HOPE YOU ENJOY
PLEASE VOTE
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Once the half day off was finished, the Americans got to digging in the spot James had chosen out for them. Well, James mostly calling out the language that the servants spoke and left them to do all the work they've been paid to do.
Leaving him to stand above the entrance with his umbrella up to shield him from the burning son. Regris and Curtis somewhere below doing their while Antok stood on the top with James, mostly making sure he didn't fall over the edge since he was the brains in the partnership. They needed him to find all the lost treasure they've been promised.
But Antok interest had moved from his own group the other group that had set up their dig site a bit away from their own. He watched as Shiro was happily tying some long rope around one of the still standing pillars, whacking Varkon with the end of the rope for revenge of everything during his prison days. Varkon kept stepping away and Shiro simply released more rope to reach him with each swing.
Lance was walking over to something now that he wasn't being forced to help dig with Shiro into creating the hole they'd be using to jump down in the room below. Katie cleaning up an metal looking circle that started seeming rather shinny compared to when she first got to cleaning it.
"Do they know something we don't?" Antok finally asked, chewing a bit of gun to keep him distracted with something as they were stuck waiting for the worker's to finish digging out the entrance.
"They are led by a women. What does a women know?" James smugly stated as he glanced in the other group direction, pitying the three males stuck under Pidge control.
Meanwhile,
With the other group..
"That's the statue of Anubis. It's legs go deep underground. According to Bembridge scholars, we'll find a secret compartment there that'd be containing the golden Book of Amun-Ra" Katie explained all giggly as she stared at the statue that Shiro had chosen to be their fifth pair of hands by tying the rope to it to hold their weight as they go down the hole.
"Lance, you're meant to catch the sun with that" Katie quickly called out in an panic as she noticed he wasn't trying very hard to clean the ancient mirrors he was given.
Shiro awkwardly glancing to where Lance stood not too far from the hole, leaning the ancient mirror he was meant to be cleaning against an pillar that had fallen down and mostly ruined by age and the sand after all these years. Moving his gaze to Varkon who stood close to the hole, not actually trying to do any work himself and had mostly stood watching the other three by the statue of Anubis.
They were both busy enough to not get into Shiro own business making him drop the rope in the sand by the hole and scoop up a small tool kit before making his way over to the only women of their group. Seeming a bit of anxious and having to gulp a little when Katie raised her head, turning her gaze onto him once she noticed how close he's gotten.
"So .. urr, what are these old mirrors for?" Shiro asked, lifting his hand to point towards the current ancient mirror she'd just finished cleaning up.
"Ancient mirrors. It's an ancient Egyptian trick. I'm rather certain you'll like it once you see it" Katie grinned back, excitement in her eyes and she was actually looking forward to showing him the trick in person. The past few hours becoming rather difficult for her to not spoil anything or rant over the trick itself, making her keep a bit of a distance from him as they did their separate jobs.
Shiro just nodding, looking like a clueless and nervous puppy at the same time. Shifting between one foot and the other as he gripped the tool kit in his more dominate hand. Trying to find his voice as he shoved down his nerves all over again.
A little thankful that Katie went back to dusting off spider webs from the ancient mirror, expecting him to return to the hole they've made or do something else since they're conversation moments haven't always ended too well in the past.
Not noticing how both Varkon and Lance stopped what they were doing and just simply took to watching the train wreck before them. Neither had ever seen Shiro this much of a mess and while they'd love to laugh over it, it was mostly sad to see. A bit cringey too because Shiro did not act like a high school girl experience her first crush, he normally seemed more confident .. and now, he was a train wreck waiting to happen.
"Here, this is for you" Shiro finally found his voice, having to clear it a little as it was a bit raspy at first before he made it firmer. Holding the tool kit out to her as she lifted her head up in surprise once more.
Her gaze falling from his shy expression to his hand that still held out the kit to her. Swapping between the two points to stare at before smiling as she accepted the tool kit, taking it from his hand with care.
"Go ahead. It's something I borrowed off our American brethren" Shiro mumbled, nodding for her to have a better look at the kit and open it up a little.
"Borrowed?" Katie repeated with an amused look, lifting an curious eyebrow as she's learnt that many "borrowed" items seem to be stolen.
"I-I thought you might like it. You might need it .. for when you're .." Shiro tried explaining, walking backwards as he knew it was best to retreat before he makes a fool of himself. Lifting his hands to showing tool using actions as he wasn't sure what to call her work but showing he at least listened to her rambles over what she did.
"What are you looking at?" Shiro asked more threateningly as he finally turned round, finding Varkon staring at him rather amused and knowingly before simply raising his hands in surrender towards Shiro, acting like saw nothing.
Katie glancing down, untying the knot of the tool kit before unwrapping it and staring at the tools in surprise. They were used but still had many years left to be well loved and a decent amount of tools she'd normally need herself. She couldn't help the warm smile that filled her lips, thinking over how Shiro truly did put a lot of thought into this gift when "borrowing" it for her.
She's never really had something like this before, unsure how to express her thanks or if she should try speaking with him over it. She's never even been on a date, let alone been given a gift by a boy before. She didn't see the birthday or Christmas gifts that her brother, Lance or Coran got her counted as gifts from boys .. not in this meaning at least.
She was a bit stunned by it.
"Oi, look for bugs. I hate bugs" Varkon ordered out as Shiro already had a tight grip on the rope and was leaping down the hole before Katie had a chance to try and say anything or reject the gift itself.
"I may lend you my hate for five seconds to squeal into before it returns on my head" Lance simply told his sister to be with an knowing grin, nodding his head towards his hat left by feet.
Katie simply doing up the tool kit once more before picking up his hat for him. Burying her face inside and squealing a little, squealing like a bashful high school girl, for the first time in her life.
Lance chuckling as he's never felt prouder in his life to see such a sight before acting as if he never witnessed it once she passed her hat back to him and made for the hole herself. Shiro already lighting a torch for them to use before sticking it in the ground to help whoever came down after him.
She sat on t he edge, knowing she'd have to wiggle round to where the rope leaned on the side. Her tool kit tightly gripped in her hands as she didn't want to lose it or risk dropping it and breaking something by accident. Shiro stepped forward, moving the rope out of her reach as she went to grab it before holding his arms out for her to jump.
He gave no orders, just a trusting look and an charming smile. Even if she did think his ears burned a but red but than again, they've been under the sun all day and she knew not to look into it.
Jumping down with an joyful laugh, giggling more as Shiro easily caught her and spun round a little. Smirking a bit before gently placing her down close to where he left the torch. Calling up for the next person to climb down before he walked back towards Katie and picked up the torch.
Lance had warned him while they were digging that she wondered off when trying to learn something. She'd go into her own little world and explore by herself without realizing it making him know to keep an extra close eye on her. Ready to follow her about even if the other two had yet to climb down themselves, he wasn't leaving her to get lost alone in this cursed place.
"We're standing inside a room that no one has entered in over 3,000 years" Katie perked up in aww, wanting to just run about the room and take it in completely.
Lance whooping caught their attention instead as they looked over their shoulder to see him shaking his sore hands by the rope. His feet firmly on the ground once more and he gave a completely disgusted look.
"What is that God-awful stench?" Lance complained, looking a bit green in the face and ready to throw up from it.
Shiro and Katie sharing an confused look as they couldn't smell anything, well, nothing but the old smell that came with the room. They did lean closer, sniffing the air before sharing a look as nothing awful smacked their nostrils.
Lance standing up, stepping around a bit before turning as Varkon only reached the floor, nearly finishing climbing down the rope himself. And, that's when it smacked Lance in the face hard. A gag escaping his lips before he had to quickly run towards the others.
"Oh" Shiro breathed out, now understanding the scent that had turned Lance green since both he and Katie had been advoiding it like the plague once finding out Varkon still smelled worse than the prison.
"I think we should leave Varkon by the rope and give Lance a minute or two to .. breath fresh air again" Katie commented with a worried frown as Shiro simply nodded in agreement beside him.
Yelping as Katie took off without warning making him about to chase after her before staying put as she was still in eyesight and currently dusting one of those ancient mirrors from the webs. Turning it once she was done to catch the sunlight that was peeking in from the hole itself.
"And then there was light" Katie smugly spoke as the ancient mirror caught the direct sunlight before sending beams of lights to all the other ancient mirrors within the room itself. Soon, in the blink of an eye the whole room was lit up like someone turned the light switch on.
The other three standing in aww over it and Shiro wondered if they really needed the torch he held anymore before remembering not all the hallways and rooms would have the ancient mirrors. He best on keeping an hold of the torch a little bit longer after all.
"Hey, that is a neat trick" Shiro grinned back impressed, making Pidge just beam on the spot before hurrying back over to him, slowing down as she took in the room.
Hurrying over to different parts of the room, darting from one spot to the other as Shiro and Lance just watched her do it all. Feeling a little dizzy and wondering what got her so excited all of an sudden.
"My God. It's a Sah-Netjer" Katie squealed as she rushed over to Shiro, giving an ear to ear grin over the news.
"What?" Shiro asked completely in the dark over what she just said.
"A preparation room" Katie explained a little better, knowing most would at least understand what that meant.
"For what?" Shiro asked like an idiot making Katie lightly shake her head over him.
"For entering the afterlife" Katie grinned back in a spooky voice, wiggling her fingers at him like a ghost to add onto the effect. Laughing as Shiro simply pulled out his gun from his right armpit, ready to deal with anything that tries taking him to the afterlife.
"Mummies, my good son. This is where they made the mummies" Lance laughed back, an joyful look in his eyes as he was finding this room rather cool already.
"Don't worry, I won't let them turn you into an mummy" Katie smirked back cheekily, completely amused but how spooked Shiro was over the room now he knew what it was.