When We Were Gods

Chapter 3: A Follower of Ra

The smell of sodden linen and stale beer clung like a thick cloud in the midday air. The groans of mean and women came as each awoke from their previous drunken night, bellies full of alcohol and crocodile meat. The beaches were a-wash of limp bodies with their upturned bloated bellies to the cloudless sky, a sea of lazy, half-sober hippopotami. They awoke, one after the other, where they had fallen. Some were sprawled across others, while some lay half way up the beach, covered in sand that stuck to their damp linen clothing, making them part of the beach's landscape. A few lay with their bodies in the cool waters of the harbour or hung over the railing of walls and galleys.

Kakarott awoke with the sour smell of beer over his schenti and nursing a mild headache. Sorrowfully, he gathered himself up steadily, pulling with one hand on a wooden beam, while the other cradled his pounding head. He groaned with the effort of the energy needed to stand and the attempt in remembering what had happened to him that previous night. It was a while before he could stand on his own volition without the aid of the beam. He squinted in the bright light, scanning the beach. He finally found what he was looking for. Slowly, staggeringly, he weaved his way around the mass of passed-out bodies, stepping on a few when he lost his balance sending semi-conscious groans out from the limp human outlines. He stopped in front of a rounded, bald man dressed in a long robe made from pure white linen.

"Holy brethren of Ra," he exclaimed as he fell heavily to his knees in dramatic display, clutching the bottom of the man's robe. The man turned to face the kneeling soldier, a smile crept across his face when he recognised the regimental uniform and the look of desperation on Kakarott's face.

"Are you a follower of Ra? Our divine God of Creation, the Head of the Pantheon and Creator of all you see before you?"

"Yes. Ra is great!" Kakarott responded as he saluted the sun with a thump from a clenched fist to his breastplate.

"Bak-her!" called the priest in approval. "What may a follower of the Divine Ra wish to ask upon a Holy worshipper? Blessing, perhaps? We do not often hear from soldiers. War can destroy a man's belief in the Pantheon, we will gladly absolve you of your past sins?"

"I pray for a vial of Shepen to soothe my head of ill djinn in the Holy name of the Father, Ra, the Shepherd of our people?"

"Ra appointed the priesthood with the Red Shepen to comfort the pain of his kin. Thus, as you are a Son of Ra like I, the vial at my waist shall soothe and protect you from the evil djinn you say cause you ill."

"May you be truly rewarded by your kindness, Holy one." Kakarott took the small clay vial from the priest's open hand and drank deeply from its lip. The properties of the Shepen were at work in a short span of time. The throb in his head slowly died and became a mere shadow of its former self, a dull ache.

Walking back to the galley, Kakarott heard the rich, deep-throated laughter of a man. Looking about him he was met with the dark eyes of Vegeta standing atop the bridge of the galley.

"I saw what you did to the priest from the Temple of Ra!" he called down to the upturned face of his comrade.

Kakarott smiled broadly, "They are so gullible, they make it too easy."

"You think it wise to lie to the pantheon? I know that you are a Horus man, like myself. Not a man of Ra. I am surprised that during your lie to the Holy man that Ra didn't send Sekhmet to strike you down. Ra would surely send her to destroy your unholy soul," his tone was serious. Vegeta's scowl soon turned into a contented smirk and he let out a bellow of booming laughter.

"When Sekhmet arrives I want to be the first to know. Seeing you get thrashed by a Goddess would be a treat, even more sweeter the entertainment, if I could be invited to join in the beating of your sorry, lying hide."

Kakarott remained cheery as if all that his comrade had said was of no concern to him. His expression softened and he became solemn once Vegeta's laughter had subsided. Straightening up, he brushed aside the humour for the moment and went onto other pressing matters.

"What are we to do in the time we have in Thebes? Some of the men lost their swords overboard from the hunt, many arrows have been spent and the galley supplies have been exhausted." In response, Vegeta nodded his head as he considered each of the issues, a stern expression upon his face.

"We shall need more supplies, that is true." Vegeta thought aloud. "On my way back to the fleet, I met most of the Guards of Horus. I have immediately appointed Horem, Antef and Remu-tep to lead teams of twenty men each in preparing the supplies for the galleys. So that has been done."

"And what about restocking the weapons?" asked Kakarott inquisitively. He marvelled at the swiftness of his friend at times. Vegeta always seemed to have things under control before it was even thought to be an issue.

"As for the rest of them," Vegeta replied, "I will assemble an escort to negotiate artillery agreements with the Vizier. Rumour in Thebes has it that he knows of a master blacksmith."

"Shall I arrange a meeting for this afternoon?" inquired Kakarott.

"Make it as soon as possible, Kakarott, but for only you and I to meet with the Vizier. The escort can guard the passage to the room; I want no one to interrupt our negotiations. He can be a very parsimonious man. Clear?"

"Perfectly, Vegeta."

The pair strode off in opposite directions. Vegeta, approaching the streets of Thebes in search of the remaining entourage of the Guards of Horus, while Kakarott made for the Vizier's household in the western populace of the city, an air of importance in his stride.


More to come

Well, that's the end of chapter three. Please, enjoy the read.
For the people who might feel a little lost with all the new words and Egyptian lingo, I'll put a little note at the bottom of the chapter and describe to the best of my ability the meaning etc.

Schenti- a pleated kilt of linen. It was usually knotted at the waist.
Horus- one of the main dieties in upper and lower Egypt. Son of Osiris and Isis and God of the sky, he avenges Osiris's death by killing his brother, Seth.
Red Shepen- the word shepen or shepenen from the medical papyri of ancient Egypt refer to the poppy and opium poppy.
Ra / Amun-Ra- the creator god. A god of the sun andsky and worshipped throughout Egypt and the head of the pantheon (much like Zeus in Greek mythology).