User blog:Revontheus1746/Pharaoh Story Teaser

As the noonday sun reached its zenith, so too did I crest a dune of sand. It’d taken months of careful training, but finally.. finally it had paid off. Patience turned to determination, and determination grew to become strength. After many long months- no, after cresting that dune of sand- I knew the moment I laid eyes on the pyramid that all of the suffering was worth it. It was like no mirage I had seen thus far, but I knew I couldn’t trust my eyes. I needed to feel  it to be sure. When I approached, the sight of the Sphinx was the first sign it was legitimate.

There was only one, but it was clear from her bored expression that she hadn’t found someone in a while. Milling about in the ruins adjacent from the pyramid’s entrance were about ten Mummies and one Anubis guard. The Mummies seemed to be shifting the sand around certain structures in order to find carved reliefs in the sandstone, while the Anubis directed those who hadn’t found any and observed those who had. Needless to say, approaching from the front was suicide. The sides had opportunity, but the back had the perfect way inside.

Atop the pyramid sat an enormous golden pyramid in its own right, and if one looked close enough, the back of it opened to reveal a direct shaft into the Pharaoh’s chamber. It was a long drop though, and if one wasn’t careful, the Pharaoh wouldn’t be the only corpse in the pyramid. Skirting the edge of the dune, I stayed just low enough to keep out of sight of the mamono at the pyramid’s entrance and worked my way toward the side. I was almost spotted by a Girtablilu, but I managed to cover myself in sand just before she spotted me. When I was sure I was safe, I shook it off and continued.

With patience and calm deliberation, I eventually made it to the rear side of the pyramid. ‘Now to just climb it.’  I thought. The sandstone was eroded slightly, but the smooth nature had endured over what had to be centuries in the least. I’m no archaeologist, but it may even be older than that. Nonetheless, it was climbable if you knew how to go about it. Using a pick and my trust in my inability to get myself killed, I began scaling the structure. It didn’t help that every so often Mummies would wander around the back of it as if on patrol. The Khepri that were constantly scuttling about near the edges weren’t exactly reassuring either. At least I could tell it was real this time instead of the memory of another smashed city.

At last, I reached the top. The shaft was closed, but shifting about some runes on the sandstone opened it right up. The sun beating down on me made me eager to get inside where it was undoubtedly cooler. Anchoring my rope with a large nail, I casted it down the shaft and prayed it was long enough. After testing the strength of it, I grabbed the rope and began my descent. Along the way, I stopped to observe some of the symbols carved into the sandstone. ‘All the way up here? How? Why?’  These thoughts were interrupted by a shadow falling over me. A Girtablilu and Khepri stared down at me with not-so-friendly intentions. You might think they cut the rope, but actually.. <span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:'NewRocker';color:#3a3a3a;font-weight:400;font-style:italic;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">the nail broke free from the sandstone. <span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:'NewRocker';color:#3a3a3a;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:11pt;margin-bottom:11pt;"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:'NewRocker';color:#3a3a3a;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">Falling.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:11pt;margin-bottom:11pt;"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:'NewRocker';color:#3a3a3a;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">Falling end over end. At this height and speed, I was assured a quick end.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:11pt;margin-bottom:11pt;"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:'NewRocker';color:#3a3a3a;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">Before I hit the bottom, I saw blue. <span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:'NewRocker';color:#3a3a3a;font-weight:400;font-style:italic;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">‘Water? This high in the pyramid?’ <span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:'NewRocker';color:#3a3a3a;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;"> I had one chance, and I was not about to waste it. Doing a bit of mid-air flailing gained me stability and direction, granting me a smacking feeling as I hit the surface with a loud splashing sound. I think I may have blacked out from impact, because when I opened my eyes, I floated on the surface of the water toward the center of the chamber. The platform at the chamber’s center was immaculate marble and seemed unmarred by time. Truly a sight, even after the following events.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:11pt;margin-bottom:11pt;"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:'NewRocker';color:#3a3a3a;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">My head bumped lightly against the steps and I righted myself. For the first time, lilypads met my eyes. <span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:'NewRocker';color:#3a3a3a;font-weight:400;font-style:italic;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">‘So there’s life here, even after all this time. Maybe there is hope for the land.’ <span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:'NewRocker';color:#3a3a3a;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">Ascending the steps, I held off on these thoughts to observe the surrounding waters. Not just lilypads, but reeds, cattails, and even tall grasses. The entire chamber was like a terrarium with no fauna. It was, put simply, the second most beautiful thing I’ve ever laid eyes on. What made it more intriguing is that the only life near the platform were the lilypads. Then, I saw it.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:11pt;margin-bottom:11pt;"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:'NewRocker';color:#3a3a3a;font-weight:700;font-style:italic;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">The sarcophagus.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:11pt;margin-bottom:11pt;"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:'NewRocker';color:#3a3a3a;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">In the middle, illuminated by a square of light from above, lay the sarcophagus of the Pharaoh. Describing it is difficult, simply because of how it struck me. The lid itself was adorned in ornate pieces of metalwork, with dual scarabs illustrated in the palms of a single individual. Said individual seemed themselves to be adorned in similar ornate jewelry and had a great serpent coiled around their right side. Was this the Pharaoh and her terrifying serpentine partner, then? I was about to inch closer when I heard slithering. I turned to meet the gaze of a massive crimson cobra. It hissed, and my knees almost turned to jelly. Keeping my resolve intact, I drew my stave and gave it a few cursory pokes to ascertain how aggressive it was. It wouldn’t strike no matter how many times I did so.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:11pt;margin-bottom:11pt;"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:'NewRocker';color:#3a3a3a;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">Its reluctance only made me more uneasy. Then, rising on its tail, it lunged right at me, its fangs shining daggers. Rolling to avoid the blow, I ended up tumbling into the water. When I got back to the surface, the snake lay against the sarcophagus’ side with what appeared to be a striped staff. A crook! It <span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:'NewRocker';color:#3a3a3a;font-weight:400;font-style:italic;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">had <span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:'NewRocker';color:#3a3a3a;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;"> to be the Pharaohs own. It seems it only wanted to get closer and I was simply in the way. Knowing this, it gave me a bit more confidence to get back onto the platform and dry off in the light coming from the roof. At this point I’d been thoroughly soaked twice and become surprisingly cold. The cobra itself occasionally casted its gaze my way, but seemed content by the sarcophagus.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:11pt;margin-bottom:11pt;"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:'NewRocker';color:#3a3a3a;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">For how long I lay there, I cannot say. Once my clothes were dry I approached the sarcophagus only to have the snake snap at me. Less an aggressive strike and more of a <span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:'NewRocker';color:#3a3a3a;font-weight:400;font-style:italic;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">it’s not time yet <span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:'NewRocker';color:#3a3a3a;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">strike to ward me off. After eating and stretching, I decided to explore the chamber for any other entrances or exits, just in case. With a running start, I dove into the water and swam, occasionally surfacing to breathe. In time I found four large slabs of stone on the four sides of the chamber, all equally distant and placed from the central platform. These could be ‘floodgates’ that opened when the chamber needed to drain. ‘ <span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:'NewRocker';color:#3a3a3a;font-weight:400;font-style:italic;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">But when would it drain? <span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:'NewRocker';color:#3a3a3a;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">’ I wondered. I couldn’t bring myself to stay in the water for long, so it was back to the light from above.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:11pt;margin-bottom:11pt;"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:'NewRocker';color:#3a3a3a;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">The snake remained at the sarcophagus’ side, crook in its tail and protective gaze locked on the sarcophagus. It wouldn’t snap at me unless I approached, it seemed. I couldn’t leave the pyramid, let alone the chamber, so I did the only thing I could. Setting up on the platform was easy; plenty of space, good airflow from above, and cool waters to slide into if it ever got unbearable on the surface. I had packed enough food for a month of traveling if I rationed it, but had reached the pyramid in a fraction of the time. With this in mind, I had no idea how long I would be here, so I decided to test the water to see if it was drinkable.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:11pt;margin-bottom:11pt;"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:'NewRocker';color:#3a3a3a;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">To my surprise, it was incredibly fresh. Though, that brought up the question.. where would I.. well, it was inevitable. I could hold maybe a couple days, but after that I would have to do it. What made it unbearable was the realization that if the water hadn’t drained for centuries, it may very well be even longer until it did so. It’d outlive me so it didn’t matter. <span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:'NewRocker';color:#3a3a3a;font-weight:400;font-style:italic;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">‘No. It won’t outlive me. Not after all of this.’ <span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:'NewRocker';color:#3a3a3a;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;"> I shot up and headed right for the sarcophagus. The snake was already poised to strike. I had a feeling I knew what I was doing, but in that moment I dared to doubt. As if to say I was wrong to doubt, the entire pyramid shuddered. The snake immediately turned its attention to the sarcophagus.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:11pt;margin-bottom:11pt;"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:'NewRocker';color:#3a3a3a;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">After the chamber stopped shaking, the sound of something beating on stone resounded through the chamber. I felt myself drawn to the source of the noise: the sarcophagus. No matter how loud it got, I still felt the urge to place my hands on the lid. As I did so, it shuddered. I found myself flung backward as a blast sent the lid up and away in the other direction, smacking into the water for the third time in three days. This time when my head emerged from the water, the snake was in the same spot, and a figure rose from the sarcophagus. At first, I was enthralled by the slow, graceful way they rose. Then I remembered where I was, and a pang of horror hit me. The figure was sat up, taking the crook from the snake’s tail. Their head did not turn, but their eye met mine. <p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:11pt;margin-bottom:11pt;">

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:11pt;margin-bottom:11pt;"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:'NewRocker';color:#3a3a3a;font-weight:700;font-style:italic;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">The Pharaoh had risen. <p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:11pt;margin-bottom:11pt;">

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:11pt;margin-bottom:11pt;">

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:11pt;margin-bottom:11pt;">End Teaser