Dawn of the Epoch

Chapter XIII - Waking the Dahjaat

“Now should we talk to Hongo?” Tiyana asked.

“Not if this is another trap. If it is a trap, then I’m not putting him or you or anyone else at risk. I’m going in alone.”

“Hunter, no. I’m going in with you.”

Hunter stared long and deep into Tiyana’s eyes. He stared until the tension became palpable. Tiyana met his gaze. She shook as she desperately willed him not to go. Then, she thought about what she wanted. She did not want him in danger. She knew he would not put anyone else in danger. She wanted to go with him. She finally turned her eyes aside and muttered, “Fine, you can go in first, but I’ll be right behind you.”

Hunter stared at her awhile longer and then began to protest, but as he opened his mouth he saw the look in her eyes and stopped. He started again, “Okay, but keep your distance.” He leaned in and kissed her.

She whispered into his ear, “Be careful, I’ll be watching your back.”

Hunter slowly crept into the hallway with Tiyana close behind him. They proceeded uneventfully through and into an octagonal room. This room, unlike the others, had no lights. As they emerged from the tunnel, a warm yellow glow sprung up around the edges of the room.

“Hunter, the candles…” Candles lined the walls. A gradient of shelves rose up thirty feet to the ceiling on all sides and every shelf had rows of candles adorning their length. As they crossed the threshold of the room, the first candle on the bottom to their left sparked and lit. The spark grew just large enough to ignite the immediately adjacent candle. When lit, that candle created a spark that lit the next candle. This domino effect rapidly illuminated the entire bottom shelf. Then the next shelf ignited. The bedazzled Prices watched as thirty rows of candles lighted in procession and illuminated the ancient sepulcher.

“Son of a gun… Tiyana, do you see what I see?”

“I see it, I see it… what is it?”

“Who is it?” Hunter corrected her.

Tiyana looked closer, “Is that a person?”

Hunter’s eyes widened, “That helmet! Tiyana, the upright squared ears, the flowing mane, the long drooping snout, that is the Typhonic beast.”

“Beast?” Tiyana asked.

“Yana, it’s the totem of Set, the Egyptian god.” Hunter told her in awe.

“Is it a mask?” She asked.

“I think so.” Hunter replied.

“It looks so lifelike.” She said.

In the center of the octagon lay a display case similar to the one that they had found back in the lair. A human figure rested stoically inside. Dark robes covered his lower body, and his head stood erect. The figure rested in a state of repose. The figure showed impeccable posture. His hands emerged from his robes. In one hand, he held a golden ankh. In the other he held a scepter.

“Son of a gun, that scepter with the drooping head on top and the forked bottom. Yana, that is called a ‘was’ scepter. It symbolizes control over chaos. It’s a sign of royalty or divinity.”

“He looks regal, I suppose.” Tiyana muttered.

“Tiyana, that might be Set.” Hunter said.

Tiyana said nothing at first. After a pause, she muttered, “it could be a caveman or a pharaoh. This is a burial chamber. He’s preserved, not alive.”

Hunter raised an eyebrow, “I’m not so sure about that.”

Tiyana sighed.

Hunter went on, “Well, it’s not a caveman. No caveman had more gold than King Midas.”