Chapter 3.4: Underneath the Temple
"We won't need the Sceptre, Akil."
The young man was crestfallen that you decided not to go along with his plan. You know that he had been betting all his hopes on you aiding him to overthrow the Gieloth cult. "Master Runi, without the Sceptre, we will not be able to defeat Sekhenun! Only Ra's mighty fire can scourge the evil god from his temple!"
You raise your hand to silence his protest.
"First things first - how good are your rebels at fighting, Akil?"
"Well, we've had some practice... some of them served with the Heliopolis militia and have taught us how to fight."
"Have they ever fought in a real battle before?"
"N-no, sir."
"Secondly, how many of them are there?"
"There's more than five hundred of us, and we're all willing to lay our lives down to defeat these heathens!"
"That's five hundred lives on your hands, Akil. Their deaths are on you. There are a few thousand cultists, and like it or not, your friends will die. Can you live with that, knowing that they would have lived if you had not raised the banner for revolt?"
"I..."
"You are not cut out for this, Akil. Trust me. I know of a way to destroy Sekhenun for good, without sacrificing the lives of your friends. It is enough that we risk our own lives to save theirs." Inwardly you hope that what worked against Sekhenun's brethren will work for him - or else your bravado would be for naught. "We will sneak into the Temple at the next dusk prayer, using Akil's secret tunnel." Akil looks down, disappointed. You sense that he is not fully convinced of your ability to take on the Gieloth without divine aid.
"Time to get some rest then, brother." Samun nods at Kamun, and the both of them prepare to turn in. Mutyre had apparently nodded off, it seems, on her own bed. You look out the window. The Temple of the Sun, blacker than the night itself, looms in the darkness.
***
The tunnel entrance was in a hole under some planks of wood, in an abandoned shack close to the temple. There were very little guards around - you had counted only three as you made your way from the inn to the shack - most of them had flocked to the courtyard to attend dusk prayers.
Loyal little drones, aren't they?
You and your companions descend down the ladder carefully. Twilight has taken away most of the natural light available. You reach the bottom of the ladder first, and light your torch. The others do the same as they join you.
"I guess the cultists were too stupid to think that there was a tunnel here." quips Mutyre confidently. "Maybe. Only the high priest and my father knew of this entrance. It was how I escaped the temple when they came." Akil replies, in a subdued manner. You gesture at him. "Lead the way, then."
Akil walks to the front of the group nervously, and begins to head deeper into the tunnel. It is narrow enough that you have to travel in single file. You follow, and then Mutyre, with the soldier brothers bringing up the rear. The tunnel was roughly carved, and did not exhibit the same polish the Egyptians usually applied to their stoneworking - clearly made for a more utilitarian purpose. As you proceed, the air grows colder. "Where will this tunnel lead to?" Kamun whispers from the back of the line. "It's a bit cramped." Kamun and Samun were considerably bulkier than you, and the narrow tunnel was a tight squeeze for their frame. "We'll come out in the kitchens."
"Oh good, I hope there's food. The dates we had for dinner weren't very filling." laughed Mutyre.
"That's strange." Akil stopped suddenly. You nearly walk into him. You sense a strong feeling of puzzlement from him. "What's wrong?"
"The path branches into three ways. This wasn't here when I came through here before."
"You were here as a child, weren't you? You might have missed it." offered Mutyre.
"No, I don't think so. I remember seeing the plans Father gave the workers. The tunnel does not branch. This was not here before."
"The cultists know about this tunnel, then. That's the simplest explanation." you say. "They are the only ones who would have the opportunity to expand it."
It's the simplest explanation, but it doesn't make things simple for you.
So, where to now? Should you probe the path a bit?
The voices give a sound suggestion. You tell your companions to wait a bit, and squeeze your way past Akil to stand at the fork. The leftmost path tilts slightly upward, and the air is warmer. The central path keeps at your current level, and widens out a few steps beyond the fork. The rightmost path tilts slightly downward, and grows narrower. The air wafting from that passage is cold.
You close your eyes and spread your mind out cautiously, only probing tentatively lest you give yourselves away. The leftmost path leads to a group of humans... cultists. There is a feeling of pleasure and contentment. Probably it is the way to the kitchens that Akil mentioned.. There are other humans in the central path - in that direction you feel fear, loathing and a sense of resignation from them. There is also a weak alien presence... probably one of the Children. In the rightmost path, there is again a Child of Sekhenun, but beyond that there is a strange barrier you cannot penetrate. You feel the Child on the rightmost path begin heading up the pathway, towards your party.
You must decide, and decide quickly.
***
A. You move up the left path, towards the kitchens. Best to stick to the original plan. Humans you can deal with swiftly and without any fuss.
B. You go straight, on the central path. Judging from their emotions, it is possible that the humans there are prisoners of the Gieloth - if so, freeing them can gain you information and more aid to defeat the cult.
C. You charge down the right passageway. The Child does not know you are here - your telepathy assures you of that. You can surprise it, defeat it, and check out the strange barrier. You suspect it is a shortcut to Sekhenun.
