Night life || Ahkmenrah

Twenty two

Damien woke up the next night to a sheet covering his frame rather than the wooden box. He breathed out a sigh of relief and stretched his shoulders before poking the sheet with his finger. Distantly he could hear the noises of movement. The museum waking up and coming alive. He poked the sheet again before carefully pulling it down. It slipped to the floor and Damien peered out. His frame was hung on the wall at the entrance to a large room. The walls were a deep gold colour and the floor was black marble. Large windows and a skylight lit the room up with moonlight. In the centre of the room Damien could see the shapes of two Sarcophagi. The lids were shut but he could hear the sound of movement inside. Around them were sheet covered forms. Artefacts for display. One of which was probably the tablet.

Damien stepped out and shivered. It was colder out here than the warmth of his tent. He hurried over to Ahkmenrah's sarcophagus, ignoring the artefacts hanging around them. Luckily the sarcophagus wasn't locked. He threw the lid open and held out his hands. Ahk pulled his bandages down and allowed Damien to pull him to his feet. "Damien. Are we at the Smithsonian?" He asked.

"I assume so". Damien looked around and noted the information plaques on the wall. The Smithsonian logo was bold in the corner. His gaze fell back on the second sarcophagus. He didn't like it. The face of Kahmunrah was displayed in the same gold and lapis lazuli as Ahkmenrah's but his face wasn't kind. It was set harshly. Features conveying almost anger instead the peace that Ahkmenrah's visage displayed. Damien didn't like it at all. He didn't want Ahk any closer to the man in there than needed.

"Come on", he tugged Ahk towards his photo. "You can borrow my clothes. I don't like this place very much". He pushed Ahk inside the frame and turned to keep watch. Ahk didn't say anything in reply. Damien heard him moving about as he changed out of his bandages. Around them there were shouts and noises as the museum woke up. Animal sounds and loud voices chattering. The Smithsonian was the largest museum in America. Damien recalled that there were apparently several buildings and a huge underground structure forming the museum. He wanted to be back in the familiar halls of the New York museum.

The sound of stone moving drew his attention. There was the clink of metal and he turned to watch as the second sarcophagus lid moved. Damien watched as the lid fell and crashed heavily on the floor. "Ahk", he called as a bandaged wrapped figure began to lift itself up.

Ahk tumbled out of the picture, shirt half unbuttoned and feet bare. He grabbed Damien by the shoulders to steady himself as the bandaged wrapped figure stood up and turned to them. Damien heard the half inhaled gasp from Ahk's lips. "Brother".

The figure turned and hands reached out to pull down the bandages from his face. Kahmenrah coughed and grinned sharply at them. His face had little resemblance to Ank. It was paler and older, lined more with winkles. His eyes were dark and his curly hair held streaks of grey. "Ah", he greeted. "Baby brother. How nice to see you". He glanced around, taking in the room. "This is not my tomb. Your tablet works then. I always had doubts about that".

The look on Ahk's face was stone cold fury. "Kahmenrah. I see that ruling aged you. Was it worth it? Murdering me?"

Kahmunrah seemed to consider them for a moment, his eyes drifted to Damien then back to Ahk as he took in their close forms. "Yes it was. I enjoyed being king. Now where is your tablet?"

Damien had been looking around while they were talking. His eyes surveying the sheet covered forms. The tablet let had to be close as, probably by some sort of magic, it never strayed far from Ahkmenrah. It was when Ank responded that Damien spotted it. A plinth with a tall rectangular shape set on top. As Kuhmenrah looked around, Damien gripped Ahk's hand. "We can't let him get the tablet", Ahk whispered lowly. Damien gave a slight nod.

Kuhmenrah's eyes drifted back to them. They were cold and amused. "Excuse the lack of dress", he waved a hand at his bandages and smiled slimly at Damien. "I wasn't expecting to be in such company".

Ahk snarled. It was angry, protective. He stepped forwards slightly, muscles tense as he blocked Damien. "Don't dirty him with your gaze", he snapped.

Kahmenrah's eyebrows raised. "Don't be so rude baby brother. I was merely apologising to your friend". His eyes darted down to their linked hands and he smiled. It was sharp and there was a gleam of madness in his eyes which Damien recognised. It was a gleam he had seen in the eyes of fellow soldiers in ww2. Both allies and opponents. The gleam of those who had either lost everything, or were driven purely by their own greed. Kahmenrah was most likely the latter. He hadn't liked it then, and he didn't like it now.

"Golden hair", Kahmenrah observed. His head tilted. "You always do get the best don't you brother. You were adored. The legitimate son. The heir. You got the best of everything. And now you have a soulmate with golden hair. It was so rare back when we were alive". He sighed wistfully. Damien pulled a disgusted face then paused.

"Wait, soulmate?" He gave Ahk a curious look. The man winced and gave him a sheepish glance. Damien huffed at him. "Are you ever going to actually answer me?"

Ahk shrugged. "It was not very important".

"Not important?" Kahmenrah repeated with wide eyes. Ahk went back to glaring at his brother, visibly grinding his teeth.

Damien looked up and scowled at the man. "I'm not talking to you. I'm talking to Ahkmenrah". Kahmenrah faltered and gaped at him for a second.

"How dare you talk to me like that".

"No", Damien held up a finger. "We are having a couple's conversation". He turned to Ahk and let go of his hand. He stepped back. "Now Ahk, darling. Please explain what you and your brother mean. What you mean each time you mention waiting for me, each time you call me your 'other half'?" He took another step back and raised a hand to his hip in mock anger.

"Dami", Ahk half reached out. Then his eyes flickered down to Damien's hands. One of his fingers were pointing behind him at the shrouded tablet. His eyes flicked back up in understanding. He sighed. "Dami, it's a long story. Beloved. This is not the time or place".

"I agree", Damien nodded. He turned and grabbed at the sheer and pulled it down. The tablet glittered in the moonlight and Damien waisted no time snatching it up and tucking it under his arm. "But I would like an answer eventually", he added as he turned to the two pharaohs.

"Give me that Tablet", Kahmenrah commanded, holding out his hand.

Damien frowned at him and stepped closer to Ank. "No. It belongs to Ahk".

Kahmenrah smiled at him. It was slimy and Damien stepped backwards. "Give me the tablet and I will give you the world".

"What do you plan to do with the tablet?"

"Why I plan to open the gate of death and call forth an army to take over the world".

Damien pretended to think about it. "No thank you, Ahk has already promised me the world. Now we must be going". With that Damien grabbed Ahk by the hand and began running. They heard a shout then a thud as Kahmenrah tripped over his trailing bandaged. Ahk laughed as the rounded a corner.

Unedited