Khafra clenched his eyes, a terrible migraine falling upon him. He looked around perplexed, wondering why his surroundings were so dark.

He felt around and discovered he was in a tight enclosed space. He paused for a minute as if considering something before shaking his head. He went on assessing his environment, with a slight frown.

A slight brush of his hand catapulted the roof, revealing a proper room this time. The ‘roof’ was now firmly embedded in the ceiling of this room.

He stood up and used the scarlet light of his surroundings to finally see the shape of this unidentified object.

“a…a… sarcophagus?” he said, stuttering and now falling to his knees.

“Osiris why have you brought me back?” he asked in a tense voice, not expecting an answer.

Something on his chest started buzzing, he looked down and discovered a scarab shaped almandine amulet.

“Khepri?” he murmured and touched the amulet.

A rising sun filled his view, bringing him with it thousands of miles into the air. A buzzling city unfolded before his eyes, grand and full of life.

The sun finished rising and went back to nothingness. There was after that eight dawns, eight dusks, and not one more.

The city laid there deprived of sun, deprived of life.

He felt himself attracted to the east where the sun should rise once again.

Sweat and gasps escaped Khafra’s body, but his gaze remained steady.

His rest had come to an end, his kingdom needed its Pharaoh.

“first I will investigate the intruders on my land”.

~~~

Back at it with our gourmets.

The earthquake settled and the forest came back to life once again, all as if nothing ever happened. The only proof that something was out of the ordinary being their dishevelled state and the otherworldly sun.

Harriet couldn’t help giggling.

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And soon the giggling turned into a full-throated laughter and tears ran out of her eyes.

Ernest looked at her oddly before himself exploding.

They laid there laughing for a full minute before a booming but seemingly confused voice rang.

“have you finished with your buffoonery yet?”.

Ernest rose to his feet in an instant.

He almost glided in front of her and faced the newcomer.

In front of them stood a man. she was quite proud of her height, but this man made her feel like a child. He towered her by two whole heads and somehow, she felt that his lean muscles could crush her skull in an instant.

He was covered head to toe in jewels. Gold and silver were moulded into intricate shapes of fearsome animals she couldn’t name. Blue and green rubies made fierce eyes, which caused the scarlet amulet on his chest to stand up even more. When she saw it, she immediately looked up at the sun in the sky.

Stranger still, beneath those jewels were ivory silk bands wrapping his whole body aside from his feet, his hands, and his eyes. His hands and feet made her pause as they were earthy brown, something she had never seen before. His eyes were ebony black with sparkles of gold, as if even his iris sneered at the mere idea of looking poor.

On his head throned the mane of a lion, blue and gold, imposing its might on those who looked. She didn’t know that metals could be so lifelike.

Something else caught her eyes, a puddle had started forming just behind Ernest. At the centre of it stood Ernest’s artefact.

Her eyes widened.

“Gramps”, she whispered.

He seemed to flinch.

“look at your artefact gramps”

“not the moment Harriet”, he said without looking back.

“look at your artefact gramps!” she hissed.

Sensing her urgency, he slowly turned sideways to both see his artefact and the man.

He glanced at the puddle and then at the jewels the stranger was wearing.

He immediately dropped his fighting stance, faced the newcomer once again and bowed like a dignified butler.

“pardon my rudeness my lord, this humble servant is old and senile and did not recognise your grace.”

He raised his head once again.

The stranger appeared more relaxed.

“this is this humble one’s Mistress”, continued Ernest “lady Harriet of Ashwood”.

Harriet did not understand what Ernest was trying to achieve but she followed along and bowed.

“How may this one address your highness?”

“I am The Pharaoh of this land, protector of its people; and you may address me as such”.

“Now it is my turn to ask, why is a noblewoman like yourself lady Harriet intruding in my domain?”

“we... we”, stuttered Harriet before finding confidence in Ernest’s gaze, ” we came here to find water my lord. Pardon our rudeness but we were desperate and our means were limited.”

“We did not mean to offend you in any way”, Ernest and her bowed once again.

~~~

Khafra pondered on the situation for a moment.

He was quite irritated at their audacity but he also felt sincerity in their words.

“Your request for hospitality has been granted, for the moment at least”

“I shall provide you water and food upon my return and you will tell me your story and what you know of my kingdom”, he commanded before dismissing them with a wave of his hand.

They floated as his magic took hold, he smirked at their wild flailing before they disappeared in a flash of light.

He made himself float high above his territory, searching for any sign of his people to no avail.

He frowned when his personal mana dipped, expecting the ambient mana to be sufficient for the spell.

Seeing an animal, he cooked it then brought it home with his power making a dip in his mana once again.

“now I need to find water to purify” he murmured.