Between Time (Pharaoh Atem X OCReader)

Egypt: Valley of the Kings

"To speak the name of the dead is to bring life to he who has vanished"

The day was hot of course, it was Egypt in the dead of summer the Nile was low, and the air was crisp. I had been staying in a hotel located in the heart of Cairo.

The area was loaded with tourist. I learned to avoid the traps and fake indulgences of a scammers offers. After traveling here for business years ago. Freshly graduated from Camford University a degree in Egyptology and Middle Eastern Studies. I always felt  a strong connection with Egypt. What brought me here again was an ancient text on a wall about a pharaoh whom was nameless, known only as the nameless pharaoh. Most of the wall carvings me and my team had found was scratched off anytime It had where his name would be. All I knew was small varieties of text here and there. Stories of shadow games and strange monsters more likely mythology references. But here I was now standing in the valley of the king's searching for the tomb of the nameless pharaoh.

"Ms. Pometu I'm glad you are here, I think we're getting close"

My team leader Muhammad, organized the diggers and a rumor came that one of them knew where the pharaoh's tomb was but wouldn't go there because it was cursed. Generally speaking, a lot of tombs are "cursed" many superstition found its way in the valley. Which understandably so; we are digging up the dead. But in the name of history at least that's how I justified it.

"Where is he?" I asked

"Come this way, I'll take you"

The man was down in one of the our digging areas. Covered in dirt and sweat, these men worked hard for many hours I admired their hard work.

"Marhaben!"Muhammad yelled down to the man, the man waved up slowly climbing up the Sandy side.

"Marhaben!" The man smiled at me, he was older and was definitely apart of the working power class.

"So could you ask him about what he knows?" I asked Muhammad, my Arabic dictionary was small, it was something I was working at on my down time.
Muhammad nodded and began to speak to the man.
"He says that it's south of here, in an open part of a canyon, he says it's open but no one has been able to get far into it, he's lost many brothers in there."
"I see.." I thought for a moment. Though this is the site we had planned to dig out first I decided to go investigate this...canyon.
"Tell him I will pay him good money if he takes us there"
Muhammad passed it along the man hesitated, mostly stating he was afraid. But a little more convincing and he decided he would only take us there but no farther.

It was early enough In the day that we set out it was only about 3 hours from the site so I was excited to get there hoping that this would lead to something anything to help us get closer.

When we arrived to this canyon it was massive it didn't surprises me one bit we hadn't been here it was large and seemed to have many ins and out.

"He says he will bring us to the entrance and stop there he will no go further" Muhammad reminded me.

I nodded and gave a gesture to our guide.

There it was a large cave hidden behind a glacier field of rock. It was ancient bit seemed practically untouched. The guide quickly demanded his money before making a run for it.

Muhammad seemed uneasy he briefly told me about the rumors of this place, traps, curses. But every single tomb I'd come across had these things it was no different.

We tied the camel's up and got ready to enter we grabbed some lanterns and some safety gear.
The stairs were made of rock and mud brick and seemed to descend into hell itself. It went on and on I began to worry that our lantern fluid would run put before we'd get to the end.