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AGELESS Campaign Episode 2 - Temple of the Cat-Goddess
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<blockquote data-quote="Silver Moon" data-source="post: 6933309" data-attributes="member: 8530"><p><strong>Chapter 106, “Revelations" September 12, 1882, 7:30 AM.</strong></p><p></p><p>As the group closes to around 100 feet distance George can make out that accompanying Mina and Ruby are a squadron of a dozen soldiers, a man who appears to be General Woolsley, and a man in wool clothing who George recognizes as being the same French Physician that had gone on the Dreadnaught three days earlier when Generals Drury-Lowe and Orabi were transported to their respective medical facilities.</p><p></p><p>George signals to Tabezza and Tepemkau to wait there and as he passes by Lawrence whispers "keep a sharp eye peel and keep the peace" as George moves down the dune to intercept the British party. Lawrence gives a short nod to Eastman as he passes. He tries to keep an eye on all parties. George puts on his best diplomat smile as he approaches. "Ah General Woolsley, I am very pleased and honored you have accepted our invitation. Before we proceed up the dune, I would ask your escort to stay here. Certainly they are within calling distance should you feel you need them, but you will not, and I must ask you to abide by my terms that I am asserting on all parties." continues George with his calm, certain voice of authority and diplomacy.</p><p></p><p>The General's military escort stays their 100 foot distance and George, Ruby and Mina accompany General Woolsley, his aid, and the French physician back to the others. As they walk George asks Ruby, "Constance dear, what does the General know as of now?" Ruby shrugged and softly replies, "I told him mostly everything I know. Well, except that the REAL General Drury-Lowe is right here, unconscious no doubt from French Wizard's poisons. The fake one is back at their tent." As they arrived to where the others were Ruby pointed to the area where the General lie asleep. "General Woolsley, please see for yourself. General you should hurry and see this." She escorts him over towards where the real Drury Lowe is so he can see his officer.</p><p></p><p>"What the..." Ruby states as she see in the far distance well behind the Egyptian lines the party sees the departing smaller dirigible only gains around 100 feet of altitude that stops its ascent. It is soon apparent why, as three of the tethering ropes are still hanging below and are attached to makeshift objects dangling around twenty feet above the ground. One rope is fastened to a cannon, another to a wooden wagon and the third to a live horse that clearly does not appreciate the thrill of flying. George smiles to himself as he sees the other dirigible detained. ""Well that could be bad," she says. George turns to look at Ruby "No, no my love. That is a good action, inspired by knowledge.</p><p></p><p>"But yes General Woolsley, time is of the essence." says George leading the group up the dune. As the six arrive and meet up with the others, Abby notices the shocked look on the faces of General Woolsley and his aide as they see who the three unconscious people are. She also notices that the other man with them wearing a suit does not appear the least bit surprised. The Egyptian physician Tepemkau introduces himself to General Woolsley and says, "I am neutral in this conflict, I simply wish to save the lives of both Egypt and its allies and prevent further bloodshed. I believe that I have the ability to revive two of these three individuals."</p><p></p><p>Pointing to the unconscious form of his second-in-command Woolseley says, "Given their current state, how do we know that these three are not magically enhanced imposters?" George says, "An excellent point General. Tepemkau, please revive the two generals. Now General Woolsely, we will have personal testimony in a very short while. The circumstantial evidence surrounding these people is overwhelming. Both Orabi and Drury were injured in combat. Both men were removed from the battle by French dirigibles. Both men returned in short order supposedly cured of their injuries. Why then would we find imposters, chained, hooded and held in a magical sleep, while imprisoned on a French warship? What motive would we have to present you with imposters, and one from each side.</p><p></p><p>The French however have many reasons to fear either British control of Egypt, or the continued rule of Egypt. They have a strong interest in controlling the throne however. When the false Orabi killed the king, wasn't it odd that the French wizards then murdered the rest of the royal family, leaving only the princesses alive. The elder of whom they had impersonated, and had imprisoned the real princess. That set them up nicely to take over and control the throne until we intervened. General Woolsley, you know our friend Mina, you trust Mina. You hopefully know me by reputation at the least. We have no motive here other than peace. In a moment hopefully you will hear the truth from Drury himself." says George with authority as he watched Tepemkau work. Ruby adds, "And someone should make sure the imposter doesn't run off."</p><p></p><p>Tepemkau removes a piece of charcoal from a pouch on his belt and places it atop Ahmed Orabi's chest. He then pours a few drops of what looks to be wine from a wineskin onto Orabi's lips. He then stands and grasps his holy symbol with both hand, waves his hands above the fallen General and begins a chant in the ancient Egyptian tongue, naming several Egyptian gods and Pharaohs. He places his hand atop the charcoal and it dissipates, with a blue light flowing over the body and the droplets of wine on the lips glowing a bright golden color. He continues to recite an incantation.</p><p></p><p>Orabi's eyes flicker open as Tepemkau stands and declares "It was successful." Orabi begins to sit up. He looks briefly around and then, seeing the lines of both his Egyptian forces and the British forces, ready to continue the battle. He then turns to the Egyptian Lieutenant Colonel and says, "Why hasn't the army moved yet? My last order was for a full retreat from Kassassin! You've allowed the British to get too close."</p><p></p><p>George grins, Half-way there he thinks. "Tabezza, keep the General comfortable, don't let him stand yet, he may be woozy. And for Bast's sake don't give him a weapon until he knows the truth. But I am glad you did trust me Tabezza." Doctor Tepemkau says, "Mr. Eastman is correct, you should not try to stand yet. General Orabi, this is Tel El-Kabir on the morning of the twelfth, not Kassassin on the evening of the tenth. You have been unconscious for one-and-a-half days. Your legs will be stiff and I will need to rework the muscles before you attempt to put weight on them."</p><p></p><p>Tepemkau, please revive the British general now." orders George. George turns to General Woolsley: "Now you see General, the Egyptian forces were subject to the same deception as you were. It would appear that Drury will remember nothing from his time when he was a captive, so please consider a question that only General Drury could answer." suggests George.</p><p></p><p>In the far distance to the east, the small airborne dirigible no longer appears to be under the pilot's control, as it is now moving entirely with the wind. A group of around two-dozen Egyptians are now climbing up a large sand dune in the direction that the dirigible is drifting towards. While it is too far away to make out the individual's identity with certainty, the man leading this group of Egyptians is attired in the same color and style of clothing that Callum Stuart was wearing when he headed off towards that army.</p><p></p><p>Ruby had gone to Nerfeka's side, to protect her in case of something going wrong. She continued to let George do the talking, as so far things were going well. She kept an eye on the dirigible in the distance. As it drifts with the wind towards the large sand dune with the two dozen Egyptians those men get into position. The rope attached to the wagon is closest and as the wagon strikes the hill the men grab on and start to stake the wagon to the ground. The cannon then slaps into the dune and the men begin to stake it down as well. The terrified horse also soon gains his footing, but manages to kick two of the men, at least one seriously, before they are able to cut the animal free.</p><p></p><p>Doctor Tepemkau first consults General Woolsley as to General Drury-Lowe's religious beliefs. He then places a piece of charcoal atop the top chest of General Drury-Lowe and repeats the same process, only modifying one line of the incantation that refers to the gods of the recipient where he names Zeus and Hercules rather than the Egyptian deities. The General's eyes awaken. His first reaction is to reach where he was wounded, finding the uniform tattered but the wound beneath it now healed. He then spots the Egyptian Lieutenant Colonel Tebezza standing behind the Egyptian doctor and reaches for his sidearm, discovering it missing.</p><p></p><p>George kneels by General Drury-Lowe and places a hand on his shoulder "Easy there, Drury. You are among friends and are not in harm's way. General Woolsley is here. I fear you have been unconscious for several days, a prisoner no less. General Woolsley would you care to reassure General Drury-Lowe and question him to assure yourself of his authentic identity?" asks George inviting Woolsely over. George does spare a glance to Lawrence to make sure he is remaining vigilant over everyone.</p><p></p><p>Woolsley kneals beside his colleague and says, "D.C., it is I. Mr. Eastman speaks truth, you appear to have been held captive since the time of your injury. Tell me this, it is important. When you served with the 17th Lancers in your youth, what was the name of the establishment that you would visit when on leave?" The man looks to the General and says, "You said we would not speak of that place again, but if you must know, it was Madame Gwendolen's". Woolsley looks to George and says "It is he."</p><p></p><p>George nods his head in agreement. "Thank you Tepemkau, you have done your ancestors proud with this service for Egypt. If you would please head over to my fiance and look to the princess and see what can be done for her with what you have available" says George. As the conversation went on, Abby circled slowly away from Lawrence. As she noted the smaller dirigible being pinned in place, she placed herself where she could react if the Frenchman who had appeared with the British seemed ready to flee or start a fight.</p><p></p><p>Turning to the British officers George adds in a whisper "Gentlemen, there is much we need to discuss." George signals Tebezza to assist Orabi over to them. The French physician attempts to move in that direction to listen in, but Mina and Lawrence both interpose themselves in the way and begin a conversation between the themselves loud enough to out-drown George's whispers from behind.</p><p></p><p>When all four men, General Orabi, Lieutenant Colonel Tebezza, Generals Woolsley and Drury-Lowe are gathered about him. In a whisper George addresses the leaders of the two armies; "Welcome back to the world of the free" says George to Orabi and Drury-Lowe. "And now that the two of you are awake and have trusted men by your side who know the truth of what I have said, I hope we can proceed quickly. Orabi and Drury, you were both wounded, and removed from the battlefield by the French. But they proceeded to place you in a magical sleep, and hid you away replacing you with impostors. I fear Orabi, your doppelganger assassinated the King."</p><p></p><p>George pauses for Tebezza and Woolsley to confirm this to the questioning faces of the two former prisoners. "There will be time to fill you in on the days you have missed. Much has happened. But the first thing is to call a cease-fire, if not a truce, and stop the fighting, we have bigger fish to fry. In addition to the kidnapping of the two of you and Princess Neferka, she is safe Orabi" assures George "the cabal of French wizards has been responsible for regicide, and indeed the murder of the majority of the royal family, inciting a rebellion, playing the two armies off each other and organizing a coup and a host of other crimes.</p><p></p><p>The problem is we do not know the extent of the cabal. It may be all of them, or just some of them. But it is difficult to trust any of the French right now. As we speak another French dirigible was trying to make off with another Egyptian officer. So gentlemen, the question before you all today is, what shall we do about the French problem?" asks George expectantly, gazing at each man in turn.</p><p></p><p>General Woolsley says, "A half-dozen of those French are currently attached to my command, led by a man named Guizot." Lieutenant Colonel Tebezza says, "And another six are with our army as well, led by a man named Gouraud." Woolsley says, "I would say that a cease fire is in order until we get this all sorted out." Ahmed Orabi gestures to the unconscious form of Neferka and says, "I concur, but will not be doing anything further until I can speak to my wife. Mr. Eastman, is she aware of what has happened to her family?" Ruby, still cradling the Princess'es head, cut in. "While we can't be sure, she was not actually there when the murders occurred. She was supposed to meet us but never showed up."</p><p></p><p>Ruby asks the physician, "Tepemkau, can you tell us what is actually wrong with the princess? How did you cure the Generals?" He says, "I believe that she has some type of medicine or poison in her system that causes a deep sleep. Based upon the two Generals, there does not appear to be any lasting side effects from it. Unfortunately I can only heal that type of problem twice a day which I have now done." Ruby asks, "Do you think it might wear off naturally?" He says, "Yes, but I am uncertain of exactly what was used. It that could take up to a day or two."</p><p></p><p>George explains, "As Ms. West has said, I doubt she is aware of what occurred. We believe she was kidnapped before the murder took place. It appears though General that if you insist upon speaking to her, that we shall delay any action until tomorrow. I understand your desire to speak with her, but all I can do at the moment is swear to protect her. Time is of the essence. As we speak the French have tried to make off with another wounded Egyptian officer, your brother General Orabi. They have managed to place agents in every major organization in Egypt. They are well positioned to derail any attempt. But we must work in a united front to allow Egypt to survive."</p><p></p><p>Orabi says, "What does that Frenchman behind you know Mr. Eastman and why is he here?" The Frenchman appears to be impatient as the conversation between George and the others has continued. He is too far away to make out specifically what is being said. George turns back to his own Anglo-Egyptian cabal and addresses Orabi "I do not know him General, he accompanied General Woolsely here. I intentionally had him stay back. I know that Tebezza here upon proof of my story sent word back and I would hope has detained the French on your side. Anyway since that Frenchman is appointed to General Woolsley I think he should make the call. In my opinion, we need to detain the Frenchman here and the false Drury-Lowe and very quickly before they escape, or alert the other French." suggests George in a whisper again.</p><p></p><p>Woolsley says, "He is a French physician, his name is Charles David Chamberland." Turning to Drury-Curzon Woolsely says, "He is also the physician who treated you two days ago at Kassassin, and supposedly brought you to safety. Who the man that looks exactly likes you over and is in my command tent is I can hardly guess."</p><p></p><p>An impatient Ruby has also been out of earshot of the whispered conversation and interjects, "What are we standing around for? We need to make sure the fighting stops and no more blood is spilled by anyone. General Woolsely, why don't you question your French friend who wanted to stay behind, no doubt to escape?" Woolsley replies, "I would not call Mr. Guizot a friend of mine, however he did serve as France's Ambassador to England for most of the 1840's. He is therefore a personal friend of Queen Victoria, so I need to proceed carefully as far as he is concerned."</p><p></p><p>George also appears to be getting impatient and says, "Well, the other man is undoubtedly guilty, and Chamberland is terribly suspicious since he was involved in Drury-Lowe's abduction. So Woolsley, what are you going to do about it, or shall I take matters into my own hands? I am trying to allow you to remain in command of your forces."</p><p></p><p>A good distance away a squadron of British soldiers approach and surround the unconscious dragon form of Freya. George takes a second glance over at Freya. "General Woolsley, would you be so kind as to direct an aide to accompany my friend Abby over there to go and check on our friend who is down?" George calls out to Abby "Abby could you head off there and check on Freya?" Woolslely directs one of his aides to accompany her and make sure the soldiers there follow Abby's directions.</p><p></p><p>General Woolsley says, "The next thing that we need to do is return to my command tent and place the imposter under arrest. We will see then how these Frenchmen react to that." George says, "Well then, Woolsley and Orabi, please shake hands on our cease fire for the time being. Woolsley return to your tent and place the impostor under arrest. DO NOT let Chamberland state that he saw Orabi though."</p><p></p><p>While the various conversations have been going on the Egyptian Physician has been applying healing spells to the lethargic legs of both Generals so that they will be able to walk again without difficulty. , Woolsley turns to Drury-Lowe and says to the command tent my friend?" The other general replies, "I believe that would be in order."</p><p></p><p>George turns to the Egyptian Lieutenant Colonel and says, "Tebbezzi, should we keep General Orabi here? It seems you have been fed some misinformation and I think we need to be careful with how we re-introduce him since some think he murdered the king." Tebbezzi says, "That is a good point Mr. Eastman. I should probably alert our commanding General first, but I would not want to leave the General here this close to the British forces."</p><p></p><p>"The British will be headed back to their command tent, and this area here" says George circling his arm "is my territory for now. Go and alert the command, I shall protect General Orabi and his bride with my life, as I have in rescuing them from captivity already. Lieutenant Colonel Hassan will also stay to guard him." Lieutenant Colonel Tebbezzi hurries off at a fast pace in the direction of the Egyptian Army.</p><p></p><p>Abby had quickly gone over to Freya, glad to at least have a concrete thing to do. With no healing skills, she was going to have to hope the soldiers would send for a healer when she told them to. She arrives and sees that while the group has a medic with them, he is making no attempt to help the fallen dragon. The other soldiers are holding their weapons defensively in the event that it moves. The officer in charge is a Lieutenant who says, "You may wish to move back Miss, this monster could awaken at any time."</p><p></p><p>"I do not fear this dragon," Abby said casually. She knelt down near Freya's head, listening for breath moving in and out. "We're going to need a medic, here. You have no need to fear her. She came here to help stop the fighting. It's stopped. Respect her bravery and help her." Back with the others, Lawrence sees that Abby is having some difficulty with the soldiers so heads over to assist her.</p><p></p><p>The lieutenant orders the medic forward. He very reluctantly moves up to examine her and clearly has no idea how to do so. Abby waited until the medic was close enough to hear her when she spoke quietly. "She's not a monster," Abby told him. "She won't hurt you. Her quarrel isn't with your people. But if you prefer, I'll stay as between you as I can and still let you do your job." Lawrence joins them.</p><p></p><p>The man examines the dragon a bit and says to Abby, "She was struck by the lightning and lost a large batch of scales. Ma'am, I have not been trained in veterinary work, I am not sure exactly what to do. We're not even close to the Nile, where I could possibly find a crocodile to attempt a graft from." Abby says, "For now, just check her condition. We may need a cleric for her later, but if she's stable we can wait." He casts a minor healing spell and she moves slightly. He jumps back several feet and appears to be terrified. Several of the soldiers raise their weapons.</p><p></p><p>Back near the dirigible, as General Woolsely helps General Drury-Lowe to his feet and the man stretched his legs to prepare to walk. However, they only manage to travel around five feet and are passing Doctor Chamberland when the French physician unexpectedly leaps forward into Drury-Lowe, tackling him and knocking them both to the ground. While lying atop of Drury-Lowe, Chamberland yells out "Bouclier", which George knows is a French word for 'shield'.</p><p></p><p>George sees the attack and swears. He told Woolsley to detain Chamberland. "Ruby!" calls out George "Take out the Frenchman! Protect Drury". George stays by and in front of Orabi. Ruby gently put the Princesses head down then stood quickly. She pulled out a small gun from inside her robes. A double action Remington Derringer. She took long strides to get up close to them. "Chamberlain, don't you think this is a bit silly? You are surrounded. Let go of the General NOW. If you speak another word I will shoot you dead." He turns and does indeed begin to speak and she fires. Despite being a magic bullet it ricochets away from him before it even reaches his body.</p><p></p><p>The sound of a piece of artillery fires from a distant sand dune three-hundred feet away, although neither the Egyptian or British army appear to have been anywhere near that section of the battlefield. A large shell or rocket of some sort rapidly crosses the distance, striking the side of the dirigible that the group arrived on and are now only forty feet away from. This vehicle's gas bags have nearly five-times the amount of flammable gas than the smaller one that exploded earlier. It is also now tethered on the ground. The massive explosion spreads out for a quarter mile in all directions.</p><p></p><p>It stops just short of where Abby, Freya, Lawrence and the soldiers are, but they all take some damage from the sand and debris blown in their direction. Abby had been lifting her hand to calm the soldiers when the explosion happens. Abby threw herself down and tried to protect Freya's head. Moments later she popped back up, rifle to shoulder, looking for whatever threat was coming next.</p><p></p><p>The explosion had come on so suddenly that the group comprised of George, Ruby, Mina, General Woolsley, Doctor Temepeku, Lt. Col. Hassan, Henry Jones, Ahmed Orabi and the still unconscious Princess Neferka had no time to react when the massive fireball headed straight towards them.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Silver Moon, post: 6933309, member: 8530"] [B]Chapter 106, “Revelations" September 12, 1882, 7:30 AM.[/B] As the group closes to around 100 feet distance George can make out that accompanying Mina and Ruby are a squadron of a dozen soldiers, a man who appears to be General Woolsley, and a man in wool clothing who George recognizes as being the same French Physician that had gone on the Dreadnaught three days earlier when Generals Drury-Lowe and Orabi were transported to their respective medical facilities. George signals to Tabezza and Tepemkau to wait there and as he passes by Lawrence whispers "keep a sharp eye peel and keep the peace" as George moves down the dune to intercept the British party. Lawrence gives a short nod to Eastman as he passes. He tries to keep an eye on all parties. George puts on his best diplomat smile as he approaches. "Ah General Woolsley, I am very pleased and honored you have accepted our invitation. Before we proceed up the dune, I would ask your escort to stay here. Certainly they are within calling distance should you feel you need them, but you will not, and I must ask you to abide by my terms that I am asserting on all parties." continues George with his calm, certain voice of authority and diplomacy. The General's military escort stays their 100 foot distance and George, Ruby and Mina accompany General Woolsley, his aid, and the French physician back to the others. As they walk George asks Ruby, "Constance dear, what does the General know as of now?" Ruby shrugged and softly replies, "I told him mostly everything I know. Well, except that the REAL General Drury-Lowe is right here, unconscious no doubt from French Wizard's poisons. The fake one is back at their tent." As they arrived to where the others were Ruby pointed to the area where the General lie asleep. "General Woolsley, please see for yourself. General you should hurry and see this." She escorts him over towards where the real Drury Lowe is so he can see his officer. "What the..." Ruby states as she see in the far distance well behind the Egyptian lines the party sees the departing smaller dirigible only gains around 100 feet of altitude that stops its ascent. It is soon apparent why, as three of the tethering ropes are still hanging below and are attached to makeshift objects dangling around twenty feet above the ground. One rope is fastened to a cannon, another to a wooden wagon and the third to a live horse that clearly does not appreciate the thrill of flying. George smiles to himself as he sees the other dirigible detained. ""Well that could be bad," she says. George turns to look at Ruby "No, no my love. That is a good action, inspired by knowledge. "But yes General Woolsley, time is of the essence." says George leading the group up the dune. As the six arrive and meet up with the others, Abby notices the shocked look on the faces of General Woolsley and his aide as they see who the three unconscious people are. She also notices that the other man with them wearing a suit does not appear the least bit surprised. The Egyptian physician Tepemkau introduces himself to General Woolsley and says, "I am neutral in this conflict, I simply wish to save the lives of both Egypt and its allies and prevent further bloodshed. I believe that I have the ability to revive two of these three individuals." Pointing to the unconscious form of his second-in-command Woolseley says, "Given their current state, how do we know that these three are not magically enhanced imposters?" George says, "An excellent point General. Tepemkau, please revive the two generals. Now General Woolsely, we will have personal testimony in a very short while. The circumstantial evidence surrounding these people is overwhelming. Both Orabi and Drury were injured in combat. Both men were removed from the battle by French dirigibles. Both men returned in short order supposedly cured of their injuries. Why then would we find imposters, chained, hooded and held in a magical sleep, while imprisoned on a French warship? What motive would we have to present you with imposters, and one from each side. The French however have many reasons to fear either British control of Egypt, or the continued rule of Egypt. They have a strong interest in controlling the throne however. When the false Orabi killed the king, wasn't it odd that the French wizards then murdered the rest of the royal family, leaving only the princesses alive. The elder of whom they had impersonated, and had imprisoned the real princess. That set them up nicely to take over and control the throne until we intervened. General Woolsley, you know our friend Mina, you trust Mina. You hopefully know me by reputation at the least. We have no motive here other than peace. In a moment hopefully you will hear the truth from Drury himself." says George with authority as he watched Tepemkau work. Ruby adds, "And someone should make sure the imposter doesn't run off." Tepemkau removes a piece of charcoal from a pouch on his belt and places it atop Ahmed Orabi's chest. He then pours a few drops of what looks to be wine from a wineskin onto Orabi's lips. He then stands and grasps his holy symbol with both hand, waves his hands above the fallen General and begins a chant in the ancient Egyptian tongue, naming several Egyptian gods and Pharaohs. He places his hand atop the charcoal and it dissipates, with a blue light flowing over the body and the droplets of wine on the lips glowing a bright golden color. He continues to recite an incantation. Orabi's eyes flicker open as Tepemkau stands and declares "It was successful." Orabi begins to sit up. He looks briefly around and then, seeing the lines of both his Egyptian forces and the British forces, ready to continue the battle. He then turns to the Egyptian Lieutenant Colonel and says, "Why hasn't the army moved yet? My last order was for a full retreat from Kassassin! You've allowed the British to get too close." George grins, Half-way there he thinks. "Tabezza, keep the General comfortable, don't let him stand yet, he may be woozy. And for Bast's sake don't give him a weapon until he knows the truth. But I am glad you did trust me Tabezza." Doctor Tepemkau says, "Mr. Eastman is correct, you should not try to stand yet. General Orabi, this is Tel El-Kabir on the morning of the twelfth, not Kassassin on the evening of the tenth. You have been unconscious for one-and-a-half days. Your legs will be stiff and I will need to rework the muscles before you attempt to put weight on them." Tepemkau, please revive the British general now." orders George. George turns to General Woolsley: "Now you see General, the Egyptian forces were subject to the same deception as you were. It would appear that Drury will remember nothing from his time when he was a captive, so please consider a question that only General Drury could answer." suggests George. In the far distance to the east, the small airborne dirigible no longer appears to be under the pilot's control, as it is now moving entirely with the wind. A group of around two-dozen Egyptians are now climbing up a large sand dune in the direction that the dirigible is drifting towards. While it is too far away to make out the individual's identity with certainty, the man leading this group of Egyptians is attired in the same color and style of clothing that Callum Stuart was wearing when he headed off towards that army. Ruby had gone to Nerfeka's side, to protect her in case of something going wrong. She continued to let George do the talking, as so far things were going well. She kept an eye on the dirigible in the distance. As it drifts with the wind towards the large sand dune with the two dozen Egyptians those men get into position. The rope attached to the wagon is closest and as the wagon strikes the hill the men grab on and start to stake the wagon to the ground. The cannon then slaps into the dune and the men begin to stake it down as well. The terrified horse also soon gains his footing, but manages to kick two of the men, at least one seriously, before they are able to cut the animal free. Doctor Tepemkau first consults General Woolsley as to General Drury-Lowe's religious beliefs. He then places a piece of charcoal atop the top chest of General Drury-Lowe and repeats the same process, only modifying one line of the incantation that refers to the gods of the recipient where he names Zeus and Hercules rather than the Egyptian deities. The General's eyes awaken. His first reaction is to reach where he was wounded, finding the uniform tattered but the wound beneath it now healed. He then spots the Egyptian Lieutenant Colonel Tebezza standing behind the Egyptian doctor and reaches for his sidearm, discovering it missing. George kneels by General Drury-Lowe and places a hand on his shoulder "Easy there, Drury. You are among friends and are not in harm's way. General Woolsley is here. I fear you have been unconscious for several days, a prisoner no less. General Woolsley would you care to reassure General Drury-Lowe and question him to assure yourself of his authentic identity?" asks George inviting Woolsely over. George does spare a glance to Lawrence to make sure he is remaining vigilant over everyone. Woolsley kneals beside his colleague and says, "D.C., it is I. Mr. Eastman speaks truth, you appear to have been held captive since the time of your injury. Tell me this, it is important. When you served with the 17th Lancers in your youth, what was the name of the establishment that you would visit when on leave?" The man looks to the General and says, "You said we would not speak of that place again, but if you must know, it was Madame Gwendolen's". Woolsley looks to George and says "It is he." George nods his head in agreement. "Thank you Tepemkau, you have done your ancestors proud with this service for Egypt. If you would please head over to my fiance and look to the princess and see what can be done for her with what you have available" says George. As the conversation went on, Abby circled slowly away from Lawrence. As she noted the smaller dirigible being pinned in place, she placed herself where she could react if the Frenchman who had appeared with the British seemed ready to flee or start a fight. Turning to the British officers George adds in a whisper "Gentlemen, there is much we need to discuss." George signals Tebezza to assist Orabi over to them. The French physician attempts to move in that direction to listen in, but Mina and Lawrence both interpose themselves in the way and begin a conversation between the themselves loud enough to out-drown George's whispers from behind. When all four men, General Orabi, Lieutenant Colonel Tebezza, Generals Woolsley and Drury-Lowe are gathered about him. In a whisper George addresses the leaders of the two armies; "Welcome back to the world of the free" says George to Orabi and Drury-Lowe. "And now that the two of you are awake and have trusted men by your side who know the truth of what I have said, I hope we can proceed quickly. Orabi and Drury, you were both wounded, and removed from the battlefield by the French. But they proceeded to place you in a magical sleep, and hid you away replacing you with impostors. I fear Orabi, your doppelganger assassinated the King." George pauses for Tebezza and Woolsley to confirm this to the questioning faces of the two former prisoners. "There will be time to fill you in on the days you have missed. Much has happened. But the first thing is to call a cease-fire, if not a truce, and stop the fighting, we have bigger fish to fry. In addition to the kidnapping of the two of you and Princess Neferka, she is safe Orabi" assures George "the cabal of French wizards has been responsible for regicide, and indeed the murder of the majority of the royal family, inciting a rebellion, playing the two armies off each other and organizing a coup and a host of other crimes. The problem is we do not know the extent of the cabal. It may be all of them, or just some of them. But it is difficult to trust any of the French right now. As we speak another French dirigible was trying to make off with another Egyptian officer. So gentlemen, the question before you all today is, what shall we do about the French problem?" asks George expectantly, gazing at each man in turn. General Woolsley says, "A half-dozen of those French are currently attached to my command, led by a man named Guizot." Lieutenant Colonel Tebezza says, "And another six are with our army as well, led by a man named Gouraud." Woolsley says, "I would say that a cease fire is in order until we get this all sorted out." Ahmed Orabi gestures to the unconscious form of Neferka and says, "I concur, but will not be doing anything further until I can speak to my wife. Mr. Eastman, is she aware of what has happened to her family?" Ruby, still cradling the Princess'es head, cut in. "While we can't be sure, she was not actually there when the murders occurred. She was supposed to meet us but never showed up." Ruby asks the physician, "Tepemkau, can you tell us what is actually wrong with the princess? How did you cure the Generals?" He says, "I believe that she has some type of medicine or poison in her system that causes a deep sleep. Based upon the two Generals, there does not appear to be any lasting side effects from it. Unfortunately I can only heal that type of problem twice a day which I have now done." Ruby asks, "Do you think it might wear off naturally?" He says, "Yes, but I am uncertain of exactly what was used. It that could take up to a day or two." George explains, "As Ms. West has said, I doubt she is aware of what occurred. We believe she was kidnapped before the murder took place. It appears though General that if you insist upon speaking to her, that we shall delay any action until tomorrow. I understand your desire to speak with her, but all I can do at the moment is swear to protect her. Time is of the essence. As we speak the French have tried to make off with another wounded Egyptian officer, your brother General Orabi. They have managed to place agents in every major organization in Egypt. They are well positioned to derail any attempt. But we must work in a united front to allow Egypt to survive." Orabi says, "What does that Frenchman behind you know Mr. Eastman and why is he here?" The Frenchman appears to be impatient as the conversation between George and the others has continued. He is too far away to make out specifically what is being said. George turns back to his own Anglo-Egyptian cabal and addresses Orabi "I do not know him General, he accompanied General Woolsely here. I intentionally had him stay back. I know that Tebezza here upon proof of my story sent word back and I would hope has detained the French on your side. Anyway since that Frenchman is appointed to General Woolsley I think he should make the call. In my opinion, we need to detain the Frenchman here and the false Drury-Lowe and very quickly before they escape, or alert the other French." suggests George in a whisper again. Woolsley says, "He is a French physician, his name is Charles David Chamberland." Turning to Drury-Curzon Woolsely says, "He is also the physician who treated you two days ago at Kassassin, and supposedly brought you to safety. Who the man that looks exactly likes you over and is in my command tent is I can hardly guess." An impatient Ruby has also been out of earshot of the whispered conversation and interjects, "What are we standing around for? We need to make sure the fighting stops and no more blood is spilled by anyone. General Woolsely, why don't you question your French friend who wanted to stay behind, no doubt to escape?" Woolsley replies, "I would not call Mr. Guizot a friend of mine, however he did serve as France's Ambassador to England for most of the 1840's. He is therefore a personal friend of Queen Victoria, so I need to proceed carefully as far as he is concerned." George also appears to be getting impatient and says, "Well, the other man is undoubtedly guilty, and Chamberland is terribly suspicious since he was involved in Drury-Lowe's abduction. So Woolsley, what are you going to do about it, or shall I take matters into my own hands? I am trying to allow you to remain in command of your forces." A good distance away a squadron of British soldiers approach and surround the unconscious dragon form of Freya. George takes a second glance over at Freya. "General Woolsley, would you be so kind as to direct an aide to accompany my friend Abby over there to go and check on our friend who is down?" George calls out to Abby "Abby could you head off there and check on Freya?" Woolslely directs one of his aides to accompany her and make sure the soldiers there follow Abby's directions. General Woolsley says, "The next thing that we need to do is return to my command tent and place the imposter under arrest. We will see then how these Frenchmen react to that." George says, "Well then, Woolsley and Orabi, please shake hands on our cease fire for the time being. Woolsley return to your tent and place the impostor under arrest. DO NOT let Chamberland state that he saw Orabi though." While the various conversations have been going on the Egyptian Physician has been applying healing spells to the lethargic legs of both Generals so that they will be able to walk again without difficulty. , Woolsley turns to Drury-Lowe and says to the command tent my friend?" The other general replies, "I believe that would be in order." George turns to the Egyptian Lieutenant Colonel and says, "Tebbezzi, should we keep General Orabi here? It seems you have been fed some misinformation and I think we need to be careful with how we re-introduce him since some think he murdered the king." Tebbezzi says, "That is a good point Mr. Eastman. I should probably alert our commanding General first, but I would not want to leave the General here this close to the British forces." "The British will be headed back to their command tent, and this area here" says George circling his arm "is my territory for now. Go and alert the command, I shall protect General Orabi and his bride with my life, as I have in rescuing them from captivity already. Lieutenant Colonel Hassan will also stay to guard him." Lieutenant Colonel Tebbezzi hurries off at a fast pace in the direction of the Egyptian Army. Abby had quickly gone over to Freya, glad to at least have a concrete thing to do. With no healing skills, she was going to have to hope the soldiers would send for a healer when she told them to. She arrives and sees that while the group has a medic with them, he is making no attempt to help the fallen dragon. The other soldiers are holding their weapons defensively in the event that it moves. The officer in charge is a Lieutenant who says, "You may wish to move back Miss, this monster could awaken at any time." "I do not fear this dragon," Abby said casually. She knelt down near Freya's head, listening for breath moving in and out. "We're going to need a medic, here. You have no need to fear her. She came here to help stop the fighting. It's stopped. Respect her bravery and help her." Back with the others, Lawrence sees that Abby is having some difficulty with the soldiers so heads over to assist her. The lieutenant orders the medic forward. He very reluctantly moves up to examine her and clearly has no idea how to do so. Abby waited until the medic was close enough to hear her when she spoke quietly. "She's not a monster," Abby told him. "She won't hurt you. Her quarrel isn't with your people. But if you prefer, I'll stay as between you as I can and still let you do your job." Lawrence joins them. The man examines the dragon a bit and says to Abby, "She was struck by the lightning and lost a large batch of scales. Ma'am, I have not been trained in veterinary work, I am not sure exactly what to do. We're not even close to the Nile, where I could possibly find a crocodile to attempt a graft from." Abby says, "For now, just check her condition. We may need a cleric for her later, but if she's stable we can wait." He casts a minor healing spell and she moves slightly. He jumps back several feet and appears to be terrified. Several of the soldiers raise their weapons. Back near the dirigible, as General Woolsely helps General Drury-Lowe to his feet and the man stretched his legs to prepare to walk. However, they only manage to travel around five feet and are passing Doctor Chamberland when the French physician unexpectedly leaps forward into Drury-Lowe, tackling him and knocking them both to the ground. While lying atop of Drury-Lowe, Chamberland yells out "Bouclier", which George knows is a French word for 'shield'. George sees the attack and swears. He told Woolsley to detain Chamberland. "Ruby!" calls out George "Take out the Frenchman! Protect Drury". George stays by and in front of Orabi. Ruby gently put the Princesses head down then stood quickly. She pulled out a small gun from inside her robes. A double action Remington Derringer. She took long strides to get up close to them. "Chamberlain, don't you think this is a bit silly? You are surrounded. Let go of the General NOW. If you speak another word I will shoot you dead." He turns and does indeed begin to speak and she fires. Despite being a magic bullet it ricochets away from him before it even reaches his body. The sound of a piece of artillery fires from a distant sand dune three-hundred feet away, although neither the Egyptian or British army appear to have been anywhere near that section of the battlefield. A large shell or rocket of some sort rapidly crosses the distance, striking the side of the dirigible that the group arrived on and are now only forty feet away from. This vehicle's gas bags have nearly five-times the amount of flammable gas than the smaller one that exploded earlier. It is also now tethered on the ground. The massive explosion spreads out for a quarter mile in all directions. It stops just short of where Abby, Freya, Lawrence and the soldiers are, but they all take some damage from the sand and debris blown in their direction. Abby had been lifting her hand to calm the soldiers when the explosion happens. Abby threw herself down and tried to protect Freya's head. Moments later she popped back up, rifle to shoulder, looking for whatever threat was coming next. The explosion had come on so suddenly that the group comprised of George, Ruby, Mina, General Woolsley, Doctor Temepeku, Lt. Col. Hassan, Henry Jones, Ahmed Orabi and the still unconscious Princess Neferka had no time to react when the massive fireball headed straight towards them. [/QUOTE]
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AGELESS Campaign Episode 2 - Temple of the Cat-Goddess
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