Chapter 2: A Meeting with the Pharaoh
Vazu emerged from the room an hour after Illana with Naru by his side and both walked along the halls towards the throne room. Naru wore an adorable teal dress with gold lining. She wore the best gold jewelry her parents bought her in hopes to make a good impression on the Pharaoh. Vazu glanced down at Naru. She was taking deep breaths and just staring into space in front of her. "Why are you nervous, Naru?"
"I'm not nervous." She looked into her father's eyes. "Well, maybe a little. I'm just afraid of this Pharaoh guy you and mommy keep talking about." A few kids ran passed and stopped to stare at her. Then they started pointing and laughing. Naru looked at the ground when they did this. You see, Naru has long teal hair and so she seemed very strange and unusual to other children and so, Naru was ashamed of it.
"Ignore the other children, Naru. They have yet to learn that it is what is on the inside of a person that makes them great."
"Why am I so different?" Her eyes started to water. They both stopped and Vazu kneeled down in front of her and put his hands on her shoulders.
"Difference makes someone special and more interesting." Naru starred at him in disbelief. Vazu sighed and looked around for a guard. "All right, for an example." He spots one. "See that guard over there?" Naru nodded. "Just imagine if everyone looked like him. It would be a very dull world. Your hair makes you unique and beautiful with the rest of your traits. Never let anyone tell you otherwise because they're wrong to laugh at your difference." Naru nodded again and Vazu stood and they continued to walk on.
Finally they came upon a large gold door with two guards standing next to it. The guards quickly glanced at Vazu and his daughter and moved aside. "The Pharaoh has been waiting for you, Priest Vazu," said one of them.
"Thank you, Lorek," Vazu said smiling and looked down at Naru. She was shaking. He gently took her hand and waited for a moment as the door opened for their arrival. Walking in, Naru gazed around the beautiful room. It was made out of pure gold just as the rest of the palace but the decorations were much more magnificent. In the middle back of the room were steps up to a throne. Standing on the steps were the Pharaoh's other Priests and Priestesses including Naru's mother.
On the left of the throne stood Illana with three other Priests. Their names were Sehka, Akunadin, and Kepura. Each wore a different tan cloak with gold embedded into it. As Naru stared at each of the three of them while she and her father walked closer she seemed to notice strange gold objects about the three Priests. "They're Millennium Items, Naru," Vazu said as if to read her mind. "The item around Sehka's neck is called the Millennium Necklace. It has the ability to read the future of the kingdom. In the middle is Akunadin, the Pharaoh's brother. His gold eye is called the Millennium Eye. With it he can read anyone's mind. Best be careful with any thoughts around him, Naru. The Final Priest on your left is Kepura. The item he wields is called the Millennium Ring. With it, he can read anyone's soul. It's quite useful in fights." They had reached half of the distance to the Pharaoh.
Naru's glance then went to the other three Priests that were on the right. They too had the strange gold objects called the Millennium Items. "On the right is Socmenton. The item he holds is the Millennium Rod. It has the power to control people's minds. I truly suggest you stay on his good side." He laughs a little. "Next is Shimon. He is the wielder of the Millennium Key which looks inside anyone's deepest and darkest thoughts, feelings, and intentions. To this he has been named the Pharaoh's son's mentor."
"The Pharaoh has a son?" Naru asked.
"Yes, two actually. His first son is the heir to the throne of Egypt. His name is Atem. His other son is named Sethos. I'm sure you'll meet them someday soon." He smiled to her. "The final Priest is Atenze. He holds the Millennium Scale which can read whether a person is good or evil. This is also called the person's ba." They finally reached the steps and walked up them.
Naru's eyes finally rested upon the man in the throne. Her eyes widened at the sight of him. She gazed also upon a gold upside-down pyramid around his neck. She guessed it had to be another Millennium Item. As her father kneeled down Naru followed but she kept her eyes on the Pharaoh. He too was staring at her. A strange expressionless face he had. He wore a long purple cloak also with gold embedded into it. A tan cloak lay underneath the first. A crown lay upon his head.
"Welcome, my friend," he said addressing Vazu. "You came on good tidings, this morning. I see also with a follower." He smiled as his gaze returned to Naru as did the gaze of the other Priests and Priestesses.
"Thank you, my Pharaoh," Vazu said to him and stood up with Naru. "I would like to present my daughter to the council. Her name is Naru."
"Ah… so this is the Naru you've told us so much about," the Pharaoh said standing up. "You may come closer, young lady." Naru looked at her father who nodded and she walked up another small set of stairs and stared up at the Pharaoh. The Pharaoh crouched down a little to Naru so he was eye level with her. He didn't wish to intimidate her for he could see in her eyes that she was afraid. "My friends… would you leave us please?" The Priests and Priestesses looked at each other then walked down the stairs and out of the room closing the door behind them. Illana and Vazu looking very interested as they left.
"Don't be afraid, Naru," he said quietly. "I'm not going to hurt you." He smiled and patted her head. Naru smiled cutely back at him, then all of a sudden, Naru's eyes glowed a strange shade of purple and the Pharaoh just stared at her puzzled. No where had he ever seen a child's eye glow such a color. "Naru? Can you hear me?" She did not respond. 'What is happening? This is quite strange.'
It was like that for a few minutes until all of a sudden her eyes widened. "Pharaoh, look out!" She dove at him and pushed him out of the way as an arrow soared just past them. Naru looked up from the ground at one of the balconies around the room as the culprit grabbed another arrow to shoot at the Pharaoh. "Oh no you don't!" Naru waved her hand up and the man glowed blue and was pulled down to their level then was flung across the room. The man dropped his bow and arrow and scrambled to his feet. He merely wore a turban on his head and a skirt.
"Guards!" Akunumkanon yelled and all of the priests and priestesses as well as the guards ran back in. "Seize that intruder." The guards grabbed the man.
"No! NO! I was so close!" The man was turned around to be gazed at by the Pharaoh, Naru, and the Priests and Priestesses. Naru's eyes returned to normal and she stared at the man. "YOU LITTLE BRAT! YOU'LL PAY FOR THIS!" He screamed glaring at Naru. The Priests stared in awe at Naru.
"Take him to the dungeon," Akunumkanon said to the guards in a calm way. The guards then quickly dragged out the screaming man and the room was dead silent.
"Brother, what happened?" Akunadin asked the Pharaoh.
Akunumkanon said nothing for a while. He was barely sure he even knew what happened moments ago. Did Naru read the future without the Millennium Necklace or did she just have well enough sensing abilities to know that there was danger? He glanced down at Naru who stared back just as confused as he was. "Naru… just saved my life."
"Naru, my Pharaoh?" Kepura asked. "How could this little child stop a full grown archer such as that one?"
"Naru, could you leave us for a moment please?" Akunumkanon asked her. Naru nodded and walked outside the door and closed it but leaned her ear on it. "I don't know how, but I'm pretty sure that Naru saw what was going to happen by reading the future."
"How can you be sure of that?" Illana asked him.
"I don't know. But I believe the gods have given your daughter a gift," he replied. "Sehka!" Sehka walked forward. "I want you to be her mentor. Guide her in all ways you can. Tomorrow her training on becoming a Priestess begins." He stood and the others nodded. "Oh, and Secmenton, look into who has been defiling the sacred scrolls will you?"