Part I: The Sun Over Saqqara

The tomb was exceptionally well hidden. The seal was broken, but the path had not been tread for centuries, and perhaps it was only time and sand that had damaged the seal. It was possible that this pilfering would make them all very, very rich. The young man went first, his slender and nimble frame passed through the tunnel easily. He stepped into the antechamber, a strange, and heavy, perfumed scent filling his nostrils. He felt a sudden wave of nausea and swooned before catching himself.

"Rusu, be careful!" The older man warned, reaching out for the young man in concern. "Watch your step."

The young man, no more than fourteen floods in appearance, nodded, a burst of air escaping past his lips, "I'm fine."

"What is it?" Another man pressed impatiently, sliding out from the narrow tunnel with great effort. "Do you see the treasure?"

"I see nothing yet." The young man answered, his hand trailing along the handsomely decorated walls.

"Cause you don't carry a torch." The third man hissed, narrowing his eyes. "I couldn't see a camel's ass in this darkness if I was riding upon it!"

"I can see." The young man replied with a shrug, continuing forward calmly.

"What do you see?" the second man snapped. "I must know! Is there anything of value?"

The young man studied the painted walls for a long moment before turning to face the men, "There is nothing of value to you here. We must go further."

"Hey, take this torch," the first man, the eldest brother insisted, offering a spare torch.

The young man smiled politely, raising his hand in refusal, "I cannot."

"Crazy little Rusu," the third man murmured.

The young man continued forward, deeper into the tomb. There was something nearly debilitating about the still air. He hesitated at another narrow passage. "What is it?"

"Nothing."

The men chuckled, "Lost yer nerve, boy?"

"Maybe," the young man agreed, smiling tightly. "It's just that…"

"Just what?" the eldest brother asked.

"The air is foul." The young man explained, his fingers pressing to the stone uneasily. "But, still, there is honeyed scent in the air."

"That's the smell of treasure." The third brother decided with a smile. "Shall we find it then?"


Four days prior

"There'll be enough treasure to feed everyone! And not the sort of slop we're used to either…"

"I don't know. I don't know if I have that long of a journey left in me."

He never intended to eavesdrop on the group of men. In fact, he never intended to be seen. He slinked through the market under the cover of darkness, chasing after the farmer's cart. There wasn't much left unsold, but just one of those big, leafy cabbages would appease his unbearable hunger.

"You can't back out now. We've already paid for the camels!"

He was used to being invisible, he was used to being unseen. So he thought nothing of sneaking into the cart to snatch away some precious vegetables. Those farmers had round bellies, he wasn't hurting anyone directly... He was inches from his prize, just a smidge more and he would have his next meal.

"What about traps? And those narrow spaces, huh? What about'em?"

And then it happened again. His entire body grew heavy. He seized up, his head spinning sickeningly. He opened his mouth with a cry, his vision blurring in and out. His stomach lurched painfully and if his stomach wasn't so empty he would have vomited.

A knife was at his throat before he could move. His heart pounded wildly, it was too much damn trouble to die. "Wait!"

"For what, thief?!"

"You… You're no better, are you? You're thieves too!" The young man shouted, his brown eyes narrowing.

"Shhhhh! Or I really will slit your damn throat!" the man with the knife snarled.

"You're not from these parts."

The young man shook his head. "No."

"So you won't be missed…"

"No, but…" the young man paused unsurely. "I can help you."

"We don't need your help."

"I'm thin, I can make it through tight passageways," the young man explained hurriedly. "You… You were talking about grave robbing, right? I can be useful…"

"This isn't a job for children." Another man sneered.

The third man joined in gruffly, "Or for strangers."

"I can do the job." The young man assured them.

"He's thin… but looks strong."

"We probably won't find someone smaller who's still strong enough to carry treasure…"

"I can do the job." The young man insisted. "Better than anyone else."

"You're confident." The first man noted with a dry smile.

The young man returned the smile, arrogant and mischievous on his handsome face, "I'm experienced."

"Are you Egyptian?"

"No." the young man answered. "Mesopotamian."

"Do you speak the language of the Arab tribes?" the third man asked, cocking his head to one side.

"No." the young man lied. "But I speak both Akkadian and Sumerian."

The men nodded and leaned in closely, speaking Arabic in hushed whispers. "We'd have to split it six ways if he joins us. Three for us brothers, one for him, and two for the men with the camels and supplies…"

"It will still be plenty." Another assured the others.

"If we're caught we get nothing!"

"If we're caught they'll slit our throats!"

"If we kill him… we split it five ways."

"Five ways is better."

"If we kill him, we must leave him out in the desert. Let the sand bury our sins."

"Have you made a decision?" the young man interrupted, still feigning ignorance to the new tongue they spoke in.

"We will provide two meals a day for the journey; the pay will be split upon our return to this camp. It will be split among us and our two other associates. Do you accept?"

The young man nodded, "I accept."

"My name is Akil, this is Biti, and that is Ebo. What's your name?" The eldest brother, Akil, asked.

The young man's face was smooth and expressionless as he replied, "Call me whatever you like."

"Ah. Then we shall call you 'Rusu' for that shock of red hair." The middle brother, Biti, decided with a smirk, putting away his blade.

"That's fine," the young man agreed with a nod.

"Since you know our plans, you won't be leaving us tonight. I'm sure you understand, don't you? We don't exactly want anyone else to find out our plans, right?" Ebo explained, his eyes following the young man with sharp interest.

The young man nodded, "If I must stay with you, I ask for a cabbage."

"Cabbage?" Akil asked, his eyes narrowed.

"Yes, sir." The young man replied politely. "I never intended to go on a treasure hunt. I was simply planning on stealing some of your cabbage." The young man smiled apologetically.

"Aye then. Would you like some soup to go with that cabbage, Rusu?" Akil chuckled heartily.

"Yes, sir." The young man replied eagerly, licking his chapped lips. "I would."

Biti snarled in agitation, "There's no need to feed him."

"He won't make the journey if we don't feed him." Akil pointed out, gesturing for them to continue. "You want your treasure, right?" Biti and Ebo clicked their tongues before nodding.


"There's something ahead…" the young man gasped, the stone pressed tightly against his sides. "I can almost see it…"

"Hurry!" Ebo shouted. "See what it is!"

"How can he see without a light?!" Biti snapped irritably.

"Something happened here…" the young man breathed out anxiously. "The walls are broken. There's no room… The air… There's so little air…"

The brothers spoke amongst each other before Biti called out, "Save your breath. Keep going!"

He inhaled sharply, feeling panic rise up from his stomach and into his throat. He inhaled and exhaled, nearly gasping for fresh air. The air was fetid and still as death. "I… I think something happened to this wall. There's stone… It's collapsed… I… I… I think I'm stuck…"

"Stay calm." Akil called to him. "Move one length at a time. Can you move the stone at all?"

"The stone?" the young man groaned, looking around at the overwhelming position he was in. "It weighs more than a house…"

"Come back." Akil ordered.

"Wait!" Biti barked. "Can you see the next chamber? Is there anything there?"

The young man narrowed his eyes in the darkness. He could almost make out the chamber in front of him. There was a glimmer of gold and silver. He nodded, crying out excitedly, "Yes! Yes! I see something!"

"Alright, come back…" Ebo instructed. "We'll try another way!"

The young man moved to return, the stone tearing at his clothes and exposed skin. He caught almost instantly on his retreat and panic flooded through him. He swallowed with difficulty, his vision doubled for a few torturous seconds.

"Yo." The young man cried out in horror at the unexpected greeting. His head whipped to the side, his brown eyes searching the chamber beyond. He saw nothing but a faint gleam of gold.

"What? What happened?" Akil shouted to him. "Are you hurt?"

"There was…" the young man hesitated. "I thought I heard something…"

"Hurry now." Ebo demanded. "We'll find a way around."

"I'm coming." The young man responded. "Just a moment."

"Are ya stuck?"

The young man's eyes narrowed and he saw the flicker of something large and white. He licked his lips nervously, his heart pounding wildly in his chest. "Who's there?"

"You are stuck." The voice laughed teasingly. "How lame."

"Where are you? Help me out of here…" The young man pleaded, inching closer to the chamber.

"Sorry. Can't." the man replied, nowhere in sight. "Stone's too heavy. Even for me." The man laughed bitterly. "Actually, I'd be long gone 'cept that I'm stuck too…"

"You? You too? Where are you?" the young man gasped in surprise. "How long have you been in here?"

"What is taking so long?" Biti shouted. "Come out!"

The young man turned his head from Biti back to the chamber, shocked to discover a set of brilliant blue eyes staring at him. They glowed in the darkness, nearly blinding to his eyes. "You see this wall?"

"Yeah," the young man whispered.

"It collapsed. And try as I might, I can't get it to budge…" the man laughed again. "Must be the Mummy's Curse."

"Rusu! Come back!"

"Those guys are gonna kill you, little Rusu…" the man said suddenly.

"I know." The young man replied to the man's surprise.

"Then why don't you just keep coming this way?" the man suggested wryly. "I'm too big to pass through that narrow space. You can keep me company…"

"How… How long have you been in there?" the young man asked.

The man laughed, his blue eyes disappearing. "You're cute but you sure are stupid."

"Excuse me?" the young man growled indignantly. "Well screw you. You can die in there for all I care." He moved away quickly, the stone scraping against him roughly.

"Wait… Wait… Come back!" The man called out, nearly pleading. "I'm one of you, alright?"

The young man paused, "One of me?"

"Who're you talking to?" Ebo hissed angrily. "I said, come back!"

"Who was that voice?" Biti questioned, narrowing his eyes in suspicion. "Who else is there?"

"It's uh, it's no one!" the young man replied, shaken.

"Aww, that's mean, Rusu." The man purred. "I just wanted to be friends…"

"You," the young man murmured, hesitating being the two sides. "What do you mean by one of me?"

"Kid, I'm a shifter. What did ya think I meant?" The man sighed. "I sure as fuck ain't no damn ginger."

"You mean Master has…?" the young man began.

The other man cut him off with a scoff, "Nah. I no longer serve any fucking Master but myself."

"Is that," the young man hesitated before continuing, "Is that working out well for you?"

"You know what? I'm fine by myself. Fuck off."

The young man laughed easily, a weight releasing in his belly, "Sorry."

"I'm done with conversation. Forever."

"I said I was sorry."

"Go on. Go back to those filthy humans. I don't want you here."

"No need to get your feelings hurt," the young man teased, sliding even closer to the chamber.

"Let's get this straight, I don't have feelings…"

"I… I think I can make it…" the young man realized before calling out excitedly. "I think I can make it!"

"Good!" Biti cheered. "Is there actually treasure?"

"I'm almost there!" the young man announced, ignoring the painful grinding of stone against his knees and shoulders.

"What if I don't want to share my little chamber? Huh? What then?" the man whispered, a blur of white whipping through the darkness.

"You don't have much of a choice," the young man panted. "I can only go forward now…"

The young man pulled free of the stone with a cry. "I made it! I'm here…" He looked around the chamber hurriedly. It was nearly filled to the top with golden treasure. He searched the darkness before the sinking realization hit. "But where are you?"

"Thank you for coming." The voice purred. "Welcome to my little home." Treasure slid from the pile and the young man jumped. "I'm sorry if I'm a terrible host, but you see, I'm just starving…" That same honey sweet scent filled his nostrils. "Don't hold your breath, it's better that way…"

"What?" the young man murmured, looking around the chamber and seeing only the vast treasure littering the floor and walls. His eyes lengthened into slits as, suddenly, an enormous white panther leapt toward him. He inhaled sharply as the claws pierced his skin. There was no pain or fear and he felt as if he might be nodding off to sleep. His body shook violently as the panther tore into his flesh, but it felt like a dream, he reached out stroking the creature's snow white fur.

And then he was somewhere else entirely. He sat in an unfamiliar room, with open windows and flowy curtains. Beyond the stone walls was a beautiful, lush green landscape. He moved to stand but the person next to him gave him pause.

"Sit." The man said, it was a suggestion. This other man sat on a large cushion, one leg under him and the other bent at the knee. He rested his head on his knee, a wide smirk on his handsome face. He was dressed in a peculiar fashion, a culture the young man was not accustomed to. It fit the other man.

The more he looked at the man next to him the sooner he realized how handsome he was. His eyes were bright and clear, the whites white and the blue blue. He had bronze skin and a strong jaw. He was broad and strong, but still had a stroke of boyish charm. And to top it all off, his hair was an exotic shade of powdery blue.

"You should eat something, kid. You're skin and bones…"

The young man knew that the table had not been covered in food a moment before. He meant to politely refuse, but the spread was mouthwatering. He tore into the feast, stuffing his mouth with the fine food. He was starving, in the most painful and literal way. He realized that the other man remained motionless, watching him. He paused and swallowed down his mouthful, "Aren't you going to eat?"

The man shrugged, his arm sliding down his leg and between his thighs. "You first."

The young man ate until he felt engorged. He rubbed his belly in contentment before leaning back. "It was delicious."

Now that he was sated, the young man began to look around again. It wasn't a room, per say, but rather stone walls with windows but no roof. A stone staircase winded down into a grassy path lined by white stone. The young man was sure that he'd never been to such a place before, "Where are we? And, uh, who are you?"

"You're a backwards sort of guy, aren't ya?" the man replied with an impish grin.

The young man shrugged, running his hands through his short, coppery hair. "Am I?"

"The name's Grimmjow," the man said, offering his hand in greeting. His hand was large and warm and unexpectedly soft.

"The name's Grimmjow?" the young man repeated the name quietly. "And do you know where we are, Grimmjow?"

Grimmjow half chuckled, half sighed, "We can't both be Grimmjow."

"Ah, no, I'm… You can call me anything…" the young man murmured in embarrassment.

"Wha'did ya Mama call ya?" Grimmjow asked, those brilliant blue eyes watching the other intently.

"I'm… I-, 'm not supposed to use it." The young man finished finally, looking away from the other's gaze.

"Why the fuck not?" Grimmjow asked, his head tilting to the side.

"It's my Master's wish…" the young man explained, hugging his knees to his chest.

"Wait. Are you still under contract?" Grimmjow sat up, his expression darkening.

The young man grew still and quiet, his chocolate brown eyes dropping to the floor, "I've got a while yet..."

"Oh, yeah? How long?" Grimmjow asked, rolling to his feet limberly. He paced behind the young man, his curled shoes clicking against the stone.

"98 years, give or take."

"Wow." Grimmjow puffed out his cheeks in thought. "So… so you're really, uh, in your original life time…"

"Yeah, I guess."

"Shit… I've been stuck in that pyramid longer than you've been alive. That's fucking crazy…" Grimmjow shook his head to clear it. "You're a damn baby!"

"I'm not a baby," the young man retorted, his arms crossing his chest. "If I was still home I'd probably be a doctor by now!" He stood up, hopping off of the cushion hurriedly. "Now tell me, where are we?"

"Your body is still on the floor of the chamber. You're in the pyramid of Saqqara." Grimmjow explained, looking the younger man up and down critically.

"Then what is this place?" the young man asked.

"Eh," Grimmjow shrugged. "Just somewhere I take the lucky guests." Grimmjow's smile returned, "We should probably get back. You're really starting to twitch…"

"Huh? Twitch?" But the young man's questions were answered the instant he returned to his senses.

He laid on the unyielding chamber floor, drowning in a pool of his own blood. He gasped, blood spraying across his chest. His clothes were in shreds and every inch of him was in agony except for his legs. He looked down, bile rising in his blood-filled throat, his legs were gone.

"W-w-wait!" He choked out weakly.

"Sorry," the panther purred, almost as if in his ear. "I was just so hungry, ya know? You can understand, right?"

"I-I-I c-can't d-d-ie…" the young man gasped, losing too much blood too quickly.

"You'll be fine." Grimmjow promised, his blood stained hands brushing over the young man's face. He smiled, exposing pink teeth and stained skin. "Give it a minute."

"No…" the young man cried out with effort. Blood gurgled in his throat sickly. "S-save me…"

Grimmjow laughed at the naivety. A shifter lived and died a thousand times, sometimes all before breakfast. "Let me help you out…" He leaned forward, his human hand ending in sharp, pristine claws. He sliced the young man's throat neatly. "No use in suffering."

"You worthless… disgusting… pig…"

"Hey, hey?" Grimmjow tapped the young man's body unsurely. "You okay?"

"You're fucking useless…" Grimmjow sat back, an overpowering heaviness spreading from the teen's corpse. He scrambled backward with an unconscious hiss as the young man sat up. His mouth never moved, and the deep, slow voice sounded nothing like his. "You dare to damage my property?"

The young man's head turned and dead, unseeing eyes stared his direction. "Worthless pig… letting me get damaged…" Grimmjow was silent as the corpse dragged itself to its repairing feet. It staggered clumsily, a heavy, deathlike breath tearing from its new lungs.

"Rusu! What is taking you so long! If you double cross us, we'll kill you!" Ebo shouted. "Get out here, Rusu!"

"Answer us!" Biti added furiously.

"Slave, who," he voice asked cryptically, "killed the worthless pig? Who dared to damage me?"

"Those guys." Grimmjow answered without hesitation, his skin prickling as the voice addressed him. He pointed through the narrow opening for good measure.

The young man stood, his hands on either side of the broken wall. He looked up and down, calculating. And then, with a nauseating amount of power, he pressed his palms against the stone and decimated the walls. The entire pyramid shook as stone and debris rained down on them.

"I will kill you," the voice promised, walking through the wide open passage. "I will end your worthless lives." And in no more than an instant, three human lives were extinguished. They were nothing more than bloody smears on the stone. "You will be punished, pig." And then the young man collapsed, sprawling out across the broken rock. He inhaled sharply once and then fell silent, blood seeping from his eyes and nose.

Grimmjow swallowed uneasily. In thousands of years he had never seen anything like that. On pain of death, he didn't think he could even explain what had happened. "Hey, kid? You okay?"

Grimmjow hadn't expected an answer. He turned around and surveyed the damage to his collection of treasure. He'd guarded that treasure for nearly a hundred years already. He kneeled down, starting to hoist several bags over his shoulder. He stood and walked, stepping around the unconscious shifter's form, through the tunnels, and out of the temple.

He looked around, gulping down lung-fulls of fresh breath. He let out a relieved sigh as he walked over to the tethered camels. He opened the first vessel of water he could find, pouring it into his mouth thirstily. He wiped the spill from his mouth, blood and water mixing into the skin of his arm like paint. The warmth reached his bones and he stood, the sand beneath his bare feet and the sun over Saqqara.