"Have you ever had a dream so vivid it felt real?"

Ahmed paused from his work, looking across the workbench to Thea. They had begun the arduous task of assembling Vase Two. After a moment of scrutiny, Ahmed dropped his eyes back to the task at hand.

"I think everyone has at one point or another. Why do you ask?"

Thea laughed. "I dreamed about Ankh again."

Ahmed rose his eyebrows but didn't look at her. "Oh?"

"Yes. it's strange," she said, pausing a moment to longingly stare off into space. "It's the third night in a row. Every time I dream, I can smell Egypt. The scent sticks in my nose for hours afterwards."

Ahmed lifted his eyes to her. "Have you been to my home country?"

"But of course," Thea replied mockingly, referring to their first encounter. Ahmed caught on and snorted in amusement. "I studied abroad there for a year."

"And?"

"It was the best year of my life. I want to live there."

Ahmed shrugged. "Perhaps one day you shall."

"You know," Thea replied, picking up her work again, "I've considered it."

"What's stopping you?"

Thea shot him an incredulous look. "A white American woman in Egypt, in the current political climate and the general instability of the region in general?" She snorted. "No thanks."

Ahmed looked prideful and hurt. "You would be safe, I assure you. Egypt has so much to give, rife with a beautiful, complicated culture, monuments of beauty, an epicenter of shared knowledge. The landscape itself is breathtaking--"

"I'm not arguing with you," Thea cut him off. "Clearly I am extremely passionate about the land and its history. Its beauty is worth preserving. It's not not a good fit for me personally."

Ahmed paused and looked at her evenly. Then he frowned. "That's a pity."

"It really is," Thea agreed.

The day proceeded wordlessly. They paused for lunch like they did every day. Thea was eager to get back to work; the section she was working on was coming together nicely, and she was getting lovely bits and pieces of hieroglyphs that were complete enough to read. Her optimism grew; perhaps this vase wasn't Humpty Dumpty after all. 

Thea's enthusiasm waned in the afternoon, however. She became alarmed, reading and re-reading what she had discovered. Finally, at around four PM, she stopped her work, gawking in disbelief. Thea was so stunned she thought she might be sick.

"Are you alright?"

Thea's large eyes flew up to look at Ahmed, who was staring at her intently. She swallowed thickly and looked back down.

"How good are you at reading hieroglyphs?" 

"I am proficient," Ahmed replied, sliding off his stool. Deep concern etched onto his face.

"Please take a look at this, and tell me what you think."

Ahmed came around the table, viewing the small section Thea had connected. Her heart thudded in her chest; she knew what she saw, but she wanted a second pair of eyes to confirm it.

"Our ancients believed in the power of words," Ahmed muttered, almost to himself, his brow furrowed. "They believed that words, especially written words, could affect reality. Such grim things such as death and disparity were rarely outright written. Things were often eluded to."

Thea tried to swallow but her mouth had gone dry. She knew all this, and his answer made her know where he was going with this. Thea was in serious risk of fainting. Unsteadily she clutched the table, hoping Ahmed wouldn't notice. He did.

"Are you alright, Thea? Please sit--you look like you've seen a ghost."

Thea stumbled into the stool. Ahmed rushed over to where her water bottle was and returned quickly to her. He was deeply concerned.

"Thea--what's wrong?"

"N-nothing," she lied. "I just didn't eat enough at lunch, I'm sorry. But please tell me what you make of what I've put together so far."

Ahmed's eyes fell to the vase. "Well...it sounds like King Ankhenaten Abasi Badru was murdered." 

~

When Thea opened her eyes, she found herself resting comfortably beneath a tree. Awakening like this, now for the fourth time, was no longer alarming. In fact, she had come to expect it.

Thea stood and brushed off her backside. A shadow blocked what little light fell on her eyes. Startled, she looked up with a smile. Thea expected to find Ankh standing before her; she was gravely mistaken.

A tall man stood in front of her. He was dressed in shining armor of gold and silver. On his head sat a white nemes, the broad hat that Pharaohs wore. This man, however, clearly was not one, instead being an intimidating infantryman. Thea gulped at his large sword.

"Might you be named Thea?" the militia man questioned.

Thea hesitated. "Yes."

The man smirked. "He said I might find you here. Come--the Pharaoh requests your company."

Thea blinked in surprise as the man turned his back to her and began to walk away. "He does?"

The guard paused, only brief enough to glance over his shoulder at her. "Yes--come. You do not wish to keep him waiting, do you?"

Thea rushed forward, nearly slipping in the sand. "Well of course not!"

The rest of the trek was in silence. Thea was amazed; she was led to a metropolis that had been lost in the sands of time. Everything was made of granite. Wonderfully constructed buildings flanked either side. There was a grand square which the entire area expanded outward from.

Everything was neat and orderly. The area was divided into blocks. Status were common; it was difficult for the archaeologist within her to keep walking, wanting to stop and study the breathtakingly beautiful bodies of stone. Some of them seemed mundane, while others, of course, bore the visage of various Gods and Goddesses.

At one point they passed a statue of Osiris. Osiris had been a personal favorite of Thea's; she had found his story heartbreakingly beautiful. There was even a time where she worshiped Osiris, as silly as it was. Seeing a lifelike statue of her patron tugged at her heart, and she vowed to ask Ankh to bring her back here to view it.

Near the back of the city was a huge structure. It clearly was where the Pharaoh resided. Thea's jaw dropped open as she was led inside. It was everything she could have imagined and more.

There were fires neatly contained to keep out the chilled desert air, which also provided dim light, pleasing to the eyes. Wonderful fragrances filled her nostrils, smelling of white lilies and heedy musk. It wasn't overpowering however, the scent sweetly snaking into her nose unintrusively.

Astonishing murals coated the sides of every wall. It spoke of greatness, the wonderful God-like Pharaoh Ankhenaten Abasi Badru. Thea wanted badly to stop, for it also told the story of his heritage. However, she was lead down the gold-lined halls swiftly.

Thea found herself standing in front of double-doors. Two more guards stood in front of it. Her escort bowed to them, and they returned the gesture. Thea wondered if she should bow, too, but before she could think on it further the doors were opened for her.

What greeted her eyes amazed her. She was in a room, filled with topiaries and plants. Torches were attached to the walls in between pillars that had been carved from the rock formations this entire building had been built in. The ceiling was vaulted, and Thea craned her head back to stare up in wonder.

In the middle of the room was a elongated table. Chairs were lined up, and it dawned on Thea this was a dinning room. The table itself was illuminated with candles, covered in a veritable feast. Cooked meats and fowl gave the entire chamber a fragrant aroma that made Thea immediately ravenous, while piles of fruits tantalized her eyes. Two great goblets sat next to large pictures.

Sitting at the very head of the table was Ankh himself. And as Thea began to hear her alarm go off, she shut her eyes and begged for one more minute. That minute didn't come though, and she slowly opened her eyes, disappointed to have her apartment walls greet her sight.