M-Sama: Yep, two chapters in one sitting. Aren't you proud of me? Maria, you're in this one again! Sorta.
Anyway, no one likes my mindless banter so on with the show!
Chapter 12: The rebellion
The uprising was swift and terrible, the fruit of Seto's intelligence, foresight, and malice.
He was allied with the head of each temple across the land. Seto declared open rebellion against the king. On his signal the temples across the Two Lands slammed their doors and slew all within who did not renounce the king and swear allegiance to the High Sorcerer, for the Priesthood was nothing but a vocation for magical minions of the Pharaoh. Some of those cornered souls managed to send shadow messengers before they were hunted down and destroyed.
The king was in his bedchamber, pondering the threat in the back of his mind when the first shadow messenger arrived, leaving a hastily scribed papyrus scroll carrying this message.
"Priests in rebellion. All magicians must swear an oath renouncing the Pharaoh or die. Look to your High Priest. They come for me soon, but I will not renounce my eternal soul by swearing. Take them down, your highness. ~Maria, Matron of the House of Maidens, Temple of Amman, Thebes."
The Pharaoh coiled the papyrus with hard hands. His mind and heart were tense as steel. He knew if what was on the scroll was true; he would receive another sign in less than fifteen minutes.
A deep boom sounded at the palace gates. The king stood up, clad himself in his royal robes and jewelry, as usual bypassing the traditional pharaonic headgear for a simple golden headband bearing the Eye of the Thousand Years, a symbol of the duelist magics.
Tèana burst into the room. "Your Majesty!"
"I know," he said, adjusting his golden armbands. "High Priest Seto has betrayed us. I must go see to this." He turned to face her, the grimness of his face enhancing the outlandishness of his features, the huge fierce eyes, the crisp delicacy of the rest of his face, his strange crown of lightning-hair and lean, wiry body…it all seemed as strange to her now as it had the day she'd first seen it.
Tèana settled herself and returned his gaze. "Will there be a battle?"
"I'd stake my throne on it," he said. There was another series of deep booms, resonating through the palace. "And," he said, "it seems I am going to."
Seto had left his small army of duelists in the palace courtyard to hold off the tides of royal guards, taking only a few in with him as went to smash into the Pharaoh's chamber. He mounted the steps and was approaching the entrance when his intended course of action became completely unnecessary. The king himself stood upon the dais, arms crossed, the warm breeze stirring his outlandish crown of lightning and making his cape flare out like violet wings.
"State the meaning of this intrusion," he said in that too deep, resonating voice.
Seto's followers became still and quiet. Even their summoned beasts ceased their streaking and returned to their stones, which were carried by a multitude of pall-bearing slaves from the temples.
Seto stepped forward. "I, Seto Sutekh-Sokar of the Blue-Eyes White Dragon, have come to claim the throne of the Two Lands. Your time is over, seventieth son of the Ammines line. Egypt must have a new ruler. A mighty ruler."
"And you suppose you are that ruler?"
"You shall step down from the throne of the sun god or you shall be destroyed, along with all you hold dear."
"I was born the son of the king," the Pharaoh's voice resonated. "I am a child of Ra, the king of kings, and closest to the gods. You would usurp me with your treacherous ways?"
"I would have the gods decide who is worthy to lead this land," said Seto. "Now let's see what power you really have, king of kings!"
They entered the dueling floor. The Pharaoh had performed a summoning spell, which brought all duelists loyal to him to the floor. He was a tad worried about how few there were.
Seto had no patience for working through anyone to get at his main opponent. He dueled mercilessly, refusing to send out any champions to duel for him. The king did send out one champion, before he realized Seto planed to do all the dueling himself. Seto was merciless. The king's man could not stand up to the might of the Blue-Eyes White Dragon, and the former priest made it quite clear it was the Pharaoh and no other whom he wished to duel, so the king should stop cowering and face him.
The king accepted his challenge, to the dismay of all those loyal to him. He told them he would not send them like lambs to the slaughter. He would fight his own battle. Tèana put her hands to her mouth and prayed to all the gods in heaven to grant him power, to keep him safe, and to turn Seto's brain to goopy sludge, the treacherous slime ball.
The duel began.