Hey! Sorry it's been so long, I had exams this week so I had to focus my energy on that. I hope you enjoy this chapter!


Ahk was sitting at one of the birch chairs in his exhibit, holding close the artifact that was so dear to him. The room had been turned into a small conference room after the London adventure, and was in the process of being restored for the Pharaoh, but it displeased him nonetheless. He figured he should not complain, for he was overjoyed to return to New York and settle in his old home. But even the loyal jackals who once guarded him had been sent to the Federal Archives in the Smithsonian. It wasn't really home anymore.

Attila was in one of the chairs next to him. The two had grown close, especially since Ahk was the only one (besides the other Huns, of course) who could speak his language. The king had become sort of a role model for Attila, who was determined to change his ways. The tablet mesmerized him, and it was as if he was almost as close to it as Ahk was himself.

"Please, Ahkmenrah, tell me what's wrong. It would do you good to express your feelings, and it is obvious there is something bothering you."

Ahk thought for a moment, biting his lip. He then looked into Attila's eyes sincerely. "The Tablet... it senses a threat."

Attila was deeply concerned, but trying to avoid causing his friend more anxiety, did his best to look calm. "A threat to what?"

"That I do not know. To the magic, to me, to the museum..."

"How do you even know that there is a threat?"

Ahkmenrah reluctantly released his most prized possession, which he had clutched tightly to his chest, handing it over to Attila for a proper examination.

"You-you may notice it is glowing slightly. And not how it normally does." He had his hands outstretched far past the moment he offered his tablet to the Hun, then propped his head up with his elbows rested on the table.

Attila squinted his eyes and pored over the artifact. "I don't really see anything different."

"Of course, having been in its presence for over four thousand years," he added, "one might have more easily noticed such a subtle change."

Attila let out a slight gasp. "I think I see now. It almost looks like it is glowing red."

"Exactly. My father warned me of this..." His eyes wandered away from Attila. "Though I never assumed it would actually happen." He sat quietly for a moment, stroking one of his armbands as Attila continued to examine the tablet.

"What about your brother?" Attila inquired, looking over at the tense Pharaoh. "He was obviously a threat."

"I was not in the vicinity of my Tablet at the time. I was dead; how could I have sensed something was wrong? Besides, the warning spell my father had put on the Tablet had not been cast until I arrived at London."

Attila nodded. "When did you notice it was glowing that way?"

"This evening, I woke up with a sense of dread. At first, I could not think of any reasonable cause... Then I remembered what my father had told me while I was in London, and I immediately checked my Tablet." He paused momentarily, staring blankly at the light wooden table in front of them, then continued slowly. "As I held my Tablet, I felt a strange sensation, which confirmed my fears. I went to Teddy, to see if he could give me some advice, but the new night guard had arrived. I did not want her to notice the tablet glowing this way, as I thought it might frighten her, or make her think negatively of me. Teddy was obviously occupied, so I requested that I be excused."

Attila handed Ahkmenrah the tablet, and the two sat in silence for a while, each left to his own thoughts.

"Is there anything you can think of that has happened between last night and tonight?" Attila asked.

"Not that I know of." Ahk stared at the golden tablet he had laid on the table in front of him and sighed. "Now, of all times. I was so excited to explain the powers of my tablet. Now... now I do not know what to think."

"Ahkmenrah, I know Teddy always takes the lead, but you're the keeper of this tablet, the very thing that brings us to life in the first place. You'll ultimately be the one to make sure that this transition goes smoothly. You can't stay in here forever. The entire museum depends on you."

"That is what I was afraid of."

Regarding the obvious dread in his Egyptian friend, Attila comforted him by gently placing his strong hand on Ahk's cloaked shoulder.

"Ahkmenrah, I'm sure you have learned a lot from your parents. No one has the knowledge you do, or the capacity to use it for evil. I'm sure you'd know what to do if something bad happened."

Ahkmenrah looked back up at Attila, with a slight smile. "I suppose you're right." Placing the artifact on the table, he stood up for the embrace he'd come to expect from the Hun.

"Feel better?" Attila said, releasing his tight grip on the Pharaoh.

"Much, thank you," Ahk replied, catching his breath.

The two then began clearing a few boxes from the exhibit, unaware of the spectator lurking in the shadows, who'd heard and understood every word.


Hope you liked this chapter! 'Twas a pretty crucial chapter, so I spent a lot of time on it, even though it's pretty short. I'll do my best to make up for all these short ones in the next chapter! This one was exciting to write, too, so I hope you find it as interesting as I do! I'm sure that will be the same for chapter 10! Thanks for reading, and as always, please follow, fave and review!

Update: Sorry I couldn't get Ch. 10 up this weekend. I hope to have it up sometime this week!