Author's Notes:
Please, please, please read and review! I would greatly appreciate it and it'll encourage me to continue! The story is unbeta-ed. Excuse the minor grammar and spelling errors please!
Once again, footnotes are at the bottom of each chapter. Previous terms are explained in past chapters. This story is AU, set in Ancient Egypt, and contains BL. Be forewarned! XD;
I will be calling the human counterpart of Aset as Iset. The name Aset will refer to the goddess. All the names of the Millennium Items will be from the Japanese manga and Japanese animation version of Yugioh. An example would be using Millennium Necklace as opposed to Millennium Tauk (Tauk is from the American dub/sub.)
Disclaimer: I do not own Yugioh or its characters.
" " Speaking outloud
\ \ Speaking telepathically
Harbinger of Calamity
Chapter 4 – Reminiscence of the Past
"He was supposed to be here by now. The journey should have only taken two fortnights to make, and yet now, even after the moon has gone by three times, he has still not arrived."
The king sat on his throne, eyeing his subject critically. He had summoned three months ago for his future High Priest and his cousin, Set, yet there was still no sign of his arrival.
"Yes, Hetep ni nisu! [1] It seems that they had left two moons ago from that place, but there have been no signs of where they have gone."
"Bring Iset here. She should know if something has happened. Go." The voice was authoritative and did not provide any room for disobedience.
The king's word was final, the orders he gave were the will of the god, Re-Harakhti [3].
A few moments later, the echoing of light footsteps could be heard, and Iset bowed low to the king before looking at him straight in the eye, her own face masked in indifference. It seemed as if she already knew what the king was going to ask of her, and she had come prepared to answer.
Atem nodded in silence at her, and she spoke, eyes slightly glazed as she articulated the visions that had come the night previous, as she had done countless times ever since she had acquired the Millennium Necklace two years ago.
"My king, I have seen many things happen in this short time that I have served under you. I have seen people live, die, start wars, conquer worlds, give their lives for a cause, and many others. However, the visions Re-Harakhti have given me last night were unlike any of other I have ever had. I did not see everything. It's as if something were trying to interfere with my power. My visions weren't clear, and the images were vague, but I believe I saw enough to know what has happened. I saw your intended High Priest bloodied and dying in the Red Sands with two men above him, weapons drawn and ready to give the final blow. I saw the escorts you have sent, nisu [2], get crushed gruesomely by these barbarians, who are undoubtedly thieves, hunting on the travelers who pass through the land of sand. And after that, I was not able to see anything else but the blood red Eye of Heru staring straight back at me."
Here, Iset stopped, keeping her head bowed low to the ground, so she would not have to see the king's expression.
She tried to keep her face blank as she delivered the news to the king. She knew Atem cared a lot for this Set, this supposed childhood friend who had been banished due to many misunderstandings on the council's part.
She had never met Set; the stories she had heard had been vague and whispered among the royalty in the past. But Iset had seen him in dreams, faint glimpses of a handsome somber-faced man with eyes the blazing blue of a cold flame.
And because of that, she understood. This was a man who had locked his soul in an emotionless husk.
The visions of Set were rare, as if the Eye of Heru did not want her to become too engrossed with the man. And although Iset was deeply loyal to Re-Harakhti, she couldn't help but be fascinated by what she saw of him. His slightly foreign features and unusual eyes of lapis lazuli [5] made him different from everyone else. She had seen him study from the miniscule collection of scrolls he had taken with him, eat, and even asleep. But the last time she saw him was him getting stabbed by a barbarian and his life's essence coming out in a stream. She had used her Eye once more to see him, but she could not come up with anything, which could only mean one thing.
She closed her eyes briefly, and dared not look up to see the king's expression. She had only known Set in her visions, but she could still feel the loss of someone that was important, especially to her King, who never failed to ask each day whether his High Priest had arrived at the palace yet.
Meanwhile, the king sat still, his face pale and drained of blood. His normally intense crimson eyes were shut in disbelief and grief for the cousin and friend he had loved despite their differences during their youth.
Set was not dead, he thought desperately. He could not be. Asar [6] would not just take him so easily when he had a whole future ahead of him.
Because although all the misfortunes that had befallen Set did not involve him, Atem couldn't help but feel regret for never trying to help him. Set must have felt betrayed by his father and by his supposed best friend and rival. And Atem lived every day of those five years in guilt for letting his cousin be defamed by the corruption of the council at that time. He had vowed he would bring his cousin and friend back into the arms and grace of Atum-Ra [9] as soon as he had the opportunity to do so.
His time of opportunity had come when his father, the late king, finally breathed his last, his soul passing the trials of Ma'at [4] and now residing with Asar.
Atem was now king, his word was now god, and his orders were not to be questioned. His will was the will of the gods, and he willed Set to be brought back to Iunu and take his intended place as High Priest, second only to him.
It had been so close. The orders had gone through, a handful of his best escorts sent and dispatched to give Set the good news and to bring him back where he rightfully belonged, but it had been all for naught.
His cousin, his beloved friend… he would never be able to see him again and tell him that he was sorry.
So immersed in sorrow, the mourning king failed to notice anyone else in the throne room with him.
Iset stared sadly at the king, her own thoughts unspoken, and she left her king to mourn for a lost friend and cousin.
\There it is!\
Set looked ahead to where the boy was pointing and saw in the distance what looked to be a bustling city.
So they had finally arrived at Henen'nesut [7], after two more days on foot. He could finally dispatch a messenger to Iunu and even look for a carriage to take them all the way to the King's Palace.
Them.
That was what it was now. He would find a carriage to take the both of them to Iunu. He didn't think the other boy would be averse to staying with him from now on, and he would make sure the other would always be provided for in his temple.
He thoughtfully turned to stare at the boy at his side and felt his chest warm at the thought.
Ever since his confession two days ago, he had learned a lot more about his nameless savior. They had finally opened up to each other completely, sharing their past, their secrets, and their hopes.
It had been liberating, in a sense. He no longer felt like he had to hold all his burdens inside.
He had found himself spilling out everything about him, like an uncontrollable fountain—he had told the boy about his life in the palace as a child, his mother, his brother, their banishment to the Red Sands, how everything had went wrong, his cowardly father, Atem, and everything he wanted to do in the future. He really couldn't stop until everything was out.
The other boy had just held his hand comfortingly the entire time, lending a listening and compassionate ear while stroking his hands at the parts that were still particularly painful to him.
And after all was said and done, the other had hugged him and said that it was alright. Because he was who he was, and those hardships only made him into what he was today. And he felt lighter because of that.
In return, the other boy, who had no past to tell, had shed his hat as an equivalent offering, lowering his head in shame all the while waiting for his judgment.
Set had been astonished, but now that he thought about it, he shouldn't have been. He knew the other boy was different from their very first meeting, after all, but he still didn't expect to see a tousled head of golden hair, like finely spun gold thread.
There was nothing ugly about it at all. In fact, it was perfect. And no other hair color fit the other more than the color of their most precious metal in Kemet [11]. Gold, the color of the gods. Everything about him was priceless.
He impetuously grasped the other boy's hand, looking straight ahead at the city of Henen'nesut before them. The other boy looked a little surprised at first but smiled brightly after, gripping his hand firmly in return.
Set could feel his body parts betraying him as his lips quirked itself upwards into a small smile.
The other boy just beamed all the brighter at him, and everything was alright in the world at that moment.
"Are you alright?" Set asked in concern while he supported his companion as they stood just outside the city gates.
The nameless boy had started feeling sick the closer they got to the Henen'nesut. But now that they were pretty much almost inside, he felt like he was about to keel over.
He had been telling the truth when he told Set that he had seen Iunu before, but he had conveniently left out that he had never entered the great city itself. It wasn't because he didn't want to, it was because he couldn't.
For whatever reason unknown, he was not able to even get close to the Holy City without feeling like he would die. He really didn't think he would have the same reaction to Henen'nesut though.
He never told Set this, however, as he knew the other was looking forward to contacting the King and returning to civilization.
Which was why he was bearing the pain as they walked closer and closer to the city.
They slowly reached the main gates of the city, the boy panting and sweating profusely from the pain he was feeling inside him.
The guards of the city looked on them suspiciously, intending to stop them from going through the city gates, but Set just flashed the gold insignia ring on his finger that he had kept on his person, even in near-death, glaring at them in arrogance. They backed away instantly, recognizing the symbol of the King.
Standing upright and looking down at the guards like he owned the whole city, Set demanded, "I am the King's Priest from Iunu. There is an emergency, and I must send a message to the King at once."
The guards hesitated, looking at each other. All priests were to be treated with utmost respect due to their association with the gods but the king's own priests? They were to be doubly respected, yet this young upstart hardly looked like he fit the title with his less than immaculate robes and dirtied appearance. True, his robes looked like it had originally been for someone in a high position, but still…
Set didn't give them anymore time to think it over as he barked out, "I will not tolerate insolence. Get a messenger now and I will see to it that you will be rewarded by the king."
Those words immediately got the guards bustling about, looking for a traveling carriage to take a message back to Iunu.
Meanwhile, the nameless boy was thinking to himself through his pain.
He had hoped Henen'nesut would be different from Iunu, being a different city, and although the pain he felt at Iunu had been twice as bad, the pain he was feeling now was still enough to make him feel like he wanted to throw up.
He couldn't even walk upright without the assistance of Set, who was currently looking at him in utmost concern as the guards in the background bustled about.
He tried to smile, but it turned out to be more of a grimace. If he could only go back a few steps.
"What's happening to you? What's causing your pain?" Set asked him, his tone of voice low enough that the guards nearby would not overhear.
He knew he would have to tell the truth, and he felt disappointed in himself for not being able to even walk into any city.
\I didn't tell you before because you were looking forward to reaching the city so much, but the closer I am to Henen'nesut, the more pain I feel,\ he managed to explain.
Set's eyes widened as he immediately and instinctively started moving them backwards, away from the city entrance. He barked at the guards closest to him to follow him, which they reluctantly did, and made orders that they report to him from outside the city.
"Why didn't you just tell me? We could have done something about it!" he whispered fiercely in the boy's ears.
The boy just groaned as his whole body was jostled about by their quick pace. \I'm sorry,\ he gasped in pain.
Set's mind was once again working overtime as he tried to wrap his brain around the boy's circumstances.
His companion had been cursed from the looks of it. He knew there were spells and curses that were used by the king's magicians that could be used to prevent an enemy from entering the city. But if this boy had been cursed, then that must have meant…
No, he told himself. The boy was not capable of anything bad. For Ra's sake, he even avoided killing animals unless he had to.
But then again, the boy had been in the middle of the Red Sands alone and left to die, and then he had woken up with no memories about himself. He also looked like a foreigner, had somehow acquired an Eye of Heru separate from the Millennium Items, had a strange ability to befriend animals, talk into people's minds, and had an unusual empathic capacity.
It wasn't very strange after all that he could have been cursed at some point of his young life.
But now the question was– who had he been in the past? Had he been a criminal?
Most petty and common criminals were either killed, imprisoned, or banished from the cities, but that didn't warrant them getting spells or curses put on them. Most people didn't even have the potential to wield such powerful magic or to even cast such complicated spells. It was also a waste of resources and tremendously taxing for the magic user, not to mention it took a lot of time and effort to keep the spell up for long durations.
Which meant that whoever had put the curse on his nameless companion must have been an extremely powerful magic user and that the boy was someone far more dangerous than a common criminal.
Set shook his head in denial. This boy he had formed such a close relationship with was completely innocent. Nothing about him was dangerous, and he even cried for a village that he had never even heard of before. How could someone like that ever be a criminal? It was outright preposterous, and Set refused to believe it.
But the fact he was still somehow cursed was not a mere delusion. He wondered if he were cursed from all cities or just Henen'nesut. He found himself desperately wishing it was only Henen'nesut.
"Let's just get you further away from the city for now," he reassured his companion. "I've told the guards to just report to us outside rather than inside the city."
The two guards that had followed them out were trailing rather grudgingly, but Set didn't really care about that. As long as they did what he had told them to do, he could care less about anything else. He just needed to get his companion far enough that his pain would stop.
Eventually, they reached a safe distance where the boy could safely breathe again without feeling like he was being split apart from the inside, and the guards stood awkwardly apart from them, looking back to the city they had just left with longing.
Ignoring their presence, Set knelt next to his companion, who had fallen to the ground in relief.
"You're cursed," he bluntly announced without really thinking.
The boy just gulped and shamefully looked away. \I don't know why,\ he whispered.
He cursed his own thoughtlessness and corrected himself, touching a gentle hand to the boy's fur-covered brow.
"It's not your fault. It's not like you remember. But we have to find a way to break the curse that was somehow put on you."
The boy looked wistfully up at him.
\How?\
"If I can get to Iunu and get to the Great Library, I can find a spell that can reverse or break the curse once and for all. They have the largest collection of spells and counter-spells that have been written by the most capable and strongest sorcerers in Kemet's history."
In response, the boy silently moved closer towards him so that they were sitting side by side with their shoulders touching.
Together, they looked towards the city of Henen'nesut once again, wishes and hopes in their heart.
"A messenger has been dispatched ahead of you to the king, one of Hery'shaf [8] and Atum-Ra's finest messengers," the leader of the guards boasted.
"Whatever. As long as they get there and deliver their message," Set replied haughtily, his tone of voice completely different from the one he used with his companion.
The guard frowned disparagingly, but replied, "Your carriage will be over shortly to pick you up and to take you to Iunu. You should arrive at Ineb Hedj [12] in less than a week's time, and from there, it will be less than a day's travel to Iunu."
"Do we have enough resources for our trip? And what of the security?" Set asked. Just in case his benefactors were more incompetent than he thought. He didn't want to be taking any more chances. He wanted to get to Iunu quickly without anymore interruptions so he could assume his title and work on finding a counter-spell to his companion's curse.
The guard had the gall to look affronted, not knowing he was talking to the future High Priest of the King of Kemet, second in power.
"Of course we have the finest guards to accompany you on your journey. The supplies we've provided will be more than adequate for your short trip, wabu [10]."
"Very well. May Atum-Ra bless you," Set responded absently.
The guard bowed slightly before returning to his post.
His traveling companion looked at him in slight amusement.
"What is it?" he asked. That mischievous expression did not bode well.
The boy giggled silently into his sleeves. \It's just that you're completely different when you are addressing them.\
"Hn, consider yourself an exception. Plus, they just won't get it if you don't put some aggression or force into your tone."
\I feel so loved,\ the boy murmured in his mind as he tucked his arm into the bend of Set's arm.
Set kept his face straight, looking directly into the golden eyes of his companion.
"You are. So now just be quiet and wait with me."
His serious tone and his blunt words had the effect he desired as the boy blushed a crimson red that looked all the redder on his peach-colored skin.
Set hid a smile at that.
"I have a message directed to the Hetep di nisu! An urgent message to the King!" A messenger scurried his way in front of a handful of guards stationed at the King's palace in Iunu.
"Who is it from and what is the message?" asked the leader of the guards.
"He said he was Netcher Mesut, Sekhem Neteru, Seti Tutmesut [13], and he has a message to the King himself."
"I've never heard that name," the guard responded, already directing his attention back to dozing off.
"He said he is a priest to the King's own temple," the messenger continued relentlessly. "He'll curse me to Isfet if I don't give the message to the king, so please, let me give my message!"
"I did not hear of any of the king's priests making a journey outside of the temple recently. I must notify and confirm with the King's council first," the guard said before he directed one of his men to go inside and notify one of the King's ruling council.
The messenger impatiently waited for nearly twenty minutes before the guard came back, a little shakily, with a man dressed in white and gold in tow.
All the guards gasped, lowering their heads quickly in submission. The messenger got the point and bowed as well, eyes widened in awe and fear as the King's Advisor himself stood in front of his eyes.
Mahaado had been attending his daily duties in the temple until a palace guard had interrupted him with a message from outside the palace walls.
He could not believe it. A message from Set?
Atem had told him months ago that Set had died on his journey here, as seen in a vision by Iset. He had been shocked and saddened to hear it, and both of them had mourned for the boy that they had known in their childhood.
The King had demanded a formal burial ceremony for Set among his priests, conducting The Opening of the Mouth [14] ceremony even though they did not even have his body to mummify. Instead, the sarcophagus that was built and lavishly designed was left empty save for the Book of the Dead and the burial goods [15] that were necessary for the recipient to use every day in the afterlife. The King had given up his own precious everyday objects, numerous bowls and cups made from gold, food from the King's own table, and even some of the King's own jewelry.
Although this had many of the lower priests astounded by the king's generosity, none of them apart from Mahaado and a few others knew just how important Set was to Atem. They had been almost like brothers. True, they had been rivals as well, but they didn't have many friends their own age, being royalty.
But now, a message from Seti Tutmesut? Could it be that Set was alive after all? Or was it all a fraud? But no one else knew Set's full given name aside from his close friends…
And that is what found Mahaado standing at the entrance to the King's Palace, looking down at an awed messenger who looked like he was about to faint from excitement.
"Tell me. You say you have a message from Seti Tutmesut," Mahaado ordered calmly, but his heart was beating wildly in his chest.
"Y-Yes, my lord! The message is from someone called Seti Tutmesut who wishes to deliver a direct message to the King!"
"Where was the message sent from and what does it say?"
"He sent the message from Henen'nesut a fortnight ago." The messenger didn't waste any time to exaggerate his own capabilities. "I have traveled as quickly as I could so I could deliver this urgent message, my lord."
Mahaado just ignored the latter part of his words. "And the message?"
"Yes!" Here, he took out a small papyrus scroll and read, "It is: Atem, I am alive somehow, and well. We were attacked by a hostile band of robbers and criminals, but I managed to survive. However, your escorts did not. A wandering nomad found me and nursed me back to health, and we have slowly made progress towards the direction of Iunu. It was difficult and arduous, but we eventually reached Henen'nesut. We have rented a carriage the rest of the way to Iunu, billed to the palace. Hopefully we will arrive in less than fortnight's time after you have received this message. Next time, please send an army for me, not mere incompetent escorts. –Set."
Mahaado almost laughed outright at the last part of the message but maintained his expressionless face out of sheer will alone. It was Set alright, with his acerbic wit still intact. Only Set would dare talk like that to the King.
He immediately reached his arm out, waiting for the messenger to roll the scroll back to give him.
"Very good," he nodded as the scroll was deposited in his safe keeping. "You will see to it that no one else be relayed this message. Understood?" he looked intently at the messenger who nodded back eagerly.
Satisfied, he continued, "I will see to it that the king is notified of your honorable actions. For your services, of course, we will provide you room and board as well as any luxuries you need at Iunu's finest inn. Now if you will excuse me, I'll arrange one of the guards to lead you on your way."
Turning quickly around, he walked calmly and slowly away with the gazes of the guards and the messenger still on him. Immediately after turning the corner and away from the prying eyes of spectators, he rushed as quickly as he could to the king's private chambers.
He found the king sitting at his table, eyes seemingly intent on studying the large scroll in front of him. But his legs were swinging listlessly back and forth.
Mahaado walked through the chamber hallway, eager to present his message.
"My king!" he announced.
Atem looked up, surprised, and his expression brightened at Mahaado's entrance.
"Mahaado! What brings you in here? You don't usually come in here unless I force you!" Atem joked teasingly.
"My king, a message- I have a message for you!" Mahaado exclaimed, slightly breathless.
"Oh…? It must be important. For you to come here yourself… Well? What is this message?" Atem asked, genuinely curious now that his advisor and childhood friend came all the way to deliver a message to him personally.
Mahaado took a deep breath.
"It's from Set."
Atem immediately stood up from his chair, completely stunned. The chair he was sitting on tipped over and crashed to the ground.
"What did you say?" he asked softly.
"It's from Set. The message," Mahaado repeated.
"It can't be… Iset's vision… he is dead," the king replied dully.
"He is alive despite Iset's vision," Mahaado argued.
"How do you know this message is from Set? It could be a hoax. Designed to deceive me," the king asked, though the flame of hope reignited in his crimson eyes gave him away.
"I know it's Set. This message is from Netcher Mesut, Sekhem Neteru, Seti Tutmesut. And we both know his given name is no longer known among anyone but by only a few. And we are two of them. He did this intentionally. He has always been clever, even as a boy. This is him. He is definitely alive."
"Tell me," the king commanded unnecessarily.
Mahaado brought out the papyrus scroll that contained the message, opening it up carefully and read from it, all the while paying attention to Atem's face as he did so.
The transition of Atem's facial expressions would have been comical if this hadn't been such a serious matter. But at the last part, the king burst out laughing, eyes brimming with joyful tears.
Mahaado smiled as his king laughed until he couldn't keep himself upright. He was now on the ground laughing hysterically. It had been a long time since he had seen Atem laugh genuinely.
He helped the king up from the ground and passed the scroll to the other.
"Look," he pointed to the symbols on the scroll, "Set didn't even trust anyone else to write his message for him. His penmanship is the still the same as when were children, perfect, but distinctly his style. No one could imitate this. And no one else would dare talk like he does in front of you."
The king smiled tremulously, wiping a few stray drops of happy tears.
He looked at Mahaado, voice shaking slightly from sheer emotion.
"Mahaado," he whispered.
"Yes, my King."
"It's Atem at this moment," the king corrected. "Mahaado."
"Yes, Atem."
"Set is alive."
Yes, Atem. He is alive and still the Set we know."
"Mahaado."
"Yes, Atem."
"Prepare a celebration like never before. For the Rebirth and the Return of the Hem Netjer of the King of Kemet!"
"As you wish, Atem, my friend and my king."
End of Chapter 4.
Footnotes:
Sorry, I will not be renewing some of the footnotes from the past chapters, so if there is a term you are still unfamiliar with, please go back to the previous chapters for the footnotes! Thank you!
[1] Hetep di nisu: the formal title for the king or the Pharaoh in Ancient Egypt. The word "pharaoh" was not used by the Egyptians until 1450 BC.
[2] Nisu: short for the above.
[3] Re-Harakhti is a combination of Ra and Heru.
[4] Ma'at : the Ancient Egyptian goddess of truth, balance, law, and order.
[5] Lapis lazuli: a precious rock that was found predominantly in Ancient Egypt. It was used to make scarabs, ornaments, and amulets in ancient Egyptian times, and the powdered form was even used as ancient day eyeshadow.
[6] Asar: The Egyptian name for Osiris, the god of the afterlife, the dead, and the underworld. He is the brother of Sutekh, Aset, and Nebt'het, as well as the husband of Aset. He is also the father of Heru, who is the falcon god of the wind and sky. Asar was supposedly murdered by a jealous Sutekh and then brought back to life by Aset for a short time so that she could conceive Heru. He then went back the land of the dead and became the god of the afterlife.
[7] Henen'nesut: means "House of the Royal Child." It is a principal city of Lower Egypt also more widely known as Herakleopolis Magna.
[8] Hery'shaf: The Egyptian ram-god of strength. The city of Henen'nesut had a Hery'shaf-centered cult with temples dedicated to him. So aside from Atum-Ra, who was the current King's patron god, they worshipped Hery'shaf as well in their local temples.
[9] Atum-Ra: combination of Atum and Ra, the creator/sun god. This is the patron god of Atem and heavily worshipped in Iunu (Heliopolis).
[10] Wabu: a lower-class/ranked priest. It means "pure one."
[11] Kemet: Egyptian name for Egypt. "Egypt" was created by the Greeks.
[12] Ineb Hedj: The Egyptian name for the city of Memphis which means "White Walls". Ineb Hedj was located on the westside of the river Iteru (Nile Delta), while Iunu (Heliopolis) was situated at the apex of the Nile Delta. Henen'nesut, also known as Herakleopolis, is located further south, along the west of the Nile but is still located within Lower Egypt.
[13] Set's full name. Please see Chapter 2 Footnotes.
[14] The Opening of the Mouth ceremony: The ancient people believed that after mummification, the Opening of the Mouth ceremony needed to be conducted by a priest in order to reanimate the mummy in the afterlife, including his speaking capabilities.
[15] The Book of the Dead was known as a funerary text which was buried with the mummy in a sarcophagus. It supposedly contains spells and instructions to help the recipient find his way in the afterlife. Many every day goods were also buried with the body, so they could be used in the afterlife, such as bowls, cups, etc. The richer and higher in status you were, the more extravagant the goods. Here, Atem donated his own ware to Set's burial, which is pretty much unheard of. Jewelry and amulets were also included extensively in the burial coffin.
