The Temple of Life Part 1

The group enter the ruins that were just previously below sand. "Little boy. How? W-what even?" Fathi asks desperately while rubbing his head and the angel smirks and whistles: "Don't be so surprised... you are making me blush." That shuts the man up and the six of them walk through the once luxurious temple. Anubis statues line the hallway as sand still leaks through the crevices of the building like water through a bad roof after a storm.

The others are at a loss of words, while Monica leads them further in. It is just natural. This kind of magic is even more incredible than the walking mummy. As the others are looking around in awe Monica snaps her fingers at the angel who is flying around in the open space of the hall. "You. I need your help. Do you have any idea where the artifact might be located?" The boy lands next to the Chinese man who is looking around nervously: “Just say the ankh! I feel so old when you say it like that. It’s in the crypt below us. In Osiris’ chamber! Yup! Uncle Osiris’ grave is here. He was a real big celebrity back in the day. Did you know?”

Nolan walks over to the staircase leading down and sees that it’s blocked off by sand. He motions to the rest and Monica and Connor join him: “We thought Osiris was a god to you. This is… interesting. What do you mean ‘a celebrity’? Did he perform miracles?” Monica asks Baya who is flying next to her. They reach the staircase and Connor sighs and starts heading back to the truck to get supplies.

“Yeah! He did! He had this super nice staff he could create life with!” Baya says with a bratty smirk on his angelic face. “Yes, the Djed. We are aware. And you said his brother, Set created the lotus crystal?” Nolan asks and Baya blushes while smiling: “Oh, and he also had the Djed, yes. The former staff was well liked by the girls I remember.” Nolan sighs as Monica doesn’t seem to get it.

Eventually, after Connor is back with the digging tools, the men start digging the path to the crypt beyond. The crypt where that ankh artifact is supposed to reside. The symbol of life, presumably capable of bringing the dead back to life.

A few hours later Connor is shoveling sand as Fathi and Zou are taking a break while Nolan is helping Monica uncover some objects inside the main hall. Fathi is also back to his normal jolly mood: "What do I call you? I never learned the correct word. Mr. and Mr. Tusk are Americans. Easy, haha! But what do I call you, Mr. Zou? Chinese? Why does it sound weird? China man?" Fathi asks Zou who is pouring sand out of his nice shoes.

"What? Call me Mr. Zou. That's good enough. And I am not from China! I'm from Hong Kong, you dumbass. Ugh. This country is making me lose it. I hear the heat kills brain cells! My intellect is my treasure, Fathi!" He kicks some sand and goes back to being grumpy. "Hong Kongese? No no no! It sounds so bad. You can call me Egyptian though, haha!" Fathi laughs so the whole room echoes which is followed by Zou's high pitched scream.

"AAAAAA!" The man jumps in the air with just one shoe on and throws the other in panic. "What the hell was that?" Monica hurries to the two taking a break and it's then that she and Fathi see the same. A scorpion had crawled out from under the sand. Its venomous stinger ready, it turns to the woman who gasps and takes a step back.