Hello to everyone! Another chapter uploaded, and I'm glad I finished this, because I was afraid if I left it for another day, I wouldn't touch it for a month cause of more work. Yuck.
I never tried to explain it, but I changed this story to T rated because I decided it wasn't going to be as mature as I thought it would turn out. Hopefully I won't have to change it back to M.
Anyways, enjoy!
"What do they do to test people?" I whispered nervously to Atem.
It was the day after arriving in Egypt, and Atem was leading me from my room to the Throne Room, where the full court of six priests and the Pharaoh were assembled and waiting. They had summoned me to 'test' me, as Atem put in irritation, though he said he had no idea why they would need to-I was no threat.
"It won't hurt," he reassured me. He explained how briefly, stating he would explain the details another time, when we didn't have to rush. The golden items that each priest in the Pharaoh's court had were called Millennium Items, and had magical properties used to serve justice and protection. One could look into a person's mind, another into someone's soul, etc. Each member of the court had been thoroughly trained for their post, and not only in combat and military, but in magic and spells especially. Each had pledged to serve the Pharaoh faithfully, and protect Egypt if danger arises. They helped the people and all such. Such huge responsibilities and some of the priests weren't too much older than Atem!
Yet, when I thought about it, the one with the heaviest responsibility was probably Atem. I recalled, back just before Atem's father reached Lemnos, when I had sped ahead and chatted a bit with Atem. He had mentioned being slightly ashamed for needing help from his father. It was a situation he couldn't control though-but I had guessed that he was used to learning to do things alone, in a way. To be self reliant. It was a good thing; I could sense a lot of determination coming from his personality, and one could see it just from the intensity of his eyes. But maybe he was too self reliant, since he seemed to dislike asking help. He had also mentioned being the prince, and should be able to do better.
As the prince, he was expected to be well learned in many areas, to have the skill and courage to someday rule a nation. This type of training, to be a future king, would start from early childhood, probably. Plenty of training to meet high expectations. He carried that heavy expectation on his shoulders without complaint, I saw from his behaviour, but I could not help but shiver at the thought if someone had that type of heavy expectation of me. I did not think I had Atem's courage to face that fact and still remain sane.
While I mused over his burden of becoming a future ruler one day, we had arrived at the Throne Room. Atem had to leave me there and join his father up on the raised dais. I walked towards the dais uncertainly. At the foot of the stairs, I stopped, clueless as to what to do. Thinking it was better to play it safe, I decided to do what the people outside did when the Pharaoh passed-sink to their knees on the floor, head bowed. That was exactly what I did.
"Please rise, Charis. That is not necessary-I am still in debt to you," The Pharaoh said. I flushed badly, but it faded quickly, and I stumbled to my feet, hair partly covering one of my eyes. Maybe it was the fact that part of my eye was shadowed, but I could have sworn a flash of consternation went across Atem's features as he looked at me. It vanished too quickly to be sure it was there at all.
"My Pharaoh, shall we begin? It will be over for Lady Charis quickly if proven a good soul," one said. He was the one who held the key shaped item, Priest Shada. The Pharaoh's next words were questioning.
"This is truly not necessary, Shada. She has already proven herself harmless. She guarded us of the Egyptian envoy when we most needed help and protection."
"But our job is to maintain your safety, my Pharaoh. This would put the whole court, not to mention the nation's mind at ease," Priest Akunadin said. Eventually, the Pharaoh nodded, albeit with reluctance.
"Proceed," he commanded.
Priest Shada stepped forward, and I instinctively tensed my shoulders, trying to step back. However, my recently acquired skill for walking nearly failed me, and I flushed in embarrassment as I stumbled backwards a little. A sheepish expression on my face, I stepped back to where I was and waited, muttering an apology.
"Just relax, Lady Charis," he said, and held up his item, the key shaped one. It flashed blinding light, and I threw up my arms with a small cry, startled.
It only lasted several moments, and then the glow diminished and faded. I lowered my arms to see Shada kneeling on the floor, breathing heavily as if he had run through an Olympic marathon race, his eyes wide with shock.
"Shada!" the cry came from several of the priests as a couple hurried forward to help him to his feet. Shada just staggered back to his feet, trying to control his breathing. One of the younger looking priests, maybe only two years senior to the prince, glared at me with cold blue eyes that could strike fear into the fiercest of men.
"What have you done girl?" he snapped. I nearly stepped back in fear, but then rooted myself to the ground I stood on, and scanned the court. None but the royals had friendly faces, and the Pharaoh and Atem had startled expressions mixed with the kindness. Evidently whatever Shada had seen or done hadn't been anything they were prepared or expecting for.
"You…your Ka…!" Priest Shada breathed.
"What did you see, Shada?" Priest Seto asked.
"A soul whose Ka is…indistinguishable. It lies in a halo of white light, unseen by anyone," he managed. "Such divine power radiates off it…like being embraced by the gods themselves."
"Impossible, such power you describe!" Akunadin exclaimed. What were they talking about? Atem had basically told me they would look at the symbol of my soul before this had started. I didn't understand that, and the situation now wasn't becoming any clearer. What was a Ka? What exactly was it he had seen, and why was he so shocked by it?
I gulped and looked frantically up at the dais, where the Pharaoh and Atem were, hoping to gain some answers to my mental questions. But there faces were just as concerned and awed as his court of priests and priestess. Priestess Isis, the only woman in the court, looked at me. She was very pretty, with black hair just past the shoulders, tan skin, tall, and possessed piercing green eyes. They were piercing in the all knowing way, as if she was ever very rarely surprised. Though right now, they looked puzzled. She touched the necklace around her throat, a gold chain with a gold carving of the Eye of Horus, as I learned it was called.
"My Pharaoh," she called in a startled voice. "I can see nothing of Lady Charis' past or future. Indeed, my Millennium Necklace will only show a soft illumination of light, and return to the present," Priestess Isis stated.
"The Millennium Necklace will not see Charis," the Pharaoh murmured. He raised a hand, and immediately everyone hushed to hear him. "My court, I am sorry to say that you have not been told the whole story. However, I will not say anything more as this is not my story to tell…" He looked at me. "Will you share with them your background? As far as you are willing."
Realisation flashed across Atem's face, but I still looked clueless at him. Nervously, I looked at him, and then at Shimon, whose eyes seemed to encourage me to do so. My gaze landed on Atem, who gave a tiny smile which seemed to shout encouragement from a dozen people instead of one. I breathed deeply and closed my eyes. There's nothing to be ashamed of-my heritage was one to be proud of, I told myself. I was just worried that those in the court would take my connection to the Greek gods badly. On the other hand, telling my background might make the priests and priestess trust me better. I breathed out, opened my eyes, and nodded tensely.
"It will do no harm for your court to know, My Pharaoh," I said, relieved my voice had not quivered noticeably.
So I told my story, and managed to spill everything but the fact that I had once nearly enchanted Atem. This was between Atem and myself, and I was not comfortable saying to the entire court. The Pharaoh knew what I had done, but I had been with Atem, on the boat ride back home, when we explained to him together. Atem stopped me from collapsing from shame. Even if he had forgiven me, the fact I had nearly seduced him with my voice made me feel like a whore when I lingered on it.
My relation to the gods and goddesses of the Greeks shocked the court. They were mistrustful because of it, and voiced it when I had finished my tale.
"Your Majesty, how do we not know this was a trick-if her story was true, then she could well be a trick by the Greek gods, to harm Egypt," Priest Seto said. I dared to interrupt though.
"High Priest Seto," I said quietly. "If I had wanted to harm Egypt, the best way would have been through the royalty who rule this country, yes? If I were such a horrible person, then ill fortune would have befallen the prince or Pharaoh long ago. I do not have that power, and if I did, I would not want to use it for harm." I felt he had insulted my honour a little-I was not that much of a back stabbing liar as to harm the prince, who had befriended me, or the Pharaoh, who was so kind to me.
The Pharaoh himself went on to explain the dream he received from two goddesses, Mother Dora and Isis. The prophecy given within it-I would be the daughter of two nations and that I would be the dark's light. He was guessing what the first part of it meant, maybe because I was blessed by gods of two countries, but still had no clue about the dark's light bit. When he was done speaking, his court looked at me with slight awe on their faces, but also traces of confusion.
"So how could a foreigner have such a powerful Ka such as one Shada describes? One that cannot be seen by the Millennium Key due to its divinity, and not by the Millennium Necklace?" Seth asked.
"Her blood relation to the gods of Greece may give her protection against the Millennium Necklace, for none knows the workings of the gods," Priest Mahado, Atem's friend, suggested. He offered a kind smile at me, as if congratulating my success in telling my story-he probably noticed how strained I was. Who wouldn't, at how tense and fidgety I had been through the telling?
"That is a logical reason. But would that mean none of our Items work on her?" Priest Karim, if my memory was right, asked. That was a good question. Would all of their items be defective against me? Akunadin stepped forward.
"Lady, would you allow me to test this theory, by looking into your mind?" he asked. I nodded, and my mind went on alert, in case he did get into my thoughts. I didn't like the notion he could read my mind at will.
His golden, fake eye flashed for barely a second, and dimmed to a bearable point, as he began to try and enter my mind. I just stood there, looking curiously at him. After a few minutes, the eye stopped glowing, and he stepped back, shaking his head in negative. He could not see into my mind.
"A white block stops me from entering your mind. I do not know what it is, but it is powerful, and is most probably white magic," he said.
White magic? So there was dark magic too? Did that represent evil and good?
Such a faint blood relation to Zeus, and it could block the Millennium Items? Amazing, I must admit. I looked to the Pharaoh.
"I trust these experiments are more than enough to prove she is not a threat. Nothing more will be said. She is a resident of the palace, and will be treated as a proper lady of the court," he announced sternly, with a hint of impatience at how long it took to convince his court. His court nodded, stepping away from me. "Everyone dismissed. You may go as well Atem, though I trust your studies have been done before this meeting?" he asked as the court filed out of the room. Atem nodded with an exasperated looking smile on his lips.
"Yes father. I did not side track," he muttered.
"Sorry son. It is a parent habit to look at their children and still see a bit of their childhood, despite them now being an adult by law," the Pharaoh chuckled.
"I'll take Charis back to her chambers," Atem said, and exchanging warm temporary good byes, he went to me, who stood still where I was, dazed.
"Charis?" he asked. I blinked and looked at him. My eyes narrowed.
"You have a lot of explaining to do. No matter how much I'd like to be smart, I'm not, so explain in simple terms what on earth that whole meeting was talking about-especially, what is a Ka?"
Atem motioned he would talk while we walked, and so we walked outside to the eastern gardens of the palace. It was a lovely place, with trees giving dappled shade from the brightness of the sun, flowers throwing out delicate, enchanting fragrances, and a pool of water stood in the centre, with a colourful mosaic floor that could be seen through the clean clear water. With a jolt, I realised, from the angle of the sun, that the meeting had lasted for a long time. It had started just after the midday meal, and now it was close to sun down.
As we roamed among the peaceful setting, Atem told me about the type of magic Egyptians controlled. The Millennium Items had many magical properties in them. His father owned the most powerful, the Millennium Puzzle, which was the large upside down pyramid shaped golden…thing that hung from the Pharaoh's neck when I saw him. These Items helped serve justice and protect people by the abilities each one had, all of which he explained to me. He also explained a form of fighting, which he called Diahah, which used Ka, creatures summoned by the energy of one's soul and a Diadiankh normally. This Ka fought each other, and each one's power was drawn from their owner, the fighter in question. When defeated, it was as painful as if the blow dealt to defeat it was dealt to the fighter themselves. Each person in the court, and the Pharaoh and Prince, knew how to fight using these monsters.
These games could be far more than just a spar of soul creatures. They could turn into a Shadow Game, in which the consequence for losing would be for the loser to be banished to a place called the Shadow Realm. An unpleasant place, Atem briefly described to me, on a different plane of existence, which would be like an eternal hell for the person. To be forever trapped in the darkness.
Maybe that was what Priest Akunadin had meant before, with white magic. Shadow magic implied dark, while he and Priestess Isis saw white light from me, and Priest Shada saw a white mist around my Ka.
"Such dangerous games the Egyptians dabble in," I said quietly after his explanation. "And painful, if not fatal consequences. So you have learned how to play a Shadow Game?" I asked him curiously. He nodded. "Would that mean you would have to go to the Shadow Realm to play that?" I asked.
"In a real one, yes," he said. "When only training, we create an atmosphere with the Millennium Items similar to the Shadow Realm, but cancel out the fatal consequences of losing a challenge."
"What I don't understand is why everyone seemed shocked at what Shada said. And why Priestess Isis and Priest Akunadin seemed startled at what their items did," I asked him, going back on topic.
"Shada has never been blind to any Ka. You are the first, and the power that he said emanates from you is astonishing, though I'm not sure whether to be surprised or not," Atem said.
"You looked surprised-I'd say you already decided," I said wryly.
"No-but the strength of a person's Ka depends on the strength of their soul and how long their endurance is. I'd say you're on a long rope."
"Oh? Why would you say that?"
"I told you on Lemnos that your values made you stronger then you thought. Acting on them despite huge consequences takes strength of the spirit and endurance," Atem reminded.
I blinked at the notion. I've never been strong in my own eyes, though I do try to be. I went through my memories, evaluating things I've done.
Helped send sailors to their deaths-that was me being ignorant and naïve about what could happen.
Refusing to help my sisters seduce more sailors-the slap I got hurt, but they were not thinking in the same point of view I was. Immortality was a great thing for them, and surely there were enough men in the world for us to take some. I disliked that way of looking at things, and tried to help the men-I was fearful if my sisters would reject me for my actions, but I never got to see them afterwards anyway.
Running away to Lemnos-that hurt a lot. Separating from the pack was hard, but my view of things and theirs was too different, clashed too strongly, and resentment against each other would boil up eventually. I could not live with myself if either my sisters hated me for holding them back, but neither could I live with myself of I had known I purposely lured innocent men to their death.
Saving Atem-gods, I feared Hera! But to leave an innocent man there, to die, seemed too brutal. The man did not deserve death yet, he was still young. And Atem was so kind…
Nearly seducing him-I still felt bad, but it was not worthwhile to linger on that when all had been cleared up. I learned things from it, and hopefully my character is less of a hypocrite.
Getting to Atem's father-it was the first time I had a 'mission' and it was rather exciting. I had to think carefully and find a strange way to reach his father. Surprisingly, it worked. I felt proud of that, and proud I had fulfilled my promise.
Going to Egypt-the idea seemed so frightening and impossible at first. My homeland was Greece, so it only seemed right I stayed. If I went to Egypt, I would be even further away from my sisters, from Mother Dora, from the familiarity I was accustomed to. But I had gone anyway, and my sole comfort was that I would at least know Atem, the Pharaoh and Shimon.
All these things that suddenly happened to me on my sixteenth summer, and maybe, just maybe, I had changed and become stronger through that time. What had started all this off was a desire to have a clean honour, which I was determined to do by not seducing men with my voice. The promise never to sing had not been kept, but my honour was clean, after a few rewashes. Maybe Atem was right, and I had been getting stronger as I strove to keep my morals.
I smiled at him. "Maybe you're right, but one can never feel like they've changed until someone points it out. I'm probably a better spirit then a few moon cycles ago. Though, since I've changed, I'm expecting everything else around me to change. In a sense they have, but you're still a prince with the same appearance, same spirit. Guess that's what's keeping me from going insane now."
"I don't know…if one doesn't know about something, one can't see it change…" Atem mumbled, and a strange expression crossed his face, almost like doubt. I tilted my head in confusion, but his expression cleared, and he smiled reassuringly at me.
"I think I have, but it's too small to notice. When you're the prince, you have to grow wiser. I just did-I found out what sirens were," he said relaxedly. I nudged his shoulder with a sigh of exasperation.
"That knowledge isn't even necessary, and a complete accident. It would have been better if you did not know what they were," I muttered.
"Then I'm glad of the accident. I wouldn't have met you otherwise," he murmured. I had a feeling it was more to himself. Suddenly, I saw a shadow passing behind a few closely packed bushes.
"Mana!" I called out, startled. She flinched and whipped around our direction. With a nervous smile, she came out and joined us.
"Hello! Where were you all? Master Mahado set me with some really easy spells, then walked off to some important meeting he had! And…when I …finished, there was no one to talk to. Even the other priests and Isis were gone. Where did were you two?"
"We were at the same meeting as Mahado, Mana," Atem answered.
"What was the point of that meeting anyway?" Mana asked.
"Just for the priests to…make sure Charis was 'good'. Not that it was even needed," Atem snorted. I waved my hands.
"Ah, they were just checking…" I said. It wasn't really fair to be grumpy at them for doing their jobs, but Atem seemed very irritated that they found it necessary to check me in the first place.
"Oh, Shada saw the Ka? So what's your Ka Charis?" Mana eagerly asked. I hesitated, and then shook my head.
"What do you mean nothing? What did Shada see? A girl, a sorceress? Maybe even a mermaid!" Mana marvelled.
"He saw mist," was all I said. She sent me a questioning look, but I didn't feel like saying much more. It just proved I would always be odd.
Atem seemed to sense my reluctance in answering, and answered for me. He explained what had happened inside the Throne Room. He summarised the events quickly but with enough details for Mana to be well informed. She nodded at the end of his explanation.
"Ah. That's…different," she said. I sighed, and was about to reply, when Mahado appeared from under a cluster of trees. He came up to us and bowed to both Atem and I, to which I waved my hands awkwardly at. He then set a stern eye on Mana.
"And may I ask why you are here instead of studying the resizing spells I left? There's no result anywhere on your study desk either," he said, crossing his arms. Mana grinned sheepishly.
"Ah, I must have left them somewhere and forgotten where I put them," Mana chuckled nervously. "But Master, the spells weren't that difficult looking, and I could ace them in minutes…"
"Very well, would you show me how well you know the spell by resizing that apple?" Mahado said, pointing to an apple hanging on a tree. A small blue and pink wand suddenly appeared in Mana's hand, and she pointed it at the apple. She muttered a string of words and looked at the apple expectantly.
It didn't grow bigger or smaller-its size remained the same. But it turned an interesting shade of orange that I had seen only on bright starfish and interestingly, seeds began to slip out from its centre, as if the apple flesh was a spectral illusion. Mana flushed.
"Ah…maybe I need more work…" she mumbled.
"Yes, a lot more work, considering you performed an illusion spell crossed with a colour change spell," Mahado said. Mana visibly drooped, but sighed and nodded. Atem and Mahado did chuckle over Mana's attempt though. Biding farewell, the priest and apprentice walked away.
I jumped and swiped the apple from the tree. It was orange, and it still looked like seeds were passing through it like seed rain. I chuckled.
"What an interesting apple …" I laughed.
"Strange might be another way to put it," Atem said, chortling.
"Then it's a bit like me," I decided. "Would anyone mind if I kept it? I can ask Mana another time if she wants it, depending on how long the spell will last."
"It's probably going to wear off after a while," Atem warned.
"But for now, it's newly created, and strange. I can't help but feel like this apple," I said. We both stood out from our species.
"You're only thought strange because you're a little different though," Atem said.
"A little different sounds like an understatement. Just the way I look is different. Even with my sisters, I was like that. Why can't I be like everyone else for once?" I sighed. Atem let out a scoff.
"If everyone were the same, I would fall asleep from the boredom of it," he said. He flashed a playful smirk at me. "Besides, I wouldn't have someone to tell me through their sleep about the time she nearly got bitten by a seal…"
"Say what?!" I shrieked. "How…you were spying on me sleeping?" He was spying on me…oh gods. I almost never sleep talked, but there was the time a seal chased me, thinking I would harm one of its cubs. The seal must have been mad, and tried to bite my tail. The shock I think never completely faded, since I always thought seals were kind. No other seal I met did that, but that memory always made me mumble in my sleep. My sisters used to say I was speculating in my sleep if the seal thought I was edible…humph. But back to why Atem was watching me sleep…
There seemed to be a slight flush under his tan, but it might have been an inherited flush from the bright sunset.
"I was restless on the boat, and walked around for a bit. You seemed to be mumbling on the other side of the door, and I go worried you were having a nightmare. I never knew," mirth made his voice merry-"that you were chased by a mad seal."
"I was planning to leave it unknown, thank you," I sniffed. "But really, that seal was either mad or extremely hungry." My stomach suddenly gave off a small growl. I looked, wide eyed, at my stomach. Humans must have needed to eat more than sirens-I could last a whole day and only feel a little hungry, even when after I swum, when I was a siren.
Atem laughed. "I noticed you didn't eat much at Lemnos," he said. "But now that you're human, you have to learn to take care of your body. Starting with basic needs. Come on, it's close to dinner anyway," he said. He took my arm gently, and we went back inside the palace. Since I was hungry, I was bold enough to take a bite out of the apple Mana had bespelled. At least the taste was the same as a normal apple. Atem crinkled his nose a little though-he said he didn't normally trust any of Mana's gone wrong spells as some had a tendency to be very...scary. I laughed. The word scary coming from him didn't seemed to fit.
The light mood I was in disappeared at dinner, when many of the priests, though they were being discreet, looked at me from the corners of their eyes. Speculation emanated from them, and despite Atem's earlier effort to lighten my mood, I became a little sad at remembering I would always be strange.
Before I went to bed, I sat on it, considering how best to fit in. Not exactly fit in as in look and be exactly the same as other Egyptians, but how to settle into society. It was time I tried to adjust properly, without negative doubts, since it became obvious that I would truly be a permanent resident at the palace, at least until the mystery of my Ka, and of Ra's message in the Pharaoh's dream, meant. Until I found my purpose here.
Mentioning Ra, the god who gave me human legs, I wondered-if I had human legs, would that make me completely human? Would that mean my singing would no longer seduce men, that my healing was no longer faster, that I would never be immortal? The last thought did not seem so important anymore, but I was curious.
Ah well, answers came in time. They surely would, I had to hope. Maybe even tonight, through a dream, now that I had thought of it. So I lay on my bed and almost instantly fell into a deep slumber.
There's chapter twelve! Please review, and constructive criticism would be nice!
