Giza

3,699 years since initial death
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The Earth is caving in.

The ageless walls were crumbling at last, ready to finally die after holding the roof upon its pillars of sand for longer than humanity's reign. The progression of time has assaulted this place for centuries, slowly but surely weakening its foundation. But these walls weren't about to collapse; not just yet.

Despite standing on the verge of utter destruction, an ancient cave was welcoming one final visitor. Within these very walls rested the mummified remains of an ancient dynasty long since forgotten by history.

All but one man still remembers. He walked inside with an illuminated torch in hand, giving his darkened appearance an orange glow as his black cloak became visible. His satchel was strapped around his shoulder, dangling by his side.

Inside this cave was an abyss of undisturbed darkness and spiderwebs, only to be awakened by his presence. There were once vases and assortments of pottery inside, as well as other family belongings these mummies once claimed in their possession. But after a thousand years of theft, this cave was robbed of almost everything.

The rock ceiling shook slightly, sending dust particles and sand to shower the man and the desert floor surrounding him. There wasn't much time to waste. He had to act fast.

Walking towards one mummy, he gently pushed it over. Right beneath the mummy, he found it. A damaged bow on the verge of snapping in half. Its once gold-colored edges and iron grip have long since deteriorated. History has not been kind to this bow.

But the same could not be said for the small object beside it. The miniature pyramid. A father's gift. A daughter's own fortune.

He gently dropped the pyramid inside his satchel. Then he held the bow and placed it on the ground beside him. He would come back for it later. Now came the reason for his arrival.

Using both of his hands, he slid them beneath the mummy. He showed extreme care, taking his time to make sure nothing breaks or snaps. Just as a parent would handle a toddler in their arms, he treated the mummy in the same manner.

Outside the cave was one camel waiting for the cloaked man and three wooden coffins. They were all rectangular in shape and contained a few hieroglyphics. Each coffin had a different word written on it. Furthermore, there was a wooden staff leaning against the camel's leg.

The sunlight forced him to squint his eyes. In his arms were the remains of the female mummy he had taken. Feeling her hardened skeletal remains underneath the wrapped linen caused him to shed a tear as he continued to walk forward.

He placed the mummy into the coffin that had the hieroglyphics spelling the word 'Daughter' in Arabic. It contained a few inscriptions including a leg and a feather. Before returning inside the cave, he took another second to stare at the mummy.

But then he heard it. The rumbling of the Earth.

Rapidly turning his head around, he noticed the collapse had finally begun. Removing his satchel and dropping it to the ground, he started running back towards the cave.

A chunk of rock above the cave rolled over, falling to the sand. It's a miracle this cave was still standing, but it wouldn't be long before it's entirely leveled. Once that happens, any history left behind will forever be concealed from the world.

He entered the cave in a hurry, rushing towards the bow he left on the ground. A portion of the ceiling had already begun to collapse, crashing beside him. Once the bow was in his grasp, he gently strapped it over his right shoulder.

There were two other mummies he wanted to rescue, primarily the one on the right side. Attempting to grab the body, he turned towards the exit and tried to walk. However, fate had another idea.

One falling rock scraped his left shoulder, causing him to stumble. The mummy slipped from his arms and tumbled to the ground.

Just before he could reach for her, a portion of the cave's ceiling crumbled apart. It landed directly over the mummy, crushing her in the process and permanently entrapping her.

He witnessed it all, and he placed a hand over his mouth as an overwhelming amount of shock struck him. A terrified gasp escaped his quivering lips and through the cracks between his fingers.

She was gone, and there was no way to save her.

Rising and taking a few steps back, he darted his eyes towards the third mummy he had wanted to bring out the cave. The deformed corpse of an unidentified man. Whoever he was, he was important enough to be buried alongside a family the cloaked man has loved longer than anyone could imagine.

The skeleton was far too damaged to be carried, as half of its bones were uncovered by any linen. Furthermore, there wasn't enough time.

He reached out with one hand, snatching the corpse's disfigured skull. Nothing stopped him from making a run for it. With the bow still strapped around his shoulder, he darted for the cave's opening. Several chunks of rocks fell atop of him, nearly causing him to fall again.

The forces of nature attempted to thwart his plan. Alas, it was futile when compared to the willingness and strength this man was able to portray, skipping past the sandstone and reaching the exit.

The rest of the cave followed. The world around him groaned loudly as the cave fell before his eyes, leveling itself with the Sahara. A cloud of dust fogged the area, engulfing him in sand and debris.

The cloaked man had to take a second to catch his breath, looking back at the cave that housed his close ancestors. With only a bow, a small pyramid, a wooden staff, a skull and the corpse of a young woman behind him; it was time to begin his embarkment.

To prove his dedication, his goal was to manually haul these mummies to their final destination. It would be a long and daunting journey to drag these coffins behind for miles across a humid desert. But there was no fear of death, and he certainly had all the time in the world to get it done.

However, with only one mummy secured, it seemed his journey would be shortened. There was no need to make a return trip to grab each coffin. As much as it hurt him, he would only need one.

With the daughter's coffin secured via rope, he reached for his staff and attached it to his back scabbard. Then, he began to tug and haul the coffin north by dragging it along with the rope.

The two other coffins were left behind to sit and wait outside the shattered cave for an eternity until they too would crumble. Maybe the man would return for them, or perhaps one day, a traveler will stumble across the scene and wonder why they were left behind. They can observe them, reading the word that said 'Beloved' on one coffin, and 'Stranger' on the other.

Below the sun's rays, the cloaked man continued his slow and heavy walk north. Hours passed by, and he never gave up. Step after step, breath after breath. Occasionally, he would rest for a moment and drink from a canteen stored in his satchel.

Along the way, his camel followed close by. He would glare at it, as if the camel was mocking him for suffering underneath the desert's heat. The camel looked at him, seemingly smiling. But he was not amused. Sure, he could have strapped the mummy atop the animal's hump and arrive shortly, but this was his mission.

Once he could see the pyramids in the horizon far away, he knew he was close. A small campsite featuring one tent and a scramble of logs was spotted eventually, marking his destination. Around him was nothing but a massive field of desert sand. For as far as the eye could see, he was surrounded by nothing but a humid wasteland, aside from the distant pyramids.

He tugged the coffin a little further more, walking towards a log of wood erecting from the sand. Right in front of it was a large hole in the ground, the perfect size for at least three human bodies.

Setting the coffin the center of the hole, he untied it and tossed the rope away. He opened the lid and saw her figure again. It took him a moment to settle as he continued to stare into her. Finally, he reached for the bow and miniature pyramid. He set the bow atop her chest and the pyramid beside her head.

Then, he grabbed the disfigured skull from his satchel and observed it. The skull was clearly worn apart, covered in cracks and had darkened due to its age. He tried to remember any man that could have been close enough to his daughter, but nothing came to mind. What troubled him is that he's forgotten most of his past. After living for so long, he couldn't remember any names aside from the ones he loved the most.

The skull haunted him. There's a reason he named its coffin 'Stranger'. Because whoever this man was, he doesn't recognize him. That fact alone scared him.

Finally, he lowered the skull atop the mummy's feet. This is now the grave of the formidable warrior that followed in her father's footsteps to protect the ones she loved. If only she could see him now.

One last part remained, and he reached for his wooden staff. Clenching it tightly for a second, he placed it beside her. Then, the lid was sealed shut.

Afterwards, he returned with a shovel that was left inside the campsite. Once he took another moment to stare at her sarcophagus, he gripped his shovel. Then, he started shoveling the pile of sand atop the grave.

During each swing, he continued to watch her closely. He never blinked, constantly repeating his motions to fill the grave up. He covered the area surrounding her. It was supposed to contain all three mummies, but only one remains. As he began burying her now, he looked down. Suddenly, he developed a second thought.

He tossed the shovel aside and lowered himself into the grave. He opened the coffin's lid and reached inside. Once he grabbed his staff, he resealed the lid and returned back up. There are millions of things he'd willingly give to his child as a gift, but this staff must remain by his side.

Once that was settled, he finally buried her. But he still wasn't done here. There was one more task.

The last things he took from his campsite were a bow of his own and just one arrow.

Standing far back, he lined himself with the wooden log. He nocked his only arrow into his bow and tugged it back. With absolute steadiness, raised elbows, and a held breath; he was ready to take the shot.

That was until another tear shed from his eye. His hands shook, forcing him to lower his bow as he looked back with watery eyes.

Finally, he bit his lip and ignored the heartbreak. He lined his bow carefully once more, no longer hesitating.

He took the shot.

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