Her Purpose

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 00:00:00 +0000

It was another quiet night at the royal palace. The wind blew softly through the marble pillars, water lapping softly at the edge of luxurious pools, gargling from ornate fountains. Aids, servants, and administrators quietly walked to and fro, making little noise as they attended to their business. It was a peaceful, quiet night… save for the faint screams from the western end of the palace. Few heard the screams. Those that did hear the shrieks of the damned had long since learned to either tune it out, or simply walk of earshot. There was no need to concern themselves with them. But there was one who, against good sense, was heading towards the screams. Sneaking on the outskirts of the palace, the servant girl Tais was searching for the source of the terrified screams. Normally such a thing would be a bad idea, but with nothing else to do this night, she ignored her common sense. Boredom, and a morbid sense of curiosity, had compelled her to seek out the sources of the screams that she had heard for weeks now. She found its source moments later, in the form of a small air vent leading to the dungeons below. Kneeling in the sand, she peered through the grate. What she saw was something out of a nightmare. In dungeons deep beneath the earth, the criminals of Egypt were being prepared for burial, all being wrapped and bandaged as mummies. But these were no dead bodies of long executed lowlifes. These men and women were still alive, still breathing even as their bodies were wrapped in bandages, wads of linen and cotton being stuffed into their mouths to silence their screams and pleas for mercy. Watching the sight, Tais was both repelled, yet unable to tear her gaze away. Being the servant girl that she was, she had no reason to go to the dungeons of the palace. What happened there was none of her concern. But she was seeing it. The condemned, the worst of the worst, all about to be buried deep in the desert sands, their spirits cursed to wander forever without rest. As she looked on, she couldn’t even begin to contemplate the fate of those below… it seemed to be so cruel. No doubt these men and women had earned their sentences, but looking down at them, she only saw their frightened eyes, their terrified expressions even as bandages were wound around their heads, covering their faces forever. What a horrible thing, to know that you were only hours away from entombment, knowing that your spirit would never find rest. Such a horrible fate… and yet, despite knowing who and what they were, Tais felt something… a sense of pity for them. They were criminals, no doubt about that. But in light of such a horrible fate, she couldn’t but feel a little compassion for them. Strangely, such a realization didn’t feel wrong.

Prpeare on Gromet's Plaza Archive

Her Purpose