Anubis

An X-Cor Production

© Ximon & Cor.

Written by Cor.

The floor was hard and cold. His arms were tied behind him. Rope held his ankles tight...
A monk was standing there. Dropping something red. He didn't want to see it, so he closed his eyes and turned his head away -
A cloth fell across his body and laid there. He peeked - but the monk had not moved at all. Still there, with his hand out.
Something was going to happen. He wished he could get away, before it did -

Anubis woke up, and looked all around. He was in his room. The morning sun came through the window...
It was only a bad dream. He gulped, and got out of bed.
He looked out the window - and felt better immediately. Hundreds of workers there, starting to build a statue - of him.

He was king, and his land was big and prosperous.
Over a year had passed since his parents had gone to their sky-palace, leaving their only son to take the throne. He had not expected to become Pharoah so soon... but his father's top advisors were honest and wise. They kept the kingdom running as efficiently as ever.
He was a reserved person, like his mother, and he liked to keep to himself. His father had been more outgoing - and very proud. Naturally, he'd encouraged his son to be just as proud. Anubis had learned well. He was not humble. He knew he had been very lucky.
From his mother, he had inherited his striking dark skin - and his strong, well-defined body. In addition to his arrogance, which suited a king of such a wealthy land, Anubis had his father's "royal" eyes, nose... and impressive feet.

There was one other thing. It was not common knowledge, but his father - the stern, "divine" Pharoah! - had a weakness. When his parents were in a certain mood, his mother would massage her husband's feet... and then she would tickle him. He would laugh, and struggle to get his feet away, and then they would go to bed. Anubis hardly ever heard his father laugh, any other time, so those memories were fond ones.
And he took after his father in that way, too. Only one of his oldest friends knew - and Anubis had made such a fuss afterward that no one ever tried to tickle him again. It was a shocking sensation for him, much too strong, and it made him feel powerless. Undignified.
But life was good. He appointed his closest friends to rule the distant parts of the kingdom. But they were far away. Unless he summoned them - which was highly unusual - they would remain where they were. Oh, they had been close friends, when they were all younger... but when Anubis became Pharoah he followed his father's lead and was strict and reserved with everyone.
But he could have anything he wanted, and no one bothered him. Whenever he wished he could visit the servant-girls who were not yet married, and they seemed respectful - even pleased - when he came to their apartments...

One of the very first laws Anubis made was to make his rooms off-limits to everyone else - even the servants who cleaned - when he was in them. This included the courtyard outside his window, so he wouldn't be bothered by noise outside. The servants were not surprised if he kept to himself - since he was from the royal family, they believed he could go without food or water for long periods if he so chose.
Another early decree affected the monks. One night when he was very small, no one had told him the monks would be coming for their annual ceremony, to walk through the rooms and keep the bad spirits away. Waking up suddenly and seeing them in his room - making unusual gestures, and chanting away - was very frightening to him. Fear was not an emotion Anubis felt too often, and he did not like it at all. He had nightmares for a long time after that night. So he was glad to be able to tell the monks that they were no longer allowed to come into the palace at night. They did not like that law...
All of the Pharoah's laws were "divine" wisdom, of course - so it was almost impossible for them to be changed.

He built wonderful monuments for both his parents. It took months... and before they were finished, Anubis wanted a statue of himself built, too.
But he was hard to please. His artists made sketch after sketch, and the builders insisted they could not build it where he wanted it to be, and not as tall as he ordered, and so on. It was very annoying. He was their king, after all. Anubis spent more and more time in his chambers.
Once again, he decided the location was all wrong. So they started digging in the next place he selected... But then Anubis realized the statue would block the sight of a mountain he loved, from his bedroom windows. The statue was moved again - one hundred paces to the north, which meant the road also had to be moved...
His subjects started grumbling. The leader of the monks requested a meeting, but Anubis ignored him. A letter soon followed, and the chief monk politely warned him that an excess of pride was the tragic flaw of many kings.

As the workers started moving the blocks of stone into place, he decided it really should be... a taller statue.
That meant the workers had to start over. And they would. He was the Pharoah. The statue of Anubis would rise even higher into the sky - and wouldn't it be nice to have another statue, just like the first one? Staring at each other, guarding the road to the palace?

His advisers were stunned when he told them. Even in prosperous times, they complained, the cost was unthinkable. A special tax -
But his mind was made up.
Desperately, an adviser tried to stall for time. Perhaps it was not good luck to have the statues looking at each other - and he begged Anubis to consult the monks.
But that made Anubis angry. Not only were they hesitating to do what he wished, they were trying to get those superstitious fools involved!
"Very well," he said quietly, because he thought of a way to punish those monks. "Consult them, if you must. But then the monks will also have the privilege of paying for half of the second statue." He stomped out of the room, and went to eat his midday meal.

He ignored the urgent messages which came from the monks. Anubis laughed to himself. He'd show them who was in charge!
As the sun went down, he looked out his window at the construction site... imagining not one, but two giant tributes to him, towering over the city. With that happy thought, he went to bed.

He dreamed of the new statues. Finished, towering overhead. They looked great.
Anubis turned away from the window, and walked out of his rooms. Down the stairs - and down further... to the dungeon.
The door was open! He'd never seen that. The palace was very large, and no one had ever needed to use these rooms, built long ago underneath the cellars.
He walked inside.
There was a little dust on the stone floor, and arched pillars dividing the large room...
An oil lamp, hanging from the far wall, was already lit.

Anubis blinked.
The stone was cool under his feet, but the air was warm enough -
He realized he was awake. Standing in the dungeon - naked, as if he was still in bed! But not dreaming.
He took a step back, toward the door. The keys to that door were kept in the royal treasury. Who in the world would have g-
He was about to find out. The quiet sound of feet was coming from the far doorway.
Four monks walked in, looking at the floor. And after them - their leader.
Anubis was afraid - and then, he became angry. Who did they think they were dealing with? He was their king...
Thet stopped several meters away. Their leader came closest to him, and looked directly at Anubis. "Hear me, my Pharoah," he said calmly.
"How do you dare to... uh, be here?," he snapped. Monks, and their mysteries -
"You must listen, sir."
Anubis growled and took a step toward them. But their leader raised his hand - and the Pharoah stopped moving. It was as if he was pushing against a soft, invisible... wall.
"Our warning cannot wait -"
"Guards!," Anubis shouted. "Guards! Help!"
"They cannot hear you, Anubis. But you shall hear us."
"No!" He turned around and walked away.
"Stop now," the leader of the monks said. "We have a message -"
"I will not listen to... superstitious burglars."
"Pharoah."
Something appeared in front of him.
"Stop, now - or we will be forced to stop you."
He looked at a... strip? Yes. It was made of cloth. White, but dirty. It was about two meters long. And it stretched out, there, almost level with his eyes.

"Do not make us use it," the old monk said quietly.
"You will pay for this!," Anubis roared. "I'll outlaw you, and I'll chase y-"
All of the monks began chanting. Quiet, and spooky.
The cloth... moved. Smoothly and quickly, it slipped under his chin and folded over his muzzle. Anubis growled, and started forcing his jaws open. The linen started to tear -
But it suddenly became much firmer! His mouth slammed shut. And he began to be afraid.
Although it still looked like thin cloth, the strip felt much more solid. Heavier, as if it was leather. Anubis threw his head around, and tried to peel the linen away... but it stayed tight.
The monks' leader spoke. "Bandages... for a Pharoah with a serious affliction. Poisoned by an excess of royal pride."

Anubis looked at him, whining angrily. All the monks started to chant -
Before he could blink, several more bandages floated before him, longer ones, moving gracefully...
One caught his left wrist, and circled around. He tried to jump away - but another bandage had looped around his legs. So he kicked - but another one tightened around his right arm, pulling that wrist over. Caught. And one pulled his ankles together.
He flailed around, but it was already too late. They lifted him off the floor and carried him a few meters - further away from the door!
Anubis looked up at the taut wrist-bandage, trying to see how it was able to pull with such strength. The bandages brought him closer to the monks, lowered him to the floor.

He could not budge. Arms pulled above, legs wrapped so many times... and the ends were floating in the air, as if a strong wind would unravel them.
The leader of the monks sighed. "It makes us very sad to do this."
He squealed as loud as he could, and flopped around.
"But you are an arrogant young king..." He moved his fingers - and the bandages started to loosen. "Now will you be reasonable, Pharoah?"
Anubis was worried and embarrassed - and he became even more angry. Treated like that - by monks and their awful magic! He looked at them and yelled, twisting around as much as he could.
Instantly, the cloth tightened up again. Another bandage appeared, and started to wrap around his left arm.
"I do wish your answer had been 'yes'," the monk said sadly.
The last strip had reached behind him, to catch his right arm. He was squirming, and the loop of cloth dragged across his armpit - He had not been expecting that. Anubis jumped, and made a very different sound. Pure reflex.
The leader of the monks gestured, with his hand - and the bandage stopped moving. Anubis stared at him, and fought the urge to whimper... as the monk moved a finger.
It slid again! Lightly, slowly -
Anubis jerked around. It was unbearable! Soft, persistent... And he couldn't get away. He wailed and tried everything to move away from it -
Then he started to laugh.
It was tickling him! That linen, pulled over his armpit - and back again!
Anubis trembled... and laughed harder.
"Or perhaps," the old monk said softly, "there is a way to change your mind."
The other monks stared at him.

They huddled together, whispering...
The bandage kept pulling back, and forth - but all he could do was squirm. And laugh.
The leader of the monks looked at him, and made a careless gesture. The bandage stopped moving. Anubis sighed with relief - until the leader moved his other hand, pointing with his smallest finger -
The bandage around his calves unwound - just enough to let the ends float down...
No! They wouldn't! He kicked and kicked.
One end slipped between his toes, and the other curled underneath - brushing against his wiggling soles.
He chuckled desperately, shaking his head. The monks continued talking, with their backs to him, as the bandage-ends kept moving, and tickling...
Finally, they turned to face him again.

The monks' leader waved his hand, and the bandages stopped. "I have no hope that you will listen to our counsel," he said. "Your fear, and your pride, are too strong. Yet we cannot allow you to bankrupt this kingdom, Pharoah. It is good that we have found a way to... humble you."
Anubis pulled at the bandages, moaning.
"We will save you from your folly." The monk signalled the others, and they all started to chant. Louder, and louder -
The bandages started to tingle.
He was afraid. The monks continued to sing.

The bandages were trembling -
No, they vibrated - very slightly. The ends whipped back and forth. It almost looked as if they were... happy. He yelled, and shook his head. They felt different -
"Yes," the leader of the monks said. "Discipline - and wisdom - will be forced upon you. Your restraints have become your teachers."
Anubis' eyes got even bigger.
"These simple bandages are now living things. They have one task - to make you pay attention to them. They will not grow tired, and they can invent new methods... You, Anubis, will be sustained by their touch. Food and water will not be necessary. Your energy - and your voice - will remain strong. You cannot fool them. Only a true change of heart will end your lessons in humility. And we think it best that they have this power, from now on... to make sure you become a very good king."
He wailed again.
"So it is declared," the leader of the monks said. That phrase made Anubis jump - the same words a Pharoah used when he made a new law.
"And know this, too - if you ever try to hurt us, or any monks... the bandages will know. That will be seen as the action of a very bad king - who needs extensive correction from them. Do you understand?"
The bandage around Anubis' muzzle pulled tighter - and made him nod his head nod a few times.
"Excellent. Learn from these teachers, if you will have no others." He turned away, and the other monks followed his example. They chanted - facing the passage they'd come from - and the leader pointed in that direction...
Then they turned and walked to the door.
Anubis threw his body around, but the bandages did not let go at all.
The leader of the monks left first, and then each monk walked out. But the last one turned, in the doorway -
Anubis shook his head, trying to jump toward the door.
The monk raised both hands. When he dropped his left hand, the door began to close. Magically.
But it was the other hand Anubis was afraid of. He watched it fall -
The bandages started to tickle his feet again.
And there were many more bandages in the air, now, coming to him. Wrapping -
He howled and tried to back away.
The door closed and locked.

Anubis could only watch as more bandages circled his forearms and stomach. Linen flicked under one foot, and then the other... It dragged between his toes, and no matter how he kicked or twisted he could not get his feet away. No one would know! Not down there...
His wrists moved - they were being separated. He strained, but the bandages pulled his arms to his sides and wrapped quickly. His muzzle was released - but only long enough for another bandage to pull between his jaws. Then his jaws was wrapped again.
The magical restraints lifted Anubis off the ground and carried him... farther away from the door! He leaned his head back, longing to go the other way. But he'd heard the lock, and anyway the key was not in sight.
As he squirmed, the bandages took him out of the room and down a gloomy passage.

He realized they were not simply carrying him. There was a strange rhythm to the way they were... walking?
Anubis looked down. His feet were hanging lower than the rest of his body - but the bandages were touching the floor. Not dragging along, either... He watched the ends of the bandages lay flat against the paving-stones.
They acted as if they were feet! On the end of giant legs, angled -
The odd rocking motion suddenly made sense. They walked... like a spider. And he was the prey.
Carrying him further into the dungeon, the bizarre spider-legs walked on.
Anubis groaned again, and closed his eyes.

At the far end of the passage, there was light. Another oil lamp...
The bandages carried him into a room, and stopped. Anubis looked up - and saw gold. Hanging from a large ring in the ceiling, there was a stout chain...
And thick cuffs.
He had seen nothing like them - ah, the monks. That last chant, when the leader had pointed. Had they made these restraints for him?
He became restless - and heard something awful. Creaking... A bandage was wrapped around the door handle, pulling it closed.
Anubis was wild with fear... but he could only watch, upside-down, as the door closed. Another bandage floated to it, and he heard faint metal noises...
A ring of keys.
One of them was lifted up, by the end of the bandage, and stuck into the lock. Turning.
He was frantic when the bandage took the ring of keys... and carried them through the little barred opening in the door. The keys fell, landing on the cold stone.
Anubis sagged. Now he was really stuck. There was no way he would leave that room until a bandage slipped out and picked up the keys...
And until that happened, he knew what they were going to do to him.

Rotating him, the bandages started to unwind - But more of them appeared and quickly caught his hands. He fought as hard as he could, but they carried him right up to the cuffs. Pushing one around his wrist - cold, and heavy! - and then the other...
Softly clicking, as they were locked.
Swinging a little, Anubis saw chain-links keeping the cuffs together... and the color made him certain the cuffs and chains were, indeed, made of pure gold.
Cold metal surrounded his right ankle -
By the time he looked down, the bandages were putting the other ankle-cuff on him. His knees were still wrapped, so kicking did not help him.
There. Now he was really stuck. Anubis tried to turn and swing, but the restraints were too sturdy. The cuffs were snug, but they didn't hurt him. Actually, they were almost... comfortable.
He shook his head.
The last of the bandages let go of his knees... and untied themselves from his head.
Anubis shouted for help, as loud as he could. But he knew how far underground he was... and that no one could hear him. Some of the bandages fell to the floor, awaiting further need. They were much too close to his feet to suit Anubis.

Several others, began winding themselves up... making something, more tightly than he had yet seen.
Around and around they went - three long bandages, right in front of his chest. They wanted him to see what -
"No! Oh no, no, no," Anubis begged. the new shapes were all too clear, and he threw his body around... They wouldn't, it was too cruel!
The linen had formed palms - and now, it was making fingers.

Three frightening hands... coming closer.

Anubis rocked back, away from them - but the chains were tight. "No. Please..."
One of the phantom hands reached up, and rubbed his right side.
Another started playing under his left arm.
Anubis screeched and bucked in the chains... but they kept rubbing, and sliding - even squeezing! He roared with laughter, and squirmed. They could just keep tickling, and he was perfectly stuck. Soft hands, like gloves. Made just for tickling, strong enough to squeeze him... As if the bandages were not tickling him enough before!
Clever, nimble tickling-hands. How many more? Could the bandages just make as many tickling hands as they wanted?
He bellowed louder. Just one pair of them, ten fingers... and he could not imagine anything worse.
But then - he remembered the third hand they had made.
He looked -
It was almost touching him.
Anubis shook his head wildly and howled at it. But it landed... very gently... on the last part of his body he wanted it to touch. The fingers moved, more slowly than the others, and started to roam.

For a long time, he tried to move. Anubis couldn't stop himself...
But eventually, he wiggled less and less.
The hands kept busy, making him laugh - and moan.

Any hope he had of becoming numb - or of getting used to the tickling, somehow - faded away after the first hour. Just as the monks had intended, he could concentrate on nothing else. The fingers kept moving, stroking...
Tickling.

He hung there, limp, catching his breath. Staring at the impossible hands -
Watching them move in.
Cloth slithered over his eyes. A blindfold! He threw his head around as it tightened.
A finger dragged down his armpit.
Another ran over his chest.
And several continued petting his thigh. And even that was not enough - more strips were circling him! His leg - steadying the same one which the hand was rubbing. Worse, his feet were caught. And one bandage pulled around the biggest toe of his left foot!

Anubis sprang forward, arching. The chains were so thick... He barked laughter as hard as he could.
The bandages crawled over his feet, flicked under his toes -
Fingers tickled harder.
He leaned out, and roared, for what seemed like a very long time.

The bandages explored him.
As if they were polishing his body, the ends pulled tight and dragged back and forth. Around his upper arms, his stomach. Under his knees!
The back of his neck was another insanely ticklish spot...
Bandage-ends tickled his ears. He lunged around and laughed like he was deranged. They went everywhere. And All too often, he felt the magic hands landing. His calves, his spine. His navel. Forcing their way under his own fingers, so they could tickle the palms of his hands...
Bandages sawed - so gently! - next to the cuffs. That made Anubis yelp, over and over.
They tickled him until he could barely lift his head. Other than twitching, once in a while, he was far too distracted.
Even when they stopped, he was too overwhelmed to move. All he could do hang there and pant for air.
And wait...

When they started again - each time - it was a huge, frustrating shock. All he could do was wiggle around and laugh.
There were many bandages, crawling at the same time. Then, fewer strips - but they slid much more quickly! A hand came back and tickled his feet much harder, jumping from one to the other...
The blindfold went away.
The bandages surrounded his upper half - like a horrible living shirt - and experimented with different speeds as they dragged back and forth. Then they covered his legs, all the way down to his heels...
 

He felt... good. His body was well-rested. That didn't make sense.
Anubis opened his eyes.
Bandages hung in the air, over him. He stared, and whimpered - but there was a bandage in his mouth, and another tied around his muzzle.
He looked around... at his bedroom!
Oh, no - they were - no! Had he been sleeping? A long break from the tickling, and he had not even been awake to enjoy it?
He tried to roll over... but two of the bandages flew toward the ceiling. Pulled tight -
His wrists wouldn't move. They were pinned. Those standing bandages were holding his wrists down against the bed.
He tried to kick, but his ankles were tied together. All he could do was fight the bandages and try to yell - but neither effort was a success. They had him, in his own room - and no one else was permitted to enter! He was no better off than if he had been in the dungeon.
He had to get out of there, and tell someone - but who?
Another thought made him stop moving. The monks were so clever... What could Anubis say, to his advisors? Or his friends, if he summoned them? "There are magic bandages, torturing me - by tickling me!" No one would believe that.
They would think he was crazy...

Something moved. From the doorway - even if tghat door was open, there were two other doors between Anubis and the hallway...
He stared, because he could do nothing else.

A bandage had found something - and it was bringing it over to him. High above, on its way -
A feather duster.
Anubis was so afraid he forgot how to move.
Feathers, brought closer... and closer.

So soft. Impossible to tolerate, in a whole different way than the bandages were -
He lunged around, laughing away. The feathers danced in his armpits, all over his chest and stomach - and lower! A bandage came to wrap around his calves, pushing down as the wrist-bandages were doing.
Oh, the feathers! His neck - up and down his thighs...
Finally - as he feared - the bandage held the feather duster over his captured feet. Anubis shook his head...
The bandages pulled away from his muzzle. Now, he could laugh -
When the feathers attacked, he didn't just laugh. Anubis howled. Trying to bounce did not get him out of the bandages' grip.
The feathers kept on tickling, and tickling.

He looked at the door. Laughing, as loud as he could, he remembered how solid the outer door was - and that long private hallway. It was all too clear. No one would violate his law... and get close enough to his room, or his windows, to hear him roaring. Begging.
He laughed until the feathers were pulled off.
A few minutes later, they continued. And he laughed again...

About ten rest breaks later, he saw more bandages - carrying things. They had found... brushes! His grooming items. Pulling a little table closer, they began setting down all the tools they would use.
Others brought quill-pens - with big, soft feathers! - from his desk. Sealing wax?
In his chests, they dug around - and brought out ceremonial headbands... made of fur.
Another bandage was carrying a jug of lamp oil.
It was impossible. So many things to tickle him with -
But they had all the time they wanted.
Two bandages began wrapping themselves up. Anubis shook his head again, but the hands were formed anyway. Ten fingers, reaching for his sides.
"I'll be... a good king!," he yelled at them. "Very good! Just - leave me alone!" The hands dug in. Firm, but slow -
Feathers dusted his feet.
Anubis slammed his head down and whooped feverishly. I'll be good, he thought wildly. A good king, really I will...
And the bandages would see to it. From now on.