A/N- I am so sorry. While working on the first version of this story, I dug a little/lot more into research about ancient Egypt. And I couldn't leave it how it was. Basically it is the same, but it has a much clearer and faster moving plot that won't develope into a cheasy bad magical oriented soap opera. Which, is what the previous version was. (Don't deny it). It was what it was because I basically went with the flow...bad thing to do...for me anyways.
Adalis was only 9 when her family was killed. Having no where to go, she chopped off her hair and joined the Pharaoh's army. When she was fourteen, she was found out. But, the Pharaoh, already liking Adalis way too much to punish her, lets her stay in the Army. By 16, she was granted the honor of Kingship.
In Ancient Egypt, the Pharaoh was seen as the absolute Monarch-ruling over everything. Below him was the King, who controlled the military, this is what Adalis does. She is Ahkmenrah's most trusted asset. Below the King is the Vizier, who are sort of like Parliament.
In the legal system, the Pharaoh rules all cases, but for some more serious crimes, he can turn it over to the vizier. Which is what Ahkmenrah normally does.
Ahkmenrah has a league of Five generals, who are headed by Adalis. Three of them were taken in by Kahmunrah under the noses of the Pharaoh and the King. Kahmunrah also gains the trust of half the military and some less important foot soldiers. They start reaking havoc. Setting fire to cities, and killing off nobles. Making it seem as if the country is litterally falling apart under Ahkmenrah's rule. Adalis and a few mercenaries find out who is behind it and it starts a war.
This is where our story begins. After the first chapter it will be set in the museum. No worries. And I will not include flashbacks...those were getting confusing even for me.
My apologies about the change and super long Author's note. Please Enjoy.
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"Attention!" Adalis' voice cut through the chatter and rumble of weapons. All who stood with her turned to face her and squared their shoulders. She began pacing in front of the first line of soldiers.
"A line is drawn this day! One you will not regret crossing! I gaurantee you that if we pull through, this nation will fall into an age of undefined glory! Let our voices be heard over the mountain tops for generations to hear! And they will always know, what we have done for them! You will live to see a golden age, Men!
"I bid each and every one of you to stand, stand proud for all our ancestors have fought for!" She hoisted her long bow above her head and let out a battle cry that shook the ground. May all others be intimidated to breaking points she thought, lowering her arm and turning to her second. "Lead them to the battle field. Send the archers to me and I will place them were needed. Set fires to their arrows, we're going to burn Kahmunrah's army to ash."
The heat of the day wore down on each and every one of them as they worked, and the battle was far from starting. Adalis had slaves carry in as much water as they could from the nearest source to keep them hydrated as she set up the archer points and went over details with various generals. By night fall Kahmunrah's army had not shown, she suspected they would not until afternoon tomorrow.
Adalis joined the archers on the highest peak and looked over her army. She stood in a proud stance, feet shoulderlength apart and hands clasped behind her back as usual. Her quiver hung at her waist and her hair blew in front of her eyes. She lifted her chin and smiled. Brave men, she thought, may their souls be protected and may their hearts be with me.
Late that night Adalis had her men streak a barrier of oil along the other side of the field. All who crossed it would die, and if they lived, it would be easier to fight them. They would ignite the oil with the flaming arrows, it would give her men some sort of advantage.
A courrier rode out from the palace, carrying a note from the Pharaoh.
You know my instructions well, Adalis. I would never trust another with my men.
Should Kahmunrah be defeated, and I have utter confidence he will be, his trial will be turned over to the vizier. I know not who they will implicate but I can not fairly judge my own brother. Should the trial go badly for all parties, we must remember it is a greater sacrifice than we know.
Should I not see you again, Adalis... Adalis folded the letter and stuck it in her pocket. She could not properly fight with Ahkmenrah's words swimming around in her head, and she was not going to die. I am NOT going to die, she repeated. She watched as her men lit torches to light the night and pitted them in the dirt. Below her was a city of flames and shadows.
The next day the armies fought well into the night. Adalis stayed peaked with the archers, it was a hard thing to do, watch her men perish on the field.
The fire barrier burned brightly, she could feel it's heat from the peak. She had the archers send more flaming arrows down upon the armies. Hoping to light the clothes of the enemy on fire for what it was worth. But they soon ran out of flaming arrows and the smaller fires died out. She, along with her men, wiped the sweat from their brows and kept fighiting.
She raised her bow over and over again and commanded them to fire the arrows. But they were quickly running out of ammunition. Few of the archers had swords and spears on them, so she told the unarmed to stay there and led the others onto the field to join the ground battle.
The heat was upon them with malice, Adalis had felt the heat from the cliff, yes, but it was easily twenty times worse on the field. The men were dropping like flies, and not by sword stroke. She took on every opponent with the force of three fully grown men. She was quick to strike and slow to fail in her movements. A soldier approached her, sword pointed forward, hoping for a quick kill. She blocked his blow andforced his sword up above his head, holding it there while she unsheathed a dagger and forced it into his chest. Adalis then released her hold on his sword and pushed him down, moving on to the next set of wayward soldiers. It broke her heart to kill them, they were simply decieved.
Two young men gangged up on her, she ducked as they both struck out and kicked in their knees while they configured her movements. Then, standing up, she stabbed her blade through one heart, and threw her last dagger into another.
Time slowed down as the sun fell behind the horizon...with the last bits of sunlight Adalis set eyes on a figure immersed in shadow, above the opposing side of the field. Kahmunrah. Adalis sheathed her sword and dropped her quiver and bow as she began to run towards the cliff. The heat of the night bore down on her immensly, but she would have conversation with him.
"What do you want?" He asked, as Adalis walked up behind the fallen Noble. "An apology?"
"Your life, perhaps."
"You won't kill me. You and my brother enjoy the legal system too much to defy it." He was standing with his arms crossed, watching the scene below. Adalis went to stand beside him.
"When our forces defeat you, Kahmunrah, you will be tried and persecuted." She mentioned, fingering her blade.
"Look at them." He demanded, in a calm, almost bored tone. "Look how they fight, the little sheep. So willing to fight for leaders who promise them so little..."
"Your men fight for no promise, Kahmunrah. Ours fight for the promise of a future!"
"Hah. a future. Who are you to promise a future? Trust me, Dear Adalis. The Gods will do as they please, you can promise nothing. In the mean time all we can do is watch the little sheep fight each other." Adalis opened her mouth to speak, but decided against it. She could not tell if Kahmunrah was power-thirsty like he came off, or if he just enjoyed chaos.
No Adalis thought, We have more say in our lives than that. You'll see.She turned around and made to leave. "Why don't you stay?"
"Because I have a promise to fulfill"
The armies battled into the deep heat of the morning. The fire had burned out hours ago, it had run out of oil to burn, all that remained was the charred scent of sand and bones. Adalis wrinkled her nose and kept fighting. Kahmunrah's forces were giving out and Adalis was not surprised when they surrendered, without an order from Kahmunrah. Who had dissappeared sometime in the early morning.
She spared those who surrended their weapons and sent them home. Her men remained to seek out those who had simply passed out from the heat and sort them from the dead while she sent a courrier to Ahkmenrah, telling them of Kahmunrah's dissappearance to double security around the Pharaoh.
Again, She and her men worked well into the night, without rest or food. Once the survivors were found they set up camp to rest. They would head home tomorrow. Adalis mounted a fresh horse and headed home alone, leaving her second in charge of the men. With the wind of her speed blowing at her, Adalis didn't feel the normal heat. All she felt was her own exchaustion.
It was early morning when the stars were still bright that Adalis made it back to the palace. She dismounted her horse and handed it off to a stable hand, demanding it instantly be given water and given a bath. With that, she hurried up the palace steps, past the sentries, and up to her quarters where she quickly cleaned up and then demanded to see the Pharaoh. The guards agreed and she stepped into Ahkmenrah's work room.
"Adalis? What are you doing back?"
"Oh, did I beat the courrier?"
"Yes..."
"I'm pretty sure I told him double time...Okay then, Kahmunrah dissappeared from his perch sometime late last night. His men surrendered this morning, without order. So, I fear for their lives, and yours. When I leave here, I will have your security doubled and send out mercenaries to track down Kahmunrah."
"Very well, have the sentries outside send away your courrier out of precaution. Am I allowed to leave this room?"
"I am strongly against it, but you are allowed to do whatever you please..."
"Notify the vizier about all of this. We will go from there."
"Yes, My Lord." Adalis made to leave.
"Adalis?"
"Yes, My Lord?"
"Did you get my letter?" Adalis smiled, and patted her pocket.
"I did." She pushed open the door and went to fulfill the orders. The sentries nodded, the extra guards were set to patrol all entrances to Ahkmenrah's quarters, even the hidden ones, and what mercenaries were not at the battle field were sent out immediately. Adalis stayed up the rest of the night, pacing and quarreling over whether or not to read the rest of the letter. She would not sleep until her men returned. She did, however, sneak into the kitchen and steal some honey, like she used to do when she was a child.
Finally, she gave in and took the letter out of her pocket and unfolded it. She smiled to herself and immediately pulled off the war attire and slipped into a tunic, taking a back route into the Pharaoh's quarters. She nodded to the guards there and slipped inside. Ahkmenrah was pacing back and forth inside his bedroom.
"Quit your pacing. It makes the guards nervous." Ahkmenrah stopped moving and smiled at the female warrior.
"Shouldn't you be asleep?"
"Shouldn't you?"
"Don't answer a question with a question."
"I won't sleep until my men return, my Lord. They are still out there, if I can't be with them physically, I will be with them mentally."
"Have you eaten?"
"I stole some honey from the kitchen." She admitted, smiling to herself. Ahkmenrah chuckled, moving towards her and wrapping her small body in his arms. He never understood how she was such a wonderful soldier, she was so small.
"I have a feeling the vizier are not at all happy about this battle starting from within the Pharaoh's own family. When I told you I know not who they will implicate in the punsihment, I meant it. They could find us all guilty."
"They are not happy, you are right about that. And however it ends, Ahk, remember,you said it yourself, it is a sacrifice we must pay. But I doubt the vizier will implicate you, you have given them power they never dreamed of having. Under you they have a say in things, a say they have always wanted." He set his chin in her hair and sighed.
" If they are too power thirsty, my dear, I shall miss this feeling."
The next night the army made it's way into the palace and Adalis saw that they were all fed and had rest before she herself took part in it. The mercenaries sent back word that Kahmunrah had been found in an old farmer's house in one of the remaining cities. He was on his way back to the palace. Even with him captures Adalis kept security tight around the Pharaoh.
The trail took place three days later. Kahmunrah, The pharaoh, their two sisters, their mother, and Adalis were all found guilty. The vizier was angry that the source of the burning cities, dead nobles, and battle were all caused by drama within the royal family. They were all sentenced to death by drowning.