Chapter 14: Hathor's Students
The inky sky burned radiantly with the final rays of Ra sinking into the underworld. Violets, patches of fire, and pink painted all of Egypt far and wide. It was only a matter of time until the best light show came; now they had to wait. When at last, the first winking stars dotted the skies with midnight blue blanketing the world below.
It was the perfect moment.
With a swish of robes and a running start did she jump. A long leap of faith that carried her for what felt like miles, almost like she was running across the open skies with all the Gods. Her clothes sailed behind her; she became a shooting star, burning bright crimson. Though, her trance was cut short when a unexpected flicker of onyx flew past her peripheral vision; her next prey.
Landing back on the ground, her feet slammed firmly on the stones making her bones tremble. She spotted her quarry leaping from rooftops but in a non-uniform way; it wanted her to follow. The huntress stood proud and with a flick of her wrist, summoned a gust of wind propelling her down from the barrier walls to a townhouse roof. With fleet feet she pursued the intruder with flawless acrobatics. But no matter how close she got each time, the thing would vanish out of thin air and reappear a few yards away from her. She gritted her teeth, flaring her nostrils, she leapt to the ground and hide in an alleyway, becoming one with the shadows. She forced her heartbeat to slow and relax her breathing.
At first nothing happened. Empty homes and abandoned streets remained silent, she breathed through her nose calmly to keep the air from rustling. Suddenly, the aura changed. A dark, evil presence flowed around her and poked its head out of its cloud of darkness. It snarled with its sharp fangs, the moon glistening against the sulfur-yellow gums; about to swallow the girl whole. Swiftly, the huntress unsheathed her sword and swung it against the monster's head with a 'twang'. The beast roared in agony, furiously shaking its head as it bashed into buildings.
The huntress raced to it and climbed on its back, squeezing her thighs into its body and using one arm to choke its throat. This made it angrier; the beast thrusted its head violently to try and shake off its rider. The girl dug her palm into her hilt and stabbed the monster in the back of its neck. Bellows of agony and rage echoed through the village as the beast made a final attempt of resistance, falling on its back to crush its attacker. But to no avail, she rolled of its back end and dove out of range and watched the behemoth crumble into millions of shards and sand particles. The sword clanged to the ground, unharmed and lacking any blood or goo and with the atmosphere returning to its serene demeanor, the girl could breathe easier again.
The triumphant huntress gracefully retrieved her weapon, somersaulting like a giddy child.
'That was... Incredible!' A fairy wearing a long scarf spoke, its voice high-pitched and excited as she flew down to the girl.
The huntress nodded, 'I couldn't have done it without you Wind Spirit.'
The fairy floated next to her mistress, 'What a night to have a shadow beast out here in the middle of town. I mean seriously! This was supposed to be our night off.' Its dark blue hair caressed over her summoner's shoulders.
'It wouldn't be a "night off" if we didn't find something to hunt along the way,' The human responded.
The Wind Spirit groaned, 'But the night isn't over yet! It's still young and I won't let this little predicament ruin your night.'
The huntress had few words to think to her companion, she only nodded. Nowadays, there was always something going awry.
'If I need you, I'll call you,' She waved her hand in sign language of a sunset and the shadow beast became a beam of light and shot away, 'I'd rather it stay a normal night.'
Before she could sense any strange auras, a hand reached out from behind her and clamped itself over her mouth.
"Hmmph?"
Surprised and with returning adrenaline, she followed the hand up to the arm it was attached to and managed to pull the entire body over her shoulder, slamming it to the ground.
"Ouch!" The assailant exclaimed, gasping for air due to the sudden trauma, "I-I-It's m-m-me!" The girl's eyes widened and offered him a hand, "Thank you." She waited for an explanation, crossing her arms and slanting her eyes.
"Sorry for the s-scare but we wanted t-to congratulate you on p-p-passing the test," He said aloud as if addressing more people. Sure enough seven individuals, men and women of different ages, came out of hiding. All of them wore blood-red robes and Menat necklaces, "We wanted to surprise y-you without the monster b-battle but I guess the C-Court had other ideas..." The boy wearing white clothes rubbed the back of his neck.
An older male with sundisk earrings strolled up the huntress and presented a turquoise beaded Menat necklace, "Happy birthday, Chantress Kamet."
Being an adult, 13 calendar years, really felt like an illusion to Kamet. In fact, she almost forgot she had a birthday but Sirius was prancing in the skies which meant the seasonal floods were approaching, and the day of her birth.
"How d-do you like it? I spent m-months beading it myself and m-mining all the g-gemstones," The boy from earlier asked, walking in-sync with Kamet.
She smiled confidently and fiddled with her new jewelry, clanging the ornaments together to create airy notes. It was the ideal on-the-go travel instrument.
"Aww, don't give m-me t-that look, you'll make m-me blush!"
"Apprentice Thi!"
The boy, Thi, jumped out of his skirt and hid behind Kamet, "M-Master Ozier..."
"I believe it's time you began practicing your chants," Ozier, the one with the sundisk earrings and similar Menat necklace to Kamet's said, his voice stern.
"Y-Y-Yes M-M-Master! I'll get r-r-right in it!" The back of Thi's neck prickled with embarrassment as he scampered to the building with the barrier walls. As soon as he was gone the elder took Thi's place along side the chantress.
'You're too harsh on him,' Kamet thought to him, 'He can only go so fast.'
'Harsh?' He chuckled, 'You've not seen me angry.' Kamet stuck out her tongue and blew, "Try to understand, I can't give him any special privileges just because he's my son. Every human chanter must learn everything from the basics, up. You of all people should know that.' Ozier tapped her legs with his walking staff.
'I didn't exactly grow up with the First of the Seven Hathors,' Kamet rolled her eyes.
The old man's thoughts were silent for awhile, leaving the two of them to saunter casually, 'And yet there's so much for you to learn, fortunately young chantress, you have all the time in the world.'
'That's what you say now, but who knows when trouble will be brewing again. I keep sensing a dark fate for Egypt and its inhabitants..." Kamet stalled and watched the ground as if it were more interesting than the glamorous palace in front of them.
The tapping of Ozier's staff came closer and without warning, he gave her a sharp whack on the head.
'Ouch!' Kamet bit her tongue, thinking of many obscenities.
'Don't be so somber. It's the day of your birth and the Court has a surprise for you,' Ozier took the lead with a now ticked-off woman behind.
The two stood in front of the golden door, adorned with turquoise studded rivers, lapis skies, and a carving of symmetrical eyes of Horus with the Court's symbol: a sundisk with cow horns sticking out of it.
'Are you waiting for something?' Ozier asked, looking at Kamet expectedly. After she gave him the weirdest face he sighed, "They gave you that necklace for a reason."
For a few minutes, Kamet put the pieces together. The Menat necklace was already the most important gift she could receive. In short, the beaded jewelry was given to the Seven Hathors, a priestess of Hathor, or trusted individuals whom the Court hand-picked themselves. With no doubt, a dim-witted expression, Kamet began to strum the beads. The First of the Seven kept tempo with his staff and closed his eyes to immerse himself in the music. Kamet started to twirl in circles, humming the tune she heard the old man play a hundred times before. Lost in another trance, Kamet laughed whimsically, glowing with immeasurable bliss.
The sun disk began to shine causing a chain reaction of gemstones embedded in the door to glimmer in unnatural light and the fold between the two doors widened. A rush of other orchestral music came flitting from inside; not wanting to stop playing, Kamet skipped in to join the band. Ozier hobbled along, mumbling a few words under his breath, waving his hand. The ornate doors creaked to a close, sealing itself tighter than a tomb.
The sands shifted under the hooves of a horse; whinnying in protest and snorting out snot. A few gold treasures clinked against the thighs of the animal as it hobbled. Its owner using only the stars to guide their way.
"Bloody desert never ends," An older teenage boy muttered, his crimson robe and silver hair flying behind him, "I remember... An abandoned village... Maybe it's close." He shielded his eyes from the kicked-up sand flying in his face and journeyed onward.
The Court spared no expense in arranging the celebration.
Different houses were invited to the party from all directions of Egypt. For a birthday Kamet would've been happy with a private dinner with a few friends, but tonight was a holiday: The birthday of Hathor on September, the seventeenth day. Per Horus to the North, Per Isis from the South, and Per Ra from the East all arrived in huge caravans of donkeys, horses, and camels. Symbols rang through the halls, the friends but fiercest competitors had reached Per Hathor's doorstep.
The gates were yanked open by teams of horses and pulley systems, allowing all three houses passage. They were greeted with music, food, alcohol, and other worldly delicacies to last them throughout the night and the next day.
"Welcome all," The cool voice of Nuha, the second of the Seven called to the audience as they gathered around the circular courtyard, "Please eat and drink to your heart's content."
The crowd cheered and walked from the entrance hall into the main celebration room. It glimmered with gold accented floors, turquoise rugs hanging from pavilions, malachite pillars, and crimson-wearing Court members and citizens of Per Hathor.
"S-She looks p-pretty- no!- Gorgeous- no!-"
"She makes the Gods envious, no?"
"T-took the w-words out of my m-m-mouth, Master!"
Thi and Ozier chatted amongst the mass of members, picking out Kamet easily from them. The chantress wore the reddest dress out of all the people of Hathor, it was stitch with the finest silks with real gold flecks sewn into it, she wore malachite eye shadow that made her golden eyes stand out even more, her Menat necklace jingled as she danced. Her body flowed like the Nile's gentle current and she certainly wasn't modest about the way she danced. Kamet's dress flapped away, showing more of her thighs, she batted her eyelids, running her hands through her blue-black locks, and closed her distance with several men and women. Most of them stared, clapping and drooling at her seductive actions, wanting her to keep going.
"She certainly has a line-up for suitors," A third of the Seven Hathors interrupted, "What's the matter boy?" He elbowed the furiously blushing Thi.
"Eh?!"
"Easy Riaz," Ozier rumbled, "He's far too busy to think about courtships right now."
The slam of a clay cup was heard and Thi straightened up, "I-I-I'm going to d-d-do it!"
"There's a boy!" Riaz cheered, pushing toward the direction of Kamet.
Thi swallowed a lump in his throat and stiffly marched into the fray. By the time her politely shouldered past the enchanted people, the apprentice found himself in the front row and in plain sight of the dancing woman.
"Eep!" He squeaked, his entire body turning beet-red.
Kamet's slender legs weaved into other's legs, she would stare into their eyes as if searching their soul, her arms wrapped around their torso, she dragged her finger up to their heart, and without any second thoughts, moved to someone else. This shuddered, locking his knees together, and held his breath when she entwined herself around him.
"H-h-h-hi- K-K- Kamet! Y-y-you have b-b-beautiful t-t-technique!" His cheeks flushed even more when he realized what he said, losing all of his poise when she touched noses with him. Kamet put her index finger to his lower lip, when her myrrh inundated hair covered Thi's face, the boy melted in her arms.
'By the Gods...' Thi relaxed, his anxiety dissipated and he could think clearly again, "Wow, you work miracles on the Ba Kamet."
The chantress unlocked herself from Thi, golden eyes searching him for a brief moment, her body paused.
Thi's mouth hung open, his front teeth dumbly stuck out. Kamet smirked at the apprentice and returned to dancing, twirling to the next man. He held up his hand but dropped it back down, sighing, "Oh... Well..." A rose blush still prominent on his cheeks as he retreated to his master and superiors.
"What happened?" Riaz asked, inspecting Thi's nether regions and getting a nasty look from Ozier.
"S-she... Smiled at m-me..." Thi mumbled.
The Seven Hathors turned to each other then chuckled as if they were sharing a joke between themselves.
"W-w-what's so f-f-funny?" He barked, shrinking into his clothes.
"It's just cute," The youngest of the Seven, Zara spoke.
"You don't get it, do you?" Mesu, the fifth, mocked the boy.
"She likes you, most men get kicked in the privates," The sixth, Sahar giggled.
"She's interesting..." The seventh Hathor, Besa observed Kamet, "Most chanters and chantresses court many people but never stay in a single relationship."
Ozier came beside Besa, "She's just selective and may I say, the loyal type."
Sahar put her food aside, "See you old men later, I'm going to join the ladies!" She stepped into the dance circle and synchronized with Kamet's movements.
"However..." Besa's eye twitched.
"Sahar will sleep with any male that can pleasure her," Ozier slapped his face, dragging his hand down to his chin.
"Everyone needs a hobby and what better than sharing love?" Riaz shrugged.
Mesu spat, "She could at least have some dignity!"
He glared as Sahar dragged a random male from the audience and proceeded to display affection in a corner of the main room.
If you'll excuse me, they're playing Senet a few hallways down," Zara tossed her head and calmly walked to the games room.
"I heard there were chariot races in the courtyard, good night," Mesu excused himself, munching on a piece of lamb.
That left Ozier, Riaz, Besa, and Nuha to talk with some members of Per Isis ad discuss new spells each side was developing. One woman created a spell to encourage clear skies and full moons. Another made a chant that would help with the process of birthing, and one more to ensure a child's health to hold firmly for months.
"Speaking of spells," Nuha asked a Per Isis member, "Have you found your chanter?" The man glared at her possessively. Apparently, it was a sore subject.
"No." With that, he waltzed away to mingle with Per Ra people.
Nuha sighed, "Don't mind them," Ozier consoled, "It's always frustrating at this time for each House."
"Luckily for us, Ozier snatched little Kamet before it was too late," Riaz praised, tripping over himself due to his intoxication.
"Tell that to the pharaoh," Ozier wrinkled his nose at the heavy scent of alcohol coming from his friend's breath.
"That wasn't your fault, your task was to bring the girl," Mesu assured with an affirmative nod.
Ozier put on a quick smile, his head then snapped to the circle, "Hang on a moment..."
He broke of from the encirclement. Kamet's dancing had ceased, she was staring transfixed at the young man wearing a ring-like necklace with spikes as pendants and an eye of Horus staring into one's soul.
"Please, don't stop on my account," The young man gently requested, "I'd love to see you dance for Per Horus."
A/N Gosh, I feel like this story is really getting off the ground now. :)
Thank you guys for your support and taking time out of your busy lives to read it!
Give me some feedback on how I'm doing, have a nice night/day everyone.