Ahkmenrah: The Fourth King of the Fourth Kings

Chapter 7: Three Ways To Kill A King

"Another Pyramid?" He asked in monotone, but it was ironic really. You destroy a pyramid, you become head architect, you build another one. "Honestly Kahmun I expected better from you"

"But not just any pyramid brother. The biggest pyramid in all of Egypt. Imohotep named it The Pyramid of Giza. Did I mention that it will also be a tomb so we shall see the gods after we die."

"It's great and all but there is a slightly major problem. It's perfect for tomb robbers to get at."

"So your not that much of an idiot as I thought. But anyway" Kahmunrah took out another scroll "That Is state of the art technology to protect the tomb. False doors, arrows, snakes, scorpions, and if that doesn't kill you I've got a little surprise waiting at the end."

"Not bad Kahmun. Not bad at all."

"I just need to make sure that this plan doesn't land in the wrong hands." So he removed a brick from the wall and placed a scroll in it. "Ahk will promise you won't tell anyone"

"Who do you think I am? Khufu?"

Kahmunrah gave him a dead serious look. Ahkmenrah realised this foot long yellowed parchment meant a lot to Kahmunrah. It was the string that held him to the future, maybe even the afterlife. It was dreams and aspirations all rolled into one.

"Alright I promise" agreed Ahkmenrah.

Kahmunrah gave his rare beautiful winning smile. Then his face fell as if remembering something important. Then he looked at his brother in the eyes.

"What time is it?" He asked.

"Noon. I thought you'd know that by now."

"Good." His face perked up "Seknut would have lectured us for breaking promises"

"I'm confused. Please enlighten me Kahmun"

"Remember we promised to visit her today because her niece was coming to stay" supplied Kahmunrah as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Oh"

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They had to walk through the marketplace once again to visit Seknut. Suddenly Kahmunrah stopped sharply next to the pen and paper shop.

"Wait here. I need to get something"

Kahmunrah raced off ahead. Ahkmenrah stood there absent mindedly, whistling to himself. He whistled for quite a while until he got bored and started looking at the pen and paper at the store. There were many types of papyrus. Some pure white and some dark yellow. He kept shuffling through the different sheafs of papyrus until...

Crash!

He turned his head swiftly. A store a few meters away from him had fallen over. Three men clad in black leapt from the fallen the wreckage with a bag. Probably stuffed with the meagre things the person was selling. These bandits probably were very desperate, most likely on drugs. Their faces where hidden by black masks but their triumph was evident. Ahkmenrah wasn't surprised. He heard reports of robbery every day at the market place. As the robbers scrambled to wherever they were going an old woman had emerged from the wreckage. She had white hair with slivers of ebony showing through. She was sobbing. It was then when Ahkmenrah got an inkling of how much this shop meant to the old woman. It was enough to send him tearing down the marketplace after the robbers.

It took him only five seconds to catch up with them. The bandits had sensed him and took a sharp turn into an alleyway. Too late they realised it was a dead end. One cursed and all three turned around to face their opponent. Ahkmenrah and the three bandits sized each other up. The three bandits grinned beneath their masks. Sure Ahkmenrah was tall and well muscled but he didn't look like a fighter. And anyway there was three of them and only one of him. But as the saying goes looks aren't everything.