Disclaimer: I do not own "The Mummy". The background as well as the characters (beside my OC's) belong to Universal. I'm not making money with this, I just wright for fun. (And not so well that I could make money with it even if I tried...)
A/N: This is an experiment. I always wanted to wright a real adventure story, with clues and unexpected story turns. I'm still hopeful to accomplish that (the story isn't finished yet so it might work).
I'm sure I'm not the only one who watched "The Mummy" and instantly fell in love with Ardeth Bay (as my friend likes to call him the desert warrior) So of course he is the central figure in this story. (There aren't enough fics about him)
This fic will be part adventure (hopefully the good kind), romance (well yeah I can't help myself) drama (as in finishing this story) crime (probably my gramma) and history (I'm always anxious to get the historical facts rights)
So please give Ardeth and me a chance and bear in mind that I'm no native (and without a beta) I would be happy to hear what you think^^
Prologue one:
Thebes 1348 BC
The royal guard tried not to show the uneasiness he felt, while he listened to the Pharaoh's excited voice. The dark cloth that only left his eyes for everyone to see helped, but Sheshi was careful not to move a muscle or let his eyes flicker to the man he vowed to protect with his life. Never before had he felt less proud about his position. The current king was not only insane but also very dangerous due to his believes and schemes.
Six years ago Amenhotep IV ascended the throne and many things had changed in that short period of time. And not for the best. Other as his father Amenhotep III, who not only ruled Egypt with a strong hand and thoughtful mind but also honoured the great gods, as it was his duty, his son abandoned all traditional believes.
No longer was he known as Amenhotep IV but demanded to be called Akhnaton, to honour his one and only god, Aton. While his father was strong enough to restrain the power gaining priests of Aton, Akhnaton was all too willing to let them use him for their ploys.
The number of his enemies had risen with every year since his coronation and it would increase further if he proceed with his blasphemy. Even the simple people in the streets started to question his state of mind and with every temple and stature he destroyed to replace them with ones of Aton, he fuelled up a dangerous ire.
Other as the Pharaoh, the priests were not blind regarding the resentments of their people and feared them, rightfully so Sheshi thought. Most of them were without weapons but their number alone posed a great threat.
Atonepti, the highest ranking priest in Thebes, was doing his best to place the seed of fear inside the young Pharaoh's heart and quite successfully so from the sounds of it. But it was not his words which caused the uneasiness in Sheshi's chest, but the ones of his companion. The younger man had not been part of the royal court for long but his ambitions were well known among the guards, some of his brothers even feared that he would try to climb the throne himself. Sheshi did not believe those rumours but he wasn't stupid enough to underestimate the man.
After all it was him who suggested to use the Dreadful One to crush all of Aton's enemies to the Pharaoh and as insane as Akhnaton was, he started to take a shine to the idea.
The royal guard knew that he could not let that happen. His duty like that of every other warrior in the palace was towards their Pharaoh, but a long time ago the Great Queen Hatschepsut herself made the most allegiant of them swear a blood oath which overruled every other duty. And Sheshi had every intention to uphold that vow. He would have to talk to the others as soon as possible. Somehow they had to get their hands on the pendant and hide it well. Without it Akhnaton would not dare to follow through with the idea. He might be insane but he was not suicidal.
Hopefully one of his brothers would come up with a plan, otherwise Egypt would have to worry about more than just a blasphemous king.
TBC