CHAPTER 2

The night was still and quiet around the palace. The occasional cry of an animal, was all that disturbed twilight's' chill, all that pierced the deafening silence. The moon cast an eerie glow over the balcony on which Taita now sat. He had been thinking about what his father had said earlier, about where he was to be tonight. Just a meeting or something, thought Taita. But Taita had noticed a slight flinch in his father's face as he had said it, a small grimace as if Pharaoh was under a lot of strain.

Taita had heard rumours of war a lot in recent times, what with the rebels running unchecked, their fearsome bands growing by the day. Taita heard the royal carriage draw up below. Why was this discussion to be held so late in the night? Taita, who had grown a few inches of late, reached up to the roof above his head, and scaled onto it. Crawling along on top of it, he let himself down onto the next balcony along, from which a staircase for the servants ran. Padding silently down the steps, he crept around the back of the royal cart.

The two drivers at the front were deeply in conversation about the upcoming chariot races, and did not notice his quiet approach or, his mounting into the back of the cart. Concealing himself between the under side of the back seats and the baggage rack at the back (which already held food and blankets for the horses), Taita settle down to wait.

*

The journey, after his father had climbed aboard, proved uneventful to Taita. His father talked little, and the drivers less. Taita did not wish to risk raising his head to see his father's expression. If he were caught he would be severely punished. The carriage, which was little more than a large chariot had slowed to a halt outside a temple, the temple of Horus.

Horus was Pharaoh Nefer Seti's God, and Nefer's sacrifices had been made to this God only. Taita the Warlock had also been a Horus man, and Nefer supposed he probably got a lot of his ideals from the old Magus. As his father walked inside, Taita waited until the drivers were arguing animatedly about the Rebel threat, before slipping out of the back of his hiding place, and circling around he made his way to the temple. The temple was small compared to other temples and consisted of few sections; a hall, the main sacrificing altar and the inner sanctum. The altar itself was majestic, after Nefer's many generous donations it was now a beautiful creation of shimmering gold, flanked by two sturdy pillars, each bearing the blue hawk seal of the Pharaoh's. Taita had been in the temple before, and had explored it so thoroughly that he knew several secret ways in. Deciding that the roof top trapdoor would be too risky in the dark, Taita crawled in through a small opening in the back of the temple, which was little more than a small water run, which fed a waterfall inside the inner sanctum. A perfect view point. He slid his way towards where the waterfall emerged from the side of the temple wall, and balanced himself just above the water, slightly uncomfortably, so that the water could still flow freely below him.

After a few minutes of silent waiting, the priest of the temple showed Nefer and a man Taita recognised as the leader of the army, Brokus, into the room. The priest bowed low to the Pharaoh before backing out of the room. Nefer addressed Brokus immediately.

"What has happened?" he asked anxiously.

"Rebel uprising Pharaoh." replied Brokus. "Some small towns around Memphis are now overrun. Your people are scared majesty, and we cannot be there to look out for all of them in our current position. We need to move troops North to crush this presently small threat."

Nefer considered for a moment. "Is there any spare garrison of troops stationed at my palace at Elephantine at the moment?"

Brokus smiled, that was his garrison. "Yes there are indeed sir. When would you like us to move out?"

Nefer could not help but smile also at Brokus boyish sense of fun. "It depends. What do you think Taita the Warlock would have done?"

Brokus shrugged apologetically. "I do not know, I did not know the wise Magus."

Nefer nodded, few had. "I wish he were still here. He was wise, and would know how to deal with all situations. How many rebels are there?"

"I would say there would be at least six thousand at present numbers."

Nefer's smile vanished. "Six THOUSAND?" The number echoed around Nefer's head. True, his full army's force numbered some forty thousand, but a six thousand strong rebel uprising was quite a hefty force. He then answered Brokus' question. "As soon as is humanly possible Brokus. By tomorrow if possible, if not then the day after that." Brokus nodded in acknowledgement and accompanied the Pharaoh out of the door.

Taita crept silently out the back of the Temple, considering what he had just heard. War? That wasn't good. Not good at all. Taita quickened his pace. He knew he didn't have long, the sacrifice and prayer never took long. Lying back down in the carriage again, Taita waited. He was not there for too long. The sounds of his father and Brokus descending the steps reached his ears. His father had just climbed into the carriage, when all around him sound exploded.

Taita sat bolt upright as arrows whipped across the front of the cart. Nefer had thrown himself down onto the floor of the cart to hide from the arrows, and had seen Taita. Leaping over the back of the carriage, Nefer grabbed his son and pulled them both down to the floor.

Taita was about to explain, but Nefer stopped him. "Not now Taita." He spoke hurriedly. They both peered out from behind the golden coated wheel. The two drivers were dead, rebel arrows sticking out from their chests, their lifeless eyes gazing steadily ahead.

Brokus had been captured by some of the rebels and they saw him dragged, screaming into another cart. Taita gave a jolt as an arrow clanged into the wheel behind his head. All around them fires had been lit, burning pyres of the rebels, of intimidation. The rebels were lined out evenly around the Pharaoh and Taita, about fifteen of them, all with arrows and all looking menacing, with black cloaks over their bodies, and paint covering their faces, haunted stares peering out of their eyes. Nefer started to draw his own bow, but something happened before he could. An odd glow came over the cart, and Nefer and Taita felt strong arms seizing them from the carriage above, which, with them now in, took off at lightening speed down the road, knocking two rebels flying.

A black boy, no older than Taita smiled at them both, and handed Taita a bow and a quiver of arrows. Behind him a cloaked figure drove the cart. Nefer, looked behind him, and seeing the danger, nodded at the boy, and drew his own bow.

"Come on Taita," he muttered, "help!"

Taita turned and, finally realising what was going on, picked up the small bow and aimed behind him. Following their own carriage was a smaller lighter cart, on which three rebels stood, one encouraging the horses and steering, the other two with their own bows. Notching an arrow, Taita aimed at the first man on the left, but too slow, he buckled as two quick arrows from the boy beside him entered him, one in his leg, the other in his arm, knocking him backwards off the cart.

"I try not to kill when I can help it," he explained. Taita aimed then at the person on the right, or where he had been a moment before. But now that man lay back in the cart, dead, with one of the Pharaoh's arrows protruding from his stomach. The driver seemed to have realised that he now had no back up, and swerving, his cart careered into a small market stall and tossed him out like a rag doll. He landed with a sickening thud on the road, and lay still.

Nefer asked the boy what his name was, and he replied quickly. "My name is Jian. The driver you know already." Pharaoh climbed into the front to get a look at the supposedly friendly driver, who turned to him. Nefer gasped in shock.

"Meren!"