The Coded Papyrus: Aria & Liam, #1

By Coline Monsarrat

Courtnee Turner Hoyle for Readers' Favorite: "This book will grab readers within the first few pages. Coline Monsarrat has created the start of an epic series with glimpses into Egyptian society, including powerful riddles, and a heart-stopping adventure!"

They're just kids! How can they possibly save an entire civilization, foil their enemies, outsmart gods, and keep from strangling each other?

In a daring twist of fate, 13 years-old best friend Aria and Liam are catapulted back in time to a 3,000-year-old Egyptian kingdom.

While Aria embraces the thrill of ancient adventures alongside Asim, a local boy on a secret mission, and Atlas, a sagacious donkey, Liam struggles without modern comforts.

Their journey, far from a typical escapade, quickly escalates into a high-stakes quest. They must navigate treacherous challenges, from evading dangerous gods and divine creatures to solving life-or-death riddles, all to save Pharaoh Ramesses II's kingdom.

But as the fate of an ancient civilization hangs in the balance, they face an even greater dilemma: what will their success mean for the future, and how will they return to their own time?

This middle-grade action-packed adventure is full of twists and turns, humor mixed with frightening situations that will keep readers on the edge of their seats.

 

Aria & Liam is a series of standalone middle-grade books allowing young readers to enjoy each adventure in any order they wish.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Apicem Publishing
• Release date: Dec 10, 2022
• ISBN: 9781959814016

Book preview

Chapter 1

The Mysterious Cat

Mrs. Thompson’s classroom is so quiet that you can hear a fly buzzing around. Aria is done with the surprise test given by the teacher. Luckily for her, the questions are about her favorite part of history: Ancient Egypt. She has no doubt that she will get an excellent result, as always.

ARIA! screams Mrs. Thompson, whose square glasses fall on her hooked nose. Can you stop gesticulating like that? You're disturbing your classmates.

Aria stops moving immediately. She quickly looks at the classroom clock. It's only 9:30 a.m. She sighs. There are still 30 minutes to go before recess. Fortunately, her desk is the one that faces the window. She starts looking at the flowering trees in the playground. It is getting hotter and hotter, which means the end of the school year is coming. She is looking forward to another summer with Liam, away from Sommetville.

Aria was born and raised in Sommetville; she loves it here, but every year she looks forward to going to new places where adventures, and Liam, await. This year, her father has decided to take them to the sea. She cannot wait to go—even if she had to agree to be calm during this vacation so Liam wouldn't get cold feet. Unlike her, he hates breaking the rules and often finds himself unwillingly embroiled in her adventures. Because of their very different characters, they are known for fighting over small things. But they are also inseparable and form an explosive 13-year-old duo!

It started when they met at four years old. Aria was playing in the park next to her parent’s house. Despite her mother's strict orders, she had climbed a tree and found herself stuck on a branch, unable to climb down. She had called for help, and Liam, playing quietly on the ground, had heard her cries and gone to get help from his parents. He had been careful to explain that he had nothing to do with this; he didn't want to risk being punished. But to his great surprise, when he and his father had brought Aria back to her mother, she had not even scolded her. This episode was followed by many others, with Aria constantly finding herself in crazy situations, dragging Liam with her.

Aria can't help but fidget in her chair. Glancing at the clock, it now reads 9:35 a.m. Ugh, it’s only been five minutes, she thinks. Liam, sitting next to her, is quietly tapping her elbow. Aria turns her head in a fraction of a second, happy to have some distractions. He leans his head toward his copy to signal that he needs her help. The only rule Liam is willing to break is the one about copying at school. He doesn't call it cheating, by the way, but helping each other. He sees no point in wasting time learning about historical facts that happened thousands of years ago—nothing is more useless. He prefers to spend his time in computer classes where he learns to code, a subject that will be more helpful in the future. And why learn when your best friend is a giant encyclopedia? Besides, he knows Aria loves to share her knowledge.

Aria glances over at Mrs. Thompson. Her eyes are squinting at whatever paper she’s holding. Those big square glasses reinforce the length of her nose, giving her a witchy look. Her skin is wrinkled, and her gray hair is tied up in a bun, accentuating her austere physique. Sensing the right moment, Aria slides her test in Liam's direction. He reads as much information as possible in record time. Unfortunately for them, at this moment, Mrs. Thompson raises her eyes.

It doesn’t take long for Mrs. Thompson to figure out what is happening between the two. She lowers her glasses, staring at them. Aria gives a quick elbow to Liam. But for once, she is not fast enough.

I didn't ask you to do a group assignment, says Mrs. Thompson while getting up from her desk.

Uh... we didn’t… stammers Liam.

There's no problem, Liam, cuts in Mrs. Thompson. "If you want to work with Aria, I will give you the opportunity. After recess, we’ll listen to both of you present the life of Ramesses II and the end of the Egyptian Empire. I expect each of you to speak, of course."

Liam puts his head in his hands. His plan to use the break to beat his classmates at soccer falls through. Instead, he'll have to spend the precious 20 minutes listening to Aria speedily reciting the story of a pharaoh who died 3,000 years ago. If there's one thing Liam dreads most about school, it’s working in pairs with Aria. He loves her, but her enthusiasm for history-related things drives him crazy!

As for Aria, she smiles brightly. The idea of teaching Liam about the fascinating history of this kingdom puts her in a great mood.

Aria is already up and ready to go when the recess bell rings.

Hurry up, Liam, we have no time to lose! she exclaims with enthusiasm.

I can't wait… Liam mumbles sarcastically.

What?

Nothing, let's go.

The sun is already beating down when they enter the courtyard, announcing a scorching day. Aria walks toward the back of the yard to find some shade. Unfortunately, Liam does not even have time to sit down before Aria begins her presentation.

To summarize, Ramesses II is one of the most famous pharaohs in history. The reason is simple: the Egyptian civilization disappeared because of him. It’s a fascinating story!

Are you so sure about that…

So one day, continues Aria without getting distracted by his sarcasm, he decided to go to war against the Hittites, the enemies and neighbors of the Egyptians. Ramesses was a great warrior, so I think he must have felt he would win easily. Except he was betrayed by one of his relatives and got caught in a trap!

Okay… answers Liam without understanding his friend's enthusiasm.

No, but Liam, do you even realize!?

Yes, he lost, so what? He went to war and lost. He's not the first, is he?

No, but it's not just any war. It's the one in Qadesh. He didn't lose the war. He lost the whole Egyptian territory! Because of him, Egypt became Hittite, a violent and uncivilized nation. All the wonders of Egypt evaporated in an instant, phew!

Okay, okay, I see…

No, but— Aria suddenly stops talking. Her eyes are stuck on a cat at the back of the playground.

The cat stops moving to stare at her. After several seconds of eye batting, he makes a high-pitched, shrill meow before running across the soccer field without caring about the ball that brushes his head. Aria gets up quickly to go after him.

Come on Liam!

What are you doing now? It's crazy how you can't stand still for even a minute! says Liam while getting up reluctantly.

They quickly cross the courtyard to arrive in front of the school's dining hall.

Do you see him? asks Aria, slightly out of breath.

See what? Who? answers Liam who has been running without really knowing why.

The cat! You really aren’t observant, my dear Liam. You just follow me without even knowing why! says Aria laughing. So, if I throw myself from a bridge, are you gonna jump, too?

Believe me, if you throw yourself off a bridge, I won't jump. I will celebrate! answers Liam with a victorious smile.

Hahaha, very funny. I can see that drama class has taught you some jokes. I'm happy to know that I finally have some competition!

The sound of breaking glass coming from inside the dining hall interrupts the altercation between Aria and Liam. At this hour, no one should be inside. Aria rushes toward the entrance door before disappearing inside the building.

WOW! Liam hears from outside and without wasting a second, he runs inside after Aria.

Chapter 2

The Trap

Liam arrives inside to find a broken carafe on the floor.

Aria, you scared me! All this drama just for a broken carafe?

Look more carefully. There are traces of blood on the floor.

Liam leans over to get a closer look at the scene.

You're right.

You should think about getting some glasses.

Alright, let's get back to our topic, shall we? They don't look like footprints but rather animal tracks.

It must be the cat! It must have come in through the window, falling on the carafe on the table. Then, falling to the ground before injuring itself with the broken pieces! says Aria in a victorious tone, proud of her detective skills.

Well done, Sherlock Holmes! says Liam while applauding. Except that the window is closed…

Aria turns around to realize that Liam is right. But how to explain the paw prints on the floor?

A meow coming from the kitchen interrupts her thoughts. She cannot see the inside of the room. The clock reads 10:10 a.m., meaning that Mrs. Pudd, the school cook, should not be here yet.

Let's go look in the kitchen! We have to help this cat, says Aria while walking toward the room, careless about her teammate's opinion.

Come on, stop Aria! Don't you think we've already put ourselves in enough trouble today? Besides, retorts Liam ironically, we have to finish studying for our big history presentation.

We're not going to leave a wounded animal defenseless. I'm not forcing you to follow me. No problem if you want to continue your accelerated learning of Ramesses II. However, you'll have to find your history textbook because I won't help you!

Liam is stuck. Without Aria, it will be complicated. He doesn't even know where he placed his history textbook. Finally, after a few seconds of reflection, he chooses to follow Aria again. In any case, he knows that she will not be able to stop herself from talking during the presentation.

Okay, okay, I'm coming… answers Liam. But be careful not to be spotted by Mrs. Pudd. You know she hates us, ever since the spaghetti incident.

Aria laughs at the memory of the episode. It happened at the beginning of the school year. Mrs. Pudd was casually walking in the dining hall when she slipped. She landed butt-first on the floor, with her legs in the air. Unfortunately, she was carrying a plate of spaghetti. The contents of which splattered all over her face and hair. The students started to howl with laughter, transforming the quiet dining hall into a theater. Since that day, Mrs. Pudd cannot stand the sight of the students.

Don't worry, Mrs. Pudd must be gossiping with the gardener.

Aria and Liam slowly walk toward the kitchen. The room is entirely silent. Too focused on her mission, Aria does not see the bucket on the floor and trips. She falls violently, provoking an explosive noise.

Come on, Aria, can't you pay attention? says Liam while helping her get back on her feet. If we get caught, we'll get detention! I don't want to spend my weekend copying ‘I must respect the school rules’ 100 times. Remember that my parents are not as cool as your dad.

Aria rubs her hands together to avoid Liam's gaze. He's right. Her father rarely punishes her. Instead, when she does something stupid, he might get angry at first before relenting when he sees tears welling up in her eyes. Liam's parents are the opposite. For them, rules are rules, and any breach is severely punished.

Sorry… mumbles Aria.

The cat suddenly appears in front of Aria and Liam; its piercing black eyes gazing at