Disclaimer: Yu-gi-oh and anything related to Yu-gi-oh doesn't belong to me. "Sniff, Sniff, I wish I did!"
Chapter 3 - Discovery
Shiro examined the chest all around. It was pure gold, the writings were beautifully and carefully carved. It must have belonged to someone of royalty, he knew that much. But it was also odd. There was no lock, no key, not even a lid on, but yet the translations stated out "millennial chest" whatever that means. Shiro took his small recorder out from his pocket. He pressed the red button and started to speak into it. "This is too old for modern translation, consisting of an earlier literal language, my guess that this dates back to the Old Kingdom Dynasty. Carvings on the chest doesn't seem to be a spoken language but rather symbols of some sort of hieratic text." he gave a puzzling look, the problem was gnawing at his brain. The more he finds, the more new questions arise.
"Professor Mayoto!" a man rushed in the laboratory, he had a dark tan complexion, roughly in his early thirties. His hair was muddled, looking as though he had a lack of sleep, which he probably did.
"What is it Nyri?" Shiro asked.
"I've finish translating the first column!" he exclaimed excitedly. "I think you'll find it interesting" he laid out a pile of papers, all with messy scribbles of notes and symbols. "Here we have 'millennial chest' but the word millennial is actually millennium. You already know that this word 'ka' is souls or spirits. I've tried to piece together everything. So far I've got 'Spirit Realm' and strangely enough 'Maat' she was the goddess of truth and justice."
"Is this some kind of ritual offering for the afterlife?"
"Who knows. I'll start on the other symbols now" Nyri gave a long stretch. Scratching his head, his mouth let out a big yawn.
"What you need is some rest." Shiro observed.
"No I'm fine" he protested .
"Go get some sleep. I can take it from here."
"Oh alright" said Nyri, he was too tired to argue. "I'll see you later" he walked out of the room.
Giving a sigh Shiro took the messy scrawls of paper and examined it carefully, comparing it to the writing on the chest, there were no patterns to follow. He grabbed the phone next to him on the table. The phone rang on the receiving end.
"Hello?" the voice said.
"Hey honey, I just want to call in to say hi" Shiro could tell his wife was smiling on the other end, even if he couldn't see her.
"Really, is that all?" she asked.
"And....I'm going to be coming home a little late" he said wearily
"But we're having dinner with the Motos. I've invited them over already"
"Hmmm....that is going to be a problem....alright I'll come home as soon as I can, but then I'll have to come back here."
"You're working too hard, maybe you should take a break." there was a slight concern in her voice.
"I promise when I'm finished with this I will. Tell Solomon that I'll be a little late."
"Alright then....Oh! One more thing! There's a letter here for you. There's no name"
Shiro's face suddenly went pale. But his voice came out unchanged. "Just put it on my desk, I'll look at it later."
"OK....that's about it, so I'll see you later. Bye sweetheart."
"Bye" he click the phone down on the receiver, shaking his head he went back to the translation books. "I wish you could talk" he said jokingly to the chest. Shiro was not a person that would give up so easily, taking out a leather bound journal, he started writing about his findings.
Later that evening the sky darkened, it looked like it was beginning to drizzle. Solomon (Grandpa) and Yugi Moto stood outside the front door steps. Yugi rang the doorbell. They both heard a voice from inside "I'll get it!" Vari opened the door wide. "Hey Yugi! and Grandpa! Come in."
"Hey Vari! Thanks for inviting us!" Yugi said.
"It's a nice place you got here." Grandpa added.
Vari smiled "Thanks. My mom's inside I'll go get her"
"Sure thing" Grandpa said.
"Mom! Yugi and Grandpa are here!" she called out.
Her mother stepped in the living room to greet the guest. She wore a big smile on her face, there was a big similarity between Vari and her mother, they both have the same identical shaped face, the only difference was the slight wrinkles on both sides of her cheeks. "Hello Solomon. It's so good to see you again!" She gave him a warm huge.
"Glad to see you too Maaya" he gave a slight chuckle as she squeezed him tight.
"And you must be Yugi" she said, noticing him by his grandfather's side.
"It's nice to meet you Mrs. Mayoto" Yugi said politely.
"Where's Shiro?" Grandpa asked
"Oh he called and said he's going to be a little late. He'll be here soon."
"Alright"
"Come" Maaya steered them all into the dinning room. "Dinner will be ready in a couple of minutes, sit tight while I go check the oven" she hurried into the kitchen next door.
"So Vari, how's your father doing with his work" asked Grandpa, trying to make small talk while they sit and wait. Before Vari could answer, they all heard the front door open.
"Hey guys! I'm home!"
"We're in here Dad!" Vari called out. Shiro, who followed the voice walked into the dinning room, his jacket was damp from the drizzle of rain outside.
"Solomon!" he laughed "How've you been doing old chum? I heard you opened up a gaming shop"
"That's right. I thought I would take a leisurely break. It's quiet enough"
"Your grandpa was quite the adventurer Yugi Even more so then me" he teased.
Solomon laughed "I wouldn't say that much. I must congratulate you on your success."
Maaya came in with a steaming hot plate and placed it on the table "Dig in!" she said.
"Great I'm starving!" Vari said, she begin stuffing her herself.
"Not so fast or you'll choke!" Yugi said.
"Oh sorry. I have a big appetite."
"Your cooking was always good" Solomon commented "I think all of us would have starved at the camp sites if it wasn't for your cooking"
"It's amazing what you can make with a few sticks of wood and a pot" Maaya laughed.
Dinner went smoothly, as everyone at the table chatted, bringing up old memories.
"As I was saying to Vari, how is the research going?" Solomon asked
"Well...it's been a little crazy. My colleagues and I are trying to decipher this strange chest we found. The thing is, we're running low on funds. The Domino museum is trying to get others to sponsor us, there probably be a charity event again."
"Looks like you have your work cut out for you"
"I have" he looked at the time, the short hand was pointing at 8. He turned towards Yugi "I must say, I'm curious about that necklace you have there Yugi"
"Oh my Millennium Puzzle? Grandpa gave it to me when he came back from Egypt" Yugi explained.
"May I see it?" Shiro asked, intrigued
"Sure" Yugi took off his Millennium Puzzle and handed it over to Shiro, who studied it very closely.
Vari rolled her eyes "You work, even when your at home Dad"
"I'm just curious, that's all." He recognized the symbol in front, The eye of Horus. "Did you say Millennium Puzzle?"
"Yeah I did"
Shiro's face suddenly grew with urgency. "I just remembered I have something I have to do back at the research center" he handed back Yugi his puzzle.
"Your going back so soon Shiro? But we haven't even finished dinner yet." Maaya said.
"I'm sorry but this can't wait" Shiro got up from his seat "Please forgive me Solomon for the short reunion, but I have to go"
"No need to apologize my friend, I understand"
"I'll see everyone later" grabbing his jacket and umbrella he walked out in the now pouring rain.
The symbol on Yugi's Puzzle sparked an idea in Shiro's mind. He raced into the laboratory. Taking his key card, he swiped it on the accessing panel and carefully took the chest out from the safe. Then, on a scrap piece of paper, he drew out the symbol that he saw on Yugi's Puzzle and held it up next to the chest. They were the same.
"I think I may have found something" he muttered to himself.
The sound of footsteps could be heard from outside of the room. Shiro's ears perked up. He glanced at the door. A cloaked person entered the laboratory. The face was hidden beneath a hood.
"Who are you?" He demanded "No one's suppose to be in here without an ID. How did you get past security?"
The was no answer, all Shiro could hear was the pounding rain on the windows.
"I asked you a question" his hand secretly griped on the security alarm beneath his desk.
"You need not fear me Shiro Mayoto." the cloaked figure turned to face him.
"Who are you?" He demanded again.
The figure removed the hood. It was a woman.
"My name is Ishizu Ishtar, and I have a proposition for you...."
At the edge of Domino City, in a quiet murky room, a shadowy figure held up a cellular phone against his ear. It was transmitting a call. The sound of a muffled voice came on the other end of the line.
"Has there been progress?"
"Yes" said the shadowy figure in a monotonous tone.
"Have you found it?"
"Yes. It's here in Domino City, Japan"
"Very good. I'm on my way. See that you get it"
"Yes my master"
The line went dead.
A/N: And the plot thickens!!! The phone call scene was inspired by The Matrix, when Trinity talks to Cypher in the beginning of the movie. Also a note on the whole Egyptian language. Some of you may find it somewhat inaccurate, and yes it probably is. I've looked at Egyptian languages and tried to make sense of them, but as you can imagine it almost seems impossible to have a whole understanding of it. And also, I just used what I've learned about the Old Kingdom dynasty and how the language was changed over time.
This was probably the hardest chapter to write so far, next to Dealing with Duels....but I know the later chapters to come are going to be more tricky to write. Again thanks to those who reviewed, and those who don't review and just read it, thanks for reading, but I would love to hear from you too....yes I know you people do that, because I do that myself! hehehe ^_^
R/R!