Ki-ur Kakkabu

Chapter 43: Documenting the Discovery

"With our plan in place, who will write down these stories?" Themistonoe asked.

Ikkos nodded at Mnesarete, recognizing her fast writing skills. "She helped with the translation, so she knows all the details."

Dex grinned. "Her writing is faster than even a thought. We can trust her with this task."

Mnesarete blushed. "You're too kind, my friends, but I accept this honour humbly."

Dex spoke up. "Since you have such talent, you'll need supplies that match. I've brought fresh parchment, your favourite stylus, and the best ink." He presented the tools with a bow.

Mnesarete's eyes lit up. "I really appreciate your thoughtfulness, Dex. These supplies will be perfect for me."

Themistonoe placed a hand on Mnesarete's. "We trust you to tell our story. Your skills will make it a masterpiece."

"But remember to take care of yourself while you write," warned Ikkos. "Take breaks, and let us know if you need anything else."

With pen in hand, Mnesarete promised, "Don't worry; I'll pour all my care into creating a manuscript that will make you proud. Now rest, my friends, while I write down our adventures for future generations."

The others rested with supportive smiles, growing more confident in Mnesarete's abilities. Under the warm lamplight, Mnesarete began to write words that would light up the world.

"Poseidon's Fury: Solving the Mysteries of the Doomed Ship and Its Dark Secrets.

As you all know, the mystery of Poseidon's Fury has confused even the smartest scholars for hundreds of years..."

Mnesarete's nimble pen carefully recorded the mysteries that had initially brought their group together. She retold the story of the abandoned ship Poseidon's Fury, found at sea with a brutally killed crew many generations ago.

One witness to its last voyage, a sailor named Glaukos, was determined to uncover its fate. Exploring the remains of the ship, he found a scroll held in the cold hand of the captain.

Glaukos passed down this scroll through his family. Its last holder, Kyros, gave it to Themistonoe with a warning.

Anyone who saw what was written in the scroll went mad because the words had curses. However, the scroll had a sealed red cover, and you could catch a glimpse of a scary phrase: "Ki-ur Kakkabu."

Mnesarete then explained her research in the famous archives of Athens. She looked through the records of the doomed trip and found Captain Ahiram's diary. In the diary, Ahiram wrote about the day when a mysterious sailor asked for a ride. This man had a scroll and insisted on joining Ahiram's crew, but nobody knew who he really was.

Mnesarete connected what she found to the stories handed down in Ikkos' family. It turned out that the stranger in Ahiram's journal was Kalos, one of Ikkos' ancestors. People said Kalos found the scroll in the ruins of a fancy house in Milos.

To find answers, the group went to the Oracle of Delphi. The wise priestess there sent them to a hermit called Caravos in Delos. She said he had some related fragments about "Ki-ur Kakkabu."

When they met Caravos, he told them that the first fragment was from old Sumerian government records. These records talked about two villages, Nippurum and Lagashkum. Those villages had been destroyed and forgotten, just like the Poseidon's Fury's crew. Ashamshemesh's letter told them that he found the second fragment in Susa.

According to the fragment, King Mesannepada sent priests and scholars to investigate the villages weeks after they were discovered. They found lapis lazuli writing under a dead healer's body. They thought the stones were cursed, so they buried the writing under a special willow tree in Qadisiyya's marshes, which was called the Willow of Ishtar.