Chapter 12
A loud thud banged the rooftop of the house as Harley and Chang'e roll down and fall.
"I'm so sorry," Chang'e cried, "I was so clumsy I forgot the possibility of traps appearing before us.
"There is nothing else we could do. Don't cry or else I'll snatch those eyes away," Harley said.
He scanned the vicinity and realized that they are not actually trapped or is it?
"Is this the ancient Egyptian civilization?" Chang'e asked as she stared at the grand mansion far across them.
The dry, humid wind blows which signifies that they are indeed in a place where Egyptians used to live. But now, only the remnants of their houses could be seen. The scorching heat of the sun made the two of them thirsty so they decided to go and look for some water to drink.
As they wander around, they both heard a girl sobbing. They looked at each other with confusion.
"There is no magic here," Harley said for he does not sense anything out of the ordinary.
"B-but who is that?" Chang'e asked as she points at the dark-haired girl sobbing near the well.
"You asked me who I am?!" the girl suddenly shrieked at them. Chang'e jolted in surprise that she stepped on her own foot and fell on her butt.
Harley was a bit stunned at the horrifying look of the girl as she turns her head on them. Her tears are flowing down her pale cheeks. Her eyes that are almost popping out of her eye sockets are surrounded with dark circles. Her hands and body are too thin and she seemed to either be starving herself or starving due to being alone.
"You're the beautiful Rhapdosis," Harley said for he could remember the red slipper she is wearing.
Rhapdosis who used to look like she's about to devour them, suddenly stared at Harley with shock.
With her shrill voice, she asked, "How could you tell? The Rhapdosis everybody knew is beautiful. Her complexion is as white and soft as the marble, her hair is as dark and soft as the beautiful silk. And her dress is as explendid as the stars shining at night. That is not how I look today, how could you tell?"
Harley held the girl's hand like how a gentleman would treat a lady. He lifted it and laid a kiss on the back pf her hand.
"Rhapdosis' beauty is beyond what the eyes can see. With just one glance, I could tell that it is you," Harley replied.
Though he looked so calm and collected, his heart is beating fast in nervousness. If he angers her, it'll be their end.
Chang'e simply watched the two of them talk for she has no idea who Rhapdosis is. And she could tell that Harley is trying to get ahold of the girl so she simply stood quiet and let him manage the situation.
"You," Rhapdosis said in a calm voice. "You remember me."
"What has happened? Where did everyone go?" Harley asked.
"I... I do not know either," Rhapdosis replied as she held her head as if trying to remember something. "I just woke up and found no one. I... I looked for so long and found no one. I am the only one living."
Harley tried to think of possible scenarios as to why only the soul of Rhapdosis is the one present at that time.
"Could it be that she killed the people?" he thought.
Rhapdosis suddenly looked at him with terrifying glare that Chang'e felt her knees shake in fear.
"You!" she shouted with an ear-piercing voice.
Harley and Chang'e covered their ears in pain for her scream has echoed througout the place and it is enough to make someone deaf in an instant.
"You dare accuse me?!" she shrieked as she walks towards them. Harley immediately grabbed Chang'e and ran as fast as they could.
They heard Rhapdosis laugh at the top of her voice but they continued to run and hide.
"Who is she?" Chang'e asked, heaving.
"She's the pharaoh's supposed to be wife. She is like Cinderella who has slippers which became a way for her and the pharaoh to meet," Harley briefly explained as he looks here and there, hoping they lost the girl.
"But why is she like that?" Chang'e asked, "Their story is supposed to be a hapoy ending, not her becoming a monster."
"I am not really sure but maybe it has something to do with her red slippers. She's only wearing one, which could mean that the other one is missing," Harley stated.
"Then, we're supposed to find the other pair to bring things back to normal," the black-haired girl concluded which made her friend nod in response.
"The only one mentioned in the tales is that she lost one of her slippers when an eagle suddenly snatched it away from her. We've got to find that eagle and bring her the slipper," said Harley which made Chang'e disagree. Before she could state her opinion, she freaked out that her soul almost got separated from her body when she saw Rhapdosis creepily smiling at her.
"AHHH!" she screamed so loud. Rhapdosis grabbed her before Harley could get her away from the ghostly form of the Egyptian lady.
"Harley, please," Chang'e replied. Her powers seem to be being drained out of her as Rhapdosis wraps her hands around her neck.
"Rhapdosis, let her go and I promise you I will find your red slipper and you'll be reunited with your pharaoh," Harley tried to negotiate with her.
"Go find it and I shall release this girl if you successfully bring it back," Rhapdosis said in return.
"Don't hurt her," Harley said before he ran towards the abandones house of the pharaoh.
"From the tale, the eagle that snatched her slipper is the one living in the pharaoh's house," Harley reminded himself. "Chang'e, please hold on for a bit. I'll be back in a few minutes."
Rhapdosis licked Change's neck which made the girl shiver in fear. She tried to speak but to her shock, no sound came out from her mouth. She shouted on top of her voice but still, no voice came out.
"Did I turn deaf?" she thought, "Did I turn mute?"
Her eyes starts to fill up with tears and with such view, Rhapdosis is very much happy to see her like that.
"How does it feel to lose your voice?" Rhapdosis asked with the same tone of voice as Chang'e.
"How dare you?! How dare you steal my voice! Bring it back! Bring it back!" Chang'e shouted in her mind as she mouthed them.
Rhapdosis chuckled with amusement. She breathed in with her mouth slightly opened and tried to suck away the life of the mage. Chang'e tried to resisted, she tried to summon her powers but it just won't work.
"Magic does not exist here in Egypt. It does not work no matter how hard you pray," Rhapdosis said as she heard what Chang'e is thinking. "And if you're too lucky, you'd be able to go back alive. But let me make it clear, either you die or your lover die, choose now."
As Harley arrive at the entrance of the mansion, he pushed the wooden door open. He entered and with much amazement, the whole place is filled with eagles flying, each of them carrying a red slipper in their claws.
"Bang!"
The door was slammed shut right behind him. He couldn't care less about it. He knew it would only open if he found the right red slipper. He brought out his wand and tried a spell that could help him find the real red slipper.
"What?!" he panicked. He tried the spell once more but to his dismay, magic could not ignite in the place. He has to improvise.
He sat down on the dusty floor and rewind his mind. He seem to be travelling back into the past as he reminisce what had happened. He made some slight movements as if he is re-doing his previous actions.
"Find the picture of the red slipper," he kept on repeating himself.
He sees himself flipping the pages of an old book with a cover trimmed with gold. He flipped and flipped and flipped. As if he is back on that time, he slammed his hand right on the page where the red slipper is shown. He looked at every detail, from the smallest one to the biggest one. The golden flowers, the precious colored stones and the distinguishable red color of the slipper.
"Got it," Harley whispered as he stood back up and searched for the right red slipper.
As he scanned each eagle, he noticed one that is weirdly just circling around the ceiling without swooping down just like the other ones. He examined the slipper it is clutching. And indeed, it is the right one. Now, the problem is, how could he get it without using magic?
And would he make it in time to save Chang'e?