Her Purpose

It was another quiet night at the royal palace. The wind blew softly through the marble pillars, water lapping softly at the edge of luxurious pools, gargling from ornate fountains. Aids, servants, and administrators quietly walked to and fro, making little noise as they attended to their business.

It was a peaceful, quiet night… save for the faint screams from the western end of the palace.

Few heard the screams. Those that did hear the shrieks of the damned had long since learned to either tune it out, or simply walk of earshot. There was no need to concern themselves with them.

But there was one who, against good sense, was heading towards the screams.

Sneaking on the outskirts of the palace, the servant girl Tais was searching for the source of the terrified screams. Normally such a thing would be a bad idea, but with nothing else to do this night, she ignored her common sense. Boredom, and a morbid sense of curiosity, had compelled her to seek out the sources of the screams that she had heard for weeks now.

She found its source moments later, in the form of a small air vent leading to the dungeons below. Kneeling in the sand, she peered through the grate.

What she saw was something out of a nightmare.

In dungeons deep beneath the earth, the criminals of Egypt were being prepared for burial, all being wrapped and bandaged as mummies. But these were no dead bodies of long executed lowlifes. These men and women were still alive, still breathing even as their bodies were wrapped in bandages, wads of linen and cotton being stuffed into their mouths to silence their screams and pleas for mercy.

Watching the sight, Tais was both repelled, yet unable to tear her gaze away. Being the servant girl that she was, she had no reason to go to the dungeons of the palace. What happened there was none of her concern. But she was seeing it. The condemned, the worst of the worst, all about to be buried deep in the desert sands, their spirits cursed to wander forever without rest.

As she looked on, she couldn’t even begin to contemplate the fate of those below… it seemed to be so cruel. No doubt these men and women had earned their sentences, but looking down at them, she only saw their frightened eyes, their terrified expressions even as bandages were wound around their heads, covering their faces forever.

What a horrible thing, to know that you were only hours away from entombment, knowing that your spirit would never find rest.

Such a horrible fate… and yet, despite knowing who and what they were, Tais felt something… a sense of pity for them. They were criminals, no doubt about that. But in light of such a horrible fate, she couldn’t but feel a little compassion for them.

Strangely, such a realization didn’t feel wrong.

***

It was crazy, she kept telling herself. It was crazy to be heading out this late. But something was pushing her onwards, nudging her on.

The night had grown much darker as Tais snuck towards the vents closest to the dungeons. It was a risky move, for if the guards saw her, they would think she was assisting in a prison break. But even then, she continued on, searching. She could not resist the push that drove her on.

When she found the vent, Tais quickly knelt by it, studying it's size, pleased with what she found. With her slender form, she could easily slide inside and go where no one else could follow. A very useful skill indeed, for one who wants to slip in and out unseen.

Kneeling by the vent, she lowered herself in feet first, sliding inside. Letting go of the edge, she fell a few feet before hitting a grate covering the end of the vent. But she had prepared for that possibility, and now pulled out a toolkit, which made quick work of the grate, allowing her to pull it off and slide into the room.

The chamber she had entered was even more awe inspiring in person. Before her lay many stone tables, a wrapped mummy on each. Straps were applied across their bandaged bodies, securing them to the tables, making it clear that these mummies were not meant to leave. Tais guessed that they were waiting while coffins were being created. Until then, they would lie in this room.

There were no guards here… they were probably waiting outside the door, keeping anyone from entering. Still, Tais was careful as she walked towards the tables, trying to keep quiet.

The mummies in the room heard her coming. A few could turn their heads to see her, but with their mouths wrapped, they could not speak.

Tais went to the nearest mummy, a man. Like the others, he was wrapped head to toe, encased in a cocoon of bandages, his eyes and upper head still exposed. He looked at her. She could see uncertainty in those eyes. Fear as well… and perhaps hope that she was coming to rescue him.

“I’m sorry.” She said, reaching out and stroking his head. “But I can’t save you.”

The man whimpered, tried to wiggle under the straps, trying to yell in despair.

It was pitiful watching his struggles, but Tais knew she couldn’t set him free. There was no way he’d be able to get out through the tiny vent, and though she felt sorry for him, Tais also remembered that he was a criminal. There was no telling what he had done to deserve this fate, for only the worst were mummified alive.

Instead, she did the only thing she could. She reached out and stroked his head, softly running her hands on his skin, giving him a brief massage, possibly the last one he would ever get, along with being the last kind touch he would ever feel.

When the man had calmed down, Tais went to the next mummy, another man, only he was completely encased, with not a single speck of skin showing. He was squirming under his wrappings, and against the straps holding him down.

Like the man before, Tais reached out and started to stroke and rub him, trying to calm him down. After a few minutes he slowly went still and relaxed, going limp under the straps and bandages.

When she was satisfied, Tais gave him one last rub, then went on.

Over the course of the next half hour, Tais went to each mummy, giving them all the same strokes, trying to let them feel one last bit of compassion and kindness before the end. And her touches never failed to soothe each individual, making each one relax and stop their panicked struggles. The feelings wouldn’t last, Tais knew that. But at least for now, she could give some comfort to each one.

About half an hour after she began, Tais had to stop, for she heard the sound of many people gathering outside the door. A fast she could, she ran back to the vent and leaped inside, grabbing the vent cover and snapping it back in place. And not a moment too soon, for a minute later, the door opened and guards entered.

From the vent, Tais watched as two guards went to each mummy and undid the straps holding them down, then picked them up and carried them out of the room. In less then two minutes the room was emptied, leaving Tais in the vent.

Now alone, she slowly went back up the vent and exited it, arriving back outside the walls of the palace. In the distance, she could see a caravan heading out into the desert, consisting of many carts pulled by a herd of camels.

There was no doubt in her mind about what was in those carts. Caskets, and those locked inside forever.

But she knew that at least she had been with them near the end… and that she had given them what comfort she could.

***

She did not know why she had been driven to the dungeons. But as the days and weeks continued, she felt the push again and again, driving her into the dungeons.

But as time went on, she began to resist it less and less.

Another night came where more criminals were being mummified. Like their unfortunate predecessors, they too were taken deep into the dungeons of the palace and forcibly mummified alive. Hidden in those dark chambers, they thought they were alone.

But Tais was there once again, watching through one of the vents.

And when the group had been mummified and prepared for burial, Tais once again snuck down into the holding room and stayed with them, giving each mummy her compassionate touch. And it never failed to calm even the most fearful of them.

With each passing night and each passing group, Tais found that, impossibly, she was enjoying her self-appointed task of comforting the condemned. It wasn’t happy work by any means, but it made her feel like she had contributed something, that she had performed a sacred task to help others in need. It was certainly more satisfying then her normal tasks as a servant girl, ignored by her superiors despite all that she did for them.

Here, deep in the earth, with the scum of their society, Tais felt more useful, more needed.

For the next several months, whenever another group of criminals was condemned, Tais would creep down into the dungeons to help comfort those who were to be consigned to the void.

And in a strange way, Tais was content.

***

A year after her self appointed task had begun, Tais was once again down in the dungeon, overlooking a room full of mummified people. But there was something different this time. Where each group of criminals had been of mixed sexes, this group consisted entirely of women. And not just any women… Tais knew who they were.

These women were reputed to be the sorceresses of the burning sands, a secretive group that sought to make themselves more beautiful then any other women in the world, using their powerful magic and sorcery to make themselves beautiful and attractive beyond imagining. Rumored to have been plotting how to work themselves among pharaoh’s government, using their charms to influence those in power, Pharaoh had ordered them seized. And after a brief scuffle, they had all been apprehended, and sentenced to the nameless death.

Pharaoh’s security forces had taken no chances with the sorceresses, for each woman was completely wrapped head to toe, sealing their bodies, and their beauty away, where they could tempt no man. But no amount of bandaging could hide the enormous breasts each woman had, bulging from under their wrappings.

The sight of so many well endowed women lying together would be enough to stir the passions of anyone’s heart. But for Tais, the sight was an overwhelming one. Perhaps it was the result of their sorcery, but she didn’t mind at all.

She wanted to be among them.

Slipping out of the vent, she entered the dungeon, quickly moving up to the door and listening for movement outside. There was none. Knowing that the guards would double lock each woman in/to both a sarcophagus and a coffin to ensure that there was no way for them to escape, Tais figured that would at least double the amount of time she could spend in the dungeon.

Slipping back towards the women, Tais tried to figure out what to do first. But even as she pondered the question, she already knew the answer. Perhaps she was growing over confident, or perhaps she had become too good at her job, but feelings had begun to appear to her over the past few months. Hugging and stroking each mummy was fine and satisfying… but now she wanted to try something new… being the lowly servant girl she was, Tais received few rewards for her service, but there were no pleasures of the flesh. But in these dungeons was the opportunity to take the next step in comforting the condemned… she could give them the pleasures of the flesh, which would not only help them feel better, but her as well.

It didn’t take much for her to want to take things to the next level.

Walking amongst the women, she investigated each and every one, going over their bandaged bodies, investigating their curves and the size of their breasts. She couldn’t help but give each pair a squeeze as she went by, eliciting a surprised squeal from deep inside the wrappings.

Then at last, she came across her.

She was much like the others. Sealed away, strapped to the stone table. Tais couldn’t quite put her finger on what attracted her to this mummy… she was of average height and build, with breasts that wouldn’t really stand out. Yet… she sensed something from this mummy. A deep regret of what it had gotten into, and a wish that it could have known someone, cared for someone… loved someone.

Tais was walking among the wheat… all she had to do was pick the right bushel to harvest… and she knew this was the one.

She walked up to the mummy, gently cupped a hand to the side of its head. She began to stroke, softly rubbing the bandages.

As expected, the mummy flinched, not knowing what was going on, fearful that the time for burial had come.

Reaching over, Tais began to stroke the other side of the bandaged head, gently running her hands back and forth in a slow, steady rhythm. After a few minutes, she began to move her hands further downwards, reaching the mummy’s shoulders. She began to massage there as well.

The mummy began to relax slightly, body loosening under Tais’s hands.

Taking it as a sign to continue, she kept stroking. Instinct and desire were compelling her to climb on top and take her clothes off, but that could wait. She needed to warm her mummy up first.

With all her skill as a masseuse, Tais worked her way all over the mummy’s body, carefully skirting around the edges of the groin, letting her fingers slowly tap where the skin would be most sensitive, even under layers of wrappings. It worked, for the mummy slowly began to moan, twisting inside its cocoon, trying to wiggle under the straps.

Smiling, Tais went for the breasts. She placed a hand on top of each one, fingers gently tapping the nipples. She went slowly at first, waiting for the signal, which soon came as the mummy began to wiggle even more, the head tilting up to look at her, even though sight was no longer possible.

That was the sign she was looking for.

Feeling her own juices starting to flow, Tais began to tap faster, increasing her tempo, pressing fingers into fabric, spinning, rocking, delighting in watching as the mummy’s moans began to increase, along with its struggles.

Tais’s own moan of desire joined with the mummy.

When the mummy was thrashing, struggling, Tais knew that it was ripe.

It was time to reach the most exciting part.

She was starting up onto the table, fingers going for the belt of her skirt when a key went into the door.

Freezing, Tais stayed in place for a split second before dropping down out of sight, hiding among the stone tables.

The door opened and four guards entered.

Heart pounding, Tais cursed her misfortune as she quickly scurried away from the table, darting among the others, working her way over towards the wall and the vent, praying that the guards didn’t see that the cover was missing.

“Are we really to leave them here?” one of the guards asked.

“That’s the order,” another said. “Because they can’t finish all the caskets tonight, they’ll have to work on them during the day.”

“So we’ll have to guard this chamber all day tomorrow?”

“I’m afraid so.”

“Damn witches. Even as prisoners, they torment us! It’s a spell they must have cast!”

“Or perhaps some of their brethren cast it and are trying to help them escape!”

While the guards debated amongst themselves, Tais reached the far wall.

“Look at this one!” The guards walked towards where Tais had been. “She must be laughing at us!”

Tais couldn’t resist. She carefully peeked out, looking back towards the table. The mummy she had about to mount was still wiggling, still moaning, no doubt wondering where her unexpected lover had gone. Unfortunately, that movement was attracting the attention of the guards.

“Perhaps she is attempting to cast a spell!”

“Impossible! We were told to stuff their mouths and bind them so that a word could not be spoken! They cannot cast a spell without speaking!”

“Let us be sure, then.”

The last guard raised a large dagger.

“No, you fool!” The first guard stopped him.

“She won’t be missed. She is a witch and condemned!”

“Yes, but orders are orders. We are to keep them safe until they’re buried. Unless you want to explain to the captain why you disobeyed a direct order and killed one.”

The guard hesitated… then lowered his knife.

“Very well. But I still say we should kill her.”

The mummy was quieting down, going still, sensing that nothing was going to happen.

“All right, back outside. We have a long day in front of us.”

With that, the guards quickly left the room, locking the heavy door behind them, sealing the room once more.

From her hiding spot, Tais breathed heavily, relieved that she had managed to escape detection. It had been a dangerously close call… perhaps a warning from the gods that she could cease trying to have sex with the condemned? If that was so, then she was very disappointed. She had come so close…

She started back towards the vent, preparing to climb up and out of the dungeon… but hesitated. She knew that to stay here and try again would be dangerous, especially with the guards outside the door… yet a part of her wanted to mount that mummy once more and try again, regardless of the dangers.

Perhaps it was the thrill, the danger of getting caught, that made her excited.

Tais hesitated a moment longer before deciding that a quickie wouldn’t hurt. It would only take, at most, a few minutes, as she was already wet and horny. A few shoves and she would reach that beloved orgasm.

Darting back amongst the tables, she ignored the other mummies, focused sorely on the one she had been with minutes earlier. She reached it moments later, softly cupping its head in her hand, the other hand going back over its breasts, slowly caressing with her fingers.

It only took a few moments for the nipples beneath to become rock hard, as the mummy realized that her lover had come back.

This time, there was no waiting, no hesitating. Once she had worked her fingers over the mummy and brought her back up to speed, she quickly climbed onto the stone bed and tore off her skirt. Legs kneeling and clutching the mummy, Tais brought her groin down onto the mummy, pressing it firmly against the bandages until she got a firm seal. She began to rub, moving over the mummy, flesh rubbing against fabric.

She began to moan. Biting down on her lip, she tried to quiet it. But the sounds of pleasure could not be held back as it escaped her lips. All Tais could do was try to quiet it.

Under her, the mummy was wiggling, trying to press back upon the body nestled on top of its wrappings. It wanted to feel the bliss of physical union, now more then ever before. It fought against its wrappings to achieve that, fighting against its restraints with everything it could.

The moment of physical bliss was interrupted by the door banging open and the guards entering.

Tais looked up, saw that there were ten guards, all glaring at her, ready to move in for the kill. She froze, shocked.

The captain of the guards came forward, saw Tais straddling the mummy.

“Seize her.”

There was no escape now. Tais could have run, but the guards had seen her face. There was nowhere she could run too.

The mummy beneath her moaned in confusion as Tais was seized and yanked off. It tried in vain to find out where she had gone, instinctively trying to look, forgetting that its eyes were bandaged and covered.

***

The terror of being captured was nothing compared to the terror of being mummified alive.

Like so many others, Tais was strapped down to one of the stone tables, her clothes ripped off and tossed aside. Her captors were quick as they took out the rolls of crisp bandages and began to wrap her, taking the time to ensure that each bandage laid across her bare skin was tight and firm before overlapping it with another.

She knew it was hopeless, but Tais struggled anyway. It did little other then to mildly annoy her embalmers. They had mummified countless others, and were used to such protests.

Bit by bit, Tais’s body was slowly mummified. Pale skin gave way to bandages, slowly transforming her into something that looked human, yet wasn’t. Around her legs, her groin, torso, arms, and head they went, wrapping over and over, again and again, working to ensure that the mummification was tight and inescapable. Her legs, already wrapped in five layers of bandages each, were placed together and wrapped together, creating a single, immobile unit.

Tais struggled, screamed as her arms were grabbed and forced onto her chest, where they were crossed and held in place as more wrappings went over them. She struggled as hard as she could, but soon the relentless progression of the wrappings kept her arms in place without any effort of the guards.

With her body, arms, and legs mummified, there was only her head left. And it was there that Tais began to scream. She knew what was coming… a casket, and then her burial.

She had been such a fool. Only now did she realize that mingling with the condemned would only bring her own doom.

Helpless, all Tais could do was scream as they wrapped her head. Bandages went over her hair, were stuffed into her mouth, and across her nose, covering her face tightly.

But to her surprise… when they reached her eyes, they stopped. The embalmers stepped away from the table.

Tais continued to struggle, but she was too tightly encased to do little more then wiggle.

“Keep her here,” the head of the guards said. “I will return.”

As he left, Tais began to kick, trying anything to get free of her bindings. Even though it was a useless gesture, she couldn’t help it. Instinct was compelling her to fight back, to do anything she could to escape.

Her efforts were rendered moot when the guards, tiring of her kicking, went forward and strapped her legs to the table, immobilizing them even more.

Like a fly in a spider’s web, she was trapped.

The captain of the guard returned several minutes later, flanked by dozens of heavily armed guards… and with the pharaoh himself.

“This is the one my king,” the captain said, pointing at Tais.

Tais’s body went limp with fear as the supreme ruler of Egypt walked up to her. His eyes looked over her body, contemplating her form.

“You are the intruder who has been sneaking into the dungeons?” He asked.

Tais nodded.

“And you are the one who has been comforting the condemned?”

Again, Tais nodded.

For several minutes the pharaoh thought. Then he spoke.

“The law states that no woman shall lie with another woman. You have been seen doing this, and even though it is with a condemned criminal, it is still against the law. The penalty for such a transgression is death.”

Tais flinched.

“However, your presence in these chambers was known. And it is also known that you have been comforting those condemned to the nameless death. To give compassion to those condemned to die is a noble act, and demonstrates noble character. Therefore, I judge that though you have committed a grave crime, you will not be executed.”

As if a great weight dropped off her, Tais shuddered, going limp in her restraints.

“However, you will still be punished for your action. Instead of death, I commute your sentence to life in prison. For the rest of your life, you will be mummified and locked in the dungeons, but with one exception. Whenever there are those who will be executed, you will be temporarily released, so that you may comfort them. For it was those acts of compassion that have spared your life, and will continue to do so.”

The pharaoh stepped back and nodded. “So it has been said… so let it be done.”

Then without another word, he turned and left, his guards following him.

So that was it then. Tais’s fate decided in an instant. She would not join the souls condemned to wander the afterlife forever. Instead, she would only know the darkness of the dungeons for the rest of her life.

The straps were removed. Two guards picked up Tais’s mummified body, one at her shoulders, one at her feet, and carried her from the room, leaving behind the mummies condemned to burial.

She was taken through the long, damp hallways of the dungeons, deep underground, heading for the deepest cells that held only the worst criminals.

There was only one open cell door. Inside was a simple, hastily built casket. It would be replaced later with something more permanent, but for now, it would be Tais’s home. It was all she would ever know, save her rare excursions back to the preparation room.

She was put inside the casket. Though not custom made for her, it was a snug fit, ensuring minimal movement. Tais tried though, wiggling, but the wooden walls around her made it difficult.

The lid was put on. She heard locks being inserted, ensuring that she wasn’t going to get out on her own. Not that she would have been able to anyway. She wasn’t going anywhere in her mummified state.

Alone in the darkness, reality sank in that this was the rest of her life. Her old one, with all it’s pleasures and trials, joy and hardships, was gone. This was her new life, and no matter what she did, she would not escape it.

Life as a mummy.

She began to shake as she became aware of the magnitude of what that meant. A lifetime wrapped up and entombed while still alive.

Was this what the gods had wanted? For her to remain here, in this version of life? It could not possibly be. But then again, if the gods knew everything, and were in control of everything, then that meant they wanted her to be here. But why?

It took several minutes before Tais realized that perhaps they had wanted her to do more good in life then being a servant girl. A noble task of helping the condemned… perhaps that was what the gods wanted her to do. They had led her down into the dungeons, letting her practice… then making her get caught.

Perhaps this was her purpose. To comfort those who’s lives were about to end. Perhaps that was her higher calling.

A higher calling… but one of great personal sacrifice.

As she heard the cell door being closed and locked, Tais hoped that the gods knew what they were doing.

14.10.09