Ouch. After two weeks of running around trying to organize a school event and just get back on track after break, I have been a little too tired to post much. However, event is now over- and went well- or so I think, but then I was just happy that it ended before the time that all my helpers swore they had to leave. I had to clean up by myself (thus the ouch part) but I wasn't abandoned during, and that's what I was worried about!
More of this one. Yes, yes, cliche and all, but I enjoy writing it, soooo....
Ifrits & Angels 3
Heero sighed and erased the word he'd just written. He'd copied every word perfectly from the stone- he'd checked, his assistant had double-checked, he'd triple-checked it himself- going down the passageway again, this time with his assistant in tow and several lights. He had a perfect copy of the inscription from the stone.
The problem was- he had no idea what it said.
"Tea," Maxwell slid a cup onto the table beside his elbow.
"Thank you," he reached for the cup and looked up. "It's late- I thought I told you that you could go to bed-"
"You did." Maxwell smiled and perched on the stool across from him. "But I wasn't tired, and I thought I might be of some help."
"You've been a huge help already." Heero had never had an assistant before, but after this, he was going to ask the university if he could have one more often. Maxwell had been a huge help. He always seemed to know what Heero needed before he even asked for it- be it an extra light, a book or a tool- Maxwell would always be right there with it. If it hadn't been so helpful, it would've been disconcerting.
Though not as disconcerting as the dreams he had about the man....
"How is the translation going?"
Heero sighed again and lifted up his glasses to rub at the bridge of his nose. "It's not going well- I mean- the ancient Greek is clear enough- and some of the hieroglyphs- but most of the rest- I've never seen them before. And they're all jumbled together- if it was a line of Greek, then a line of another- then it might make sense- but it's not written that way."
"Perhaps it's a code? Or a riddle? The ancients were fond of that sort of thing."
"It might be- I've run the program on it- but it doesn't follow any of the known patterns that way either." Heero settled his glasses back on his nose and frowned at his laptop screen.
"I'm sure you'll get it eventually."
Heero shrugged. "Doesn't matter. My time is up tomorrow. The Church is sending someone out to see what progress I've made. I suppose I will have to turn my notes over then and be on my way."
Maxwell's eyes narrowed. "Does that bother you?"
"Not exactly," Heero shrugged. "I'm not all that fond of working in the field, but- I do hate leaving a job half-finished."
Maxwell nodded, glancing at his watch. "It's getting late, sir. Perhaps you should get some rest."
"No," Heero bent back over his work. "I only have a few hours left- I need to do what I can now. I can sleep later."
He missed the frown that passed over his assistant's lips, replaced a moment later with a resigned smile.
Maxwell reached out and ran his fingers over Heero's cheek. Startled, Heero looked up- and was caught in a violet gaze.
"So stubborn, my master. But I will not let you harm yourself. Sleep now- I will deal with this."
~*~
Heero sat bolt upright when the small alarm by his cot began to chime. The table rocked a little and he grabbed at his notebooks and computer instinctively. He must've fallen asleep over them- damn it...
He blinked at the pages in front of him, trying to bring them into focus. Where had he stopped-?
In the name of the powerful Isis the healer of Osiris, In the name of Zeus god of the new rulers, In the name of Marduk god of the elders, In the name of the Eight Immortals, and in the name of the protector of this place the eye of Ra, in all of their names-your servants beg you to let the dweller in darkness imprisoned behind this stone stay there for eternity. Let him never again into the light of Ra...
What- what was this? He hadn't written this-
"Dr. Yuy?" His assistant stepped into the tent. "Sir- there is a car headed this way- you asked to be informed when the Church representative arrived."
"Right," Heero answered absently, still focused on the pages in front of him. How....?
"Sir? Are you all right?" Maxwell moved closer, leaning over him.
"This- this translation- I don't remember writing this-"
"It's your handwriting," his assistant pointed out helpfully and Heero frowned. It was his handwriting- but-
The sound of a car made him look up- who? Oh, right. Maxwell had said the representative was arriving- but could he show them this? He wasn't even sure if it was accurate- he'd need more time-
"Dr. Yuy?" He turned to find a dark-haired man standing in the doorway, a fain frown marring his features. "I'm Chang Wufei- the Church sent me-"
"Right." Heero pushed his glasses up on his nose a little more securely. He'd been half-expecting the pair that had given him this job. "They said they'd be sending someone today."
"Have you made any progress?"
"Well- I have an accurate copy of the inscription-" He was on solid ground there- he remembered doing that part- even if it wasn't much.
Much to his surprise, Chang seemed pleased by that news. "Truly? That is a good start. None of the others managed that. Any progress on translating the inscription?"
Glancing down at the notebook he still held clutched in his hand, Heero took a deep breath. He didn't want to claim something that he didn't remember doing- it seemed like cheating- and there was no telling if the translation was accurate or not-
"Complete," said Maxwell, stepping out of the shadows cast by the tent walls. He plucked the notebook from Heero's hand and dropped it into Chang's. "For all the good it will do you."
Heero saw a look of horror cross over Chang's face as he focused on Heero's assistant. "You!" He choked out and Maxwell laughed. Chang turned on Heero, eyes narrowing in sudden anger. "What did you do? How did he get free?!"
Get free? What was the man talking about? Maxwell had been-
Memory rushed over him. Feathers brushing over his skin in the dark. "Please. I have been so lonely, here in the dark. Please... free me... Please...and I will help you get out- I will serve you always-"
Maxwell was standing in front of him now, glaring at Chang. "You never should have sent this one to me," he laughed and Chang stepped backwards. "He was strong and good enough to free me- and I serve him now."
"Your kind never serves anyone but themselves!"
"My kind abandoned me to the dark. He is my master now- and if he requests that I scatter your bones across the desert for your rudeness, then I will do so."
"So you will obey him in all things? And yet- I suppose you feed off of him like some damned leech-"
So the dreams were real, Heero thought dazedly and then shook himself. He needed to focus.
"It doesn't harm him!"
"So you claim! But-"
"Please stop," Heero interjected and the two of them blinked at him in surprise. "Look- I'm not sure what is going on here-"
"You released a demon!"
"I am not a demon!"
"Stop," Heero repeated. "Look- I- I don't really understand any of this-"
Chang snorted. "Obviously, or you wouldn't have freed the demon-"
"I am not a demon!" Maxwell repeated, eyes narrowing. "You will be sorry you called me that." He turned to Heero. "Master- please let me remove him from here?"
"I don't think-"
"Wait," Chang held up his hand and frowned at Maxwell. "You truly need his permission?"
Obviously, or I would have already removed you."
Chang took a deep breath and turned to Heero. "Dr. Yuy? Perhaps you would consider returning with me? I have a feeling my superiors would like to extend your contract with us- though perhaps on different terms?"
TBC...
Back to Merula's Fanfictions Page