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Description
Lex's soldiers move into the tomb, despite Meskhenet's warning.

Lex herself retreats to a quiet spot where she can be alone, hence why she does not appear in this slide. But don't worry, she will emerge later when she is needed most, hehe.

Meanwhile, the bulk of the group remains in the large entrance hall, which seems to be alright. So long as they don't venture any further into the tomb.

Axius and Meskhenet share a meal, and Axius tells the Priestess of how he came to be stationed in Luxor.

But the brief moment of solitude is swiftly ruined, when one of the soldiers runs into the chamber, shouting that something is inside his head.

- - - -

SHORT STORY TO GO WITH THIS PIECE

"It's not much" said Axius apologetically, gesturing to the bread roll he had just given the Priestess.

Seating herself opposite him, Meskhenet nodded. "No need to apologise. I am thankful for the meal" she answered.

The pair were silent for a moment.

While Axius leaned his head up against the pillar behind him, content to zone out and let his mind think of nothing at all, Meskhenet was the complete opposite. She looked around, left and right, curious and cautious. The other soldiers were congregating in this ceremonial hall, and they all seemed to be of the same attitude as Axius; they were simply glad for the rest.

Meskhenet smiled, tore a piece of bread, and ate it quietly.

Axius began eating as well. He noticed her smile, and commented on it. "Glad to see you're better than before" he said.

"Hmm?" the Priestess asked.

"I'm just glad you're not as worried about this place as you were before. It's not so bad, is it?"

Meskhenet shrugged her shoulders, and finished her mouthful of food before responding. "I am hoping things remain as they are, so long as we do not venture any further into the tomb. Speaking of which, I see most other soldiers are here, but where is your leader?"

"Lex?" Axius asked. He looked around cautiously after realising he'd failed to add her title before her name, half expecting her to be leering over his shoulder upon hearing it. She wasn't. "Probably found herself a quiet place out of the way. You shouldn't worry, Priestess. She's not the type to go wandering around a dusty tomb. Probably sharpening her sword or something"

The Priestess replied with a nod, feeling a little better. A curiosity bubbled up within her, and although she hesitated at first, she eventually asked Axius more about his leader. "So how did you two end up in Luxor, in Tarinum Fort? And why is Lex so ..."

"Cold?" Axius asked, with a chuckle. "Well, it's a long story ..."

"I have time"

"Alright, then. Well, it started about ten years ago. Fresh-faced and handsome, I joined the Legion! The Greenskin Wars were not long started, and I was sent to the front line. My very first battle was fought alongside Lex. She was like me then, just a plain old Legionary. Our Centurion took an arrow to the face, and Lex took command. She somehow led us through the fray, and we fought off hundreds of Orcs. After that battle, Lex was promoted outright, becoming the new Centurion. And the rest is history. As long as I served under Lex, I knew I was safe. Has she always been as cold as an eel? Yes. Has she always done her best to see every man and woman went home after a battle? Also yes."

He ate another piece of bread, and continued.

"When the Greenskin Wars were drawing to a close, we were ordered to take an enemy hill fort. Some Orc Chieftan was holed up there. The battle was chaotic, lots of casualties. Lex took a sword to the eye. I thought she was dead, but I couldn't leave her there to rot. So I carried her out, back to the encampment, to give her a proper burial. Turns out she was alive, barely. The camp surgeons did what they could, and she pulled through."

"Obviously her eye was healed, yes?" Meskhenet asked.

Axius nodded. "Obviously. But not in the camp. We didn't have any Mage there who knew such a strong healing spell. Our superiors sent Lex back to the Imperial City for proper treatment. I went with her and made sure she was alright. She has no family, see. Nothing except the Legion. Someone needed to be there for her."

"How long until she healed?"

"About a month. By then, the War was over. The Orcs were defeated. The Generals had their triumph. And Lex had missed all of it. Her chances of soaking up any of that glory were gone. So, rather than being promoted as she so deserved, she was sent to Tarinum Fort. And I went with her, gladly."

"And you?" Meskhenet asked. "What of your family?"

"Seven brothers and eight sisters," Axius confirmed with a humoured grin, "Who all think I'm crazy for joining the army!"

"They may be right" the Priestess replied with her own trace of humour.

The two shared a laugh, before a bloodcurdling scream echoed through the ruins, striking fear into their very souls.

"What the hell was that!?" Axius exclaimed, throwing his plate and bread aside and reaching for his pilum.

Meskhenet leapt to her feet, immediately locating the source of the horror.

A young Legionary stumbled out of the darkness, only half dressed. The young man looked rabid, clawing at his own throat and making sick gurgling noises.

Meskhenet and Axius stood there, perplexed.

"What's happening to him!?" Axius demanded to know, looking about. Several allies were congregating on the area, but no soldier had an answer to provide.

Then a wall of blackness came out of the shadows, wriggling and writhing as it approached them. Only when it came into the torchlight was it revealed to be a mass of scarab beetles. Hundreds. No, thousands. Perhaps more than that.

"Scarabs! They bore into the flesh!" Meskhenet cried, "One of the bugs must have burrowed inside his head!"

Another soldier in the background took up his pilum, throwing it at the approaching bugs. It did nothing to stop them.

"Run!" Axius yelled.

Not because of the scarabs - they weren't moving all that fast. But the young Legionary, whose nose was now bleeding as the scarab entered his brain, had just reached for his satchel of magic dust. All soldiers of the Legion were provided with a pouch of it, and it had varied uses. But one thing that was always warned against was putting it anywhere near fire. The mixture was volatile and prone to explode ...

- - - -

Rendered in Daz Studio Iray. Post work in Photoshop.

Description
Lex's soldiers move into the tomb, despite Meskhenet's warning.

Lex herself retreats to a quiet spot where she can be alone, hence why she does not appear in this slide. But don't worry, she will emerge later when she is needed most, hehe.

Meanwhile, the bulk of the group remains in the large entrance hall, which seems to be alright. So long as they don't venture any further into the tomb.

Axius and Meskhenet share a meal, and Axius tells the Priestess of how he came to be stationed in Luxor.

But the brief moment of solitude is swiftly ruined, when one of the soldiers runs into the chamber, shouting that something is inside his head.

- - - -

SHORT STORY TO GO WITH THIS PIECE

"It's not much" said Axius apologetically, gesturing to the bread roll he had just given the Priestess.

Seating herself opposite him, Meskhenet nodded. "No need to apologise. I am thankful for the meal" she answered.

The pair were silent for a moment.

While Axius leaned his head up against the pillar behind him, content to zone out and let his mind think of nothing at all, Meskhenet was the complete opposite. She looked around, left and right, curious and cautious. The other soldiers were congregating in this ceremonial hall, and they all seemed to be of the same attitude as Axius; they were simply glad for the rest.

Meskhenet smiled, tore a piece of bread, and ate it quietly.

Axius began eating as well. He noticed her smile, and commented on it. "Glad to see you're better than before" he said.

"Hmm?" the Priestess asked.

"I'm just glad you're not as worried about this place as you were before. It's not so bad, is it?"

Meskhenet shrugged her shoulders, and finished her mouthful of food before responding. "I am hoping things remain as they are, so long as we do not venture any further into the tomb. Speaking of which, I see most other soldiers are here, but where is your leader?"

"Lex?" Axius asked. He looked around cautiously after realising he'd failed to add her title before her name, half expecting her to be leering over his shoulder upon hearing it. She wasn't. "Probably found herself a quiet place out of the way. You shouldn't worry, Priestess. She's not the type to go wandering around a dusty tomb. Probably sharpening her sword or something"

The Priestess replied with a nod, feeling a little better. A curiosity bubbled up within her, and although she hesitated at first, she eventually asked Axius more about his leader. "So how did you two end up in Luxor, in Tarinum Fort? And why is Lex so ..."

"Cold?" Axius asked, with a chuckle. "Well, it's a long story ..."

"I have time"

"Alright, then. Well, it started about ten years ago. Fresh-faced and handsome, I joined the Legion! The Greenskin Wars were not long started, and I was sent to the front line. My very first battle was fought alongside Lex. She was like me then, just a plain old Legionary. Our Centurion took an arrow to the face, and Lex took command. She somehow led us through the fray, and we fought off hundreds of Orcs. After that battle, Lex was promoted outright, becoming the new Centurion. And the rest is history. As long as I served under Lex, I knew I was safe. Has she always been as cold as an eel? Yes. Has she always done her best to see every man and woman went home after a battle? Also yes."

He ate another piece of bread, and continued.

"When the Greenskin Wars were drawing to a close, we were ordered to take an enemy hill fort. Some Orc Chieftan was holed up there. The battle was chaotic, lots of casualties. Lex took a sword to the eye. I thought she was dead, but I couldn't leave her there to rot. So I carried her out, back to the encampment, to give her a proper burial. Turns out she was alive, barely. The camp surgeons did what they could, and she pulled through."

"Obviously her eye was healed, yes?" Meskhenet asked.

Axius nodded. "Obviously. But not in the camp. We didn't have any Mage there who knew such a strong healing spell. Our superiors sent Lex back to the Imperial City for proper treatment. I went with her and made sure she was alright. She has no family, see. Nothing except the Legion. Someone needed to be there for her."

"How long until she healed?"

"About a month. By then, the War was over. The Orcs were defeated. The Generals had their triumph. And Lex had missed all of it. Her chances of soaking up any of that glory were gone. So, rather than being promoted as she so deserved, she was sent to Tarinum Fort. And I went with her, gladly."

"And you?" Meskhenet asked. "What of your family?"

"Seven brothers and eight sisters," Axius confirmed with a humoured grin, "Who all think I'm crazy for joining the army!"

"They may be right" the Priestess replied with her own trace of humour.

The two shared a laugh, before a bloodcurdling scream echoed through the ruins, striking fear into their very souls.

"What the hell was that!?" Axius exclaimed, throwing his plate and bread aside and reaching for his pilum.

Meskhenet leapt to her feet, immediately locating the source of the horror.

A young Legionary stumbled out of the darkness, only half dressed. The young man looked rabid, clawing at his own throat and making sick gurgling noises.

Meskhenet and Axius stood there, perplexed.

"What's happening to him!?" Axius demanded to know, looking about. Several allies were congregating on the area, but no soldier had an answer to provide.

Then a wall of blackness came out of the shadows, wriggling and writhing as it approached them. Only when it came into the torchlight was it revealed to be a mass of scarab beetles. Hundreds. No, thousands. Perhaps more than that.

"Scarabs! They bore into the flesh!" Meskhenet cried, "One of the bugs must have burrowed inside his head!"

Another soldier in the background took up his pilum, throwing it at the approaching bugs. It did nothing to stop them.

"Run!" Axius yelled.

Not because of the scarabs - they weren't moving all that fast. But the young Legionary, whose nose was now bleeding as the scarab entered his brain, had just reached for his satchel of magic dust. All soldiers of the Legion were provided with a pouch of it, and it had varied uses. But one thing that was always warned against was putting it anywhere near fire. The mixture was volatile and prone to explode ...

- - - -

Rendered in Daz Studio Iray. Post work in Photoshop.