Pharaoh

Curse of Anubis?

It was just smallpox.

The boy from the distant future thought so, but he didn't say what he thought.

This is ancient Egypt.

He reminded himself again.

However, when he saw the painful expression of his black-haired guard, he finally relented again.

"The golden chest has no power to help you."

In this era, smallpox is terminally ill, and he is also powerless.

"but……"

There is only one thing he can help.

He thought about it.

"Kaya, is there anything recognizable on her body?"

"...I once gave her a brass bracelet with my name engraved on it, and I think she should always wear it."

"I see."

"...Your Highness...Your Highness?"

Ignoring the surprise of the two guards, he turned around and strode towards the place of death.

Without hesitation.

"His Royal Highness!...that kind of place...that kind of place is definitely not allowed to go!"

Ceci's eyes suddenly widened, his face almost contorted.

"You will die!"

"His Royal Highness?... Please... please don't go in!"

Shocked, Ke Ya followed, and stretched out his hand to probe the opponent's back.

About to touch the opponent's hand and be opened by the opponent.

"Stay here and don't move," said the young man. "This is an order from the king of Egypt."

"Sisi, you too."

Ke Ya froze in place, he watched the not tall figure disappear into the darkness.

He covered his opened hands and lowered his eyelids.

Darkness hid his face in shadow.

He was silent, not saying a word.

After yelling as loudly as possible to no avail, Sisi could only pat his head anxiously.

He regretted it to death.

If I had known that I had come here, even if I offended Brother Wang...even if I knocked him unconscious, I would forcefully take him back!

He clearly knows...

No, it is well known to all Egyptians.

Once you enter that place of death, you will never be able to leave alive!

It will not die.

Touching a small circular scar on his bare left arm near his shoulder, the teenager thought.

I am afraid that in this world, he is the only person who will not be infected with the so-called curse.

He stepped into the gate of hell.

Valley of Sighs.

It is located in the deepest part of this huge mountain, where the sun cannot reach.

Naturally formed, such as a knife-cut narrow passage leading to the depths of the valley.

The two narrow peaks standing in front of the valley are like the gate of death erected.

a door.

One side is the world, and the other side is hell.

People cursed by Anubis will be sent to the depths of the Valley of Sighs to wait for death.

Every day, only one or two people who escaped death under the mercy of Anubis, the god of death, but became unrecognizable and ugly were given water and food, and the lives of those patients were prolonged obligatoryly.

The patients groaned in pain in the dark, lingering in the crumbling dilapidated huts.

real hell.

And she is in hell.

As far as he could see, there was a dim, thirsty throat that was almost on fire, and his body, which was hot and cold at times, was already weak and trembling uncontrollably.

There were many pustules all over her body, and she could almost smell the stench surrounding her.

With limp limbs, the thought of cleaning her body became a luxury.

She has seen someone with the same disease as herself, and she knows how ugly and disgusting that person died.

Myself...probably not much better.

Suddenly, the whole body seemed to be caught in a raging fire and burned.

She scratched her throat in pain, and the several pustules on the skin pressed by her fingers burst under her pressure, and viscous liquid flowed out.

...if only I could die sooner...

she thought painfully.

Suddenly, a warm hand reached out to support her head.

Her chapped lips touched the clear water.

Hunger and thirst made her devour this sweet spring, and her image became more and more terrifying.

She knew how ugly and terrifying she was at the moment, but the person who came to her side helped her clean up her dirty cheeks and messy long hair without any scruples.

Only people who suffer from the same disease as themselves dare to touch her.

As she thought so, her weakly raised hand gently grasped the warm hand.

Warm and delicate touch, that is the soft and smooth skin that people who have survived this curse-like disease cannot have.

She struggled to open her eyes, her near-blind eyes could only see a faint golden hue in the darkness.

Is it God...

she thinks.

A god who came to take away his soul...

she thought so.

Great.

If a god with such warm hands came to take her away, she wouldn't feel too scared even if it was death.

but……

one more thing...

One thing that has to be said...

Gentle God, thank you for giving me the last warmth before death, please, please listen to my last prayer...

...please let that person...

When 'Sob Ud' cast the first ray of light from the eastern sky, a thin figure came out from the darkness of the canyon of 'Death's Gate'.

Ke Ya, who was sitting blankly on the ground, suddenly raised his head, his eyes fixed on the figure emerging from the darkness without blinking.

On the other side, Sisi, who had kept his eyes closed and frowning, opened his eyes suddenly as if he sensed something. He hurriedly took a few steps in that direction, and then stopped hesitantly.

He looked at the figure that came out of the darkness of the shuddering Valley of Sighs, and there was a trace of fear in his eyes.

Can't get close.

Never get close.

It was rooted in the soul-deep fear rooted in the curse of Anubis.

As long as you are an Egyptian, you cannot restrain your trembling from the bottom of your heart, even Sisi, who is a warrior, is no exception.

The young man who walked out of the Valley of Sighs stopped. He stood at the entrance of the valley, half of his body hidden in the darkness, and looked towards the two of them.

The violet-hued pupils were brightened by the first rays of starlight before dawn.

Because it was so bright that people couldn't see the expression on the face under the half of the light.

He just stared at Ke Ya quietly.

He stood there, motionless.

Sisi hesitated and did not move.

Ke Ya was stunned for a long time, his eyes changed from dazed to clear, from struggling to firm, and finally, he focused on the young Wangdi.

Then, he took a step forward and walked towards the boy without fear.

He knelt gently at the feet of the young prince.

He raised his head.

The starlight of 'Sob Ud' fell from the sky on the boy's side cheeks, and also illuminated the depths of Ke Ya's pupils.

"His Royal Highness..."

He whispered softly, with a slight trill in his deep voice.

The boy let out a low sigh, then suddenly reached out and threw him something.

Ke Ya subconsciously raised his hand to catch what the boy threw to him.

It was a dirty brass bracelet, and on the outside, Egyptian characters were crookedly carved with knife notches.

Keya looked at it, at the few Egyptian characters, his name.

He knelt, as motionless as a wooden sculpture.

Only his slow, pulsating breathing showed that he was a living being.

Finally, he closed his eyes.

"I... am really a useless guy."

He said that the brass bracelet in his hand was curled up so tightly that his knuckles turned white.

"It's right in front of me, so close, but I'm standing here because of fear."

"She trusts me and relies on me..."

"But she didn't know that the elder brother she had always been proud of was just a bastard who didn't even have the courage to see her for the last time!"

"...'It's good that my brother didn't come to see me.'"

The young man who had been silently staring at Keya suddenly opened his mouth, but what he said were strange words.

No, that's not surprising.

Because what he said was not what he wanted to say.

"...'I've always been afraid that he would come here to see me, if he infects my brother with my disease...'"

"'Are you...the god of Egypt...?'...'Oh~ what a pity, if I can still see, I can see the face of God'...'Are you here to take me away?' ..."

"'If you are really a god of mercy...I beg you, let my brother forget my existence...'"

"'Hope he won't be hurt by my departure...'"

"That's the last thing the girl I found said to me."

The young man who repeated the last words said, "If I had followed her last wishes, I shouldn't have told you these words, because she didn't want to make you sad."

"However, I feel compelled to tell you these words."

"You are her only relative, and you have an obligation to accept and bear these painful words."

"At least I think so."

Ke Ya said nothing.

His eyes looked straight ahead, but didn't focus at all.

The fingers that clasped the copper ring were bleeding, but he didn't notice it.

"Your Highness, my inexplicable concern for you is strange to you, isn't it?"

"The object of my allegiance, and the one I want to protect with all my strength, should be the Pharaoh."

"Young brother who has no power and power... Yes, even if you want to offend the priest in order to get the golden cabinet... Actually, there are many things that I don't need to do at all."

"Maybe it's meaningless to say such things now, but I really want to protect you. I... don't want you to be hurt."

"Because they look alike."

The author has something to say: Note 1: Sirius was called "Sothis" in ancient Egypt, which means the star on the water.In the civilization of ancient Egypt, the flooding of the Nile River in the delta region occurred simultaneously with the rising of the sun and Sirius on the horizon. They set the time between the two occurrences of this phenomenon as a year, a total of 365 days.The length of the wolf year is 365.25 days, which is very close to today's precise number of 365.2422 days.This is the earliest solar calendar in human history and the ancestor of the current Gregorian calendar (also known as the Gregorian calendar).

Note 2: The earliest smallpox patient found so far is ancient Egypt. More than 3000 years ago, smallpox scars were seen on ancient Egyptian mummies.

Hmm... Everyone should know why AIBO is not afraid of smallpox, right?

But still wordy to explain.

In order to eradicate the smallpox virus, since the vaccination prevention method was invented, every country has stipulated that newborn children must be vaccinated against smallpox in infancy.Do you feel if there is a circular scar on your arm?That is the trace left by vaccination, which cannot be removed. (PS: However, the smallpox virus has been extinct decades ago, so some younger children do not need to be vaccinated)

Once vaccinated, you will naturally not get smallpox again.

That's why AIBO has no fear ==, but in the eyes of the ancient Egyptians, this is considered a miracle, far away.