Ryu carefully walked across the loose sands, keeping an eye out for any creatures that lurked beyond the safety of the pyramid.  If this place was the same place he had encountered with Rika, then the creatures would be waiting for him and Mu just by the back of the pyramid.  

Thankfully he was closer to the entrance near the front so he kept himself close to the broken walls and pillars along the way, keeping Mu close to him.  She was keeping quiet as he maneuvered through the rubble.

After a few painstaking steps towards the entrance, Ryu was close enough to reach the base of the pyramid.  He glanced around again, scanning the area but couldn’t sense anything.  In fact, it was almost a bit too calm.  Like the stillness of a tomb.

A glance at the stat screen and it was continuing to break up.  He could make out the map between the interference but not much else.  

With one final glance over his shoulder, he held Mu close to him and made a run for the entrance.  He remembered to jump over the threshold, knowing there was a small trap there and skidded to a stop just a few feet past the entryway.

He glanced back again, making sure that nothing was following them when Mu poked her head through the neckline of his sweater and began to smile.

“What is it, Mu?”  Ryu kept his voice low and Mu thankfully didn’t bark.  She seemed happy so he carefully took her out from under his sweater and set her down.  Mu glanced down the hallway, sniffing at the air and looking back at him.  

“Do you sense something?”  Ryu tried to sniff the air but it just smelled like damp underground.  Before he could try anything else, she raised her little wings and sped down the hallway.

“Mu!”  Ryu frantically ran down, avoiding as much of the traps as he could remember.  Sliding under arrows that shot out of the walls, narrowly avoiding a large swinging blade and jumping over a pit filled with spikes, Ryu kept his gaze locked on Mu. She continued to speed down the hallway and swerving confidently through the maze before abruptly stopping before a large wall.

Ryu carefully stepped across the remaining space and faced the fall, noting the multiple lines of text carved into the stone.  At this moment, his stat screen re-focused and provided the translation.

Notice.

Script reads: Here lies the chamber of the most beloved of the Gods.  

There were several other lines about treasures and other items buried with whoever this person was but Ryu skipped to the last line.

Long live Pharaoh Hatshepsut.

Ryu recognized the name, being one of the only few female pharaohs when he was researching earlier but he recalled that she was not supposed to be buried in this tomb.  In fact, according to his memories, there should be any tombs in this pyramid.  He and Rika had uncovered a few useful tools and fought a few creatures but there was never any sign of a tomb.

Feeling unsettled by the change in this place against his memories, he paused to see if it was better to get back outside and wait for help after all.  

As if sensing his hesitation, Mu took a step forward and pressed her paw against a section of the wall.  There was a slight rumbling in the distance and the walls shook before it righted itself again.

Ryu cautiously waited but nothing happened.  He kneeled to see what Mu had touched when he felt something brush by behind him.  He quickly swivelled, readying a ball of energy in his hand when he came face to face with Zariah. She put a finger to her lips, gesturing to the hallway with her eyes.

Ryu focused and heard more rumbling in the corridors.  The ball of energy dispersed and Ryu raised his hands. Zariah patted Mu on the head and stood back up with Ryu.

“What is going on?”

“How did you get here?”

Ryu stood back.  “Sorry, you first.”

Zariah shook her head.  “I don’t know what’s going on but I woke up and heard you head down.  When I went to check in on you after you didn’t return, I saw your phone on the ground and the note.  So I used your phone to message the others, left it back on the ground and hopped into the portal to come find you.”

Ryu blinked, not sure he heard right.  “So you didn’t alert the others?”

Zariah shrugged. “I’m sure they’ll see the messages or at least see the suspicious looking portal in the middle of the zen garden.”  She glanced around.  “Is this another tower?  Strange that we din’t see an actual tower to enter this place.”  She was already scanning the wall, trying to find a clue.  “Don’t tell me the towers are evolving.  Kai would have a field day.”

Ryu resisted the urge to sigh.  Rika would have done the same thing and not given it a second thought.

Focusing on the issue at hand, Ryu gestured at the wall. “If you get past the fact that there wasn’t a tower at all, it still feels like we’re inside one.  But the strange thing is, I’ve been to this one before.  It’s part of the tower I was originally in.”

Her eyes widened but Ryu shook his head.  “But it’s not quite the same.”  He pointed to the hieroglyphics.  “This is a different pharaoh.”  He then gestured to Mu who was scratching at the same spot for the last few minutes.  “And Mu seems weirdly excited to get in here. She just bolted from the entrance straight to this spot.”

Zariah kneeled, examining the spot Mu was fixated on and noted the images.  It was of the Pharaoh speaking in front of several people, who were bowing down.  Her eyes flew to the image of the star above the Pharaoh who was glancing at it instead of the people below.

“Interesting.  A female pharaoh who acknowledged the stars.”

Ryu stood beside her, scanning the rest of the wall to note any differences or notes of the star and found another one in the top corner.  “Here, there’s another image of the Pharaoh and the star.”  

The Pharaoh was on a balcony this time and was pointing up at the star, almost like she was trying to grab it.  Or maybe even reach it.

Mu whined and Zariah picked her up to show her.  Mu reached out with her paw and touched the image. Unlike last time, the star was briefly outlined with a faint light before fading.  Ryu and Zariah froze, waiting for something to happen.

Sure enough, the wall began to tremble and shift, re-arranging itself to create a doorway.  Mu puffed up with pride, squirming out of Zariah’s arms to lead the way.

“Guess we just follow Mu and see where that gets us.”  

Once they went through the doorway, Ryu felt the same invisible wall of energy pass through him.  He turned to Zariah who didn’t seem she felt anything.  Seeing him pause, she touched his shoulder.  “Everything okay?”

“You didn’t feel that weird jolt of energy after we went through the doorway?”

Zariah shook her head, her eyes wide.  “Not at all.  I felt a bit of a breeze but that was it.” She shivered slightly.  Ryu realized just now that she was only wearing a light t-shirt and he offered her his hoodie.  She smiled gratefully and slipped into the sweater as they walked up ahead.

“I had the same feeling when I first entered the portal.  Did you feel anything different back then?”

Zariah shook her head again.  “I just entered the portal and ended up inside the pyramid.  I followed your tracks and ended up bumping into you.”

Ryu was becoming more concerned with everything happening but he tried to look reassuring.  “Let’s just focus on what’s in here and hopefully find a way out.”

They resumed their walking and after a few minutes following Mu down the winding but spacious hallway filled with softly lit torches, Ryu and Zariah found themselves in front of another door.  Mu pawed at the door, looking back at them expectantly.  Without a second thought, Zariah opened the door and they both entered the room.  The door promptly closed behind them but that was the least of their worries because what was before them wasn’t a tomb, but a warmly lit room instead.

“Whoa.”  Ryu felt the same way as they glanced around the ornate room containing a large canopy bed to their left, a lounge area to their right and a large balcony up ahead.  The balcony was half hidden by billowing curtains, slightly lifting with the soft breeze.

Mu barked happily, running straight towards the balcony.  To their surprise, a figure picked up Mu, who licked their face with happiness.

“Muga, where have you been? I have been looking everywhere for you.”

The curtains swirled softly as the figure walked back into the room, still holding Mu.  Dressed in ornate gold jewelry with a white silk gown and intricate tattoos across her arms, the figure glanced curiously at Ryu and Zariah.

“So Mu has brought visitors.  Welcome.”  The Pharaoh Hatshepsut greeted them.