Runi walked into Sagira’s tomb and peered around. It was empty, and missing of the treasures he’d seen on the floor leading here. There were also many footprints on the floor; some like the one’s on his floor, and some not. And some belonged to Sagira.
Just after a moment of being in the black room, he figured what had happened. Those that awoke him had also awaken her, stolen some of the treasure, and were now trying to escape. Even Miko was missing.
All he had to do was follow the treasure right to them.
“Okay...this is beginning to annoy me.” Kadin halted in front of another split in the passage. This time there were four to choose from.
“Are you sure you don’t know the way?” Leoma glanced over at Sagira, who nodded with a sigh. “It looks like you’re gonna trip on your skirt there.” Leoma pointed down at the folds of her skirt underneath her feet.
“Yes. Do you have a spare...spare...leg clothes?” Sagira pointed at Leoma’s pants.
“Oh, sure. But...they’re kinda dirty.” Leoma took off her backpack and unzipped it, handing her flashlight to Sagira to hold.
“Now what are you doing?” Kadin turned around.
“Changing.” Leoma yanked out a pair of shorts and blew some of the dust off. “I didn’t get a chance to wash them before we left the dorms.”
“That is fine.” Sagira took the browned shorts and turned around. Then she paused and glared back at Kadin, “Do you mind?”
“Oh.” Kadin quickly turned around and stared at the wall while she changed.
“There. That is much better.” Sagira buttoned the jean shorts and folded up the skirt, handing it to Leoma. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” Leoma stuffed the skirt in her backpack and zipped it up, hiding the glee that she was feeling, knowing that she now had a legendary piece of ancient Egyptian cloth.
“Okay. Are you finished now?” Kadin turned back around.
“Yep.” Leoma put her backpack on and took her flashlight again.
“Good. Now to the real problem at hand.” He waved a hand at the tunnels. “Got any of that smart advice?”
Leoma blinked, glancing at the blank walls, “No. You mean your all-powerful guiding abilities have left you short?”
“Very funny.” He snorted, picking a tunnel and beginning the long journey into the depths. Leoma and Sagira followed him.
Sagira turned to Leoma, “What is the date?”
Leoma gave a weak smile, “...2004.”
Sagira’s eyes widened.
“You were mummified in the year 67 A.D., by our calendar.”
“Is...the kingdom still here?”
“No. It fell shortly after you were put here.”
“And...what about Akenohotepu?”
“He...” Leoma cleared her throat, “...he committed suicide after the kingdom fell, and was completely mummified and buried here...somewhere.”
Sagira grew silent and fell behind, staring at the walls along the way.
Blowing out some air, Leoma tapped Kadin on the shoulder and whispered. “Hey.”
“What?” Kadin groaned.
“You know of course...that we’re being followed along by the greatest archeological find in the world.”
Kadin blinked a few times and a blank look fell over his face, “You know...I never thought of that.”
“Yeah. So I was wondering what we’re actually going to do.” Leoma stepped up beside him as they walked. “I mean...we can’t just take her to anyone. If they found out...”
“Well what are we gonna do? If others come down here and find her body missing from the sarcophagus they’re gonna know something’s up for sure. And what about the other students?”
“And we can’t just leave her here either.” Leoma folded her arms while she pondered. They were all quiet for several moments, until Leoma spoke up again, “All I know is that we would have to keep it a secret until we know for sure nothing bad’s gonna happen.”
Kadin only nodded. Then he ran into old clay and brick, making a slight ‘thump’ sound. He backed up, rubbing his throbbing nose, as they stared up at the large wall blocking their path. “Oh great. Now what?”
“Dead end.” Leoma folded her arms.
“Okay. Let’s turn around and go back.” Kadin whirled around and began walking again, as Leoma and Sagira both followed.
It wasn’t long before Kadin began to hear faint voices from somewhere in the maze. He stared wide-eyed around at the walls, hearing them getting louder. Finally he nudged Leoma.
“What?” Leoma folded her arms.
“You hear that?” Kadin whispered.
Sagira trudged up closer to them and listened also. They all heard the voices of two men.
“Who is that?” Leoma grabbed onto Kadin’s arm and tugged on it until he stopped walking.
“We’re the only one’s supposed to be here.” Kadin frowned.
“More explorers?” Sagira stepped around them and took a few steps into the flashlight beam, trying to see.
“Hey! Maybe it’s a rescue!” Leoma was ready to break into a gallop before Kadin stepped in front of the two girls.
“Whoa whoa. No one is supposed to be here. And even the students wouldn’t have been able to get help this fast.” Kadin blocked their path with his arms.
“But...then...”
“They have to be grave robbers.” Kadin turned and listened to the loudening voices.
“It sounds like they are following my treasure to us.” Sagira set her hands on her hips.
“Yeah, but if they came in, then they have to have a way out. Maybe a rope up the ventilation shaft.” Leoma schemed.
“Little problem. If they’re following the treasure, then they’re hot on our trail. It’d be a very slim chance of us finding our way back to the ventilation shaft without bumping into them.” Kadin shook his head.
“Better than getting lost looking for another way out.” Leoma shrugged.
“Not if they’re prepared to murder.”
“Murder?” Sagira rubbed her arms.
“Yeah. And they will have weapons.” Kadin clutched the scabbard of his sword just thinking about it.
Sagira gulped while Leoma blinked, as they heard the voices becoming very clear.
“Hey, Tom. I don’t hear the voices anymore.” Ronny whispered.
“Yeah. Me either. They must’ve heard us, you nitwit. I told you not to talk so loud.” Tom whispered the scorn, giving his partner a glare.
“Well...we still got their tracks to follow.” Ronny pointed down at the sand prints.
“Not if they make zigzags in the maze over earlier patterns, you moron. We have to catch ‘em by surprise.” Tom adjusted his hat. “Now shut-up and follow me.”
Kadin, Leoma, and Sagira pressed themselves up against the wall, seeing the flashlight beams coming near. They’d turned theirs off so they wouldn’t be seen. But it was still a one-way passage, and the robbers were blocking the only way out.
Slowly the sound of metal against leather seemed to get louder than the voices, which were now so near that the trio could practically smell the robbers’ old clothes. Kadin held the heavy sword with both hands, giving his flashlight to Sagira.
“What’re you gonna do?” Leoma stood on her tiptoes and whispered into his ear.
“I don’t know.” Kadin could feel the sweat sliding down the sides of his face.
“It is times like this that I really miss my loyal bodyguard.” Sagira rubbed her temple with her free hand.
“Here they come.” Kadin muttered under his breath.
Tom and Ronny trudged through the small layer of sand, following the tracks.
“We must be close.” Ronny managed a whisper before Tom turned and glared at him.
The robbers were so close to the teens now that only a few feet separated them.
Smelling the scent of flower oil nearby, Tom shown the light along the empty walls, scanning for the source of the smell. In a short time, the light beam came across the wall where the trio stood, and landed square on Kadin’s face.
“Ah Ha!” Tom laughed, lunging forward to grab Kadin.
Kadin ducked the man’s large hand, using the flat side of the sword to smack him across the arm!
“Ow!”
Ronny lunged also, finding Leoma with his own light.
“Run!” Kadin made another swing at Tom and moved forwards, allowing Leoma and Sagira to slip behind him away from Ronny.
“Hey! There’s three of ‘um!” Tom growled loudly as he lunged for Kadin. “Go get the girls!”
Ronny hurried around the backside of Tom and ran after the girls, leaving his partner to fight the boy.
“Back up! I’ll cut you up you thief!” Kadin threatened, holding the sword blade near Tom.
“You can’t hurt me. You don’t have the guts.” Tom sneered while moving forwards until his chest was against the sword tip.
Kadin narrowed his eyes before yanking the sword back for a quick swing!
Tom cringed and stepped back, just as Kadin broke away and took off after Ronny and the girls.
“Hey!” Tom yelled hurrying down the tunnel after him with large thumps.
Leoma and Sagira rounded their third corner, with the thief still hot on their trail.
“I am not used...to running.” Sagira panted as she began to tire.
“Come on! We have to keep going!” Leoma reached back and helped her speed up by holding onto her arm.
The two’s eyes bulged as they came right into another dead end! They managed to slide to a stop before plowing into the rock wall.
“Oh no!” Leoma felt along the wall quickly with her hand.
“Trapped...again.” Sagira panted as she leaned over to get her breath.
Ronny skidded to a halt just a few feet from them, chuckling in between heavy breaths. “Heh heh. Gotcha.”
“If you attack the holy ones and myself my father, Akenohotepu, will curse you!” Sagira shouted and pointed at him, as Leoma grabbed her by the arm and yanked her behind herself.
“Ha! Cursed? By your father?” Ronny laughed walking leisurely towards them. “You think you’re an Egyptian Princess?”
“Leoma! Sagira!” Kadin called from behind Ronny.
“You again?” Ronny whirled just as Kadin smacked him upside the head with the side of his sword, unready to actually hurt anyone yet. He stumbled back to one of the walls and slumped to a heap, clutching his head.
Leoma hurried after Kadin, still clutching Sagira by the arm. They hurried down to the end of the tunnel where there was another fork, and ran down another passage. They could hear Tom clomping after them, but they managed to loose him in the maze.
Scowling at the empty tunnels ahead of him, Tom followed the earlier footprints back to his slumped partner and kicked him in the leg. “What are you doing? They’re getting away you idiot!”
“Sorry, Tom. That one hit me in the head with his sword.” Ronny put his weight against the wall as he stood up.
“Why that little...next time we can’t be so nice. We’ll have to use our knives and rope. Maybe even set a trap if we can get ahead of them.” Tom pondered, rubbing his sweaty, unshaved chin.
“Heheheh, wanna hear something funny?”
Tom rolled his eyes and turned around to think better facing opposite his partner.
“Well, the one girl thinks she’s the daughter of Akenohotepu. Boy is she cracked!” Ronny slapped his knee and shook his throbbing head.
Tom paused and glanced back. “Really?”
“Yeah. She said, my father, Akenohotepu, will curse ‘You if you attack the holy ones and me’.” He snickered while making sarcastic gestures and faces.
“Was...she the Egyptian-looking one?”
“Yeah. Wearing all that gold treasure and weird white top.” Ronny settled down some.
“Did she have...a blue jewel?” Tom slowly walked back over to his partner.
“Well...yeah. I think she did. She had it around her neck on a necklace.”
Tom fell silent, pondering with an evil grin on his face.
“What? You don’t think..?” Ronny blinked.
Tom nodded. “Oh yes. I do think. That blue jewel must’ve done something. She’s really a living, breathing, walking mummy.” He paced once, shaking his finger in the air. “This is big. We could be very...very...very rich.”
Ronny’s eyes seemed to change to dollar signs. But then the fantasy of fame and fortune faded. “But...they lost us. How do we get ‘um?”
Sneering, Tom glanced back at the footprints in the light sand, “It will take close observation...but we could catch up to them...or find another tunnel.”

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