CCGNeko: This chapter is specially dedicated to Britt(mangaaminehuge fan), a great friend of mine who is sadly without connection to , so I'll just be directing things to her personally
--Seven curses of Egypt--
Atemu restlessly paced through the room, his eyes narrowed and were shining feverishly.
"Atemu, You called for me" Honda said as he rushed into the room, Atemu startled and turned to face him, for once not minding that the captain didn't use his royal title, "Yes, I did" he mentioned for the other man to take a seat.
"You've heard that there's an army on the border by Dyalo pass(1)... they have laid the city Tiftisa(1) in ashes and murdered the citizens" Honda nodded and sat down, "The counsellor is the only survivor, I've heard about it" Atemu nodded, "She is... however, she's not my concern, there are reports of a mysterious army up north on the oceans, and now the Nubian border holds a real army into our direction..." He looked at a present statue of Amun-ra, "I want the army ready to counter them, and several troops to the north, just in case we get an attack from that direction" Honda nodded and stood up, "I will get on it immediately, my Pharaoh" He bowed and left the room quickly to make the necessary preparations.
Atemu watched the Captain leave and he sighed, his concern was mostly caused by the fact that he did not know the origin of the enemy nor the way they fought.
"Let's just hope nothing else goes wrong" He whispered to himself as he looked out of one of the palace windows.
xxx
(evening)
Ryou looked with concern as Honda paced around in front of him "Honda..." he whispered, knowing what the man must be feeling.
"Not now, Ryou" Honda cut him off with agitation in his voice.
"But... You've been busy all day already!" Ryou whimpered, not liking the tension and stress.
With a determined look in his eyes, Ryou flopped down on the bed, "fine... If you don't like me anymore... I'll just offer myself and my services to the High Priest Seth" he muttered and Honda stopped his pacing.
Ryou didn't expect the captain to react as quickly as he did, and before he knew it, he was pinned underneath the strong battle-trained Honda.
"Is my dear servant thinking of leaving me?" Ryou shivered from the lust in the voice, accompanied by demanding kisses.
"You'll have to pay for that insinuation, servant"
"Would like nothing better" Ryou grinned as he pressed himself upwards against Honda's body.
"Sir, the report..." a soldier entered and froze on the spot, his eyes trailing over the scene in front of him.
"... it can wait! Get OUT!" Honda yelled, his voice almost like the growl of a desert lion.
xxx
They looked human in very deep ways, if one looked long enough.
They had snouts like a crocodile, long red fur on their backs and claws of a lion for hands and feet.
They had knowledge of human language, but were unable to speak themselves, at this point.
They had been ordered to wait, but each one of them knew what they would aim for would their powerful lord set them free, their lord, their caster of high magics... their goal was clear:
The death of the pharaoh, and the fall of his reign...
xxx
(the next morning)
"So there I was, facing hordes of Libyan warriors.."
"Hey, don't get to excited" Honda warned, his face grim, "You may give prove of our heroic actions on the battlefield" he said as he grinned softly.
"What do you mean... sir?" Joey frowned.
"Go get soldier equipment from the armoury, "You're an Egyptian soldier now"
Joey's face became red in anger and the blonde stomped of.
Honda chuckled as the (female) audience left slowly; he hated people who boasted while there was work to do.
"Hey Yugi!" He called as he saw the sleek and tender boy walk through the barracks, several soldiers whistled and some turn away in uneasiness. Yugi looked up at Honda calling him and he changed his course towards the brown-haired male, "hi..." he muttered "Not to gloomy! What are you doing here? The royal army is not the field of the Pharaoh's loyal servant" Honda said, swiftly admiring Yugi's likeness with Atemu.
"I'm looking for the Pharaoh... thought he would be here" Yugi answered him, looking around as if the ruler of Egypt could pop up from behind the chariots an minute.
"Don't they tell you anything?" Honda raised an eyebrow "Atemu is by the royal grain silo's of the palace temple" He whispered.
"Do you know where the silo's are?
Yugi nodded and turned, "Yes, I know, thanks" Honda smiled and nodded as Yugi left, turning his attention back on preparing the army.
xxx
The high priest was deeply concentrated, his small desk was crowded with papyri scrolls, and other priests were still bringing more and more.
"Shores of the river Nile filled with dead fish, in Upper and Lower Egypt..." Seth muttered, scratching his head.
"High priest of Amun..." a priest entered and bowed.
"What is it?"
"Your temple... in Karnak (2)... brings report of a cattle disease..."
Seth widened his eyes and he feverishly read the papyrus handed to him:
Blessed be the high priest of Karnak, Seth,
With our greatest effort, our attempts to keep the royal blessed cattle healthy have succeeded greatly for many seasons.
However, cows in the farther south have fallen ill to a disease unknown to our most cunning experts. This disease is spreading fast! Within a month whole Lower Egypt will be contaminated; the cows give sour milk and flies breed freely upon their flesh.
We pray for a rebirth fest(3) so that the honoured Pharaoh may reseal his pact with the Gods.
Signed: Priest Mematon of Karnak.
"Leave" Seth ordered and the priest hastily obeyed.
Seth turned to a bowl standing on a table in the corner of his office, he slowly added some substance from a leather bag and lit the powder on fire, watching intently how the smoke whirled up on the breezes.
"So this is how is how it's gonna be played out like..." He whispered and his eyes were narrowing in rage... "Where does someone get the nerve to anger the gods that protect this land?!" He shouted and slammed the bowl against the wall.
"This has gone to far..." Grabbing his staff on the way out, he left the temple's priest offices.
xxx
Yugi slowly entered through the open gate leading to the royal grain silo's, being gazed after by scribes as he walked along.
He was somewhat taken aback by the haughty looks of the scribes, who had their intake at the opposite location of the courtyard, facing the entrance to the silo's... But he continued without blinking, 'I hope Atemu hasn't left already, how would I find him if he had?' he wondered and rounded the corner, finding he was looking at the cylindrical silo's, but no-one was there.
"Pharaoh?" Yugi looked around and scratched his head, shuffling his feet in the loose sand.
"Yugi!" Ryou yelled and caught the boy's attention, "we're here!" Yugi turned around and saw the silverhair waving at him from the entrance of a door he failed seeing.
"Hi Ryou!" Yugi responded as he ran over, entering the building, "I'm looking for the Pharaoh" he said and looked around, widening his eyes as he noticed crimson eyes taking him in.
"You found him" Ryou said simply and returned to the chair he was sitting in, leaving Yugi by the door.
"Yugi... wouldn't you come over?" Atemu said and watched how his personal servant nodded and took a few steps towards him, bowed slightly and averted his gaze.
"Ryou, you had your expectations for the food supplies for upcoming year ready?" Atemu asked and made himself comfortable in his chair as several servants surrounded him, Ryou and the attendant of the supplies.
"Yes, Pharaoh, I had, I figure that with the upcoming threat of war we are necessaried to cut down the supplies, put them into safe storage and make sure they last through a long time..."
Yugi slowly walked over, unsure of what to do, so he simply knelt and sat by Atemu's feet, quietly waiting for the Pharaoh to scold him and tell him to leave.
He startled as he felt how a hand was being laid on his head and the pharaoh started to play with his yellow bangs as he listened to the report of Ryou.
However, just as Yugi started to relax and got comfortable, someone walked into the room, causing everyone to turn silent, safe for the soft squeak Yugi failed to hold back...
xxx
"Pharaoh Atemu, I need to talk to you" Seth's cold eyes bore themselves into the servants, causing them to step back, "In private, please, send your servants away" Atemu narrowed his eyes and remained silent, slowly withdrawing his hand from Yugi's head, "Servants, leave" he ordered but he motioned for Yugi to remain at his feet.
Seth hissed softly as he approached the two, the sight of the pharaoh and the servant sickening him, "My pharaoh, I have very important news to talk about, if it's not to much to ask, follow me to the small shrine... alone"
Yugi looked at the High Priest, and frowned a bit, the blue eyes were shocking to him, and they were displaying an immense coldness that filled the room.
He averted his eyes and stood up, "Lord of the Double Land, I believe I still have work to do, may I be excused to complete my servant tasks?" He asked and bowed.
Atemu nodded, "Yes Yugi, you may" he answered, watching how Yugi quickly left the room.
"Seth... what is it?" the ruler of Egypt looked at the Priest, his eyes filling with anger.
Seth looked back unfazed, waiting till they were alone before he opened his mouth to speak: "My pharaoh... I have gotten word from Lower Egypt's Temple, MY temple in Karnak...... There is... a fast-spreading epidemic among the cattle there... which will soon contaminate... whole... of Egypt" Seth kept his eyes on Atemu's face all the while he was saying this, "The people are wishing a rebirth fest because they think the Gods have been angered..." Atemu narrowed his eyes as he looked back at Seth, "What are you implying? We'll take up action against the disease, you have the finest farmers and experts at your disposal, and the people will know that a rebirth fest is out of the question at the moment..." Seth grabbed his staff tightly, "I know the procedures... however... I am implying that the Gods have gone angry with us... perhaps with you, my Pharaoh..." Atemu felt the corners of his mouth curl up into a soft mocking smile, "Seth... Seto... my priest..." he started "And for what reason would that blasphemous thought hold ground? That I have angered the Gods?"
Seth narrowed his eyes slow and faintly "You, My Pharaoh, Ruler of both Upper and Lower Egypt, have gone into deceptive visions that you, excuse my boldness, have witnessed but not have trained into perceiving, you, Again I beg excuse, have forsaken to lend advice from your High Priest and instead you went out... and you returned with..." he did not finish his sentence as he needed air to cool himself.
"I returned with what, Priest?" Atemu hissed softly, the tension between the two stubborn males raising to heat the room even higher than the temperature outside, "With what, did, I, return, Priest?"
"You returned with a Pagan, Heathen, Slave... who you made your personal servant instead of the servant offered to you by the holy city of Heliopolis! By that deed, you have offended and raged the Gods! And now they are taking vengeance by war and plague!" Seth answered, his blue eyes sparkling in anger, "I bid you to think twice: restore Mastani to her position... and offer Yugi in order to redeem you faults!"
Within seconds, Atemu stood up and grabbed Seth by his throat, "Now you are going to far... priest! Yugi has been send by the gods! Do not dare to make this mistake twice, Seth... I will have you executed if I catch you even close to Yugi! He's a good servant, and no heathen for I have caught him secretly joining me in prayers, I hope for your life that you refrain from seeing him as a resort for your failed offerings to the Gods!" With that, Atemu released the other man, shoving him a bit back, "I'm warning you..." he hissed and pointed to the exit, "Leave me alone for the day"
Seth narrowed his eyes but admitted defeat, "Alright, what you wish..." he whispered as he bowed, leaving the room.
Atemu sat back in the chair, breathing heavily as he heard the footsteps fading away, then he took a few deep breaths and calmed himself down... not believing what just played out.
"How dare that priest defy me..." he whispered, his eyes locking on the piece of ground by his feet, the spot where Yugi had placed himself was now messed by Atemu's sudden jump up to discipline Seto... But the Pharaoh was still able to see the image in front of his eyes.
He slowly brought a hand up to his crown and touched the Sennen eye, Yugi was send by the Gods... they wanted him here, so? Did that mean... that Seto was betraying the Royal crown of Egypt?
He narrowed his eyes, knowing that he couldn't just take action, he had to undergo the betrayal until the time was right to act in...
He stood up and left the room, his hair waving softly in the breeze, knowing that he just got another worry added upon his shoulder...
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
1: Tiftisa and Dyalo pass have no real existence by my knowledge
2: Karnak/Karnack (someone guide me?) is the temple capital of Egypt, the temple of the high priest is located there... however, Seth is at this moment at the palace in Memphis.
3: the Rebirth fest is an Egyptian festivity where the pharaoh secludes himself in prayers to 'reseal' the pact with the gods. After the prayers, he shows the holy artefacts to his people to prove that the gods have again chosen him as the Pharaoh.
Sorry for having been gone for such a long time! I had troubles with a WB (writers block) and had to make preparations for my school year, which will also become a very busy one! (figures, since with it I can become a lot of things in the graphics brance), Hope everyone can forgive me!!
CC