The Memory Painter

So the rumors were true, he thought. Hor-em-Akhet, the great Sphinx, sat above the Hall of Records, guarding its treasure.

They descended more stairs, burrowing further into the Earth. It made him wonder all the more at the divide between the keepers of the knowledge and the people.

Suddenly the stairs stopped. Thoth knew they had arrived, and as he stood on this hallowed ground, he began to understand the full extent of what the Guardians protected. Torches illuminated a chamber filled with thousands of scrolls stored in open wooden boxes. Ancient stone tablets had been mounted on one wall, alongside the most beautiful crystals he had ever seen. Even from where he stood, he could recognize the Sacred Symbols illuminated within them.

He looked up, marveling at it all. The shelves were so high that, even with the torchlight, the tops were shrouded in darkness. Another wall as tall as the Temple of Re illustrated the constellations in a carving that covered every inch of its stone. The intricate rendering showed countless galaxies, measured and notated with mathematical formulas.

“A true map of our heavens,” Hermese said.

Thoth turned and saw her sitting at a table made of limestone, her eyes numb. “I could not save the child,” she whispered. Thoth came and sat beside her, his own suffering forgotten. Ammon and Ma’at gave them a moment of privacy.

She could not bear to speak of it further and diverted his attention to the pyramid by explaining that its fall had been prophesized. “I never believed it would happen in my lifetime … that I would be the Guardian who failed.”

Thoth shook his head. “I am the one who failed you. I should have known what was in my brother’s heart.”

“He is but the hand of a greater enemy. The Elders knew the greed in men’s hearts. The bridge to all that we were is broken now.”

Thoth wanted to ease her agony, but he had no words to comfort her. He shifted his position—his wound had become unbearable.

Hermese saw the blood and gasped, “Ammon!”

Ammon materialized from the shadows and knelt beside them. He brought his hands together with a loud clap and rubbed his palms back and forth. When he placed his palms on Thoth’s chest, they felt hot to the touch and pulsated with unseen energy. Thoth winced. Ammon urged him to relax.