chapter 27

Edfu, Benu's pyramid...

Neesa questioned her teacher, as she reluctantly deliberately drank the liquid given to her. Menes, held his hands clasping over eachother over his stomach and glared to neesa. Wating for her to finish the drink.

"Why must I drink this?" neesa asked. Menes sighed, lowly and harshly. "These trials must be completed. To prove you are what the prophecy says you are."

"I get that, but why?" Menes, stepped down and glared down. Backslapping her hard, splitting her lower lip and she unknowingly had threw the bowl away, crashing into the wall nearby. Tightly clenched her fingers in, tightening into a fist then fiercelessly turned and threw her fist. Neesa's eyes widened, surprised as she witnessed her fist was caught within the palm of menes and he slightly tilt his head to the right. She grunted and groaned as menes punched her jaw.

"I am not your enemy, neesa. Why must you treat me as I were?"

Neesa was blinded by her growing rage, her body grew hot. Steam hot, her physical form transformed as blood seeped from the splitting openings. Once more, menes back fist neesa forcing her to meet the wall across the room.

"You are not the chosen one as we believed to be." Neesa's eyes averted to the familiar voice had spoken as she gasped her name. "Tealana?" Her body stopped, and remained hot but bloody. Tears streamed down her hot cheeks. "You can not be here, my dear sister. Why would you say such things?"

Tealana smugged smirked and chuckled. "Oh, dear sister. It is me. And you don't see." Neesa looked around and menes was absent, as he had vanished. Burning flame torches hung around, a large ceramic pool waited behind. Neesa was forcibly dragged to the mantel and her head was held down.

"Sister, this is not you."

"Sure it is, me." She chuckled. "Sister." The light of a shine that rode the axe blade, as it was raised. Sweeping underneath, the axe flew from her hands and her head hit the floor. She grunted in pain and groaned. Neesa picked the axe up, stood over her and said.

"I am sorry, sister." Raised the axe as she stopped and listened. "You are not sorry, another sin. You would kill your own flesh and blood." Neesa glared with widened surprised glanced, tears streamed down her cheeks as she saw her own child, kneeling before her.

"Misakia?"

Evilly smiled and answered. "Hello mother." she answered. "You are not my daughter. She is dead."

"No mother, I am right here."

Shaking her head, disbelieving her eyes. "No, My elders daughters died at birth. You are not her, you are neither of them." Tears streamed down her face, tightly held the handle and readied to swing.

"It is me, mother. Please, believe me." She walked toward her, with open arms. Snivelled harshly and gritted her teeth as she said, raspily. "You are not my daughter." Before the fiend could reply, she swung the axe decapitating her head away then dropped to her knees. Dropping the axe and upon her forearms as she cried.

Menes watched, the doors opened behind him and aseta walked in with beltana. Holding her bicep, exhausted and witnessed her daughter laying on the stone mantel. "Is she?" Beltana asked, whispery.

Menes nodded. "She is." Lightly patted her forehead, drying her forehead. "Facing her second trial, and it would seem she having difficulty facing her fears."

"Fears? What do you mean, fears?" beltana asked. "I have no idea, great mother." menes answered. "How long?" beltana asked.

"As long it may take." Turning on his heel and glanced the exhausted mother. "You should be resting, as after all. You too have faced her inner troubles." Menes assured.

"I am fine." Beltana refused. "I wish to remain with my child."

"Great mother, you must rest. You are no use for the goddess if you are restless and exhausted." Aseta assured. "Come, rest and you may see her later."

Finally beltana agreed and followed aseta to her secret chambers. Menes returned to neesa's side, placed his pal over her forehead and brushed back her hair as he said. "Face your inner evil. Arise as you are destined to become, child."

Travelling through the sandstorm, brewing outside the pyramid. Holding the cloth over her face, her fellow companion grunted and wailed alittle. Lightly patted his head, and murred as he felt praised of the comfort. Finally, they arrived.

Stood, still as she glanced across the sands of the pyramid in the distance. Rose her gaze, averted to look above and saw the moon was close. Luckily she had gotten in time, to warn and about the great apocalypse coming.

"Hata, hete." Amunta commanded gently, her camel obeyed and lightly trotted across the sands. As they approached the pyramid guards immediately readied their weapons. "Halt! Who thy goes there?"

Amunta didn't reply, threw her leg over the camel's head and pushed herself from the saddle. "I come to see the priestess of Benu." Amunta finally said, approaching the guardians before revealing her face as they held thier weapons toward her and demanded once again.

"Who thy are you?"

Revealing her face, the guardians looked to each other for a second and said. "Wait here."

Amunta nodded, and answered. "As you wish." One guardian remained with amunta and while the other went inside. Tetisheri walked out, drying her hands and said.

"Why are you not at your post, guardian?" The guardian replied. "A young child, is waiting outside as she requested to speak with the priestess of the pyramid as said."

Tetisheri hurriedly grasped a dagger, hid in her cloak and walked out with the guardian. Tetisheri stopped at the pyramid entrance, her eyes widened and her heart fastened in pacing beat.

"Amunta?" Tetisheri whispered. She glanced confused, raised her brow. "How you know me?" Tetisheri didn't reply, she swallowed hard. Refusing to answer the question and asked her own. "What are you doing here?"

"I was sent here." amunta answered. "By who?" tetisheri asked, looking around for any ambushers. "I came alone, if that is what you are wondering priestess." Amunta assured.

"How can I be sure you aren't lieing?" Tetisheri asked, disbelieving what she heard. "Read my mind. And you shall see I am not lieing." Amunta permitted the priestess to read her thoughts. The guardians lowered thier weapons, stepped aside and remained close as she placed her hand upon amunta's forehead and closed her eyes to see exactly what she spoke, truthfully.

"What does the oracle have planned for you when your mission is complete?" Tetisheri asked. "Freedom." she answered. "She promised me, my freedom."

Tetisheri knew the oracle of old can be treacherous but not at this time, where the prophecy has come so close to surface. "Take her down to the dungeon below." The guardians obeyed and surrounded Amunta, leading her to the dungeon as she said.

"Don't you trust me, priestess?" Tetisheri sighed. "Not taking no chances, no risks of the word from a blood slave."

"You know, if you decapitate my head. My mistress will know." Tetisheri turned and faced her, answered whispery. "That is why you are to be kept in dungeon until whatever is branded in your arm, had been removed then only then we shall talk."

Stepping aside, watched the guardians and amunta walked down the dark stone corridor. Not long after, standing outside the dungeon door, waited for amunta walked in. "Don't go nowhere." Tetisheri instructed.

Amunta sighed. "Don't worry, I won't be going anywhere until my mission is completed." Tetisheri replied nothing, just glanced the suspicious blood slave and instructed the guardian to remain and ensure no escape was available. Turning on her heel, and disappeared down the corridor.