[O] Morbid Curiosity

Humans were always placing their noses in where they didn't belong, as was man's morbid curiosity for the unknown.

In a world where all the corners of the map were being filled in, it seemed that mysteries were a thing of the past, there were so few things to be found.

That statement held true until a team of Archaeologists on an expedition in Egypt found another unopened burial tomb. The tomb itself was not housing the remains of some famous Pharaoh, though it was someone important enough in their time to warrant such a burial.

The discovery itself would not have made the papers at all, usually. This time however the same headline popped up over and over.

Cursed Tomb, Entire Team Missing.

Morbid curiosity got the better of some people despite the site being barred off by police as they search for the missing men.

One fact remained the same, people went in and never come out.

Humans of this time were much more equipped and intelligent, one team went in, streaming the entire thing live to the internet to try and debunk the rumors.

They only added fuel onto the quickly growing fire, the men went in making it as far as the chamber where the slaves were left to 'serve their Master in the afterlife' the door to the main chamber was still closed after thousands of years.

"It stinks in here"

One of the men mumbled, covering his mouth with his shirt, rightly so, the room had been sealed for so long that the stench of decomposition still lingered after all this time.

Amongst the rubble and dust from the wall being knocked in lay items of value, still untouched and covered in a thick layer of dust, it wasn't until one of the men moved to actually touch a metal object that something sounded in the room that wasn't the sound of their heavy breathing.

Something moved, next came a small flash of red, like catching a cat in the night and only seeing the reflective glint off their eyes.

That was where the transmission stopped, after that the men had not been found and the site was locked down, local suspicion causing the police to stop any further trespassing to the chamber until they could figure it out.

Many people called it all a hoax, a publicity stunt to increase the towns tourist appeal, after all, in a world of photoshop and video editing how could you trust any source?

The excavation had interested one ancient Vampire, though that Vampire was not Giacinto. Or rather, it had interested one Vampire to beg Giacinto to join him on his quest to find out what had happened to them.

So both Giacinto and Zuri returned to the latter's home and met up with a camp of humans that wanted to investigate. They were paid dearly for allowing the two to join them.

And now they were strolling through the mystery-shrouded tomb, chatting back and forth in Hieratic as Zuri read the scripts on the walls.

The younger Vampire clucked his tongue has his brows drew together. "I don't understand," he murmured, in English for the sake of their guides. "He wasn't a king."

One of the human Egyptologists gave a loud snort, turning from trying (and failing) to decipher the glyphs on the wall. "Of course he was a king. Look, these glyphs are depicting war against him."

Zuri shook his head. "Not war, baby boy.. There is no mention of war in these glyphs. And the rest of the glyphs here ain't right if these depict war. There are no words of a war-time speech, no promises made. Nothing. His name isn't here. I dont see one shenu painted on these..." Zuri's angry rant faded as his red eyes caught an image further down the walkway, in an area that humans wouldn't have been able to see yet.

"Giacinto," he muttered softly, moving forwards quickly.

The woman followed behind him, looking up at the magnificent depiction of what looked like a Vampire feeding.

"The amam that broke free of the underworld," he translated aloud as he read through the cursive glyphs scrawled on the wall. They were brown and splotchy, not drawn from the paint that the rest of the tomb was. "See it rest here with the Gods to please it, taking with it the spawn it created of its own body."

He shook his head gently. "It's a Vampire," he hissed softly. "And from all this Houdini shit freaking the world out, it didn't get the memo of rising with the other Gods it was buried with."

Giacinto inhaled slowly, then tensed as the noise from the main chamber echoed through the walkway.

"Go," the woman ordered, spinning around to face the humans. "It's a wild animal. Being here is just going to get you attacked. We've dealt with a lot of wild animals in our time. Zuri and I will take care of it and meet you outside the tomb."

A Vampire indeed, buried with it's Master to serve him in the afterlife.

Even after thousands of year it hadn't died, it had been sleeping, it's consciousness cast out into the world, watching, a silent observer as the world morphed and changed.

It had seen it all, the rise and fall of empires, human development and invention, all the while remaining here, unable to move.

That was until they had blasted open the wall of the chamber, it as roused him somewhat.

Though it wasn't until one of the archaeologists had tripped and cut open the palm of his hand that he had found the will to move.

Hunger was a powerful thing and he had fed on anyone who had entered the place he was meant to protect.

The bodies had began to pile up at this point, all of them completely drained, their bodies looking skeletal now, though his looked more so.

His skin was pulled tight over protruding bones, not a ounce of meat left on them, his hair grew long, dusty black locks dragging on the ground when he moved.

Though movement was a rarity.

He sat in the dark, his back propped up against what had once been his resting site, the cloth of the gown draping from his hips was tattered and aged, the threads barely staying together.

The human's didnt move.

"It's just an animal," one protested. "We can kill it easily. You foreigners are all so dramatic."

One brow popped high on Zuri's head. "Yous is the foreigner here, tubs. I was born here. These guides was born here. Giacinto has had children here. She live here like it her home." At least, she did three thousand years ago.

The more Zuri ranted, the more he lost his accent. It was rare he slipped back into the accent that he hid; the accent gained from a Demotic mother tongue.

"We's all know what we is talking about. You! You know nothing. Your wild animal on that tiny island is a fox or a badger. You kill off badger for biting as if it wrong for wild animal to attack fat, stupid creature who threaten it." Zuri threw an arm towards the exit. "Get off you fat-lined ass and leave tha tomb. Or stay. I do not care if yous is attacked."

The Kemite snapped an order to get the foreign morons out of the tomb before turning his back on them, heading towards the doors to the main room in the tomb.

Giacinto followed behind him, a soft curve to her lips as her fingers stroked up his spine in a slow caress. "You really get me going when you yell like that," she purred softly.

Zuri spared her a half-amused look before pushing the doors of the tomb open. He stood there for a long moment.

"Amam," he called out, then fell silent again. Waiting for a response.

He could hear the yelling but ignored it, if they didn't enter then he didn't attack, after being asleep for so long too many actions drained him of what little energy he had left.

Amam...

It had been a long time since he had been called that, a very long time.

He took in a deep inhale, not human, neither of them were.

Not that it mattered too much, trespassers were trespassers, grave robbers who would defile the tomb and put his Master up on display.

Yes he had seen what they had done to others before them, his inner eye had let him see the world beyond these walls while he was asleep.

Slowly he opened his eyes, the red irises shining brightly in the pitch black room and he stared up at the man who was yet the cross the threshold.

Zuri didn't move forwards and he kept a hand pressed against Giacinto's stomach, keeping her outside of the room, too.

Zuri was raised with the idea that these places were sacred after the Pharaoh had been put in them. Granted, this Vampire wasn't a Pharaoh, but he was placed with the Gods. That gained respect from the younger Vampire.

"Amam," he repeated gently, tilting his head.

He outstretched his hand slowly. "You are starved here. Come with us. We're old. Trustworthy. We will seal this tomb so it will never be found again. No one will find your Master."

His lips curled upwards in a friendly smile. "We can feed you. as much blood as you can drink. My own blood. It is more filling than these humans."

Through observation he had learned about the world outside, he had learned the new ways and since his other senses were lost to him his mind eagerly took in anything it could, he had never spoken in these languages but he knew them well and understood the Vampire with ease.

By the shine of his eyes it was clear that as Zuri spoke, his head was tilting slightly, taking in what was being said.

Sealing the tomb, that was what he wanted, if it couldn't be touched by human hands then he had served his purpose and he knew if this continued like they had the last few weeks that the place would be flooded with them soon and in his current state how many could he get rid of?

Slowly, with a loud creak he stood, his joints protesting the movement.

None must enter.

He spoke to the man's mind, his own throat was too dry to attempt speech.

Zuri winced at the probing in his mind. It was a new feeling. Not one he had experienced before.

"We will make sure none can enter." He kept his hand outstretched. "Come with us. Drink from me then hunt. Giacinto will take you hunting."

His eyes roved over the tomb. "I'll seal off the tomb."

He thought it over for a long while, he hadn't encountered his own kind since he woke, this one in-particular seemed to understand, he hadn't attempted to enter, or take any of the treasures of his own.

He took slow steps forward before grasping onto the outstretched hand.

His own hand was skeletal, his skin discoloured from his years of starvation and living underground, he was pale and his nails had grown clawed, two inches long and tapered to a sharp point.

His eyes stayed on the man, watching him for any trace of betrayal or falsehood.

Seal it.

He spoke again, his chapped lips never moving.

Zuri's fingers wrapped gently around the man's hand. His own had was a big contrast to the starved skeletal look Amam was sporting. Zuri was rather beefy; verging on stocky in build.

"Feed from me first. Take my blood then follow my Master to hunt. She will take care of you."

Zuri's eyes turned to Giacinto and the woman nodded silently, her gaze flickering from Zuri to the other Vampire.

It had been so long since she had seen a Vampire starved so much.

He didn't need to be told to feed, having living blood so close to him was nearly impossible to resist.

Despite the years in the tomb he had kept his sanity intact though his self-restraint was still weak at the moment.

His clawed hand moved from the man's grasp to cupping one side of his throat, pulling him closer as his jaw creaked open, his fangs were already out, long and sharp as he pushed them slowly into the man's neck.

The pace of his drinking was steady but strong, after the first few men he was mauled he wouldn't allow himself to frenzy, he had practically chewed through the first one's neck completely.

His deep crimson eyes slid shut as the blood filled him, he could feel it flowing through him rejuvenating organs which had cease to function long ago. He took the offered blood greedily.

Zuri let his body be manipulated as Amam fed from him.

It wasn't until he started feeling the effects of bloodloss that he raised a hand to press it against the feeding Vampire's cheek.

"That's enough. Go with Giacinto. She'll hunt with you."

The woman in question nodded again and reached out in the same way Zuri had, offering her hand to the Vampire.

He pulled away from the man's neck reluctantly, he hadn't had blood like that before, or if he had, he had forgotten in during his sleep.

Still he did as he was bid, he still needed that one to seal the tomb for him, if he were unconscious or dead then he would be no use.

His gaze shifted to the woman as he took her hand, he had enough strength at the moment to be able to walk at the very least.

As he moved forward his hair dragged out behind him, trailing his movements for about two meters, collecting rubble and dust from the ground, not that he seemed to notice.

His eternally youthful face was masked in his starvation, he looked old, his hollow cheeks and sunken eyes stripped him of any former beauty.

His features looked harsh and his eyes wary.

Giacinto squeezed his hand as she led him down the walkway.

"It'll be difficult to feed with such long hair. I'm going to cut it." the woman reached for the sheathed knife she had at her side and pulled it out of its leather sheath.

She let go of his hand for a moment to grasp a handful of his hair, just below his backside.

She raised the knife to his hair but held off for a moment, just in case he didn't want to have his hair cut.

He didn't protest, he hadn't grown his hair this long on purpose, he had abandoned his body for so long that it had gotten out of control.

He would allow the woman to cut it for him, with the excess weight not dragging behind him it would become much easier to walk.

When she paused he nodded slightly, not looking back at her, they seemed a little wary of him, it was understandable.

He was an unknown to them just like they were unknown to him, he still didn't know whether or not to trust them but his sense of duty was drowned out by his desire to leave this place finally.

The knife hacked at his long hair, cutting it off at the small of his back.

"We'll get it sorted properly later." She dropped the chunk of hair she was holding and stood up again, reaching for his hand.

"Let's leave Zuri to his job. He'll want some time to give a prayer for your Master. He was raised in the times where these sort of tombs were sacred." Her lips curled upwards. "He used to be a royal artist, you know. When he wasn't working in Memphis, he used to paint the glyphs and depictations in royal tombs."

As they approached the end of the walkway, Giacinto slowed.

"Silver," she muttered softly. It was still daytime. "Do you have silver and lapis?"

They are still sacred.

He replied, time didn't matter, whether it was now or two thousand years ago these burial sites were sacred, it was the simple greed of men that made them seem otherwise.

Still he took her hand and walked down the hall he could see the light blasting in from the sun outside.

Slowly he nodded, his free hand moving to caress a pendant which hung around his neck and pressed against his chest, it had been a gift from his Master so they he could properly serve him.

Still, just because he wouldn't burn didn't mean going out into the sun would be any less painful to his light deprived body.

"Not to a lot of people nowadays."

Over the years, things that had been held sacred by ancient people had become nothing more than entertainment It was a sad thing to see at times.

Giacinto led the man out into the large open area of the Valley of the Kings.

"Let's head into Luxor. We'll be able to pick off the homeless."

He nodded at her suggestion, he had to qualms about picking off homeless people, it was better than stealing people from their families.

Though his sense of guilt for killing people had faded long ago.

He was just glad that human's were slow, in his current state all it would take was one glance for people to run from him.

Why did you feel the need to help me?

He asked curiously, most people had something they wanted, he wondered what provoke their actions.

"I've seen the starvation before. It disgusted me then and it still disgusts me now. Sealing us away where we can do nothing but starve with no hopes of death to give us peace."

The woman made a disgusted growling noise in the back of her throat.

She'd suffered it for decades when she had lived in her first coven. It was torture and she wouldn't wish it on her worst enemy. Let alone some innocent.

"Zuri hates Egyptology. The reason he came here was to try and stop the humans from entering."

The woman led Amam through the Valley quickly.

That was reason enough for him, she seemed adamant in her hatred, it was something he could understand.

Being locked in there, it had been his duty though he had been unaware of his inability to die of starvation and when he did find it out it was too late, he had been too weak to try and escape.

He held no grudge for his Master, if the man had been alive he knew beyond doubt that he would not of allowed him to be sealed away.

Amam winced as they made their way through the Valley, the sun was bright and hot, it left him momentarily blinded, his eyes had long adjusted to darkness and the light was a shock to his system.

He panted softly as the heat bore down on his body, his energy would not hold up long here.

It took a while for the woman to lead them into the city.

But when she did, she made sure to stick to the shade of the buildings for his sake. Giacinto was perfectly comfortable in the heat of African summer, but this man obviously wasn't.

It didn't take her long to find a homeless child wandering around.

She let go of the Vampire's hand and in a move so fast that even she almost felt dizzy, she snatched the child up and dragged him into a small space between two buildings. She beckoned the Vampire to join her as she snapped the boy's neck.

It had been a long time since she had hunted like this.

Being held underground for so long the sun's heat was a distant memory, long ago he could walk around in it without a second thought, though back then his skin held a healthy tan, his body was lean but muscular and he always presented himself well.

He relaxed slightly in the shade of the building, moving toward the woman as she rejoined him, kneeling down as the child's body sagged, drawing him into his arms as he bit into his neck sharply and fed until there was nothing left.

A deep purr rumbled in his chests as the child's blood damped his scorching thirst slightly.

"Stay here. I'll find another."

She'd feed him a few more of the homeless until he was strong enough to take on hunting himself.

Giacinto was certain that he would need a handful of bodies before he felt strong enough to function properly.

And hopefully after four or five bodies, he'll start looking like a more healthy person again.

She returned a few minutes later with another dead child in her arms.

He nodded again as he let the body slide from his arms as he licked his lips clean.

He wouldn't waste a drop of blood, for someone so hungry he was also very careful with how he bit, he didn't want to miss any.

When she returned with another he ate it just as eagerly as the first.

This continued on for a little while longer until he had enough blood in him for his body to function normally.

He had devoured quite a few fully grown men in the last few days these were just the extra he needed.

With each mouthful of blood his dried out body began to hydrate, his skin plumping slowly and his organs expanding as they began to function.

He was still thin but by the time he finally stood again he wasn't so hard to look at, his skin was no longer blue but had returned to a more pale pink hue.

"I can hunt now, thank you."

He muttered, his voice low and rough from lack of use.