With the exception of the plot and the original characters that are depicted in the story, the author makes absolutely no profit off of this work of fan fiction, and no copyright infringement is intended on the franchise of Inuyasha and Ouke no Monshou that rightfully belong to its owners Rumiko Takahashi and Chieko Hosokawa.
I would like to profusely thank Cyrus559 for sharing her knowledge in linguistics that are shown in this chapter of The Time Traveler's Pharaoh. She has been a remarkable partner in helping me shape this story. So without further ado, let the ninth act commence :)
Carol loved studying archaeology. That had been the whole reason why she persuaded her parents and older brother Ryan to go to school in Cairo so as to experience everything first-hand instead of a textbook back home. But ever since her class had visited the pharaoh's tomb, so many bad things have happened. First there were a series of bizarre murders that depicted different stages of mummification, followed by the death of her beloved father. And now? Professor Brown's assistant had disappeared without a trace. The police have searched high and low, from her apartment complex and even to the tomb itself. But Kagome Higurashi was nowhere to be found and is now considered a missing person by local authorities.
Could it be true? That there had been a curse placed on the tomb, and everyone who entered it was being punished for disturbing its slumbering king? Carol shook her head while sitting alone in her bedroom, skimming over the headlines about the Cairo Museum. Ryan somehow found more motivation to continue the excavation in the Valley of the Kings despite the backlash it has caused with some of the locals. Even the level-headed archaeologists were starting to believe in the supernatural.
Yes. A lot has gone in this young teen's life right now. But above everything else, Jimmy had proclaimed his love for Carol and boldly proclaimed that someday he wanted her to be his bride. The thought still made her pale skin flush to a shade of apple-red; upon being shaken out of her daze by an admonished Maria that it was almost time for school, the blonde scrambled to get ready lest the dear old nanny scolded her again.
Just when she closed the bedroom door behind her, Carol heard the tiny sound of a bell. She looked back and felt her heart sink before turning away. Three months have passed since Kagome disappeared. Yet every time she looked at the funny talisman that hung from her door knob, Carol had the strangest feeling that it seemed...much longer than three months.
School carried on like always, surrounded by friends and dusty books on ancient Egypt. When the final bell echoed across the campus, Carol was more than eager to spend a little more time with Jimmy when her brother's car came in sight at the front gate. Jogging over to the car, Carol saw both Ryan and Jimmy step outside.
The blonde released a small squeak. While Rody was more than happy that to hear his little sister finally got a boyfriend, Ryan did not approve of the professor's grandson. In his opinion Carol's education came first, and heaven forbid if she squandered a chance to get into a decent college due to her infatuation for a boy.
"Ryan! What are you doing here? I thought you'd still be at the office!" Carol chirped as she stepped between the most important men in her life, trying to stay calm and praying that a disagreement wouldn't happen after such a wonderful day.
The older male narrowed his gaze at the scowling teen behind his precious sister. Pulling out the lit cigarette from his mouth, Ryan exhaled a river of smoke as he addressed Carol.
"I was but I had just gotten a call from the excavation team. Apparently they've found something interesting written on the pharaoh's sarcophagus. And since you're adamant on learning everything firsthand about Egyptology, I thought you might want to take a look at it. Professor Brown and Isis are already at the museum."
Baby blue orbs widened to the size of dinner plates. "Really?! Oh, I'd love to go! What about you, Jimmy? It'd be great if we could experience such a wondrous discovery together!" The boy smiled.
"Of course." With that being said, the group piled up in Ryan's vehicle and drove off. The trip to their destination took at least a half an hour with traffic.
At The Museum of Egyptian Antiquities Ryan was greeted by both Professor Brown and Isis, who remained silent as the group gathered around a steel table. Sitting on top was the sarcophagus that had been excavated from the tomb. Jimmy's grandfather excitedly explained the team's newest discovery. There were hieroglyphics written on it. A record, a story about an unknown king who had once ruled over this land in the ancient times
"From what we have been able to decipher thus far, our pharaoh had ascended to the throne and died at a young age. We estimate that he was at least eighteen years old, but we won't know under what circumstances due to...unfortunate circumstances," the wizened man explained delicately in reference to the stolen cadaver itself. Ryan nodded and gestured him to continue. With an excited grin, Professor Brown did just that.
"But the most remarkable writings we have found are right here," he explained, raising a magnifying glass so that his grandson and the Rido siblings could see it as well. "Near the bottom of the sarcophagus, as you can see, is a poem. We believe it's a declaration of love from the queen of Egypt herself, who had adored her husband so dearly!"
Carol clapped her hands in excitement before she immediately dug into her bag, pulling out a blue notebook and pen. Scribbling down what she saw, she asked the teacher if he had translated the poem. He puffed out his chest in pride and said he did, ready to recite it when a soft voice suddenly spoke:
"Hail in peace!
I repeat to you the good deeds which your heart did for me in life, in order to silence strife and rule with just and might.
A King in truth of Egypt's land, fully and wholly from upper to lower.
A King who loved me as Ra loves his people.
A King who never wavered and with a heart so pure.
A King of firm belief in the love of a godly mortal.
You, beloved of Atum, Ra, Horus, Osiris, Isis, Mut, Min, Hathor, Bastet and Anubis.
You, glorious, strong and just.
You, binder of my heart, soul and spirit.
You, my beloved ruler, brother and Pharaoh.
Beloved by your Queen, in life as in death."
Carol, Professor Brown, Jimmy, and Ryan turned to see Isis with a soft-love-stricken expression on her lovely face. The younger woman could only describe it as longing as the Egyptian stared at the casket. "Yes, that is absolutely correct!" exclaimed the graying scholar, beaming with excitement at Isis. "You are certainly well-versed in ancient writings! You would make a wonderful assistant to the class!" Unfortunately for Professor Brown, Isis' answer came in the shape of an impolite snort and narrowed eyes.
"I must humbly decline, Professor for I am only interested in finding my brother. Nothing else matters."
Carol felt a pang of sympathy for the woman she had grown to admire as an older sister. She wanted to embrace Isis, but the thought of doing a good deed was interrupted by Professor Brown. He seemed to be completely unfazed by Isis' rejection.
"But that isn't all I've found, Mr. Rido! Earlier this morning, a colleague found another set of hieroglyphics. Not on the sarcophagus were we found this poem, but on the inside, in the very spot where Carol had found those flowers with the mummy when we first excavated the tomb!" The bumbling old man looked as if Christmas had arrived sooner than expected, whereas Isis' face resembled a fish's pale belly. Carol was astonished at the news as well.
Both women stepped forward and glanced inside the empty casket, seeing that the professor was telling the truth. The scripture were severely weathered, or perhaps they had crudely written on during such an elaborate embalming ceremony when no one was looking. But who would do such a thing? And why? Even the undead priestess had no idea. These words should not have been here. It couldn't be right!
Apparently she had unintentionally voiced these thoughts loud enough for Carol to hear her. The archaeology student blinked and asked Isis what the hieroglyphics said. They were translated as follows:
"Away away in desert sand
I lie immortal till mortal touch my hand.
Cannot age, cannot die
under the watchful gaze of Horus' eye.
Under a guard that never sleep
who is neither accounted among man or beast.
Has no mouth, has no claw
yet thread uncareful and death's the law.
Across the ocean, over the dune
in truth, justice, and goodness, my life is of Amun.
A sweet curse on me you bestowed
blessed by gods, your immortal beloved."
Professor Brown danced like a child around the table as Isis finished reading the inscription. "What do you think? Is it a riddle or a poem? Or maybe the last words from a secret lover?"
Carol blinked. "Um, I don't mean to be rude but it was common for an Egyptian ruler to have more than one mistress. Marriage was more about politics than actual love, and this king could have been married to his sister as well so as to preserve the royal bloodline, correct? According to my reading, a pharaoh could have so many mistresses he wanted but only the queen would hold more power than a slave. Why he need to hide the poem where no one else could see it? Unless someone did it without anyone seeing, but that's sort of doubtful isn't it? Mummification was a sacred process after all, so only the clergy and men from the mortuary were allowed to be near the deceased king, let alone his sarcophagus."
"Who knows? Maybe if we can unveil the mystery, we'll be able to unveil another part of Egypt's ancient past for all of the world to see!" Professor Brown exclaimed. Carol's disbelief and anxiety quickly mirrored the old man's enthusiasm before flipping to a clean sheet in her notebook. Armed with a ballpoint pen, the pair took a crack at the riddle.
""What does the first verse mean?"
"I don't know! But it sounds intriguing."
"What about the second?"
"I don't know! But sounds like a warning."
"And the last one?"
"I don't know that either. But it sounds romantic!"
Jimmy was amused by Carol's exasperation and offered his own two cents. "A sweet curse on me you bestowed, blessed by gods, your immortal beloved." He parroted before he flashed the flushed blonde a bright smile. "A sweet curse is love, bestowed upon one by another." Ryan, however, did not look impressed. Especially with how the two teens were staring at each other.
"Take it easy, you two." He said with a raised brow, wanting to bring the lovebirds back down to the real world again. "Remember, there could be more to the riddle than just the first few verses!"
Of course, her big brother was right. Carol is very much aware that is more than meets the eye but what cannot age nor die and what guard doesn't have to sleep and is neither man nor beast? That particular verse threw the group off especially. Ryan turned to the professor, who immediately began sharing some of his numerous theories.
In a way, Professor Brown and his apt pupil were two side of the same coin: they both loved mysteries and found archaeology as an important key to unlocking the past, finding closure in its many secrets that should be shared with the world than be kept buried beneath the Egyptian sand. However there were secrets that should be left unsolved as there were tombs to be left unraided. And they would soon learn this lesson through a series of unfortunate events.
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