It was early morning. 5:03 to be exact. The Priests had been up for hours,
but the rest of Egypt was just waking.
Peasants stopped their work and made the long trek from their villages to the capital.
Nobles just stopped drinking wine and being entertained by dancing girls.
Almost the entire population of Egypt had come to Karnak. There was almost as big a crowd as the Pharaoh's coronation.
It was the morning of the first public temple ceremony under Atemu's reign.
He had traveled to Karnak with 3 of his priests, Seto, Isis, and Mahaado.
He was also accompanied by Anzu, Jou, 20 of Jou's men, and 30 servants.
Honda had made quite clear that he was unimpressed by the fact that he was unable to go, but he was extremely pleased that he got to stay with Shinzuka.
"Pharaoh," Seto said, turning to Atemu. "Have you decided what you are going to sacrifice tomorrow?"
"Huh?" Atemu's head shot up and he blinked at Seto. "The sacrifice," The Priest implied calmly.
"Oh, that. What am I supposed to sacrifice?" Seto laughed.
"You will make a fine Pharaoh Atemu, if you keep thinking like that. It is tradition for the Pharaoh to sacrifice a pig in worship of Osiris."
"Oh, well in that case I'd better get myself a nice, fat pig. Oi, you in the dress! Can I use you for sacrifice?"
He called out to a fat woman holding a basket of corn. Seto cringed at his cousin's crudeness.
"Atemu, I think you'd better stick to the livestock type of pigs."
"Oh. Well, I suppose that would work too. Sorry fat lady in the dress!"
"Idiot." Seto muttered to Mahaado, who was sitting beside him. "Just an idiot!"
"Indeed," Mahaado nodded. "An idiot, but a nice one at that."
*
Atemu sat bored, his hand resting on his chin. His head hung heavy with gold, his hands and arms glinting with jewels.
He was having sketches done of him, to be put inscribed on stone and then gold for his sarcophagus.
Anzu sat a little way off, writing down the events of the journey to Karnak and of Atemu's portrait session.
The scribe was muttering to himself, scribbling furiously on his papyri.
"I really don't think this is necessary. I mean, I'm not going to die anytime soon, at least I think I won't. There'll be plenty of time for you to do sketches of me."
"Ack!" Cried the scribe in exasperation. "Now look what you have done! Ruined, that's what it is! Stupid Pharaoh, now I'll have to do it all over again!
"And don't you blame me for making you sit longer, Pharaoh. 15, that's too young to rule, it is. Honestly! No respect for anyone, you young-un's!"
Atemu sat up, startled. He had never met anyone in his life who had insulted him so, and it surprised him very much.
Seto laughed and move to stand beside his cousin. "It had to happen one day, Atemu. It's about time someone brought you down off your high horse."
"But-but," Stammered Atemu, still shocked. "I don't even like horses." He said weakly.
"Beside the point, Pharaoh. Now come on, it's time for you to lead the procession."
"Fine. But I'll have you know, I don't think anyone should speak to me like that!"
"Alright, then." Seto started to walk away, motioning for Atemu to follow him. "And I think anyone who does shall be executed!"
"You're pushing it, Atemu." The young Pharaoh muttered darkly and followed Seto outside.
Priests, soldiers, workers and well-dressed aristocrats filtered in through the main gates of the temple in a long, snaking procession.
Atemu walked at the head of the line, flanked by Seto and Isis.
Mahaado walked behind them leading a fat, grunting pig.
He was cursing the foul animal in all the different ways he knew of, which was many for an accomplished linguist like him.
The Pharaoh and his Priests entered a small building on the east side, leaving the public to offer their gifts.
Atemu walked up the long, narrow staircase and stopped in front of a large altar.
It was made entirely of gold and lavishly decorated with jewels and other charms.
Each of the priests stood before the burning basin and presented their offerings.
The pigs and goats grunted and squealed in terror when the placed upon the flames.
Atemu watched, sickened by the smell of burnt flesh, but intrigued all the same.
"I think I'm going to be sick," He told Seto.
"There's a sink just over there," he said, pointing to a grimy bowl that gave off a rancid stench.
Atemu stared, disgusted. Turning back to his cousin he said "actually, I think I don't have to anymore."
He grinned. "And if I do, I'll just throw up on you instead."
"Oh joy." Seto said sarcastically, and turned back to watch the rest f the proceedings.
After everyone has made their sacrifices, Atemu led the way back to the main chapel.
The priests moved through the crowd and stepped up onto a wide, flat platform.
"Here you go, Pharaoh." Isis handed Atemu a bow and four arrows, each of which were made by reed and tipped with bronze.
"Thank you, Isis. I think I remember how to do this."
While Seto and the other priests watched nervously and prayed that no-one would be fatally injured, Atemu strung the bow and clipped an arrow into the notch.
'Please Ra don't let me hit anyone.' Atemu pleaded silently. Raising the bow to his shoulder, Atemu turned to face north.
He drew his right arm back and fired. The arrow flew beautifully, ending in a small dot in the glare of the sun.
Atemu then repeated the same procedure three times, facing east, south and west.
As soon as he was finished, Atemu gave a sigh of relief. "I did it!"
He shouted gleefully, and leapt off the steps to hug his cousin. Seto stared, shocked and mortified, as Atemu hugged Isis, Mahaado and Jou as well.
"I did it! I actually did it without lethally damaging someone!" The young Pharaoh danced around jovially.
In his haste the bow slipped out of his hand and went soaring through the air.
It landed with a loud cracking sound on Mahaado's head. The priest dropped to the ground and lay still.
"Oops."
*
Ok, that was short, really short, but I just wanted to write something. Promise the next one will be longer.
Also, someone complained that Japanese names were hard to remember. Please tell me if you want me to change the names to the American version (including Yami).
Peasants stopped their work and made the long trek from their villages to the capital.
Nobles just stopped drinking wine and being entertained by dancing girls.
Almost the entire population of Egypt had come to Karnak. There was almost as big a crowd as the Pharaoh's coronation.
It was the morning of the first public temple ceremony under Atemu's reign.
He had traveled to Karnak with 3 of his priests, Seto, Isis, and Mahaado.
He was also accompanied by Anzu, Jou, 20 of Jou's men, and 30 servants.
Honda had made quite clear that he was unimpressed by the fact that he was unable to go, but he was extremely pleased that he got to stay with Shinzuka.
"Pharaoh," Seto said, turning to Atemu. "Have you decided what you are going to sacrifice tomorrow?"
"Huh?" Atemu's head shot up and he blinked at Seto. "The sacrifice," The Priest implied calmly.
"Oh, that. What am I supposed to sacrifice?" Seto laughed.
"You will make a fine Pharaoh Atemu, if you keep thinking like that. It is tradition for the Pharaoh to sacrifice a pig in worship of Osiris."
"Oh, well in that case I'd better get myself a nice, fat pig. Oi, you in the dress! Can I use you for sacrifice?"
He called out to a fat woman holding a basket of corn. Seto cringed at his cousin's crudeness.
"Atemu, I think you'd better stick to the livestock type of pigs."
"Oh. Well, I suppose that would work too. Sorry fat lady in the dress!"
"Idiot." Seto muttered to Mahaado, who was sitting beside him. "Just an idiot!"
"Indeed," Mahaado nodded. "An idiot, but a nice one at that."
*
Atemu sat bored, his hand resting on his chin. His head hung heavy with gold, his hands and arms glinting with jewels.
He was having sketches done of him, to be put inscribed on stone and then gold for his sarcophagus.
Anzu sat a little way off, writing down the events of the journey to Karnak and of Atemu's portrait session.
The scribe was muttering to himself, scribbling furiously on his papyri.
"I really don't think this is necessary. I mean, I'm not going to die anytime soon, at least I think I won't. There'll be plenty of time for you to do sketches of me."
"Ack!" Cried the scribe in exasperation. "Now look what you have done! Ruined, that's what it is! Stupid Pharaoh, now I'll have to do it all over again!
"And don't you blame me for making you sit longer, Pharaoh. 15, that's too young to rule, it is. Honestly! No respect for anyone, you young-un's!"
Atemu sat up, startled. He had never met anyone in his life who had insulted him so, and it surprised him very much.
Seto laughed and move to stand beside his cousin. "It had to happen one day, Atemu. It's about time someone brought you down off your high horse."
"But-but," Stammered Atemu, still shocked. "I don't even like horses." He said weakly.
"Beside the point, Pharaoh. Now come on, it's time for you to lead the procession."
"Fine. But I'll have you know, I don't think anyone should speak to me like that!"
"Alright, then." Seto started to walk away, motioning for Atemu to follow him. "And I think anyone who does shall be executed!"
"You're pushing it, Atemu." The young Pharaoh muttered darkly and followed Seto outside.
Priests, soldiers, workers and well-dressed aristocrats filtered in through the main gates of the temple in a long, snaking procession.
Atemu walked at the head of the line, flanked by Seto and Isis.
Mahaado walked behind them leading a fat, grunting pig.
He was cursing the foul animal in all the different ways he knew of, which was many for an accomplished linguist like him.
The Pharaoh and his Priests entered a small building on the east side, leaving the public to offer their gifts.
Atemu walked up the long, narrow staircase and stopped in front of a large altar.
It was made entirely of gold and lavishly decorated with jewels and other charms.
Each of the priests stood before the burning basin and presented their offerings.
The pigs and goats grunted and squealed in terror when the placed upon the flames.
Atemu watched, sickened by the smell of burnt flesh, but intrigued all the same.
"I think I'm going to be sick," He told Seto.
"There's a sink just over there," he said, pointing to a grimy bowl that gave off a rancid stench.
Atemu stared, disgusted. Turning back to his cousin he said "actually, I think I don't have to anymore."
He grinned. "And if I do, I'll just throw up on you instead."
"Oh joy." Seto said sarcastically, and turned back to watch the rest f the proceedings.
After everyone has made their sacrifices, Atemu led the way back to the main chapel.
The priests moved through the crowd and stepped up onto a wide, flat platform.
"Here you go, Pharaoh." Isis handed Atemu a bow and four arrows, each of which were made by reed and tipped with bronze.
"Thank you, Isis. I think I remember how to do this."
While Seto and the other priests watched nervously and prayed that no-one would be fatally injured, Atemu strung the bow and clipped an arrow into the notch.
'Please Ra don't let me hit anyone.' Atemu pleaded silently. Raising the bow to his shoulder, Atemu turned to face north.
He drew his right arm back and fired. The arrow flew beautifully, ending in a small dot in the glare of the sun.
Atemu then repeated the same procedure three times, facing east, south and west.
As soon as he was finished, Atemu gave a sigh of relief. "I did it!"
He shouted gleefully, and leapt off the steps to hug his cousin. Seto stared, shocked and mortified, as Atemu hugged Isis, Mahaado and Jou as well.
"I did it! I actually did it without lethally damaging someone!" The young Pharaoh danced around jovially.
In his haste the bow slipped out of his hand and went soaring through the air.
It landed with a loud cracking sound on Mahaado's head. The priest dropped to the ground and lay still.
"Oops."
*
Ok, that was short, really short, but I just wanted to write something. Promise the next one will be longer.
Also, someone complained that Japanese names were hard to remember. Please tell me if you want me to change the names to the American version (including Yami).