Neith observed Ethan with interest as he summoned his skeletal soldiers. Her face, hidden behind a golden mask, revealed no emotion, but her eyes glinted with a latent greed. Without wasting time, she issued an order to her mummified soldiers.
"Capture them alive!" she commanded authoritatively, and the golden-armored mummies launched their attack.
Ethan's three skeletal soldiers, though powerful, were outnumbered and outmatched. They were quickly torn apart and reduced to a spectacle of bones and dust. Ethan, Yassir, and Yassmin were surrounded, unable to defend themselves against the overwhelming force of the mummies.
Neith approached Ethan personally. Her steps echoed in the vast hall with a seductive elegance. When she stood before him, she raised a hand and grasped his neck with a surprising strength for such a seemingly fragile figure.
"I see potential in you, mortal," she said in a grave voice, her eyes glowing with a disturbing light. "If you agree to serve me, I will spare your life and that of your companions."
Ethan, still panting from the recent battle, remained silent for a moment, considering the offer. The prospect of becoming a servant to a millennia-old mummy was far from appealing. His independent spirit and pride rebelled at the thought of submitting to anyone, especially a creature that clearly viewed him as a mere tool.
"I can't accept that," he finally said, defiance clear in his voice. "I serve no one."
Neith stared at him intensely for a few seconds that seemed to stretch into eternity. Then, a malicious smile formed on her face.
"A temper worthy of a pharaoh. In that case, I offer you something different," she said, loosening her grip but not letting go entirely. "Help me end the life of Teti, the living god who imprisoned me here, and I will grant you freedom."
Ethan frowned, trying to grasp the magnitude of what Neith was suggesting.
"Who is this Teti?" he asked, not hiding his curiosity.
"In my time, Teti was a pharaoh from another universe. That's why he was worshipped as a god. But what no one knew is that he was absorbing... no, stealing the Earth's power for himself. When I discovered his intentions, I tried to oppose him with my loyal servants. However, we were defeated and cursed to remain here forever, even in death. Recently, I sensed a power similar to his, which caused my spell to awaken me, but not only can I not leave, that energy disappeared quickly."
Yassmin, who had been listening intently, intervened with a trembling voice.
"But Teti died thousands of years ago. His tomb is not far from here."
Neith shook her head, her expression severe.
"That is impossible. Teti can easily live ten thousand years. His death must be a deception. His power is immense, and he wouldn't let something as mundane as death stop him."
Ethan knew that their options were limited. He could either accept Neith's offer or face certain death. The prospect of becoming a mummy's slave was no better, so he finally nodded in resignation.
"Alright. I'll help you destroy Teti, but in return, I want your promise not to harm me or my companions."
Neith nodded, pleased with Ethan's response.
"No problem. Now I need you to perform the 'Whisper of Eternal Decay' spell so I can come with you. I must be present when you kill that bastard."
"I don't know that spell. You can't just come with us; with some clothing, you could easily blend in."
"You don't know the spell? What a decadence in today's necromancers!" she sighed, disappointed. "As I said, I am imprisoned here. The only way for me to leave is to enter that place where you keep your undead. Why else would I be interested in a weakling like you if not for that?"
Ethan felt her grip on his neck tighten even more. Desperate, he said:
"Although I don't know that spell, maybe another one will work!"
Neith, knowing that waiting for another necromancer was too ambitious, spared his life and gave him the chance to try.
Without further delay, Ethan began the ritual to turn her into a zombie under his control. This was the first necromancy spell he had learned, and although it was meant to revive dead beings as zombies, he hoped the spell would treat mummies as what they are: dead beings. Ethan, though doubtful it would work, began chanting and drawing the necessary magical circles for the ritual.
"Exsurge et serva me..."
By the time the ritual was complete, Neith looked exactly the same, but a new energy emanated from her figure, one that suggested her power had not diminished in the slightest. She had indeed become one of Ethan's minions, but he immediately realized something was wrong. Despite theoretically being his now, he had no control or power over her. This deeply frightened him, but he couldn't complain.
"You have done well, mortal. Now you are free from my wrath, but remember, you have a mission to complete," Neith said, her voice resonating with authority.
"It's a pity I don't have more mana to take all these soldiers with me," Ethan said as a release, without a true greed for them.
Neith heard him and laughed out loud. With a gesture, she took all her warriors with her, using the same ability as Ethan to open a pocket dimension.
"Are you a necromancer?" Ethan asked, incredulous.
"Is it so strange that I am? Hurry up; I don't want to spend another second in this place," Neith didn't wait for a response and forced Ethan to open his own pocket dimension to leave once and for all.
When she entered, Ethan received a shock that coursed through his entire body, causing him to bleed from the orifices of his face. Neith's power was so superior to Ethan's that he experienced an overload; the space could barely contain such a figure. After some time, Ethan was able to recover enough to continue, but not before retrieving the chips from the skeletal soldiers that had been defeated, including those he used as a distraction in the previous room. These chips were very important; they contained the artificial intelligence analysis of the battle with Ra. The AI in these chips improved with each combat, so they were crucial for the growth of Ethan's force. He had already lost those he used against Ra, as Ra had reduced them to ashes. At least these wouldn't be lost as well.
With a mix of fear and determination, the group finally decided to leave the place. Once outside, the stars already dominated the sky. Only Ethan's little bird awaited them; as for their pursuers, they had all been killed by the mummies. Aria, meanwhile, remained unconscious and needed urgent attention. Although they were no longer being pursued, they were surely being awaited in the cities, so they couldn't go to a hospital or even an airport.
"What will we do now? Although I have many questions, our priority is to flee. Do you think we can return to Argentina, Ethan?" Yassmin asked.
"If I can get a signal on my cell phone, I can ask my assistant to send a private jet for us. The problem is I doubt that girl can survive that long in these conditions."
"That's good enough. As for Aria, her fate depends on her luck. We've done our part by not abandoning her."
They couldn't go to Cairo, so they decided to try their luck in Memphis, the other closest city. But even there, the streets were heavily patrolled. Cleverly, they avoided the police and entered the first hotel they found.
The receptionist gave them a suspicious look; three people with various injuries and an unconscious woman in their arms were clearly suspect. Ethan didn't hesitate to bribe him with a good amount of dollars, which worked, securing them a room. People rarely report someone just for being suspicious, not because they are bad people, but rather to avoid getting into trouble. And with money involved, it was unlikely that anyone would refuse the bribe for a simple act of kindness.
Still, once inside the room, Ethan regretted not carrying a gun. Since he learned magic, he felt powerful and set aside his firearm. Now, however, it would be very useful to ensure his life in case of emergency.
While the others rested, Ethan took the opportunity to ask Sara for help. Now they only needed to wait another 24 hours to escape this place.