Children of Ra and Lah
The Pharaoh and his guards did not expect to be ambushed by ruffians. King Atem had assured his priests that no harm would come to him; his bodyguards were the best around. Though skeptical, they reluctantly complied. But Priestess Isis seemed to be hiding something. Mahado pestered her to tell him what it could be. Knowing that they would stop Atem, only after he left did she decide to give some information; and they were horrified. Isis had apparently known about the attack, but stated that in no way could it be avoided, and the king would survive. Also, this was an issue between gods, and mortals should not interfere. Seto pressed for more information, but Isis only smiled and told him to wait and see.
He lay quietly on the sand, gasping for breath and life. Atem's left side had been gravely maimed, and he feared blood loss would finish him off. Dead soldiers lay around him, and the horses had been taken, along with everything of value. He felt naked without the comforting weight of gold arm bands and jewelry, and his pride had been injured, also. His cape was missing, and his waist wrap was all that was left. The harsh sun beat down on his bare arms and muscular chest. He groaned in pain, and started to faint when he heard the crunch of sand to his right, and felt the tiniest of all cold breezes. Atem saw small feet in the corner of his eyes, and then everything faded to black.
Something was licking his face. The king opened his eyes and saw a huge jackal looking down at him. Its fur was sleek and pure black, and its large eyes were slanted and gleaming brightly. Atem stared up at it with half opened, glazed eyes. Surely he must be dead, and the embalming god Anubis was before him. The jackal's mouth seemed to be smiling. A sharp whistle, and it left his side, joining a short pale colored teen. His face was tired and child-like, and he was dressed in a Roman type, thin white robe. Tan sandals wrapped around his small feet, which were scratched and brown. A left-facing half moon pendant hung from a long rope around his neck. His hair was very similar to the pharaoh's. The teen smiled wearily and sat down on a small bench made of wood. He took a cup of water, and gave it to the king. Atem took it slowly, trying to ignore the fiery pain in his side. His resting bed felt like sheep's wool and cloth. The large jackal panted in the heat, and sat. Its eyes never left Atem. The king inspected the room. It was tiny, but felt cozy. The ceiling was made of a very heavy tarp, and the pharaoh wondered how this small boy could lift it. The walls were a mix of mud, medium sized stones, and wood chips. A door frame told Atem that there were two rooms; maybe it was a kitchen. There was mostly no furniture, except for several wooden chairs and a table. But there were many pots of all kinds in the farthest right corner, and there were also ritual and worshipping items stuck in some of them. A reddish rug was spread out in the middle of the floor, and an open window let in sunlight. The teen sadly watched a caged scarab beetle crawl around. Atem felt like he needed to say something.
"Um…thank you, for s-saving me…" he said weakly, getting his attention.
"No need, my lord. It's my pleasure to help you in any way I can." He said, closing his violet eyes and sighing.
"What is your name?" the pharaoh asked, wondering why the boy was acting so.
"….Yugi. I do believe your name is Atem, my king…?" the peasant said slowly. Atem stared at him.
"How did you know that?" he asked curiously. Yugi shrugged and smiled. He patted his black jackal's head.
"Anubis told me. I do believe he's taking a liking to you." He answered, and laughed at the pharaoh's confused expression. "I named him that. It seemed fitting. No, my lord, everyone in the country knows your face and name. Most people only see the large and changing things in life…..and never notice a small lunar flower in the desert of sun…." he drifted off, and earned a strange look from Atem. The king didn't know if Yugi was hinting at something meaningful or was spending too much time in the heat, the way he said it.
"Well, I am very thankful, er, Yugi. You saved my life. How can I repay you?" Atem questioned, relaxing a bit.
"No, no. People are meant to help each other. Does your wound seem painful?"
"Um, yes. But it will be fine once it heals up. So…where exactly am I?" the pharaoh wondered aloud. Yugi got up and the sunlight from the window shone on his brilliant and delicate features.
"My temporary home. Every five years or so I move in search of adventure and feeding grounds for my sheep. I'm a shepherd, and not much goes on in the desert, but it's the feeling…the feeling of freedom that I love so very much. It takes a while to build a small house like this, but work feels good. It lets me know that I'm accomplishing something." He replied brightly, and Atem couldn't help noticing the look of sheer joy on his rounded face. Anubis, the jackal, pulled on Yugi's robe with his teeth and whined softly. He shushed him and turned to walk out the entrance.
"My sheep need tending to. Tell Anubis if you need anything, and he'll get me. Till later, my king." Yugi said to him, and left. Atem was looking after him long after he was gone.