Chapter 5: Strange Things (Edited)

7.7K 160 28
                                    

(Just wanted to say thanks to MasqueradeMisstres. This chapter is for you.)

The next night, Ahkmenrah took the lid off, helped me out of my wrappings, and told me to stay in the Egyptian Wing until he came to get me. I told him I understood and sat in front of the tablet, waiting. I heard steps behind me and turned to see who it was. I didn't see anyone.

"Ahkmenrah? Are you back?" I suddenly remembered how he loved to jump out to scare me. "Come on Ahk. It's not funny." I waiting for a while, expecting him to jump out from behind one of the pillars or a statue. Nothing happened though. I know I heard someone. I stood in the doorway and looked at the Anubis statues. "-You heard it too right?-" I said in Egyptian. They both nodded and got in defensive poses with their spears. I started to walk out, to look around, but they stopped me. They stepped in front of me and crossed the ends of their spears so I couldn't pass. "-I'll be ok. I promise. I just want to see who's out there.-"

"-King Ahkmenrah said you have to stay until he comes for you.-" They spoke in low voices that fit their appearances. The words were in perfect unison, almost making it one voice. Their mouths always stayed still though. "-You have your orders. Obey them.-" They both stepped with their left feet towards me. I walked back into the tomb. Orders? Were they really orders? After thousand of years and all that had happened to me, was I still just a servant? Did Ahkmenrah even consider me a friend? I decided to lay in my sarcophagus until Ahkmenrah came back. I heard footsteps coming. The Anubis statues, still on edge, held their spears out, ready to attack. I grabbed a short staff that I'd kept hidden in my sarcophagus and let it fall to its full length. It was golden with a ruby on top and a long, sharp blade on the bottom. I had trained for years to use this staff as another part of my body. I walked to the doorway and held the staff in front of me. The Anubis statues stood next to me. All three of us were tense. I saw a smudged shadow coming around the corner. As it got closer, it became clearer. I know that shadow.

"-Stand down. It's Ahkmenrah.-" The statues didn't stand down. What was going in? "-What's wrong with you? This is your pharaoh! He is no threat to his own tomb!-" Ahkmenrah came around the corner and immediately, he was confused. I walked over to him.

"What's wrong with them? Why do they look ready to attack me? Where did you get that staff? What in the name of Ra is going on?" He walked over to the statues to talk to them, but they pointed their spears at him, making him stop. He walked back to me, took my arm, and we left. Something didn't seem right. After all the time those statues had guarded Ahk, why would they turn on him now? If the had any resentment toward him, then why didn't they just kill him for good? Ahk seemed troubled as well.

"Ahkmenrah, are you ok?" I touched his shoulder, trying to comfort him. He kept his face forward and didn't slow his pace.

"Just thinking. Something isn't right. They should have known it was me long before I even entered the wing. As my guardians, and through the magic of the tablet, they know where I am every second of the night. They are designed to track the pharaoh and protect him. If they can't see where I am, and would attack me, then maybe I'm not the pharaoh to them."

"What? How could you not be the pharaoh? The tablet was built for you. It's called the Tablet of Ahkmenrah!" If Ahkmenrah wasn't the pharaoh, then who was? Ahkmenrah sighed.

"I'm sorry, Anelra. I'll have to cancel tonight. I had the African exhibit decorated and Nick found some Egyptian music on a computer. I asked Larry to find some food for us. It isn't Egyptian, but it smells heavenly. Go enjoy yourself. I have to figure this out." He began to walk away, but I grabbed his arm.

"Ahk, I'm not going to let you deal with this alone. I do feel guilty about leaving what sounds like a lovely dinner to waste though." The dinner did sound wonderful, but I was more wanting Ahkmenrah to calm some before we dealt with the situation. This obviously wasn't going to be something we could fix in one night. Ahkmenrah understood and we went to the African exhibit. It was almost completely empty. There was a small thing playing music. I assumed it was the computer Ahk had mentioned. A blanket laid on the ground with food all over it. It really was beautiful.

A King and A Servant (Editing)Where stories live. Discover now