath when he heard her bounding away, her heavy strides leaving sand lifted into the air. He readied himself for impact, and used his tongue to flick his cigarette from his lips. He rose his hand up in the air like a gun and then closed one eye.

"Bang," he muttered.

The cigarette did not ignite or explode. Nate had reached within his jacket and pulled out his gun without taking his right hand from the air. The faux gun his hand mocked was then lowered, his left hand firing a real bullet. The bullet wasn't aimed for any of the bandits, no. The bullet soared and hit a lamp's lid that was sent spiraling off. His cigarette, still lit, landed into the pot of oil. Nate then fired another bullet, busting the lamp open. It sent the oil to coat the few horses that were running toward him. Five or six riders in the mass of twenty were then tossed from the spooked horses and trampled into the sand. The sudden chaos likely caught the attention of the other riders from the group that branched off toward the temple.

Nate chuckled, his gun a six shooter, now only having four bullets. He also lacked a freshly lit Clove. The bullets fired at him, however threatening they were, had no real effect. The bullets did bruise him, but his tough skin protected him from major damage. The sword was the troubling factor. Nate spin around, his wings springing open and smacking into the swordsman, sending him and his horse down into the desert floor. An average full grown Goose's wing can snap a completely healthy forearm of an Adult male with one flap. Imagine the force of Nate's wings meeting with a charging horse and it's rider. Fatal, but not death. One of the three immediate dangers down, two to go.

by **Sphinx** November 23rd 2012, 11:25 pm

As the heavy temple doors banged shut behind her, Hathorisis took in the memories of the great hall that had once been her home. And now it would be hers once again. But now was no time for nostalgia. She had a job to do, not that she worried about raiders breaking the door down in the next few hours. She was a guardian though, and her duty was still ingrained in her soul.

Hathorisis walked briskly across the hall and neared the throne that was once her master's. This time he was not here to take control of the situation, so she took things into her own hands. She fitted the base of her pole axe into a slot in the back of the throne and turned the secret keyhole. Unlike in the movies, no special magic lights or lens flares went off within the temples. There wasn't even a shaking as hidden mechanisms moved throughout the temple. But even without the flashy bits, the temple guards began to rise.

The two massive stone statues standing on either side of the throne cracked at the joints and seams. In sync with Hothorisis withdrawing her axe from the keyhole, the statues stepped down from their bases and joined her.

Outside the raiders began to fall and scatter from the unexpected assault of the lone winged man. The few that remained on horseback dashed toward the temple walls just to get away from him. The raiders on foot were not so fortunate, so they resorted to backing away and firing as best they could. The gunmen unloaded what was left of their ammo on Nate, then ditched their rifles for a quicker escape. They were enough of a distraction to allow the remaining riders to reach the temple, but alas they were too late.

The doors were thrown open by the two 7'8" stone statues and a giant curved blade slashed down the middle of the doorway to make room, crushing a rider and its horse in the process. Chaos ensued as the riders discovered their error and turned to flee in every direction but the temple. Hathorisis stepped out between her statue guards and stared down a fleeing raider. "You desecrate this temple with your filth."

She then heaved her axe, which caught the moonlight as it shot through the night toward the raider's horse. It caught in the ground like a spear and caught the horse between the legs. The rider dropped to the ground with his horse and landed beside the axe. "Return to me," Sphinx commanded, which pulled the axe back towards her. It was unfortunate for the raider that the axe was also hooked under his arm, sending him flying back towards Sphinx in the same motion.

by **Chellizard** November 27th 2012, 1:01 am

"Oh shit.." he said when the now angry thieves started to turn and send a few more his way. He took the few fleeting moments to bring a fresh Clove up to rest betwixt his lips. Sand was being kicked up by the galloping horses and the guns being fired aimlessly around of him. A few bullets did bounce off of his abdomen, but that was only until his wings arched and curled around of him to guard him from the array of gunfire. He took these precious moments to procure his zippo and ignite the flame. The black Clove that was stuck between his lips then became alive, the nicotine and other sweet and spicy flavors dancing down into his lungs. The treat was a nice bit of paradise before he had to put his head back in the game. He pocketed his zippo, and his wings unfolded from around of him and lifted him up into the air.

While rising, his wings spread and cast a heavy shadow of himself on the ground. His silhouette was quite fright inducing by the moons sweet light. It was a bit odd, though, considering as he rose up, his form returned to it's normal six feet and five inch self, his muscle mass returning to normal as well. His skin became gray, however, and his halo slowly faded. Fangs and claws were now his main weapons. His 'vampiric' side was shining through now. He did not want to show this to Sphinx, but with her behind of the Temple doors, he could manage to let his more 'powerful' side leak through. His skin was still mightily tough, and he felt stronger. He did not need the strength, though. He rose his gun and was ready to fire when the doors to the temple opened. His attention, along with the Thieves, were all drawn to the now open Temple.

Sphinx was stepping into the mouth of the doorway, two large statues shoulder to shoulder with her. Nate rose a brow, his Clove drooping between his lips while a soft smirk laced his features. "Well, I'll be damned.." he laughed and before the Thieves could react, he holstered his gun and placed his Clove between his fingers so he could speak. "Boo," he said, his wings flapping and bringing sand up into their faces. The Thieves then started to high tail it to the horizon. Chuckling still, Nathaniel glided to perch himself next to Sphinx, his eyes glancing her up and down while his cigarette was brought back to his lips. "You know I could've handled it my self. But, thanks for coming back and scaring them off. They'll likely be back though." He shrugged, his wings arched, ruffled, and then folded behind of him.

by **Sphinx** November 28th 2012, 5:07 pm

The axe returned to Hathorisis's outstretched arm with the terrified raider in tow, who was too shocked to yell for help. Hathorisis thrust the raider into the rock-solid arms of the guard to her left side to hold him in place. He wasn't going anywhere any time soon. She then looked out across the distance to locate the other raiders, but they were already too far away. They were fleeing though, and that was enough for her.

With the raider being held prisoner for the time being, Hathorisis turned her attention to what appeared to be Nate. He wasn't as he appeared before, but she had seen stranger things come from Horus's relatives. "While the suspect you to be a servent of Osiris, they will keep well away," she explained to him while looking out to the shimmering horizon. The sun was starting to rise, giving the scenery an almost dream-like quality. "I doubt you are what they may believe you are though. Why don't you come inside and explain to me exactly what your side of the story really is before they change their mind?"

Hathorisis left one of her guards at the giant doorway and had the other drag the prisoner to the dungeons inside. "That is unless you have changed your mind. I would take the invitation while it stands." She turned and led the way in, leaving Nate to decide whether to follow or not. She puzzled over why she was actually inviting him in. She hardly knew him, but he had held the raiders back so she could raise the defenses. She did owe him some hospitality at least.

by **Chellizard** December 7th 2012, 9:44 am

Nate scratched the back of his head while he looked at Sphinx with a sort of "Damn, girl" attitude. He was tempted to light another cigarette, but he decided to save the last three he had for when he was really craving nicotine. His attention peaked when the sun started to creep over the horizon. "Ah, nice. I'd forgotten what time it was. Now I know." He chuckled lightly to himself, and then looked to Sphinx. "Good riddance to them, then. They were here to rob you. I was here for historical purposes." He stood up a little taller when he spoke of Historical Purposes.

His lips curled into a shit-eating grin and he feigned back for a second, his skin becoming the average color it was supposed to be, his fangs and claws reverting back to "normal." "Hey, those guys are the bad guys. Me and you? We're on the same team. But, if you really want to get to know me, we can call this the first date." he chuckled again and stepped inside, his shoes making light clicking noises with each step. "Of course this place is huge on the inside, too..." he said, mainly under his breath while he walked in, his head turning up and his whole body doing a little pirouette before keeping in step behind of the half woman, half lioness. "So, if I told you I was stalking you, would you believe me?" he asked, his hands rummaging in his pockets for a moment before his slicked his hair back.

by **Sphinx** December 11th 2012, 3:07 am

Harhorisis glanced behind her as she followed the stone statue inside. She hadn't expected Nate to be a sight-seer, not that she knew him all that well. This temple was way off the beaten path, as well as uncharted, so his presence still puzzled her. She was intrigued in his interest though, if only he'd be straight-foward about it. It was obvious from the map he'd dropped earlier that there was more to this than common interest.

Hathorisis stopped in the middle of the large room not far away from an old alter to Horus, which she left her axe by. The feeling of being back in here after all these years was euphoric in a way, but empty at the same time. It was just another reminder that she was alone in this world. Perhaps it was best to be on good terms with the mortals of this age. Or at least the mortals that weren't trying to raid the temple. Hathorisis closed her eyes, took a deep breath, then returned to Nate's conversation with a fresh attitude.

"Stalking me? Or stalking the temple?" Hathorisis stretched like a large cat, then settled down into the ground to lounge. She felt at ease here, so why not relax? "I will never get you humans. Your riddles never even have a point to them." Hathorisis rested her head in the palm of her had, using her arm as a kickstand on the ground. "So are you here to find me? Or you seeking whatever that map told you that you could find?"

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