Setau's arms and legs hurt from climbing up the rope. His body was not used to that sort of physical exertion. Of course, carrying his own weight, plus that of the two bags of gold, jewels, and whatever else he could reach didn't help. The men's frantic yelling behind him didn't help. Guilt pricked at him as he thought of the men who used to call themselves his friends back in that black hole of a burial place. It gave him the creeps to think he could have been down there too. Trapping them in there was not a decision that came easily to him, despite what it may have seemed. It was something that he would live with until he was taken to the Afterlife, if he would even have that pleasure. As he hurried away from the tomb, he let the blackness seep around him like a cloak. The men's panicked cries for help became muffled as he worked his way by touch down the maze of dark corridors. As he hit a dead end he swore and began retracing his steps. Setau just hoped he could get out or his skeleton would be found with his former colleagues one day. Forgotten men on an obvious mission.
His back screamed at him due to the heavy weight of the heavy bags slung over his right shoulder. He was used to physical abuse from spending hours hunched over carving out images on stone in hot, stuffy tombs of the wealthy. He promised himself that life would be better - that he would no longer spend his life serving others, but instead have others wait on him. The tunnel wall ended and his eyes strained to see the entrance. Setau readied himself for any disagreeable business that he might have to perform in a few minutes. The others might believe him to be curt and a bit rude, but it was just that the hardships of life had built up to a point that he felt swamped by responsibility. Caring for his ailing parents and his own nagging wife and three greedy offspring was a strain that brought him to have little patience for childish adults like Meketre. Setau had nothing against Meketre, but what needed to be done had to be done. No matter how dirty the business.
The end of the tunnel and the outer chamber came into focus as small rays of moonlight lit them. Setau stopped in the chamber and dropped the two bags of treasure in one of the unlit corners. He took out a heavy staff from one of the bags and breathed in the air that was only slightly less stuffy than the air in the wretched tomb. There could be no witnesses to his crime. He would have to strike Meketre if he was seen to get away. He just hoped that if it did come to that, he did not kill the young man. Setau's soul was not fully
Setau carefully kept himself hidden in the shadows as he worked his way up the ramp. He held the staff in his hand, ready to strike. His eyes darted to the riverfront and the area around it. The boat was missing, meaning only one thing... Narmer and Meketre had not waited for him and left to get something to start a fire. Setau laughed. What kind of robbers were they? Awful ones if they came that poorly prepared.
Setau debated what to do. He was ready to strike those men to cover his tracks, but he didn't want to wait. The sun would be up soon, meaning that chance of discovery would be higher. He went back in to the chamber and took his bags. These would have to do for now, until he could come back. The problem would be Meketre and Namer. If they made it back in time to get the other men out, they would follow him, if they didn't there would always be tomorrow night. Just to be careful, he struggled to roll some of the medium sized rocks in front of the hole.
The question was what to do? Should he stay and camp out here to see if Meketre and Namer made it back? Should he leave? Setau looked around and debated his options. This area of land was not busy, but in two hours or so this area of river would be teaming with fishermen and commerce. Setau took the sacks around behind some of the large rocks and sat down to think about what to do. His stomach growled. He had not planned on this today, so he had no rations to make it. There was no choice, He had to leave the sacks hidden and get ready to leave. He just prayed they would be where he left them.
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What do you think Setau should do?
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AMENPNUFER: THE TOMB ROBBER
Historical FictionRobbing Pharaoh's tombs come with two possible outcomes - gold and curses. Amenpnufer and his gang are hoping for gold, but are willing to risk the curse. Breaking into a tomb full of traps and heavy stone barriers takes skill; especially when you...
