Chapter 4: into the Pyramid of Ra 12SEP20
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The climb and search to an archway:
Oni led the group as he walked down the wall. He was usually in the back, but for this he led the group. Mar’iya who usually led the group as they traveled took the position in the rear. Oni had no survival skills, but Mar’iya had learned from the tribe and Leo. He also had knowledge left behind, even as his memories were gone. He knew the Cult of Ra would try to follow them. He used scrub branched to brush the sand behind them, masking every step. He was making them all safe.
Oni led them until he found a low spot along the wall. They could take a short rest and plan their next move. David was the first to speak. He spoke in his condescending voice that was still trying to tell the group he did not trust them, “what’s the plan Oni?” it was what was on everyone’s mind, so Oni spoke in low tones to draw them in. Oni looked at the group, then the wall in both directions, “I am not sure. I just know that the temple is a trap left by Tiamat. It seems like the right way in. What do you do with the right way in?” he paused, “You make it impossible to defeat.” He looked at the walls again, “we will go under or over the wall.” Most of them shuck their heads. They were not yet apart of the new plan. Oni shifted back to the group, “let’s rest for now and worry about that is a little while. It will work out. Have hope.”
They rested waiting for the temple guards to find them and attack. They never came.
Naga stood up first. He wanted to move forward and was the least patient in the group. Oni watched as he scanned the wall in both directions. Oni stood to join him, “how are you doing my elven friend?” Naga smirked a little, “good.” Sora stood to join Oni and Naga, followed very closely by David. Mar’iya aware of the group did not join them. He was watching the sand for changes and dangers. Oni started to walk down the wall a little rubbing his hand along it. He looked up the to see the top so far away and shuck his head.
He found a small divot in the sand and stopped. He started to use magics to move the sand from the base of the wall. He was molding the earth to tunnel under the wall. Pain and nausea came over him. Oni was still sick, but this was not the poisons from his side, this was the wall fighting back. He stepped back. The nausea stopped. He watched as sand refilled his hole with unnatural speed. The wall was defending itself. Oni thought to himself, “damn you Tiamat. You want me to the use that temple, but I will not.” Oni called back to the group and Mar’iya, “well going under the wall is out.”
Oni looked up again. He used those same magics to make the wall a little rough up ten feet or so. He started to climb up. He fingers could find little holds and he was climbing. I reached for a new seam in the rocks. He missed and fell back to the ground. Oni was feeling slightly defeated and huffed, “Well climbing would be hard.” He scanned the group, “likely not possible for the rest of you.” He was being a little rude, but he had just fell off the wall.
Oni looked back to the sand. He was going over all the books he had read in his head. He thought about some army that had built a giant ramp to a mountain castle. He used the same magics to move sand near the wall. He would build a ramp. Oni was not thinking very clearly as even if this worked, they would not be able to go down the other side. That was not going to be an issue here either. The wall started to move the sand away from itself. Oni peered down the wall again. He thought to himself, “sure, that is why it is not covered in sand. Oni more defeated, “well a ramp will not work. Climbing it is.”
Oni pulled out the rope. He wished they could have purchased more. They really needed fifty feet for this to work. They had twenty. It would need to be enough. He moved the last two pitons into his belt so they would be easy to grab. He started to climb again. He used magics to make the wall slightly rough as he went. Using the rope and pitons he created a place to rest at two places up the wall. He stood on the second piton as he watched the lower on slowly being ejected from the wall itself. The wall was healing this two. He had about twenty feet left. He would need to do this last part without the rope. He moved his magics above him again. He knew a slip now could kill him.
He was glad that David helped him earlier. Just as Oni was about to start this second climb, David pulled him aside. He took Oni by the shoulder as he spoke, “I think I can improve your concentration as you climb. The two took hands and David started to speak words. The two men combined in meditation. As they finished Oni looked up the wall. He could now see every tiny flaw in the wall as giant hand and foot holds.
Oni finished the last section of the climb and pulled himself up on the wall. He could see into the complex for the first time. Hope moved through him. He had defeated Tiamat, but he had done it alone. Tiamat was still blocking his friends from joining him. He scanned the wall. He scanned the space between the pyramid and temple. He was looking for movement. In the dim light of night, he did not see any. He looked up to see the moon watching him once again. He knew Tiamat saw him now on this wall. Oni sneered at the moon as he thought, “fuck you.”
Oni yelled down the wall to the group, “I do not see anything special.”
Mar’iay: “do you see any movement?”
Oni: “no. The place is quiet. Much too quiet. I cannot see much under the moon.”
Mar’iya: “let’s get some sleep and look during the day”
Oni: “good idea. In the daylight I should be able to see”
The all rested. Oni alone on the wall, and the group below. As close as they were Oni felt alone, under the watchful eye of Tiamat. He tried to sleep but watched the moon most of the night. Within his own mind he felt safe in his thoughts. Oni smiled up. He wanted Tiamat to see him glorifying in her cold moon light. In his mind he cursed that creature of five. He wanted her dead. He drifted into gentle sleep as the night continued.
Oni and the sun rose at the same time. Oni heard the gentle hum from Herman. All three rose at the same time. He turned and draped his legs over the side of the wall. He sat basking in dawns early light. He started to meditate. He felt strong. His connection with the sun was so strong in the morning. He could feel the warmth wash over him. He looked up and saw the moon drop out of sight. He smiled again as he knew Tiamat could not watch him now. He was safe for the moment from Tiamat. Through the noise of his breathing he could hear the group breaking camp below him. He wanted to stay in the suns light for hours but had to start the day.
Oni, stood. He first brought his attention to the two opens, the one in the pyramid and the one in the temple. He looked for movement. The temple was clear. The pyramid had movement. His eyes were so good in the morning light. He could see two large horned beasts guarding the door. They were ready for them. Oni was not worried; he could feel the power that coursed through his body like the sun. His Ki was pulsing, it was so strong. He would worry about the beasts later.
He moved his new empowered sight down the wall. He moved it an inch at a time. He almost moved past it without see the arch. Herman changed his hum. It was now the joyful hum his mother Paulu had as a child. She had a tune she hummed while she gathered water. Water was both life and hope. This song gave hope as Herman’s wings hummed it. Oni eyes stopped on the arch in the wall. He could even see a trail up to it.
Oni pulled out a little dung for his little friend, “thank you my friend.” Herman walked out on his arm and grabbed the dung from his fingers. The tune on Herman hum amplified as he ate the dung. The song did not change, it was just louder. Oni hummed with his little friend. He closed his eyes again to draw in more light. Mar’iya broke Oni’s trance, “Hey.” Oni shock off the meditation and looked down at him. Mar’iya clasped his hands behind his back as he spoke this time, “Hey … Oni. Have you seen anything?” Oni smiled, “yep, there is an Archway in the rock wall about a 30-minute walk from here.
Oni padded his little friend as he started walk down the wall. He moved slow along the wall. He was trying to be careful. He did not want to be spotted. He finally made his way to a spot right above the arch. He looked over the side, “I am right over the arch. Do you see anything on your side?” Mar’iya and David started to examine the wall. They had the keenest eyes in the group. Oni thought to himself, “well right now I have the keenest eye.” While they searched the wall, Oni laid down on his stomach with his head stretched out as far as he could. He could not read the text on the arch.
Oni: “there is a script or sigils on the arch, but I cannot read them. do you see anything on your side?”
David nodded no.
Mar’iya pulled the dagger out of his clothes, showing it for the first time to the three. He started to use it to show differences in the wall. It was almost perfect, but the wall changed.
Mar’iya: “David, look here. The wall is ever so different. See how this wall is slightly different?”
David looked and could now see it.
David: “hold on, let me see if I can sense something.
David placed his hand on the wall. He closed his eyes. At first his lips moved but made no sound then sound came from his mouth.
David: “I see people running from the wall. They are dressed in fine clothes. The colors and symbols match the Cult of Ra. I hate cultist.”
The last few words came out in a different voice. A voice from the past. It was deep and had a gravel to it that David could never muster. Some force from the past moved through David as he spoke them. It was gone as he continued.
David: “The screams came from all sides, including the center. The wall just collapsed in around them. It healed itself in moments.”
Mar’iya: “Oni, can you read the text?”
Oni: “no. I am cannot see it.”
Naga: “Send your friend down to see it.”
Oni felt foolish as he should have thought of that, but he was new to this little buddy. He moved his arm over so he could look into his little beetle face. Mentally they connected. Oni wanted to make sure Herman felt safe heading down to the ground without him. He twitched his little antenna, changed his hum and started to move down Oni’s Arm. He headed down the wall. For him down made no difference. He hit the ground and walked about 20 feet. Oni sat down to look through his eye. He did not want to risk falling from up here. He closed his eyes and found himself looking through Herman’s eyes. He looked up to read the arch.
“The red stained hand of the blazing sun shall open this doorway.”
Oni knew how to open the door. Well he thought he knew how to open it. He had to climb down on the inside to do it. Herman walked back up the wall again. Oni looked over to the group, “I think I can open the door, but I will need to climb down on the inside.” Mar’iya with a lot of concern in his voice, “you will be by yourself.” Oni shot back with a sharp tone, “I know.” Mar’iya looked up again, “can you have you friend on this side. He can flap his body or something if you are in trouble.” Oni smirked, “Not sure what you could do if I was in trouble. But sure, he will shake all around if need be.” Oni thought about what David had said and yelled down, “If I open the door, run through. It might be short.”
Oni looked down the long side of the inner wall. He looked up to the sun and prayed a little, “please help me. I bring joy to the world.” Oni roughened the wall. He moved to drape his body over the side. He moved his hand to new a handhold but slipped. He watched the sky as he fell from the wall. Whole lifetimes went through his mind. He was not going to lose like they did. He was stronger. he looked up to the sun and cried out, “please help.”
He smashed into the ground and bounced. He felt his whole-body lift into the air a second time. When his body settled on the ground for the second time, he could not breath. He felt no pain, but he could not breath. He was not even sure he was alive. The sun’s rays found him and blasted him. His first breath came into his body. Oni knew that some force had saved him. He should have died in that fall, but some force connected to the sun brought life back into his body. He stumbled back up to his feet. His entire body hurt.
Oni moved up the wall where the Archway was located. He looked up and read it out loud, “The red stained hand of the blazing sun shall open this doorway.” Blood dripped down onto the sand at his feet. Blood was coming from cuts all over Oni’s body. He pulled up his hand to look at it and it was covered in his own blood. He looked up the sun, “Thank you, I think this will work.” He reached his hand up the wall and touched it.
Within seconds the space under the Archway was empty again. Bones that had be melded within the wall dropped to the ground. They hit hard but turned to dust the spang up from the ground below. Oni made eye contact with Mar’iya on the other side of the wall. His vision was still a blurry from his fall. He brain was a little shaken, but he yelled across, “run!” they all moved quickly through. Mar’iya moved through. His hands were clasped behind his back, and once again he moved as if he was floating. He looked at Oni as he walked through, “You look like Tiamat stepped on you my friend.” David was the last through the wall. The wall sealed shut right behind him. Part of clothes were caught. Mar’iya cut them loose with the dagger.
Oni wobbled a little, “fuck you.”
The group was reunited again. Naga came in and healed Oni. They quickly moved to be out of sight from the two entrances. The found a place on the one side of the pyramid. They were obscured from the temple opening and around the corner from the one in the pyramid. They were about as safe as they could be. Herman walked around the corner. Oni closed his eyes to look through his eyes once again. There they were. The two giant horned beasts guarding the door. This felt like a maze all of sudden. Were they the guards to a new path?
They moved up to attack the beasts. Naga created a wall. He moved it forward to hide group as they approached. This drew in one of them. In some crude form of common it said, “it not real.” They moved up as well. Oni charged in. Sora and David charged up with Oni. One of the beasts circled around Oni and charged Mar’iya, He flew ten feet in the air. It was just enough to send him over the side of the stairs and fell fifty feet. He hit with a thud. Naga ran to heal him. Oni finished off the first beast and ran to engage the second one. David joined him just as the beast grabbed Oni and leaped off the stairs. The creature landed between him and the ground. For a second time Oni was smashing into the ground. Somehow the light from the day protected him a second time. With very little breath Oni said, “thank you.”
They moved into the Pyramid.
Enter the Pyramid:
Just past the two horned guards they found another room with a statue of Ra. If this chamber was anything like the others, a secret chamber lay behind it. David and Mar’iya rushed to find the secret door. Just before this chamber were narrow halls leading off to the right and left. Naga went left. Oni could hear chanting coming from the right and went down to check it out. Both of the chambers to the right and left had a statue as well. They both likely have secret doors. Most of the statues look the same, the one of the right was different. Ra was holding a giant pan with fire within it. Oni pulled back to tell the group. Naga came back about the same time.
Oni spoke is whispers to make sure the chanters could not hear him, “there are is a priest down here and some worshipers.” Mar’iya was staring at the wall behind the statue and never turned his head, “how many?” Oni shock his head a little, “don’t know, did not count.” As if Mar’iya knew the answer he continued, “send your friend.” Oni moved his hand up to the wall and little Herman ran down the wall. Naga whispered from the other side, “another chamber down here and a statue.” Oni started to recite what he could see through Herman’s eyes as he saw them.
“Okay. There is a priest in here.” Mar’iya interrupted to poke fun at Oni, “we know that already. What else.” Oni was not loving this new expansion into their friendship, but he loved how it was changing Mar’iya. Oni continued, “right…… There are 12 worshipers. I do not see any real weapons. There is another statue of Ra in here. This statue looks different than the others. He is holding a pan of fire. There is writing on the wall. Looks like five sections” Oni read the first section.
“Several priests, upset to see their assets disappearing searched the east temple and they, too, disappeared. The temple became a most hallowed spot so that all who wished to give offerings came to that temple only. The priesthood then became unprofitable and doctrine had to be changed – trade turned to trick.”
He was about to start the next section when David’s voice came from the other side of the statue, “here is the secret door.” The group started to move through the secret door. Oni and Herman joined them without reading the other messages. They were all still hurt and needed some rest. David was the last one through the door and closed it behind the group.
There was a chamber again on the other side of the door. This one had another statue of Ra in it. Oni knew it must have another secret door. At this point he thought, they were not very secret. Hallways ran off to the right and left again. Water could be heard coming from the hall on the right. Oni asked Herman to go down head right. It ended in a round chamber that had water pouring out of the wall and fell many paces below them. Herman ran down the hall to the left. This one ended in another round chamber but without the waterfall. It looked like it might have had water at one time, but not today. Just before the left round room a little hall broke off to the left. Oni thought they should check it out, but David’s keen eye found the secret door behind the statue.
They moved through that door, down a hall and through a couple more secret doors. They found a double trapped chest. Oni was feeling this was a joke. Something was wrong here. They finally end in a room with a sarcophagus. It was cracked open and empty. There was a message on the lid. Mar’iya read the message aloud.
“here lies the true tomb of Amun-Re.
Know that ye have arrived too late
To plunder my ransom for heaven’s gate.”
Oni thought it was crap. As if Mar’iya was reading his mind spoke the words of Oni’s mind, “this is crap. This is a prop of a tomb. We are nowhere near his tomb.” Oni was surprised. He thought the group would be dejected a little by this thought, but everyone just moved on, including Oni. They fell back to the hall with the water chamber. Oni was the last to leave the tomb. He thought he could see it resetting itself. Nothing moved but, to him it looked slightly back together.
They went into the short hall Herman had found earlier. It had a small door that opened out into a chamber. This door was placed just behind a statue of Ra in this new chamber. As the group entered the room, Naga spoke, “this is the room I found earlier.” The group entered the room. Naga moved to the far side to watch the other entrance. Over the statue were six sections of writing. Oni could not read the first one but started to read the second one.
“That day did the river dry and the rain disappears. The arid sun burned into the land and everything withered from its gaze.”
Oni Started to read to second section next.
“The people, too, dried up and blew away like the grass that withered beneath their feet”
Mar’iya took over and read fourth, fifth, and last message.
“All now that remains is 1 who tend this temple, in the hopes that some soul might turn that terrible wrath of Amun re. I also sell trinkets to the tradesmen who come although lately sales have been low”
“The building of the pyramid was a colossal feat, especially in the bad years. The gold piece had been lowered in value so many times that the people began to wonder if there was any future in the gold pieces at all”
“The trade business died away after the first four years and now here I am, holding 12 cases of pyramid statues. Oh, for the days when a priest could earn an honest gold pieces.”