Wolf: You're better off curbing your instincts, in any case. Otherwise the King of Spoons would haunt every last one of us. Augh! Run, my friends, run! (Kudos!)
Penny: Aww, c'mon, you know that I've killed major characters off before. That's the best part of writing an angst story! Let's see how your opinions of my characters weigh in on this one. Kudos!
Yoshimi: Ahh, no threats now. Play nice. Please? I'll give you kudos! Here, have kudos in advance! Kudos!
-------
The knife stopped.
With the tip barely a hair's breadth above her breast, the descent of the knife had come to a sudden halt.
She was trembling with fear, but nevertheless she stared into Khensthoth's eyes.
Only, they weren't Khensthoth's.
The power that coursed through him, empowered the Eye of Horus and the glowing quality of his real eyes, flickered again, only this time it was a repeated flickering. He let out a grunt of several emotional qualities – pain, frustration, anguish.
"Khensthoth... stop..." His voice shuddered with the effort of trying to speak. "Y-you cannot do this..."
Adjedaa dared not move, even though every instinct she possessed screamed at her to do so... to simply roll out of the way and scramble back to the protection of the mages and guards just mere footfalls away.
The eyes of the man she saw now continued to flicker. One moment, they blazed with golden fire; the next, they were the brandy color that he'd always borne. His voice also fluctuated. One moment, it was warped and it echoed, whereas the next, it was the simple voice he'd always had.
"Traitor! ... No... stop this, Khensthoth... This was our chance, Theoris! ... It was not our task..."
He was frozen in place, completely rigid. The cold tip of the knife was just barely touching her breast, but it was enough for her; she didn't want to so much as even blink, much less squirm out of the way. If I try to move, Khensthoth may take him over long enough to... Theoris must use this position as motivation. Moving would only distract him and give Khensthoth the foothold he needs...
All she could do was watch as Theoris and Khensthoth warred within Theoris's body.
-------
Khensthoth delivered a devastating blow to Theoris, causing him to fly back and across the empty throne room of Theoris's mind.
"I shall go back and do it myself!" Khensthoth roared. "The Pharaoh must be brought back!"
Theoris got back to his feet and charged Khensthoth. "Listen to yourself! You have been driven to madness!"
Khensthoth flew back under the force of Theoris's charge. "It is madness that you would deprive your people of their leader! Now you and that healer wish to stand in my way for even attempting to bring Him back!"
"You are trying to murder her! She has committed no wrong against you! Nor have I! I have performed to the task you set before me, and now you wish to destroy me for that? What sense is there in this?"
"I did not know the Pharaoh would be in the Millennium Puzzle!"
"Nor did I! And nevertheless I performed to the task because it was what needed to be done!"
Khensthoth roared again and charged Theoris; as he did so he brought up his Millennium Shield to use as a battering ram.
Theoris brought up his own shield to block, and he braced himself for the hit.
The two shields clashed against each other.
The two soldiers were thrown to opposite sides of the throne room.
Theoris was the first to recover; he got to his feet and saw Khensthoth struggling to find some purchase on the slippery floor.
The older soldier convulsed. And his body began to grow transparent.
Theoris's eyes grew wide. "No... Khensthoth, do not leave."
Khensthoth gasped. "It-it is the sh-shield..."
Theoris looked up at the ceiling of the throne room, which was not truly the ceiling of any throne room at all. What are you doing to him?
The answer came to him, no so much in thought, but more as a... feeling. Instinct.
You cannot fight yourself... you are doing this for self-preservation, or you would destroy yourself...
But... stop... Khensthoth was... no, stop...
But Khensthoth continued to vanish. His shuddering had slowed now, and he was staring at Theoris with a look of resignation.
"Theoris... this is my last... I have no family, and only you as my friend... now I have lashed out against my only ally, and for that, it is right that I should be gone..."
Theoris shook his head. "No, Khensthoth... I wish you would remain... I am your only ally and you are mine..."
Khensthoth's form had become so faded now that Theoris could barely see him. The only clear thing about him was the spark in Khensthoth's eyes, the spark of life that had stayed with him through peace and wartime.
"Go back to your family, Theoris... they need you..."
And then Khensthoth -- and the throne room around them -- vanished.
To leave Theoris in the recesses of his own mind.
That was when he realizes his arm was aching.
He returned to his body and saw himself over Adjedaa, the dagger positioned directly over her heart; its tip rested on her breast. Her face was frozen in an expression of terror and fascination.
"Theoris...?" she whispered.
He slumped back and felt the wrenching pain in his side. He gasped and let the dagger clatter to the ground.
He fell back into a puddle of his own blood, and he clutched at his side. He had seen what happened, had even felt it to some extent... but Khensthoth had taken the pain for himself as long as he could.
He groaned as a quadruplet of soldiers picked him up and carried him away.
-------
Theoris was taken back to the palace quarters he'd been given. A cadre of soldiers and mages surrounded him as he tried to make himself as comfortable as he could. Despite the court's decision to let him out, the events of that evening (both Khensthoth's outburst and Theoris's injury) had convinced just about everyone that he should be kept under close observation as his wound was healed.
Understandably, Adjedaa was reluctant to visit Theoris to help him with his injury. Nevertheless, she went to visit him just before sunrise.
She stepped cautiously into the room. Theoris was able to find no sleep, yet he wasn't awake in the true sense of the word. He was somewhere between, standing on the horizon between the two. His eyes were open, half-lidded, unblinking, unseeing, unmoving. A groan escaped him every once in a while, the only indication that he was in pain.
She sighed softly as she approached him. "Theoris..."
He didn't respond; he simply continued to stare at the ceiling, his gaze unfocused.
Tentatively, she sat down on the edge of his bed. "Theoris... I have come to help heal your wound."
"There are some wounds," he said softly, "that cannot be healed... not even by you."
"I know, Theoris," she said. "I know your thoughts. I know your history. I know that you have suffered great loss at the hands of fate. But you still have gained much throughout your life. You have a wife... a son... a future. You are free to live your life how you choose."
He didn't look at her. "I believe my future may already be set before me, in stone. There may be no changing it."
"Khensthoth told you that no one can truly predict the future, did he not?" she asked, drawing upon the memories she'd seen.
"No mortal being, perhaps, can predict the future. But the power within the Millennium items may succeed where mortals fail."
Her eyes took on a light of concern. "Where is Khensthoth?"
Theoris's eyes closed at this question. "I know not. He may still be within the shield... locked away for eternity because he tried to use it to defy its master. Or he may be lost to the darkness. Doomed to wander in oblivion."
"Then... you cannot speak with him any longer?"
"No. He has vanished from the sight of my mind's eye; if his voice still casts sound, my ears are deaf to it."
"May he yet be present within the shield?"
"He may. But I hold no hope in this regard."
She gave Theoris a slight nod. "Are you in a great deal of pain?"
"I have felt the pain of the blade before," he said. "I am more capable of resisting the torture now. But yes, it is quite painful."
She sighed. "I am sorry for what I did, Theoris. Yet you do understand, do you not, why I did it?"
"I understand completely," he responded. "And as bizarre as it may sound, I owe you a debt of gratitude for stabbing me. I know not what would have happened had Khensthoth achieved his goal."
"Is it true, what you argued?" she asked. "Does the Pharaoh yet live within the Millennium Puzzle?"
"I know not," Theoris said truthfully. "I could only see a shape, a distinct form wrapped up in shadows. It could have been the Pharaoh. It could have been another. Khensthoth was convinced that the Pharaoh was He. I shall not gainsay him. I know not."
She nodded once. "The court is very concerned."
He scoffed. "They would be mad to have no concern for what has happened this night."
"The concern is that Khensthoth may have wanted to use the alleged presence of the Pharaoh within the puzzle as an excuse to gain more power. Power he desired for himself."
"I do not believe that was Khensthoth's intent," Theoris responded. "I believe his cause was genuine, yet his actions and thoughts misguided."
"I am sorry, Theoris, but our patience wears thin on believing in fantastical causes. We believed yours, though improbable it seemed. Is that not enough?"
"It is enough that you believed in my cause long enough for me to do what had to be done." He opened his eyes halfway. "Whether you believe that his cause was genuine is not my concern. My only concern now is rejoining the family I have missed so dearly."
He turned his head slightly and looked over at her. "I believe you can understand that, at the very least."
"I do understand, and as no one else can. My heart is with you." She allowed a slight smile. "Your wife sent a messenger this evening relaying her concern for your prolonged absence. She wishes for your immediate, safe return."
"As do I," he responded. "Are you here to heal my wound?"
"I am."
"Then I implore you do your duty so that I may depart this place."
She reached her hands out and gently pressed her palms over Theoris's side. She concentrated on the power within her, the power she first discovered as a child when a playmate badly scraped his knee. She let the healing energy flow from her, like a stream cut into the side of a river, and into Theoris.
Theoris arched his back and cried out. The accelerated healing process was not something his body was used to tolerating, and so was very uncomfortable, almost more so than when he had been stabbed in the first place.
Slowly, inexorably, the ends of the wound began to seal. The mouth that had been created in his side fused its lips together; the flesh beneath meshed with itself and repaired.
Adjedaa released him and sighed. It took a great amount of concentration and energy to heal a puncture wound of that size, and she was already tired from losing both her adrenaline rush and her sleep to the events of the night. She got up and left his quarters without further discussion; she was badly in need of sleep, and Theoris was badly in need of his family.
She couldn't help but wonder what ruling tomorrow's court session would bring.
-------
Theoris entered the door to his home at sunrise. Salatis lay in his bed in the rear corner, soundly asleep.
Tamin was in their private bedroom, sitting straight up in bed and staring at the wall.
Theoris moved into the room. "Tamin?"
She glanced up, and joy filled her expression. "Theoris!" She leapt out of bed and virtually tackled him with a hug. Instinctively, he wrapped his arms around her in return and brushed her cheek with a kiss.
"Oh, I have missed you so much," she whispered. "I have worried for you more than I can stand these past days... I have found no rest..."
"Shh... I am here now," he responded. His hold on her grew tighter. "I have missed you, as well... I have thought of no others but you and Salatis during the lonely nights..."
"No others?" she asked softly, breathing him in.
"No others," he assured her. "I could hardly bear to be without you, Tamin. I love you with all my heart... my love has only deepened during my absence."
For a long time, they simply held each other.
-------
The mood in the court was subdued as all of the mages gathered into their seats. For a long moment, none spoke. Kenamun was the first to break the silence. "Well. We are gathered now to discuss the future of the Millennium Shield... a future that is very much in question, after the events of last night."
He turned to Adjedaa. "Did Theoris tell you anything more before he departed? Specifically, concerning Khensthoth."
"When I asked him where Khensthoth is, he told me that it is possible he may yet be within the shield."
"In which case, the shield presents a danger to us," said Surero.
"It may. It may not," she responded. "He told me he does not hold any hope that Khensthoth is still there... or that if he is, he will be able to do anything like what he did last night."
"Which do you personally believe is the more likely? That he is there, or that he is not?"
She sighed and shook her head. "I know not. I cannot even prefer one over the other."
"Then the shield represents a continued danger," said Djedhor. "To be honest, I found Theoris's explanation for his requirement of the Millennium items to be rather... how shall I put this... improbable. Yet by Adjedaa's account, and the account of the Millennium Scale, his cause was just and true. But now, with Khensthoth's outburst of apparent insanity... I do not believe the shield can any longer be considered safe in Theoris's hands."
"Nor do I," said Surero.
"Nor I," Tasetmerudjehuty supplemented.
"Should the shield be passed to another, then?" Kenamun asked.
Djedhor shook his head. "The only option I can see if to destroy the shield. That would ensure that it does not become a danger to anyone else who carries it."
"I disagree with such a proposition," said Surero. "Destroying the shield would only release the dark energy within."
"Your proposition, Surero?" Kenamun asked.
"Bury it. Keep it hidden within the depths of the earth and never allow it to resurface."
"That is more complex a task than destroying it," Djedhor countered. "Destruction would mean we would not need to guard it."
"And there is another matter where destruction is favorable."
Everyone looked up at Adjedaa, who had spoken this last.
"It was created with the purpose of protecting others, at the cost of its own existence. That is the purpose all shields share. Therefore, would it not be reasonable to assume that its destruction would not necessarily yield a tragedy in its wake?"
The mages were intrigued by this. "Please continue," Kenamun said.
"The shield cannot cast protection on itself. It was meant to protect not itself, but others. That is its intent. Therefore, the magicians that Theoris encountered will never relent in their hunt for the Millennium items, not as long as one remains. Thus, destruction of the shield must be considered as a very real possibility."
Surero blinked in surprise. "You advocate its destruction after being such an avid supporter of Theoris's cause?"
"His cause did not intend for Khensthoth to attempt to take the Millennium Puzzle, injure soldiers he himself trained, and attempt to kill a court mage. It is true that if Khensthoth remains within the shield, it poses a very real danger." Her expression was set, her voice firm. "I know that if such a course of action is taken, it will cause great discomfort for Theoris. However, as much as he has wished to be with his family these last several days, and as tragic as the events of last night were, I do not believe he would find much resistance within himself. Without Khensthoth's voice and advice, and without the threat of the magicians to the Millennium items, he has little reason to keep the shield. And to fully protect the Millennium items from the view of those magicians, it is only logical that the shield be destroyed."
Her last words resounded through the throne room for several moments, uninterrupted by any other voice as all stopped to consider what she was saying.
Kenamun pursed his lips and finally broke the quiet. "Very well. With these things in mind, shall there be any further objection to the shield's destruction?"
No voice spoke out.
And in the silence, the decision was made.
The Millennium Shield was to be destroyed.
-------
Theoris had gone to bed with his wife hours before, but he had found no rest since then. It was not the same with Tamin; she'd fallen asleep as soon as she'd entered the covers with him.
Salatis had awakened and was doodling something on a piece of papyrus with a chunk of charcoal. He'd said nothing to his returned father, something which Theoris had not found particularly surprising. Even though Theoris knew that his son loved him, they were on more distant terms than he and his daughter had ever been.
He felt something.
He frowned, glanced over in the corner where the Millennium Shield rested. Surely it cannot touch my mind from this distance... but then, what is it I feel?
The closest definition he could give the feeling was some sort of awful premonition.
There was a shuffling outside the door. "Theoris? We wish to speak with you."
Theoris closed his eyes. "I do not wish to be disturbed, Kenamun. Would you wait?"
"I am sorry, we cannot and will not."
He sighed. "Very well, one moment." He got out of bed and hastily threw on a robe, then went to the door to meet Kenamun.
Not only was Kenamun there, but so were Surero and Adjedaa, along with three soldiers. Theoris frowned. "Is there something wrong?"
"We have made our decision concerning the Millennium Shield," Kenamun quietly stated.
Theoris's eyes narrowed. "May I assume that, with as many enforcers as you bring, it is not a decision I should be pleased with?"
'Theoris, in this matter, your pleasure does not concern us. Only the welfare of our people. We know not your thoughts on this matter. We know only our judgment, our verdict."
"And what is the verdict the court has rendered?"
"Immediate destruction of the Millennium Shield."
Theoris's eyes widened. "It cannot be..."
"It is. I am sorry, Theoris." What was more, Kenamun's expression seemed to convey sincere apologies. As did the expressions on Surero and Adjedaa's faces.
Perhaps even the soldiers, if Theoris felt inclined to believe Kenamun.
He didn't.
Theoris backed away from the doorway and edged toward the shield.
"Theoris... I really am sorry," Kenamun repeated.
"I know," Theoris whispered. "As am I."
He dived at the shield.
The soldiers shoved their way through the doorway, their scimitars at the ready.
Theoris grabbed the shield and shoved his way through the soldiers, keeping his head down behind the item.
He crashed directly into Kenamun, and they both fell to the ground. Theoris turned his fall into a roll and swiftly -- if not gracefully -- got back to his feet.
He spared a single glance at Surero and Adjedaa.
Neither one was making a move to stop him.
But neither were they moving to help.
And the soldiers were recovering, as was Kenamun.
I cannot stay here, he thought. I have no choice but to run.
And so he ran.
-------
He darted quickly through the streets, hoping to avoid the guards. Yet he was sure that they had alerted their comrades by now, and the sentries would know who to look for. Even if they didn't, they knew what to look for: the Millennium Shield mounted on his right arm. He wished it were not quite so bulky and obvious, but then again, if it were not bulky, it wouldn't be a shield. And it had saved him from several scimitars already, so he chose to thank the stars for small favors.
They certainly were not granting him any large ones.
His movements were as rapid as he had honed them to be in countless battles. Though there was still a dull ache in his side and he was exhausted, he moved with the speed of a battle-ready soldier. He could do no less.
Vaguely, he wondered why he was running. Khensthoth was no longer within the shield, and the task that had been set before him was complete.
There should be no reason for me to run, he thought. I should simply let them have the shield, should I not? And Adjedaa carries my memories, so a member of the mage court knows of the magicians, knows they exist. What further purpose does the shield serve me?
Have I become possessive? Even power-mad? I should hope I have not... and yet I have no true reason in my mind for why I would be running away. The shield is dangerous. Even I am aware of this. Should Khensthoth return... I know not what would happen.
Thus he ran, not knowing why.
It was simply... instinct.
This is my future. Whether I understand it or not, this is what was supposed to happen. I do not even know why.
He darted down an alley and turned left at the end of it. Perhaps forty strides away was an unattended horse, most unusual in Egypt, but it was an unattended horse nevertheless.
Perhaps it was instinct. Perhaps it was the Millennium Shield somehow guiding him. Perhaps it was borderline insanity. Whatever made him do it, Theoris leapt atop the horse and removed the leather strap that bound it to a nearby wooden post, then urged the horse to run.
He moved as the wind, then; the horse charged through the streets with little regard for what was in the middle of them. Theoris found himself thankful that not many were out during this time of day as the horse raced forward.
He heard hoofbeats behind him.
He spared a glance over his shoulder, and much to his dismay, he saw that several soldiers were giving chase on horses of their own. Leading the pack was Djedhor.
"Theoris!" the mage shouted. "Stop!"
I cannot stop, not now, he thought. I have now made an enemy of the court and of the soldiers of Egypt. In this mad drive to save the Millennium Shield I am turning my back on everyone and everything.
This is not right.
Why am I doing this?
What is there to gain?
A wave of exasperation overcame him, an emotion that was peculiar to be feeling at this point. He frowned at the feeling. How very strange. But why?
It is instinctual. As if I was being driven by a basic desire.
He blinked as he suddenly put the pieces together. It was simple, so simple, that he would never have guessed it if he weren't so in tune with his instincts, if he didn't know that instincts could be misleading.
It is the shield. It is driving me to do this. Some sort of self-preservation act. Khensthoth? Are you there?
He received no response to his query, but the drive within him to run became more intense.
He glanced down at the shield. Why are you doing this? Do you know what you are doing to me? Do you even care?
Again, there was no response. Theoris felt frustration course through his veins, and he knew it was his own frustration. Pitiful! You would go to such extremes as this to ensure your own survival! Why? Why would you deprive me of my life?
No answer. Not in the way Khensthoth would have answered.
Or...
A single word formed itself in Theoris's mind, a word both familiar and unfamiliar to him.
Destiny.
-------
He rode through the streets, doubling back every once in a while, desperately trying to lose Djedhor. He didn't want to try to get out of the city, because once he did, he would never be able to come back; this he knew.
After what seemed an eternity of riding, he seemed to get rid of them, at least for a few moments. A few was all he desired; he made his way back to his home using twists and turns no one would have expected.
Tamin was standing in the doorway. A tear stream stained her cheek, and her expression was one of hopelessness.
Theoris got off the horse and pulled Tamin into a fierce hug. She returned the embrace just as fiercely and she sobbed into his neck.
Without question, they both knew what was going to happen. Either Theoris would continue to run and leave the capital city forever, or he would be caught by the sentries and punished.
Either way, they would not see each other for a very long time... if ever again.
"I love you," she wept. "Please stay safe."
He took her face into his hands and captured her lips in a last sweet, passionate kiss, one to which she eagerly replied.
When at last they pulled away, he whispered, "Stay strong. See that Salatis becomes what he dreams to be."
She nodded sorrowfully.
The sound of hoofbeats rumbled in the distance. Puffs of sand and dirt kicked up by the searching horses were thrown into the air not two hundred footfalls from Theoris's home.
Theoris launched onto his horse and looked back at his wife. "I love you. I always will."
"Theoris!"
The soldier urged his horse forward and looked back at Tamin. Salatis had joined her, was standing at her side. He was looking straight at Theoris -- perhaps even through him. As though the man no longer existed.
His father may as well not exist, now...
His ride took him through the outskirts of the city, where the beggars and the slaves resided. They glanced up briefly to watch the chase, but quickly returned their focus to their work. As interesting as a chase of that nature was, that was no excuse to stop working, especially not under the watchful eyes of the slave drivers.
Soon, Theoris found himself riding across the barren northern dune, towards the cliffside where an intricate complex of caves lay. Surely I can lose them here...
Suddenly, he heard an outcry from behind him.
He glanced over his shoulder as he continued to urge his horse, and his eyes widened at the sight.
Djedhor and his band were being intercepted by a group of robed men on black horses.
His eyes widened. Magicians--!
Half the magicians veered into the midst of Djedhor's men. The other half began to chase Theoris.
He turned back to his path and urged his horse to move faster.
"You cannot escape us!" someone shouted. "End this!"
The hoofbeats behind him drew nearer.
His mind shuffled through the events of his life. Entering the army, battling enemies, seeing Tamin for the first time, falling in love...
He was familiar with this sensation. He knew it intimately. It was the premonition of death that invariably overwhelmed him.
He clenched his teeth. No, I shall not die. Not today.
Theoris raced into one of the cave entrances.
His antagonists did not slow their pace.
The darkness began to swallow Theoris and his horse. The horse whinnied and began to slow... it wasn't interested in progressing any further.
Theoris leapt off the horse and continued to move deeper and deeper into the cave. The darkness eventually surrounded him entirely; his movements were those of a blind man.
Perhaps I can open my own eyes with the power of the shield, he thought. With that, he opened his mind to the shield, let his thoughts and his will flow into it.
The Eye of Horus glimmered slightly, despite the total absence of light in the cave.
Theoris blinked. He'd quite abruptly been granted sight of the cave, everything there, every rock and stalactite. He frowned slightly. A useful power, to say the least. But what do I do now? Certainly I cannot stay here... I was told once that these passages contain a gravesite... I do not wish to trespass where it is not absolutely necessary. This place has been robbed, but my trespass would be further desecration. And if I am to live, I shall need food and drink... neither of which I have with me, except a few scraps of bread in my robe.
A light flared behind him.
Torchlight... no... how could they be this close?
He continued to delve more deeply into the cave, desperate to get away from his pursuers. He took a turn at a nearby vein to the right.
And then he spotted it.
A dead end.
The torchlight grew near.
-------
And what will he do about it? Find out next chapter, in the thrilling and chilling conclusion of Shielded Destiny!