The children looked into the hole in he wall. It's darkness flooded out and slithered across the floor toward their bare feet. Dust was still smeared along where Masika had been pulled. The water behind them seemed to stand still with anticipation. The very room seemed to hold its breath for the smiling girl and the wide-eyed boy.

Amumu took the torch from Masika, being careful not to let the flame falter.

"Alright," he said turning to her, "as soon as we go in here, I'm in charge. Okay?"

Masika nodded. The children slipped off their sandals. Amumu took a deep breath and kneeled down on the floor. Holding the torch before him, he used his other three limbs to push him forward. He could feel the cold of the hidden place fall on him. He shivered. He could actually feel the shadows pour over him as he crawled forward and away from the light. When he felt the last of the sunlight touch his dragging feet, he stood up and brushed the dust off his clothes.

Holding out the fire, he took a quick survey of the place. The walls were full of colorful hieroglyphics. The floor was a light orange color all around except for the red strip where Amumu had taken the dust off. There were vases, tapestries, and golden statues, big and small, of creatures he had never seen before. The room seemed to stretch on forever.

"Brother?" Masika called. She sounded nervous. It wasn't until he heard her that he realized what the scene must have looked like to her. He disappeared from sight and then she didn't hear anything.

"It's alright, sister," he called out to her. "It's safe."

A moment later, he could hear the sound of her shuffling through the hole. She stood up and coughed up some more dust. Amumu held the torch up to show her the room. She stood in silent awe.

She snatched the torch and ran over to the wall. She loved to look at wall paintings and these were exceptionally beautiful. The bright colors became even more brilliant as she wiped the dust away with her free hand.

Amumu was more interested in the statues though.

These creatures. Something about them called out to him. He picked up one of the smaller ones. It was heavier than he thought it would be. This wasn't an ordinary idol. This was solid gold, not hollow. The base was about the size of his hand and it stood a little over half a foot tall. This creature looked fierce. It's spiked back and thin arms were attached to a coarse body that reminded him of a snake's. It had its mouth wide open in an intimidating growl and its eyes shone green as the light played across the emerald chips in its head.

Masika moved along the wall, moving the light with her. It danced across one of the larger statues. Amumu was astounded by it.

He set the smaller one down on the ground. Now he stared upon a statue at least ten feet tall. The light wasn't close enough for him to see the whole thing.

"Sister! Let me have the fire!" he said impatiently. She turned away from the wall and saw the statue. She nearly dropped the torch. Amumu snatched it. He held it up to the statue's darkened face.

The light revealed the shadowy face of a woman. But this was like no woman they had ever seen before. She wore an odd hood over her long hair and strange clothes. They hung down her body looking bulky and heavy. She had a sash across her chest that held a cylinder full of sticks on her back. The sticks were thin with pointed triangles on the ends. She held one of them in a device that Amumu had never seen before. She had her right arm pulled back holding a golden thread that connected to the glistening staff she held in her outstretched left hand. There were blue and green jewels lining the staff's top and bottom. Her eyes were lined up with the stick, aimed over the children's heads.

"What is it brother?" Masika asked, not taking her eyes off the figure.

Amumu, jaw dropped, merely shook his head. He had no idea what she was, but she fascinated him.

"The… the fresh…" Masika finally said.

"What?" Amumu still stared at the statues concentrated stare.

"That what it says here. On the foot."

He turned his gaze down to the shoes that she wore. Big shoes that covered her feet entirely and went up to her shins. Not any sandals that Amumu had ever seen. On the place where her toes should be there was a small plaque. The hieroglyphics were dusty.

Amumu used his hand to wipe away the pile of dust and held the torch closer.

"Sister," he explained, "that's an o. And that's a-" He realized that he was teaching, not reading and took another look.

The Frost Archer

Amumu repeated the words aloud.

"What does it mean?"

"I don't know. Maybe it's her name. But I never heard of a queen Archer."

"Me either."

They turned their attention back to the statue. To Amumu, it seemed like she was looking at something. He followed her gaze behind them and dropped the torch.

Masika picked it back up to see what had frightened her brother. She held the light up and saw it. Across the room, there was a statue just as big as the first, except this one was no woman.

It was a creature like no other. It had sharp claws and big teeth that were bared in his open mouth. His eyes glowed as the fire hit the red jewels in them. Its mighty arms were thrust out and its chest looked like it was puffed out with muscle. It looked ready to scream out into the sky. It looked like the great god Anubis if he were wild. The gold statue was very detailed and showed that the creature was covered with hair from head to toe. It seemed to snarl back at the other statue.

It's plaque read Blood Hunter.

Amumu stumbled back from the statues toward the other wall. There, the scene was complete. The woman and the beast were locked in an eternal stalemate. Each seemed ready to attack.

For a while, Amumu just stood and stared at the battle, fascinated by them. He suddenly wanted to know them. He didn't know why, but the idols seemed to call to him, as if they had been waiting here for him.

Masika went to the beast. She touched it, feeling the sharp curves of the fur under her sun kissed hand. She slid her hand down the front of it, feeling every point of the golden statue's hair. One of the points cut her hand.

"AHH!" she gasped. It echoed through the room. This broke Amumu's trance. He ran to her side. It was only a scratch, no blood.

"Don't touch anything else," he said. She nodded, nursing her hand a little. He turned toward the darkness ahead. He started walking.

They walked past the Frost Archer and down the long hallway. Masika stayed close as her brother lead on, walking faster and faster. Something was calling him. He could feel it.

As they walked, he noticed that the walls were lined with golden statues similar to the first one he had found. He noticed a few of the plaques in front of their stands.

Undead Champion

…

Curator of the Sands

…

…

Death Singer

…

Starchild

Amumu was at a full run now. Masika was having trouble keeping up.

Harbinger of Doom

…

Swift Scout

That was the last one he saw before he crashed into the wall. He fell back and shook his head. Masika caught up to him and helped him up. The torch faltered as it rolled toward the wall. Masika ran after it. It dropped into a canal just before the wall.

"NO!" she yelled. Amumu stared after her, unable to move. He was scared. In the matter of a second, he saw them getting trapped in the dark forever. He saw them trying to find their way out and dying in that room. He saw their parents looking for them and never being able to find them. But, after that second, those thoughts vanished.

Masika fell backwards and covered her face. Fire flared from the canal and shot through it and around the room. Its flames licked the sides of the floor and ran all the way to where they came in. Every wall was divinely painted and carved with radiant colors and patterns. He could now see the two battling statues from where he stood. It circled the two, lighting their bases with brilliant red light.

He turned back to the wall he had run into. It was now fully lit, allowing the children to see the full picture.

On the left, there was a big blue gem. It was the color of the clear blue sky. Around it were three identical smaller gems the same color as the first. Each of these were at the end of a pathway. The pathway was lined with blue jewel chips, lighting the path with a blue glow. Halfway up the paths, the gems changed from blue to purple. It curved toward the other side, creating a mirror of the beginning of the path. The right side matched the lefts design using purple gems in place of the blue. They shone the color of the queen's finest jewels. In between the paths, it was painted dark green. Scattered through the green, there were small chips the color of the setting sun. The fire gave them a special glow.

Amumu began slowly toward it. He appeared to do so without any expression or intention. He raised his hand toward the wall.

"Brother?" Masika called out. Amumu didn't stop.

"Brother, you'll hit the fire!" No response.

"STOP!"

The life came back into his face. He put his hand down and pulled away from the fire. He shook his head and tried to clear his head.

Masika looked worried. "Maybe we should go, big brother. We could come back another time."

He wanted to know more and he still felt the room calling to him, but he was beginning to scare himself a little. He thought for a while.

He finally nodded and they started back trough the now lit room. It was a long walk, and Amumu forced himself not to look at any more statues. The two slowed a little as they passed the battling statues. They found the block that had hidden this room for so long and began pushing it back toward the wall.

"We'll push it all the way through," Amumu explained, "and then we'll crawl out and push it back in." She nodded.

"What are we going to tell mommy and the pharaoh?"

Amumu had thought about this. "Nothing" he said defiantly. "This will be our secret. Our special place." He smiled. She smiled back.

"That's a good idea, big brother! It could be our hideout."

They finally reached the hole. This is where it was going to be scary. What if the block wouldn't push through all the way? Would they be trapped in here? Would they be able to pull it back in?

"Push hard." Amumu said. The two grunted as they gave the block a huge shove. It went through no problem. "You first."

Masika bent down and crawled through the hole. Amumu turned around and took one last look at the room. He would come back. He knew he would. He followed her out.

They put the block back into place. They moved the jars that they had blocked the hole with back to where they had gotten them. Everything looked normal again.

They began to leave.

"Oh!" Masika exclaimed, "I forgot my sandals. Wait for me." She ran back to where she had left her shoes on the ledge of the water.

Just as she was trying to stop, she slipped.

She fell into the water and sunk down to the bottom of the deep pool of fresh water. She screamed as she began to flail in the water, desperate for air.

"AMUMU!" She gargled half under the water.

In no time at all, he dove in. He was blind under the water and he was loosing air. He felt around for his baby sister.

He found her leg. He let go of his air so that he could sink down to the very bottom. Her motions slowed. She was getting tired.

Eyes still closed, Amumu struggled to find Masika in the water.

She was almost out air.

He found her legs and grabbed onto them. He crouched as best he could on the floor of the pool.

She has one chance, he thought.

With a great push, he sprang his legs straight against the floor. He pushed against his sister with all his might.

There was a shower of water as Masika flew out of the water and onto the ledge. She coughed and sputtered as she tried to breathe.

Amumu was trapped under the water. He had used everything he had to save his sister, and now he was left to take her place. He had no air, no strength, and no sight to help him.

He shed a single tear as sank into the water with a smile on his face.

Intermission!

Excuse me for a second. That was so sad! That has to be one of the most touching/ sad things I have ever written. I really hope you guys like it. I'm starting to tear up a little while I write this. BUT! The story is not over yet!

We now return to the story…

The pharaoh and his family hung their heads in sorrow. The prince's room was guarded while his body was tenderly cared for.

After the sun had moved halfway across the sky, the priests emerged from the room, carrying the new mummy in a wooden box. Incense was burned as the priests solemnly walked along with the procession. The Pharaoh took his place at the front of the crowd. Behind the coffin, all of the people who had attended Masika's introduction ceremony walked with bowed heads and tears in their eyes. Omari and his father were at the lead.

Masika and the queen walked beside them. Tears poured down her cheeks as she clung to her mother. In her hand, she clutched his ring. She had taken it off of him before the priests had come. She knew that it would be taken off of him to be mummified, so she had slid it off his finger to save it for him.

She decided to keep her word to her brother. Her last promise to him.

"This will be our secret. Our special place."

She hadn't told her parents about the room. She would never tell anyone about it. It was all she could do for him now

She had called for help as soon as she could speak, but that was already too late.

The rest had happened fast. There was a guard, a splash, and a struggle to get her brother out of the water. He was placed down on the floor as more guards came into the room. Masika didn't see the rest. She buried her face in her hands and wept.

The body was being taken to the grand pyramid of the greatest kings. He was going to be honored as a pharaoh and a hero.

They opened the door and proceeded into the darkness. The people waited outside as Amumu's family followed the priests in.

The priests put him down on the spot that they had designated for the young prince. They stood him upright and prepared for the next ceremony.

As they performed the opening of the mouth, the pharaoh held his daughter to him. She was now his only child, his soul heir. He thanked his son for his sacrifice asked him to watch over her in death as he had in life.

"You can say your goodbyes now, my king." The priest bowed his head down as he invited the pharaoh to say his goodbyes to his son.

He let Safiya go to him first, still holding Masika in his arms. She walked to her son.

"Amumu… my son…" she began to cry again, "please be safe now." She bent down in a low bow. Her tears fell to the floor. She straightened up and kissed her son's cloth covered forehead. She backed up.

The pharaoh passed his sobbing child to his wife. She embraced her, pulling her close.

One of the priests offered him the burial mask. He walked to the standing sarcophagus. He, the pharaoh himself, bent to his knee and placed a golden mask on the mummy before him. He bowed his head to his son.

He took a deep breath and stood up. He nodded to the priest. They began to close the sarcophagus.

"Wait!" Masika called through her tears. They stopped and stepped back from the prince. She pulled away from her mother and went to Amumu.

She stared into the painted eyes of the mask. "Brother? If you can hear me," her face was soaked through with tears, "thank you. Thank you so much, big brother."

She slipped the ring onto his finger. It was a tighter fit than normally, but she made sure it was right where it should be.

Shortly after that, Amumu was covered and the ceremonies were carried out until the end. The family left the tomb. The tomb was closed off. People said their last farewells to Amumu and wished him luck in the afterlife.

Amumu was left alone.

Over the years, Masika grew to be a wonderful leader. She was said to be one of the greatest rulers in all of Egypt. Her mother had another baby a few years later when Masika was just a little older than Amumu was.

She never forgot her brother or his love for the sunlight. She always demanded that she be able to see through all windows and she had Amumu's name carved into his chair on his favorite spot. Some nights, she could be heard sobbing to herself, or seen wiping a tear away as she walked through the halls. As an adult, she married Omari and they had a beautiful daughter. Masika named her Archer. Archer grew fond of sitting out in Amumu's chair at night and she could often be found there, fast asleep.

Masika never returned to the room behind the wall.

Meanwhile, as time passed, a faint glow began to appear in the dark pyramid.

Author's note:

Before any of you get upset with me, yes, I am aware I used another cliffhanger. I will be adding one last chapter. I really hope you enjoyed this. I actually cried writing this. I really hope you guys like it and that you will keep an eye out for the final chapter. Please review!

Kanagawa