Tut and Suhad: Tears in the Sand

The stillness of the Great House was disrupted by the sounds of guards. Ka, Ankhe and Ay all come running into the Great Room to see what the commotion is about. "We need to speak to the Pharaoh!" The guard Captain tells Ka. "The Pharaoh is resting. You can tell me. What is going on?" The guard kneels in front of them. "The Nubians have assassins inside the gates. Three families have been found murdered." Before he can continue another guard rushes inside. "Sir! Arrows!" The group steps out to see the sky filled with eerie glow of flaming arrows.

As they hit buildings and carts, the citizens begin to panic. They are running everywhere trying to avoid the aerial barrage. Some find shelter while others are not so lucky. Ka turns to the guards. "Help the people!" He turns to a servant that is standing there shaking. "Find the General!" The frieghted servent disappears through a door. He turns to Ankhe. "You need to gather your things. I fear that Karnak will be in ruin before the night is over." Ay grabs her by the arm. "Come along my dear." She looks around. Ka is right. She glances back to the room where Tut has been getting better. No one knows if he is well enough to travel. "Is all lost?" She thinks to herself as Ay drags her to her room.

Lagus can see the fires burning on the horizon. His mission to the Mitanni has been met with success. The Mitanni General and his army are following across the sand to Karnak. "We are too late!" He yells to the General. Ha'rem replies to him. "We will save your Pharaoh. I promise he will return to Thebes." They press the horses harder. Their hoove sounds are like thunder. They split in two. One group follows Lagus to head in to the city. The others head around behind the Nubians.

Penthu is helping Tut get dressed. He has his armor on under his robe. He has a piece of cloth wrapped to hide his face. "My King! Please! You are not well enough to fight!" King Tutankhamun is not listening. "I will not lay here while my city, My People, are under attack. I am Pharaoh!" He looked around the room. "Where is my sword?" Penthu slowly held the weapon up to him. "Here, my Pharaoh." Tut looked at the blade then slipped into the cloth around his waist. "You must leave with the others. See me in Thebes." He patted Penthu on the shoulder as he walked away. Penthu stood silently. He just bowed and turned to leave.

Outside was chaos in the streets. Nubians clashed with Egyptian soldiers. He noticed Mitanni helping citizens. As he scanned in front of him, the sound of a small child weeping caught his attention. There sitting on the ground near what appeared the chared remains of a man and a women looked like a young girl. He clothes blacked from smoke and mud. He walked over to her slowly. She looked up at him. "Where are your parents?" He said quietly. She pointed to the burned bodies. Tut had to hold back the urge to vomit. "What is your name?" She looked away from him. "Ma'at." She said in a tiny voice. The King reached down and picked the child up in his arms partially covering her with his robe. "You are safe now. I will protect you." She buried her face in his chest, weeping. He looked around to see if anyone noticed him as he left the city.

Any carts that were intact from the attack were loaded with people and items. The Mitanni guarded the caravan as it made it's way across the desert. Ay and Ankhe found themselves on a chariot near the front. Bodies litter the sands, Nubian, Hitties, Asiatic, Egyptians and Mitanni filled Anubus' ranks tonight. The Pharaoh was able to climb into a cart with the child in hand. The poor girl had fallen asleep in his arms. For a second she resembled a younger version on Suhad. He watched as they pulled away, Karnak was no longer a beautiful Temple but a gigantic funeral pyre.

Horses thundered past the cart. Lagus and Ka were heading to the front where General Horemheb was leading them back to Thebes. "Has anyone seen the Pharaoh?" Horemheb just shook his head. "No one has seen him." Ka swore. "I'm going back. He may still be in the Great House." He turned his horse but Lagus stopped him. "No! You can't go back. Karnak is in ruin and the city is lost. I'm sure the Pharaoh made it out." A motion coming from a soldier on horseback caught their attention. "Lagus! Lagus!" He shouted. He rode up to the two men. The rider was the priest, Penthu. "Where is the King?" Ka asked him. "He isn't with you?" The priest looked down at the sand. "He left me. He said he couldn't stand by while his people suffered. He left the room and that was the last I saw of him. He isn't completely well but he is strong."

Ka more then ever wanted to go back. "We will be making camp soon. These people have been through enough. The ride to Thebes will be a long one once it becomes high sun. We will go back then. I hope the gods protect him until then." The Nubians did not pursue the retreating masses. The army of Egypt and Mitanni that was in Karnak was too great. Their combined might decimated the ranks of the Nubians and their allies. The Hitties fled back to their southern boarders and the Asiatics also left the Nubians to their fate. The people of Karnak will never be able to return. They found rest in the sand under makeshift tents. No one noticed the Pharaoh. Next to him slept the little girl. He did not sleep. He just stayed next to her. He smiled. "I wonder if Suhad would like a daughter?" The thought made him smile even more. This was the only light in such a dark night.

The camp broke as the sun rose. It wasn't long before they saw the gates of Thebes. The refugees were glad to see family and friends. Soldiers helped them unload the supplies and anything that they could take from Karnak. Ay, Ankhe and Ka headed to the Palace. Amun saw their chariot enter the courtyard and also headed to the Palace. Tut with his new adopted daughter made thier way through the streets. He stopped at one of the vendors and got her some food. She hadn't spoken since he rescued her. She was trembling as he headed to the Palace. Her eyes grew wide at the sight of the stairs. She pulled away from him as he started to climb. "What is wrong?" He asked, kneeling down to her level. "You can't go up there!" She said. She took a couple of steps back. He looked up at the top of the steps. "Why not?" He replied. She pointed. "The Pharaoh lives there. He is a mean man that leaves us here to die." Her words cut him like a knife.

Tut still kneeling to her. "Why do you say such things about your King? He isn't mean and he certainly cares about what happens to you." He smiled sweetly at her through his covering. "My mother said that the Pharaoh is a God. He can't worry about us because he has to rule all of Egypt." Tut bowed his head for a second. "How is the Pharaoh mean?" She didn't hesitate in her answer. "He orders his army to kill other people because they are different." Such an innocent child. He was like that before he became King. Sometimes he wished that he'd have that innocent wisdom back. "Do you know why? Those people threaten to hurt you and other children of Egypt. The Pharaoh can't let that happen." She shook her head. "I know that the old Pharaoh died and there is a new one but I haven't met him. He is just like the other. They are all the same."

Tut stood. He had heard enough. "I think the new Pharaoh would like you. He could use your wisdom." She looked up at him. "You think so? Do you know him?" Tut held out his hand to her. "Come on. I will take you too him." She looked back at the stairs. "Do you think he'll mind us just coming into his house?" Tut chuckled. "He won't mind." He bent down. "That's alot of steps. I'll carry you." She looked at him. "I like you. But why is your face covered? Did you get hurt in the fires?" He was still smiling under the cloth over his face. "You ask alot of questions?" Her gaze never waivered. "You have alot of answers. Maybe you should talk to the Pharaoh too."