Pharaoh’s Curse Pt. 06

"No, if she's willing to live like this for the next two weeks, so can I," Andrew said, peering over at his mother. Seeing how the three of them were all set to start their survey. "Glad you brought the extra batteries?" he asked, seeing their vehement nods to his answer.

"You know there is power in this tent," Ira uttered offhandedly.

"Does that mean there's running hot water in here too?" Carla asked to which Ira simply nodded.

"I did say I wanted you all to feel comfortable here," Ira said in a warm tone. "The fridge can conjure any type of drink you wish. These dish covers," gesturing to the four metal lids that sat in the center of the table in a neat row, "will create any type of food you wish while you're here. Just place the cover back on it, and the dish will return to the ether," he stated, showing them that he spoke the truth as he lifted up. Arching an eyebrow when a bear claw appeared on the small plate. "So, who's hungry?" Ira spoke with a friendly smile. Noting how Anta, with reddening cheeks, scurried up to the table and plucked the pastry off the plate. Ira watched how the three others were waiting with bated breath to ensure it wasn't a trick, that it was a real bear claw.

"Okay, this has to be the best one I've ever had," Anta moaned into her mouth as the almond filling exploded in her mouth.

"And those can make anything we want?" Carla asked, pointing at the metal covers.

"Yes," Ira nodded. "So you don't have to worry about cooking or cleaning while you're here."

"Okay, this might actually be fun?!" Alex spoke in an excited tone. She had worried about what they were going to do for food. "And you say there was running water in here, correct?"

"There is, doubt you all would want to go without a shower for two weeks."

"I know I don't, can't say about them," Andrew replied, jutting his thumb at the three of them.

"There's nothing wrong with a good sponge bath when you're out in a desert, Andrew," Alex huffed, crossing her arms below her breasts, causing them to bounce.

"Except when two hundred miles south there's a hotel with running water," Andrew retorted.

"Andy, are you going to be like this when we go back to Amkhakha temple^[25]?" Alex asked in a pouty tone.

"No, because then I'll be willingly in the desert, unlike last time. So would you rather continue talking or survey those pyramids before we lose any more daylight," Andrew uttered, nodding towards the flap of the tent.

"The sun doesn't set here," Ira chimed in.

"Come again?"

"You're in another dimension, basically, so you can understand. Everything in the air, on the ground or under it, I control. In this place, I am God, sorry Yahweh," Ira spoke with a quick glance up at the ceiling. "So the sun never sets, never rises either. It's always in that fixed position."

"And just who is this Yahweh?" Anta asked, wondering what more strangeness she was going to see being at Andrew's side.

"You would know him as Allah, God, Jehovah, just to name a few," Ira rattled off.

"And you speak to Allah?" Anta asked accusingly.

"Many a time," Ira nodded.

"I don't..."

"Whether you believe me or not, it doesn't matter to me," Ira cut her off as he held up his hand. "You don't live my life, you don't interact with cosmic beings, you've never been in my shoes and what I've dealt with up to this point in time. So just take my word for things. I have no reason to lie..."

"Except for that, you're a demon, aren't demons known to lie?" Carla snapped, coming to Anta's defense.

"Partial demon," Ira corrected. "But let's just table that for now, shall we?"

"Yeah, let's not get into a metaphysical fight with a being that can kill us with a thought, alright?" Andrew spoke, glaring at the three of them.

"Relax, I don't kill mortals... for the most part," Ira mused as he spun on his heel and headed for the flap. His demon was enjoying the fear that danced on the air.

******

Andrew felt a little uncomfortable standing beside Ira as he and his host watched his mother, Anta, and Carla set out to survey the first pyramid they saw upon arriving. Seeing how Anta was quickly writing down the measurements his mother was giving her with the rangefinder that he had bought while Carla was filming everything for documentation.

"So, what's it like being on a dig?" Ira asked, knowing if he was going to go to college, he would have to do fieldwork. Not that he minded, it was one of the few normal things he had left in his life.

"In Egypt?" Andrew mused as he peered over at Ira. "Hot. Sweaty. No indoor plumbing," he said, listing off things he hated about it.

"Yeah, kind of got that," Ira replied with a smile. "Meant if you take away all of that."

"Oh, well, it was okay, I guess if you don't mind being eaten alive by camel spiders."

"Andy, you know there were none at Amkhakha temple." Alex's voice was carried to them by the wind as she peered up at the tip of the pyramid with her rangefinder.

"Maybe, but in my head, they were everywhere?!" Andrew retorted. Recounting how they were chiseling the hardened sand out of the spaces of the door so they could open the closed portion of the temple complex and where he had fallen through the floor, where he thought a horde of those things would storm out once they got the door opened.

"Can you read any of that?" Ira asked, nodding to the hieroglyphics whose paint had yet to fade or oxide from the eons it's been trapped in Fourth Heaven.

"Yeah," Andrew muttered, his blue-green eyes ran down the face of the pyramid. It wasn't like he wanted to be able to read it. However, the sounds of the words just popped into his mind.

"Then Andrew, if you would, who built this pyramid?" Alex asked, turning to look at her son, as did her two students.

"Den^[26]." Was Andrew's only answer as his gaze was pulled to the pyramid to the right of him that sat behind Den's. He couldn't say why, yet something about it just called to him. Like a nagging feeling you've forgotten something and he knew that was going to irk him until he could suss it out.

"Den?! Really?" Alex's eyes lit up when the name reached her. Given how the Royal Canon of Turin^[27] so damaged that very little could be discerned about Den's reign, nor were there any vast amounts of artifacts to study from that time period.

"Yeah, his name is right there," Andrew said, pointing it out to them about six rows above her head.

"Carla..."

"Already on it, Professor," Carla replied from behind the camera as she slowly moved it from left to right to ensure that nothing was blurred. Knowing they probably wouldn't get another chance like this. Not when they were presented with a pristine monument from the year 3100 or so BC. Hearing Anta snapping off pictures with her camera that Alex pointed out to her so they could study the still photos in more detail.

"Andy, come here," Alex spoke, turning to her son and waving for him to join her. Her hand ran along his back when he neared her. "Go on, honey, touch history," she encouraged. Nodding when Andrew gave her that look. "Go on," Alex uttered once again. "What in the world...?!"

The moment his hand touched the limestone facing. Andrew was thrust back into his many, many past lives. Watching the hundreds of Pharaohs' memories playing out backwards. Seeing everyone who claimed the title Pharaoh, including the Hyksos, the Nubians, the Kush, the Libyans, Mitanni, Hatti, Assyria, Persians, and lastly, the Greeks. He had no idea why he felt revolted when the memories of Cleopatra flashed in his mind, nor did he want to find out either. If he had his own way, then the life and knowledge of every Pharaoh wouldn't be jammed packed into his brain. It wasn't until his mother pulled him away from the pyramid that his mind cleared.

"Honey, what did you just do?" Alex asked, eyeing her son, wondering what else was she in store for.

"What, huh?" Andrew uttered in a confused tone. He had no earthly idea what she was talking about.

"Here, I recorded it," Carla said, moving up to his side and rewound the footage back a few minutes.

Andrew's eyes grew wide when he noted how his body glowed and how the pyramid began to hum as well as radiating the same glow as he did. Taking a dry swallow when the capstone was glinting like mad as if a beam of light wanted to shoot skyward yet failed to do so due to whatever the cause was.

"You had that glow about you when you touched Cleopatra's Needle," Anta said, gently rubbing his back as he rubbed his temple.

"So by your reaction, you didn't do anything consciously, did you?" Alex asked in a scientific voice, all so she could come to an understanding of what her son's life had become.

"Kind of hard to do something when I don't even know how I did it in the first place," Andrew intoned. All the while ignoring how Ira was staring at him. Andrew's head shot up along with the other three when a small voice above them shouted out, 'Father!' Andrew felt his manhood starting to awaken when a raven-haired beauty came swooping down with what appeared to be a ten-year-old girl if little girls had jet black wings on their backs. Listening to the child's laughter as Ira spun her around while her wings kept her aloft before coming to settle against his chest. Feeling three pairs of hands covering his eyes, hiding how Cora^[28] passionately kissed her son when her feet touched the ground.

"The moment we were done with our lesson with her mother, she just couldn't help but take off to find you," Cora cooed in a sultry tone, her golden eyes lustered in the sunlight of his realm. "So naturally, I had to fly after her," she said in a loving tone as her nails lightly tickled Nanael's right side. Her smile grew at how quick Nanael was to laugh than to scowl.

"Did you now?" Ira uttered in a fatherly tone. "You knew I was inviting my guests here today and knew I wouldn't be able to see you after your lesson."

"But, but, I missed you," Nanael said in a small, cute voice as her tiny fingers plucked at Ira's shirt.

"I know you do, Nanael, but as you can see, I have guests, and it would be rude to ignore them," Ira stated, directing her view to Andrew and his companions.

"But, can't I stay with you?" Nanael asked in child-like innocence.

"As long as you promise to keep out of their way," Ira answered with a warm smile on his lips, chuckling when Nanael uttered a very quick 'Okay!'

"Ira, what are they doing here anyway?" Cora asked in a low whisper as she leaned into her son.

"Trying to solve the mystery as to why these are here and for what purpose," Ira spoke, gesturing to the pyramids.

"And they can help?" Cora asked, unaware of who Andrew, Alex, Carla, and Anta were.

"You remember when Alyda and I went on our date," Ira stated low, his thumb brushed along the back of Nanael's fingers as he held her hand. Smiling down at Nanael's beaming, smiling upturned face, knowing her sleep was coming soon and he wouldn't see her for a while. Only to be met with his adult daughter.

"And he's....?" Cora's voice trailed off when she gestured to Andrew.

"Mmmhmm, Mom, meet Andrew McCain," Ira introduced with a friendly gesture. "He's the one I told you about when he found that tomb in Gaza."

"Oh?! Right! But aren't Pharaoh's supposed to be taller?" Cora whispered behind her hand. Seeing how her son's female guests were fighting back their laughter.

"Awful judgmental for an angel," Andrew retorted.

"I'm not an angel, but thank you for the compliment. Allow me to introduce myself; I am Batya Zol, of Fourth Heaven, please your royal grace," hearing the snorts she was getting, "do forgive my attire, my son," slyly waving at Ira, "didn't tell me there was royalty here, or I would've worn something more formal for this event," Cora said in a teasing, flirtatious greeting as she extended her hand.

"Pharaoh Menes II," Andrew greeted, trying out his new title, ignoring the look on his mother's face as he did.

"Mmm... so you aren't a normal mortal, are you?" Cora asked with an alluring smile. Wondering if she could lure him into a shoot and sell it when his name gets out there. Shaking the thought from her mind, she couldn't do that to Ira's friend.

"You're sure he's your son?" Andrew asked, countering with his own flirt. The right corner of his lip forming into a smirk at the soft giggle that emanated from her.

"I'm very sure, and who are these with you?" Cora asked in a gesturing wave.

"Dr. Sanders, I was with Mr. McCain on a few of his expeditions."

"My son has told me a lot about your work over the last week or so," Cora greeted, hiding the fact they already knew they were mother and child. Shooting her son a smirk over her shoulder as she moved off to greet Anta and Carla wondering if they would want to make some extra money. Chuckling to herself when she saw how Alex slapped her son's arm. "Ira?!" Cora jumped in startlement when she felt a pinch on her ass, and he was the only one that would do such a thing. "But...." Pouting when Ira wagged his finger side to side, knowing what she was about to do. Her cheeks heated when Ira nodded for her to return to his side.

"Please, don't let us interfere with your work...." Ira began to say, only to hear Gabriella calling for him and Nanael to return. "Seems your mother is calling you. Come on, don't worry, not leaving you," he uttered in a fatherly tone. "I'll be back," Ira directed before his six wings unfurled and extended, as did Nanael's, who had gotten into the habit of mimicking her father. "You ready?" he asked, smiling down at his daughter.

"Mmmhmm," Nanael hummed as she nodded her head.

"Don't look at me like that?!" Andrew heard Cora's voice as they flew back to the plateau from which they had come from.

"Well... we knew this would be weird the moment we agreed to join Andrew. Son, next time when you get invited to a magical land, go easy with the supernatural bit," Alex teased, smiling warmly at her son as Andrew just rolled his eyes at her. "Let's get the rest of the survey over with and cataloged," she spoke in a teacherly voice as she peered back at her students.

As they worked, Alex kept an eye on her son as they filmed the pyramid to the left of them. Always noting how his gaze would always return to the pyramid next to the one they were filming. She didn't know what fascinated her son about the pyramid, nor did he know; it just did. Wondering if this was how he came upon the knowledge stored in his mind when he uncovered Akhenaten^[29] and Nefertiti^[30].

"Honey, you sure you're okay?" Alex asked when she noted how he had a troubled look on his face.

"Yeah, just can't shake the feeling that I'm forgetting something," Andrew muttered, scratching his head.

"And this pyramid does this to you, not anything else?" Alex asked for clarification.

"Mmmhmm, just that," Andrew nodded as he pointed at it.

"When you figure it out, I'll be here to listen and to help," Alex said in a loving voice as she rested her hand on Andrew's left shoulder. "How about we go visit one of those Atlantis ruins, huh?" A wide smile formed on her lips when her son turned his head to look at her.

"Wow. You won," Andrew said from around his mother, peering right at Anta.

"What?! Huh?" Alex muttered, confused.

"We had a bet to see who could guess how long you could go without uttering those words." Andrew grinned madly at his mother's groan and the way she rolled her eyes.

"I'll take my payment in the shower tonight," Anta said in a soft voice, brushing her ebony hair behind her ear as she and Carla went over the notes she's made.

"The usual place?" Anta felt her cheeks heating when that question reached her ears. Feeling her body awakening, recounting the way his mouth felt on her hot little peach.

"Of course, Andy, where else would you kiss your wife at, my Pharaoh?" Anta cooed in ancient Egyptian. She couldn't help it; she felt the corners of her mouth lifting as her eyes flickered over to Andrew. Her eyes glanced down when the phone in his pocket chirped.

"Okay, don't you think it's weird my phone works in another dimension?" Andrew asked as he pulled out his phone. A warm smile appeared on his lips at the sight of Wilma's text. "Even got full bars, who knew?!" he joked as he tapped on the link his stepmother had sent him. Hearing Anta and Carla scurrying over to him as his mother leaned on his shoulder. As the news anchors went hysterical as they showed satellite footage of Egypt and how all watched how Geb had changed Egypt forever. Not that the footage showed Geb reshaping the Earth; no, what Andrew suspected was they were simply freaking out as they watched perfectly stable ground collapsing. Then the inundation came, also listening to the news hosts trying to explain why water wasn't behaving like water should when the excess poured into the voids in Geb's wake. Yet all were thankful it happened in the inhabited areas of Egypt.

"Andrew, what did you do?" Carla asked once the video had stopped.

"You all wanted me to stop the flood. The water had to go somewhere and well..." Looking off to the side, wondering if they would believe him if he told them.

"And well what? Go on, finish that thought," Alex commanded in a motherly tone.

"Had to put my new capital somewhere," Andrew answered shyly.

"And the reason you couldn't use Memphis like all the other Pharaoh's?" Alex asked with an arched eyebrow.

"Too tainted, need a fresh start," Andrew stated, having no clue where that came from.

"And just what are you going to do with all of that?" Carla asked, gesturing to his phone when the video stopped on the image of the lake that had formed.

"Was thinking of making a historic living city to depict what life in that time was like," Andrew said, looking at his mother when she took his phone from him. Arching an eyebrow when he noted how her finger moved across the screen.

"Okay, but how were you going to do that?" Anta asked with a curious look.

"Alright, I'll admit I haven't thought of that yet, but have been working on it," Andrew spoke, reassuring them.

"It's going to be like Memphis and Saqqara," Alex stated, looking up and over at her son. Once her mind connected the dots, her eyes widened when Andrew nodded. "Tell me, son, did you happen to have a name for this new city and temple mount of yours?"

"NeoHierakonpolis^[31] and Djed^[32]," Andrew answered in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Really going back to the beginning, huh?" Alex teased when Hierakonpolis was one of the cities credited to Pharaoh Menes.

"Too late to get off the merry-go-round," Andrew retorted. "You're in it all the way now," he uttered in a diabolical voice.

"So this city, how historic are you trying to be?" Alex inquired; she had to oversee it, knowing it would keep her close to her son for a very long time.

"About 85-90 percent, can't have the people living in huts with no running water. So, Alexandria, am I interesting enough to get mummified now?" Andrew asked, shooting his mother a coy look, referring to their first encounter in eight years.

"Maybe," Alex drew out with a playful smile on her lips.

"Sorry about that," Ira apologized, reappearing into view.

"So you were saying something about ruins?" Alex asked, looking over at Ira, knowing her son needed a break.

"I did; come, it's just faster if we traveled like this. Otherwise, you'd spend most of your time just getting to the farthest one," Ira stated, waving them closer.

"I don't have to tell you how weird that is, right?" Andrew asked, seeing Carla dashing off towards their tent to get a new, fresh battery and a new clean memory card.